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Midnight #1
Catching Midnight
In the Scottish wood, a clan of immortal shape-shifting wolves takes in an orphan girl, Gillian, as one of their own. But when she matures into a beautiful woman and falls for a mere mortal, her forest family and new lover are plunged into a fiery, passionate struggle to claim Gillian's heart, body, and soul...
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
17 people are currently reading
864 people want to read
About the author
Emma Holly
92 books1,267 followersI'm a USA Today bestselling author who LOVES the hot stuff, both to read and to write. My favorite obsessions are all things coffee, almost everything on HGTV, and dreaming up new stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 20, 2012
I would like to start by saying that I love the cover on this book, it beautifully reflects Gillian and her "familiar". So many book publishers in romance, romantica, erotica, paranormal and urban fantasy genres really treat the readers with disrespect with the covers they slap on books.
Gillian is a lovely, free spirited Upyr, changed from human as a young girl by the elder Auriculus during plague torn England. She is raised by shapeshifting Upyrs led by Ulric after initally being sought by both the elders Auriculus and Nim Wei, who differ in their beliefs of how the race should be raised. Ulric loves Gillian, she is not as besotted, because humans and the world are more attractive to her. She wants to travel, see the world and gets excited by adventure and the way humans go about their lives and relationships. She finds her shapeshifting style in the form of a bird and is captured by avid falconer Aimery Fitz Clare and his nephew Robin, two utterly charming characters. She shifts between bird and humanesque form and during such a shift ends up beguiling Aimery. He loves her fair form and free spirited attitude, especially towards sex. Aimery is such a delighful leading man, he is not your standard chest beating, neanderthal alpha, although he is very manly with a demeanor of great modesty. He is naturally capable and his brother Edmund, the elder brother and thus the one who has inherited the title, is jealous of him; hell, even Edmund's wife and youngest son Robin love Aimery. The locals look up to him for his war record and his bravery/scars strike a certain amount of (wary) respect from people in general. Robin, Aimery's nephew, has such a close connection to Aimery and also to Gillian in bird form, he names her Princess and their relationship is so sweet.
The biggest problem with the book is that it is an historical read, however setting the tone for 1300's England is not easy, the English spoken/written then is not even close to modern English (even Shakespearean English looks a walk in the park compared to what they wrote/spoke in the 1300's) thus the lack of the "true" language style makes it hard to seem like a true period piece. Having said this, Emma Holly's turn of phrase and her writing ability do get you past this issue as she is an extremely capable writer who could, in my opinion, turn her hand to any style and always make it readable and enjoyable. I have no problem with the wolf/vampire Upyr as some have mentioned, I just look at the Upyr as a different type of paranormal.
If you have ever thought about reading an Emma Holly novel but the sexual standards in her eroticas have put you off this is more romantic in nature and might be a good read for you; but please note the sexual heat is still there. I, perhaps, like Holly's contemporary and erotica novels a tad more, but I'm so glad I read this book as it is quite beautiful.
Gillian is a lovely, free spirited Upyr, changed from human as a young girl by the elder Auriculus during plague torn England. She is raised by shapeshifting Upyrs led by Ulric after initally being sought by both the elders Auriculus and Nim Wei, who differ in their beliefs of how the race should be raised. Ulric loves Gillian, she is not as besotted, because humans and the world are more attractive to her. She wants to travel, see the world and gets excited by adventure and the way humans go about their lives and relationships. She finds her shapeshifting style in the form of a bird and is captured by avid falconer Aimery Fitz Clare and his nephew Robin, two utterly charming characters. She shifts between bird and humanesque form and during such a shift ends up beguiling Aimery. He loves her fair form and free spirited attitude, especially towards sex. Aimery is such a delighful leading man, he is not your standard chest beating, neanderthal alpha, although he is very manly with a demeanor of great modesty. He is naturally capable and his brother Edmund, the elder brother and thus the one who has inherited the title, is jealous of him; hell, even Edmund's wife and youngest son Robin love Aimery. The locals look up to him for his war record and his bravery/scars strike a certain amount of (wary) respect from people in general. Robin, Aimery's nephew, has such a close connection to Aimery and also to Gillian in bird form, he names her Princess and their relationship is so sweet.
