Once Upon a Twilight!: Blog Tour: Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh + Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on BURNING MIDNIGHT tour for Kathy MacMillan. This tour is hosted by Rockstar Book Tour.

Burning Midnight
Author: Will McIntosh
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: February 2nd 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Sully is a sphere dealer at a flea market. It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make the rent. No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the greater the improvement—and the more expensive the sphere.

When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen. And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them.

There’s no question the Gold is priceless, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here.

Right from the very first page, we are entranced with the world of Sully. He works at the flea market as a sphere dealer but doesn't make much money. We read that he and his mother are struggling. Within few pages in, Sully meets Hunter. A girl that will have you on your toes throughout the story. She's a clever girl with the ability in finding spheres. Which is important in this world.

As Hunter and Sully team up, the two embarks a journey in finding sphere in hope to make their life a bit easier. As they are exploring, they encounter many challengers, but their biggest one will be involving the golden spheres they discover. This is a color of sphere no one has ever encounter before. And it is worth millions. With this one sphere they will be able to afford a place to live and buy a way of transportation. There would be no more worries for them. Until they start learning the truth about these spheres, particularly this golden one.

Burning Midnight is very unique in a way with a very interesting topic. I really liked the beginning. I like how the world is introduced and the concept of the spheres. I love the fact that these spheres give a person some type of skills or "abilities" and/or make you look better. I mean, who wouldn't want a booze of something to make you feel like you're smarter, prettier, and faster? However, as much as I enjoyed it, there is a point the story slows down and it drags. Also, the characters are simple and sometimes naive. I did love Hunter, but as well, she had her flaws. This story, in my opinion, had more potential.

Overall, the story was a good read. I enjoyed it for the most part. Fans of The 5th Wave would find a similarity and enjoy the book for the most part.

Will McIntosh’s debut novel, Soft Apocalypse, was a finalist for both a Locus award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He is a frequent contributor to Asimov’s, where his story “Bridesicle” won the 2010 Reader’s Award, as well as the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. His third novel, Love Minus Eighty (based on “Bridesicle”) was published by Orbit books in June, 2013, and was named best Science Fiction novel of the year by the American Library Association. His upcoming novel, Defenders has been optioned by Warner Brothers for a feature film. Will recently moved to Williamsburg, Virginia with his wife Alison and twins Hannah and Miles. He left his position as a psychology professor in Southeast Georgia to write full time, and still teaches as an adjunct, at the College of William and Mary. Will is represented by Seth Fishman at The Gernert Company.