The Midnight Charter by David Whitley
Rate and review The Midnight Charter! | What does everyone else think?
In the city of Agora, anything can be bought and sold. Even children are possessions until their twelfth birthday. Mark has been sold by his father, and Lily, an orphan from birth, has bartered for her life. Thrown together by chance, in the ancient tower of Count Stelli, they face an existence of poverty and servitude, unless they can find a way to break free.
But, unbeknown to Mark and Lily, they are being watched by the ruler of the city. Can they survive the traps and treachery that await them and discover the dark secret that binds them together? Their lives depend on this question: what is the Midnight Charter?
David Whitley, although still a young man, already has a fine pedigree. His first novel, written when he was only 17, was short-listed for the Kathleen Fidler Award. Three years later, at the still tender age of 20 he won the prestigious Cheshire Prize for Literature, becoming the youngest ever to do so. Whitley has talent, but he also has style and a gift for creating compelling fiction for children and young adults.
The Midnight Charter is part conspiracy theory, part fantasy, and opens with tragedy. The plague is ravaging the poorer quarters of the city of Agora and we are introduced to Mark as he nears death. The narrative here deals with the loss of a parent and also the fear of abandonment; two issues that will unsettle and fascinate younger readers in equal measure. The excerpt below is taken from the very beginning of the book and shows how Whitley instantly grabs the reader’s attention and emotions.
“Being dead was colder than Mark expected.
When his mother had told them all tales of the afterlife, she had drawn him close into her woollen skirts and painted a picture of another city, one where it was always summer. A world where the river glowed clean and bright, a land where all debts were forgotten. Mark had trusted every word, until he awoke in a stone cell, shivering and wrapped in a shroud.”
The Midnight Charter: Chapter One – The Staircase
Following on from this impressive beginning, the foundations are further laid with great skill and aplomb. Mark, in light of his situation and predicament, becomes and instantly sympathetic character that the reader will really feel for. We then meet Lily. Lily’s life has been no easier than Mark’s; an orphan from birth, she worked as a bookbinder until her fingers became too large for the work and was forced to barter herself into a new position. The destinies of these two wonderful characters are intertwined and their relationship is the cornerstone of which the story is built.
By having the story told from two perspectives Whitley allows the reader to see the city of Agora from two very different viewpoints – Mark’s life becomes that of the fortunate wealthy while Lily’s work with the poor shows her an entirely different city. This allows for excellent contrast.
There are a couple of moments when the pieces don’t fit together absolutely perfectly. For example - Mark is used as a pawn in a political game between two high-profile citizens of Agora; the way that this plays out requires just a little too much suspension of belief. This did detract slightly from what was otherwise a very credible novel.
The Midnight Charter is a thoroughly enjoyable book. There is an 18th century feel and the city of Agora, where money does not exist, is wonderful in its creation. Comparisons are difficult but there is a period-feel reminiscent of Marcus Sedgwick’s The Book of Dead Days.
This is a book that we highly recommend and we certainly look forward to David Whitley’s future works.
David Whitley was born in 1984 and graduated from the University of Oxford with a double First in English Literature and a passion for writing children’s fiction. In 2005 David appeared on BBC2’s University Challenge where he was a member of the winning Corpus Christi team who beat all competitors to become Series Champions. David currently lives in Cheshire and is working on his second novel.
The Midnight Charter (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: David Whitley
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: 2009-08-06
Publisher: Puffin
RRP: £6.99
Lowest new price: £2.33
Lowest used price: £1.95
Submit your own mini-review
Let people know what you think about The Midnight Charter. You can write your own mini-review and give the book the rating that you think it deserves. Your reviews will go towards giving The Midnight Charter its overall rating that will decide where The Midnight Charter finishes in the top 100 fantasy books of all time.
Books you may also enjoy...
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo
Set in the village of Slapton on the south coast of England during the Second World War, this story from master storyteller Morpurgo tells the tale of Lily Tregenza and how she, her family and her cat cope with rationing, evacuation, hope and grief. It is a charming tale with a gentle pace told in the form of a child’s diary. ... read the full review
Summary: Written with incredible insight to children’s relationship with language, people and pets.
Also in this sub-genre...
- Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
- The Once And Future King by TH White
- Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver
- Soul Eater by Michelle Paver
- Lion of Macedon by David Gemmell
- The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane
- The Story of Cirrus Flux by Matthew Skelton
- Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
- The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier
- The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
- Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell
- The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
- The Silver Eagle by Ben Kane
- Interregnum by SJA Turney
Book of the Month
Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill
Some doors are better left closed . . . In Barrington House, an upmarket block in London, there is an empty apartment. No one goes in, no one comes out. And it’s been that way for fifty years. Until the night watchman hears a disturbance after midnight and investigates. What he experiences is enough to change his life forever.
Latest interviews
Interviews plus question and answer sessions with authors, narrators and publishers.
Must-reads
The following reviews are of books that begin the very best fantasy series available.
Competition: Win a signed copy of Graham Hancock's Entangled
Graham Hancock is the author of The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, Keeper of Genesis, Heaven's Mirror, Supernatural and other bestselling investigations of historical mysteries. His books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have sold over five million copies worldwide. Written with the same page-turning appeal that has made his non-fiction so popular, Entangled is his first work of fiction. We have five signed copies of Entangled to give away as prizes. Email us the answer to the following question and the lucky winner, chosen at random, will receive a copy of the book, signed by the author.
Special Feature: Fantasy Book Review talks to the Book View Cafe
Book View Cafe is a cooperative site created by a group of writers - including internationally renowned authors Katharine Kerr, Ursula Le Guin and Vonda N. McIntyre - who want to take advantage of the internet's possibilities for reaching a wider audience and to distribute their work directly to their readers. The Book View Cafe is a place where you can find free, original fiction plus the authors' best and out-of-print work for a fee. Fantasy Book Review spoke to Book View Cafe member, science fiction author and memoirist Chris Dolley in February 2010.
Special Feature: Understanding the author of Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll, the elusive author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, has been the subject of enduring fascination for the past hundred years. The destruction of many major documents about his personal life by his descendants has only magnified the mystery. Jenny Woolf's biography, published to coincide with the release of the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland film, lays waste to the myths and suspicions that have obscured Carroll's reputation by placing him firmly in the context of his own time.
