This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Many Shades of Midnight

Thank you to C.M. Debell for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Isyr is the most coveted material in the land. Blades made from Isyr are the finest quality, surgeons use it in their treatments and the elite seek to obtain as much of it as they can to show their wealth. But there is a deadly secret surrounding the material and how it is made. One that will bring destruction to the land and its people.

The Many Shades of Midnight paints a startling picture of what happens when the land is poisoned by greed. The levels of destruction brought on by the mining syndicates are heartbreaking. There is no thought to the people and land they kill in their search for more wealth. And the repercussions of their actions are growing widespread as the story progresses and the depth of damage is revealed. The real-world implications reflected in this novel will be sure to send chills down a reader’s spine.

The characters C.M. Debell has created are so in-depth and complicated. Each of them has a different relationship with Isyr and it impacts the decisions they make. Some are outright addicted to Isyr, and they use their addictions to either fuel their need to destroy it or allow it to corrupt them. Others see what Isyr can inflict and can reason through what must be done, even if they do not like what has to occur.

Friendships in The Many Shades of Midnight are as complex as the characters. Alyas and Esar portray a relationship spanning years. They’ve been through the hardest times of their lives together, and despite upsets remain close friends. Friends that might as well be family. When one feels pain the other displays discomfort knowing what they are dealing with. As Brivar becomes an addition to the group, his outside perspective of Alyas only accents the intricate way Esar understands him.

Brivar himself was such an interesting character. As a surgeon’s apprentice, his perspective on people is vastly different. His training allows him to see the hidden pain in a person, and his need to help them is endearing. His dedication and resolve are what make him such a great character to read and provides counterbalance to Alyas’ emotionally charged personality.

Readers who enjoy fantasy novels with underlying themes tying back to the real world have to give this novel a try. With strong characters and themes, this is one book you do not want to pass up the chance to enjoy. ( )