The biggest problem with the book is that it is an historical read, however setting the tone for 1300's England is not easy, the English spoken/written then is not even close to modern English (even Shakespearean English looks a walk in the park compared to what they wrote/spoke in the 1300's) thus the lack of the "true" language style makes it hard to seem like a true period piece. Having said this, Emma Holly's turn of phrase and her writing ability do get you past this issue as she is an extremely capable writer who could, in my opinion, turn her hand to any style and always make it readable and enjoyable. I have no problem with the wolf/vampire Upyr as some have mentioned, I just look at the Upyr as a different type of paranormal.
If you have ever thought about reading an Emma Holly novel but the sexual standards in her eroticas have put you off this is more romantic in nature and might be a good read for you; but please note the sexual heat is still there. I, perhaps, like Holly's contemporary and erotica novels a tad more, but I'm so glad I read this book as it is quite beautiful.
March 30, 2010
Emma HollyParticularly Powerful ProsePg. 46 -- It was a memory, rather, as if time were a ribbon looped upon itself.
Pg. 146 -- Not an easy man, she thought, either to know or to be
Pg 283 -- You owe it to him to live the life he gave you with honor. It is up to you, however, to decide what honor mean.
Vivid Vocabulary
Aventail a flap of mail attached to a coif [kinght's helmet:] and fastened across the lower part of the face during combat.
Prescience [presh-uhn:] knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foreknowledge; foresight.
Crenellated [kren-l-eyt:] to furnish with crenels or battlements.
Eyrie [air-ee:] the nest of a bird of prey, as an eagle or a hawk.
November 6, 2021
Hard to review this one because it was good but it left me unsatisfied. The world-building was so unique and I couldn't stop reading. But the romance was not satisfactory at all. This is more of an ensemble cast book and the overarching story takes precedence. This book has vampires, wolves, shapeshifters who also drink blood, and very steamy sex scenes. Recommended to fans of paranormal historicals.
February 6, 2016
First book I read from this author, Erotica, Paranormal, Shape-shifting vampires, wolves, birds, upyrs, & more creatures.
This started out slow and ended slow, was almost put asleep several times. Had some interesting intriguing parts in the middle. I actually tried to read the 2nd book in this series but was so bored had to stop reading it. Will take them back to library. :-( the only good thing about the books so far is that they have excellent sex scenes, but I need a better faster story line to go with the sex. lol
This started out slow and ended slow, was almost put asleep several times. Had some interesting intriguing parts in the middle. I actually tried to read the 2nd book in this series but was so bored had to stop reading it. Will take them back to library. :-( the only good thing about the books so far is that they have excellent sex scenes, but I need a better faster story line to go with the sex. lol
February 15, 2010
Emma Holly is an erotica writer, but having read and liked her "Demon's daughter" I thought I'd try another one of her paranormals. I found this book very interesting and her worldbuilding as intrguing as in her Demon's world. As to the erotica part it's totally free of the ick factor as some of my GR would say. All in all a very nice book. I believe I will buy the next one in the series too
October 16, 2020
Review originally posted at https://tinyurl.com/y2ynxwew.
Gillian was changed into a Upyr by Auriclus at a young age and sent to live with one of his packs. While loved, she feels she never fits in and heads out to make her own way. In doing so she finds her familiar in a young Falcon and their souls are merged. Now either form is theirs. When Aimery catches the young falcon and takes her with him he could be the savior she is looking for, or she could lose a piece of herself to him forever.
I bought this paperback book from a thrift store and it sat on my shelf for a long time, lost amongst all of the other books that have found their home there. I chose it on a whim an finished it in 2 days. While there are some typos and occasionally you have to guess what the author intended with a sentence since certain words simply do not fit the book is a good one. There is a lot of sex in it, which is something I never complain about. That being said I found myself getting bored during the sex scenes.
Gillian is a girl who grew up quickly and "reached the perfect age" immediately when she became an Upyr. One moment she is being treated like a child and the next she is an adult and is having sex with the pack leader, whom she doesn't really have feelings for. Then when she leaves she merges souls with a falcon instead of the wolves that the rest of her pack were and meets Aimery.
Aimery is the second son of a lord that died in battle. He envies his brother and what he can never have while Edward (his brother) envies the battle respect that all of his men hold for Aimery as well as the fact that his wife is hopelessly in love with the man. Luckily for Aimery he does not feel the same for his brother's wife and is able to continue on with his life. Aimery is a heart-throb due to his brutish statue, since all every woman wants is someone who can protect them-gag- who characteristically has a giant dick. Thankfully he is actually sweet.
By the way, a Upyr is a shape-shifter (only with a merged animal) who drinks blood, has an ethereal glow, can't go in the sunlight, can be killed by iron, and who is immortal. So basically we combined were-wolves and vampires, but instead of becoming a wolf they find an animal with whom they communicate telepathically and merge souls.
