Book Review: Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley

I have loved the Fantasyland books and was sorry to see the full series come to an end. There is a novella so I do have something to look forward to. I was so happy that Franka got a happily ever after in Midnight Soul, she and Noc had a wild read and I totally enjoyed it!

Midnight Soul (Fantasyland #5) by Kristen Ashley

Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and a parallel universe. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world. And things aren’t going great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world. What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides in that world.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her mask slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

4 out of 5 stars

Midnight Soul was such an excellent story! There’s drama and emotion mixed in with forgiveness and love, and I liked how it all played out. I loved Franka and Noc, getting to see some of my favorite characters from past stories, and how it was all woven together.

I loved Franka and Noc coming together. Noc was there for her right from the start, he supported her and championed her. I loved Franka finding her way, healing, and growing after everyone discovered her secret. I loved the moments when everyone saw that Franka was more than she showed the world. I really liked how Franka tried to keep her shields up and Noc and others ignored them, creating some fun moments. They experienced some ups and downs along the way with minor drama, but it was the overall entertainment value that had me turning the page.

I loved Franka’s friendship with her maid and how that evolved, I also liked her growing friendships with the other women in the series. I loved Valentine and was thrilled she had a POV and story, but in the end, I wished there would have been more of a story for her. I also liked how Franka used her meddling for good with the other world Circe and modern world Dax Lahn, that was a fun addition.

This book felt slightly different to me than the first four books in the series. I still really liked it, it just felt less fantasy-focused and more emotional and character-driven, giving it somewhat of a contemporary romance vibe. There was still plenty of magic involved as well as the characters from the parallel universe, it just didn’t hold the same level of excitement for me. I got choked up and mad, rooted for Noc and Franka, hated certain situations, and wished I would have gotten more of others. The epilogue was fantastic bringing closure to a few other stories in the series. It was like icing on the cake!

I love the Fantasyland series. Midnight Soul might not have had the same feel as the other books but it was everything all together that had invested the entire time.