Midnight Jewel, by Richelle Mead

Part companion novel and part sequel to The Glittering Court, Midnight Jewel tells the story of Mira. She is a refugee in search of a brighter and a better life in the colonies via the marriage agency that is the glittering court. Mira’s story is just as improbable as incognito aristocrat Adelaide’s, involving spies, pirates and treason, but it is interesting to view the story from a different perspective. Minor characters from the first story take a more prominent role in this one and several blanks are filled in. Mead manages to avoid too much repetition in the overlap of the stories, meaning Midnight Jewel could not stand alone. One exception is the remarkable survival skills of the third jewel, Tamsin, which are reiterated – no doubt to set up the third thrilling instalment of the saga.