Basically if you can ignore the boring sex scenes and embrace the fact that the females in it, outside of the main females, fall at the feet of the "biggest baddest male around" you will enjoy yourself as you read this book. It is one I would recommend if you are just looking for a fast romance novel, since it doesn't take very long to get through.
Gillian was changed into a Upyr by Auriclus at a young age and sent to live with one of his packs. While loved, she feels she never fits in and heads out to make her own way. In doing so she finds her familiar in a young Falcon and their souls are merged. Now either form is theirs. When Aimery catches the young falcon and takes her with him he could be the savior she is looking for, or she could lose a piece of herself to him forever.
I bought this paperback book from a thrift store and it sat on my shelf for a long time, lost amongst all of the other books that have found their home there. I chose it on a whim an finished it in 2 days. While there are some typos and occasionally you have to guess what the author intended with a sentence since certain words simply do not fit the book is a good one. There is a lot of sex in it, which is something I never complain about. That being said I found myself getting bored during the sex scenes.
Gillian is a girl who grew up quickly and "reached the perfect age" immediately when she became an Upyr. One moment she is being treated like a child and the next she is an adult and is having sex with the pack leader, whom she doesn't really have feelings for. Then when she leaves she merges souls with a falcon instead of the wolves that the rest of her pack were and meets Aimery.
Aimery is the second son of a lord that died in battle. He envies his brother and what he can never have while Edward (his brother) envies the battle respect that all of his men hold for Aimery as well as the fact that his wife is hopelessly in love with the man. Luckily for Aimery he does not feel the same for his brother's wife and is able to continue on with his life. Aimery is a heart-throb due to his brutish statue, since all every woman wants is someone who can protect them-gag- who characteristically has a giant dick. Thankfully he is actually sweet.
By the way, a Upyr is a shape-shifter (only with a merged animal) who drinks blood, has an ethereal glow, can't go in the sunlight, can be killed by iron, and who is immortal. So basically we combined were-wolves and vampires, but instead of becoming a wolf they find an animal with whom they communicate telepathically and merge souls.
Basically if you can ignore the boring sex scenes and embrace the fact that the females in it, outside of the main females, fall at the feet of the "biggest baddest male around" you will enjoy yourself as you read this book. It is one I would recommend if you are just looking for a fast romance novel, since it doesn't take very long to get through.
January 6, 2020
3 1/2 stars please.
This is the beginning of the Midnight series. It takes a little getting used to the characters. Though the foundations for the series is set, it also takes a little getting used to. No spoiling as per usual, but will slightly touch the surface. Gillian, a young girl living in the era of pestilence is forced to leave her home and survive in the woods, so she is told. Along comes the change to the storyline where the Paranormal storyline begins. Emma Holly, has a way of putting words to paper, if you can complete this book, the series takes an enjoyable theme.
For Paranormal lovers, you will enjoy this.
This is the beginning of the Midnight series. It takes a little getting used to the characters. Though the foundations for the series is set, it also takes a little getting used to. No spoiling as per usual, but will slightly touch the surface. Gillian, a young girl living in the era of pestilence is forced to leave her home and survive in the woods, so she is told. Along comes the change to the storyline where the Paranormal storyline begins. Emma Holly, has a way of putting words to paper, if you can complete this book, the series takes an enjoyable theme.
For Paranormal lovers, you will enjoy this.
July 25, 2025
A lot better than I expected given my paperback edition makes it look like a trashy, cheap novel. Picked it up for free and decided to give it a go.
'Erotic' content = 1/5 stars. Not my cup of tea: gratuitous, mechanical, at times improbable. Got bored and skimmed through these scenes.
Setting, characters, fantasy element = 5/5 stars. A lot Ladyhawke, a bit Interview with the Vampire, a bit Red Riding Hood and all interesting. Some of the secondary characters could carry their own novels and the scene setting details were so well chosen.
Ending = 4/5 stars. It did go on a bit and was a bit tidy.
'Erotic' content = 1/5 stars. Not my cup of tea: gratuitous, mechanical, at times improbable. Got bored and skimmed through these scenes.
Setting, characters, fantasy element = 5/5 stars. A lot Ladyhawke, a bit Interview with the Vampire, a bit Red Riding Hood and all interesting. Some of the secondary characters could carry their own novels and the scene setting details were so well chosen.
Ending = 4/5 stars. It did go on a bit and was a bit tidy.
