Midnight Strikes

January 1, 2023
A 17-year-old girl is stuck in a time loop in a secondary fantasy world. It's the kingdom of Ivarea's 400th Anniversary Ball, and Ana�s is supposed to find a husband from a prominent house to elevate her family's status. But as a Proensan nobody, Ana�s has been shunned by every eligible bachelor, although infamous Infante Leopoldo Cardona seems surprisingly interested. Then midnight strikes, an explosion leads to untold destruction, and Ana�s dies...only to wake up unharmed in her bedroom earlier that same day, believing it was all a dream--but when midnight comes, it all happens repeatedly. As the only one who ever remembers the tragic events that seem destined to take place, Ana�s works tirelessly to figure out who is behind the attack and how to prevent it while reliving that terrible day countless times. But the more she investigates, the more she uncovers the hidden truth about her kingdom's magic and its history--as well as about Leo, who has more to him than his wayward facade suggests. Shahnaz's gripping debut is a twisty story in a fantasy setting in which the names, physical descriptions, and language point to a Spanish-inspired background. While the romantic storyline is underdeveloped, the overall story progresses carefully, slowly unveiling a plot full of courtly intrigue with a determined lead character whose personal agency is the focus. Riveting, time-looping fun. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 23, 2023
As a member of the maligned Proensans, a group of citizens who were colonized by the affluent Ivarea Kingdom, 17-year-old Anaïs Aubanel’s life has always been about marriage. If she weds a noble, wealthy Ivarean man, she could not only elevate her family to a higher, more comfortable station, but also improve the reputation of her people as a whole. The 400th Anniversary Ball is supposed to be Anaïs’s best chance at snaring a husband, but those plans are upended when an unexplained explosion kills every attendant, including Anaïs. When she wakes up the previous afternoon, she realizes she’s stuck in a time loop. Unsure about the origins of the temporal event or the explosion, she endeavors to uncover the plot and stop the disaster. The shaky time loop premise droops under the weight of a rotation too many, leading to slim character and relationship development. Nevertheless, Anaïs’s profound feelings of isolation and loneliness, and her repeated deaths, including her subsequent grief and trauma following each, are handled with complexity and gravitas alongside discussions of intersectionality in this elaborate debut. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management.

April 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-In this debut, 17-year-old Ana�s wants to survive the final Ivarean ball of the season, and return to her quiet life, preferably in her home country, Proensa. Instead, explosions decimate the royal family and bullets end her own life until she wakes up again-on the same day. Ana�s is constantly drawn to Infante Leopoldo, the Prince everyone discounts as Leo the Lush. She enlists his help while also struggling to save him. Additional support comes from her childhood best friend Gaspard, and keen socialite Jacinthe, who's close to the royal family and tuned into the discontent against them. Ana�s questions if she's cursed or blessed as she relives each day only to die at the end, fleetingly wondering if magic could save her. Proensan blood magic is seen as inferior to Ivarean magic, which is more innate and connected to Saints. Ana�s grows as a character, as do her relationships with others as she learns of their hidden depths. There is a mix of cultures depicted; many characters and locations in Ivarea have Spanish names. Prejudice is brought up as citizens of the conquered country of Proensa are thought of as barbarians and biracial Gaspard is seen as a less desirable match. Shahnaz has created an entire world of rich cultures and history, including oppression by the government which has the common people speaking out for change. As each day starts over, the chapter starts at one again, one of many clever cues readers will enjoy in this time-loop novel as Ana�s strives to make it to the next day. VERDICT A perfect choice for fans of second chances, also third, fourth, etc.-Rebecca Greer

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.