Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Midnight Queen

The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter is the first (and currently only) book in a new fantasy series set in an alternate, regency-era Britain where Roman culture and religion dominate and where magic is a fact of life.  Although the characters in this novel are rather stereotypical--the shy but extremely talented young lady, the gawky but kind young man, the mysterious older fairy godmother-type woman, the inept but well-connected villainous professor--the plot was original enough to hold my interest and keep me guessing.  The Austen-esque style the book is written in is also fun to read and helps set the book in the British tradition, even though it isn't by a British author, while also poking gentle fun at it.  If you like fantasy, this is a fun book to read.