September 13, 2023
Wow, what an amazing and fulsome story! I have not read much of such literature before and was surprised with how well told and complete the plot was - from the first page to the very last one. The characters were amazing, the events really had me, the spicy parts were nicely steamy... Wowww
September 30, 2017
Not sure what I was expecting but I enjoyed this book. Imagonitive, sensual, and sweet.
June 11, 2020
Not my type of romance.
July 4, 2009
Part historical, part paranormal with shapeshifting vampires, or upyrs, Catching Midnight is a worthy addition to Holly's series. Gillian survives a plague-ridden, medieval London only to be changed at the hands of Auriculus, an ancient vampire who quickly abandons her to a pack of wolf-shifting vampires. Gillian's desire for freedom from their simple life in the woods causes her to flee this new life and discover her own.
Gillian's sire, however, is in competition for the vampire world with another of his children, Nim Wei, and this back story, as well as the mystery of the elders, is what makes this story all the more interesting. I am very much looking forward to the third installment.
Gillian's sire, however, is in competition for the vampire world with another of his children, Nim Wei, and this back story, as well as the mystery of the elders, is what makes this story all the more interesting. I am very much looking forward to the third installment.
May 1, 2010
I had read another paranormal book by this author The Demon's Daughter and didn't care for it (didn't like world building and the way the hero treated the heroine). So I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book. In the first bit of it, I started worrying it was going to be a heavy sex book without much plot. But then once she ran away from the Upyr pack she had been living with, the storyline really took off. The author did a good job world building using Upyr legends(ie, vampires and shapeshifters). Well developed main characters and supporting cast. Good romantic development. Intense, steamy scenes...kind of like what you'd find in IAD by Cole. Great ending. Will definitely check out other books in the series.
October 12, 2012
This book was a pick-up from the book-store when someone was silly enough to let me in the store to pick up a book for him. I've enjoyed Holly in the past and so finding a historical fantasy romance paranormal... I just had to buy it. I enjoyed this book, which featured a female vampire (umpyr) heroine who was sexually experienced and a human male. There was a lot of good world building here as well as a good romance story and it was "spicy" aka erotic. I liked it and will likely buy the next book in the series. 4.5 flying hawks out of 5.
March 2, 2011
This book was pretty cool. I like the author's "world". It was pretty interesting seeing how everything worked. I liked also that it was set in 1370 inside a castle in England. I always enjoy books set in the past as well as books set in the present. I'm interested to see how the next in the series is.
February 5, 2016
Later books in this series are much better. This book is worth the read if you really want to know about Edmund's early life, otherwise I would recommend starting with Kissing Midnight. I haven't read the second and third books in the series, and probably won't. But I absolutely loved the rest of the series.
January 15, 2008
Second in the upyr series. I've read two short stories in the series which led me to seek out this book. Mostly, I loved it. I did think it dragged a bit near the end, and parts of the world building confused me, but I liked the characters so much I can overlook that stuff.
October 7, 2013
Gillian is changed into a shapeshifter/upyr as a young girl, but she never really felt like part of her pack. She leaves the pack & finds her familiar is a falcon. While living with her familiar in an aerie, she's taken by Aimery.
She reveals herself inadvertently and the two become lovers.
She reveals herself inadvertently and the two become lovers.
September 19, 2007
Sigh. I would like vampire books so much better if the vampires could go out in the sun. I always get so depressed on their behalf that they're stuck in the dark all the time....
November 13, 2007
read 03.26.07
July 9, 2009
This was definitely not my favorite book by Emma Holly. It was very slow and was lacking the strong conflict I'm used to from her other books.
November 2, 2009
Pretty good book if you like PNR. I must admit, it was a little slow at the beginning, but once you get past that, Catching Midnight was very entertaining.
April 17, 2010
The sequel was better, but this was fine.
May 8, 2010
Read the first half and just couldn't get into the whole shifting thing. I just wasn't feeling the genre and theme.
September 3, 2010
Actually, it's part of the FitzClare Chronicles series, #2. History + the paranormal.
December 27, 2010
Definitely worth continuing the series...I liked Gillian and Aimery.
January 9, 2011
Ms. Holly is a good read pretty much every time. I enjoyed book two of this series. I found this book to be nice and sensual.
August 2, 2012
I am loving the Upry series! This is the first book in the series. Emma writes with such detail you can picture yourself there watching what is happening.
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September 20, 2012Great book
September 11, 2013
Please read our full review at www.moonlightreads.com.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews