What happens when an ordinary farm girl has to masquerade as a princess?

When Amy is chosen to take the place of a missing princess during the Choosing Ceremony, she is thrust into the glittering—and dangerous—world of the Midnight Kingdoms. With war looming on the horizon and the kingdom’s magnificent pegasi caught in the middle, Amy must decide how much she’s willing to risk to protect those she loves.

Magic at Midnight is a romantasy set in the Faerie Mythos, blending adventure, court intrigue and winged horses with a coming-of-age story about courage, identity and finding where you truly belong.

Scroll down for book club questions, an excerpt, behind-the-scenes insights, and everything you need to begin your journey into the Midnight Courts.

📚 Series: Midnight Courts
✨ Genre: Romantasy
🦄 Features: Pegasi, Fae, Royal Courts, Found Family
👥 Recommended for readers who enjoy: fairy tale retellings, magical kingdoms, romantic fantasy and coming-of-age adventures

About Magic at Midnight

Watch the Book Trailer

Read an Excerpt

She was chopping up the branches of a fallen tree – just something else she had to clean up after the storm – when she spotted a stranger approaching Idil, Libi and the foal. Her protective instincts reared. Machete in hand, she raced to them.

‘Stay away from them!’ she said in her most menacing voice as she reached them. Her heart was hammering in her ears. Libi and Idil were standing protectively on either side of the foal. They couldn’t leave – the baby wasn’t strong enough yet to keep up with them. ‘Back away,’ she warned the stranger. She could hear the rest of the herd flanking them.

‘Magnificent creatures,’ the man said, looking at Amy’s charges. ‘Too bad there isn’t space for them in the cities,’ he continued as if they were having a conversation. ‘But then, someone might’ve noticed you and everything would’ve been lost.’ He turned away from the horses ranging from skittish to aggressive, ignored the lethal weapon in Amy’s hand and walked to her hut. ‘A spot of tea would be nice.’

Amy stared after him. She heard Idil, Libi and the foal move away within the safety of the herd. The man opening her hut’s door galvanised her into action.

‘What are you going on about?’ she asked as he poured boiling water into the teapot. The fireplace was still stone cold. She could tell by his appearance that he was from polite society – those simpering idiots who couldn’t even make their own beds let alone put in a full day’s work. They played with magic all the time, of course, but had common folk do all the manual labour.

‘Why, you, of course.’

‘Me what?’

‘Right. Let me introduce myself: I’m the Honourable Lord Gellar, advisor to the king. Right now, fifty young ladies – princesses to be exact – are travelling to the Castle to compete for the prince’s hand.’

‘Ridiculous,’ Amy said and placed her machete on the table. She had, of course, heard of Lord Gellar when her stepfamily gushed over the royals and their doings on those rare occasions she was allowed up at the big house.

‘Perhaps. It’s also a great show of diplomacy. This way, any kingdom can make an alliance with us. There’s a panel of judges, votes from the common folk, several competitions for the young ladies to show off their skill…’

‘And it’s still an arranged marriage.’ She took a sip of her tea.

‘Yes. But there can be no hard feelings between kingdoms when a princess wins – for they’d all done their best.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Amy drank more of the tea. ‘Again: what does this have to do with me?’

‘Ah, yes.’ He looked uncomfortable. ‘One of the young ladies had an unfortunate accident. She’s in a coma. Our best wizards aren’t able to rouse her. We fear…’ He cleared his throat. ‘Point is, it happened on our soil. It can lead to war. Fortunately, we’ve been able to keep it quiet. And fortunately, you are her mirror image.’

Magic at Midnight. Ronel Janse van Vuuren

Magic at Midnight Book Club Questions

1. What does the title reveal about the story to follow?
2. Have you read other pieces by this author?
3. What do you think the cover image reveals about the story?
4. Did any aspects of the plots and characters bring realisations about your own life? What was your aha! moment?
5. Which character would you most like to be? Why?
6. What do you feel is the most important scene in the book?
7. What does the story reveal about how patriarchy (male-dominated society) operates?
8. If the male and female characters switched genders, how would the story be different?
9. Do you think the women’s rights in this book accurately portray their contemporary/real world counterparts? Why/why not?
10. Did you notice that female servants wear grey but male servants wear flamboyant colours of the House they work for? What are your thoughts?
11. Does it bother anyone else that two strong young men are sent to do the work that Amy had to do all on her own since the age of twelve?
12. How do you feel about the bias on sexuality in the book? Do you think it is how people in the real world behave? What do you think should be done in the name of equality?
13. Who does and who doesn’t have power in the story? Explain.
14. What are your thoughts on the issue of arranged marriages in this book?
15. How does the story draw attention to economic and political issues?
16. What do you think of the machinations of lord Gellar and the king?
17. Are any secret messages being conveyed in the text? How do you know?
18. In what ways do the themes in the story contradict each other?
19. How do binary opposites function to each other in terms of nature vs culture, speech vs writing, original vs copy, appearance vs essence, presence vs absence, life vs death, human vs animal?
20. How would you summarise this story?
21. What happens when the story ends?
22. Is the plot predictable? How is it like other stories you’ve read?
23. In what ways do you relate to Amy/Rachel/the queen mother/Aislinn/lord Gellar/the king/Francois/Michael/Meg?
24. What traits make certain characters memorable?
25. Would you go to the extremes Amy did to protect her loved-ones and prevent war? What do you think of Amy’s actions regarding the above issues?
26. Do you think Amy stayed true to herself during her journey of self-discovery? Why/why not?
27. What are your thoughts about the pegasi? And, specifically, Idil?
28. Who do you think Amy should have ended up with: the prince or the Hazel Wood princess? Are you Team Francois or Team Rachel? Why?
29. How do you think Michael’s feelings for lord Gellar shifted from the beginning of the book to the end?
30. In what way does the setting play an important role?
31. Would a change of setting significantly impact the story? How?
32. Is the setting used symbolically in any way?
33. What potential symbols stood out in the story? What do they mean to you?
34. What is the major theme in the story?
35. Are any other themes present in the story?
36. Is the theme directly stated or implied via story elements?
37. Do you feel the theme is preachy or heavy-handed in any way?
38. Does the theme confirm or challenge your values?
39. Is this story worth reading more than once? Would the language reveal more with each additional reading?
40. What are your thoughts about the ending? Would you have made a different decision than Amy? Why/why not?

The Inspiration Behind Magic at Midnight

I’d been a horse girl for about a year when I realised that life with horses isn’t nearly as glamorous as the movies make it seem. About five percent of the time is Instagram-worthy. The other ninety-five percent is spent in the land of mud, hay… and a lot of poo. I thought that would make the perfect backstory for a heroine.

Of course, this is the Faerie Mythos, so ordinary horses became magnificent pegasi. Amy’s practical knowledge of caring for them became one of her greatest strengths.

I’ve also always loved the idea of sentient buildings — places that seem alive, remember those who walk their halls, and quietly guide events from the shadows. Add hidden passageways, ancient magic, and one of my favourite tropes — mistaken identity — and Magic at Midnight practically wrote itself.

The result is a fairy tale about courage, friendship, first love, and discovering that being yourself is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.

Meet Amy, the heroine of Magic at Midnight

Archive Note: Amy is the first viewpoint character introduced in the Midnight Courts series. Her story begins on a quiet farm, but destiny soon leads her into the royal courts of the Midnight Kingdoms.

Amy has spent her life on her family’s farm, where she cares for the majestic pegasi entrusted to her family. Kind-hearted, practical and quietly courageous, she has never imagined herself among royalty — until fate thrusts her into the heart of the Midnight Kingdoms.

As Amy navigates glittering courts, unexpected friendships and her first experience of romantic love, she must decide who she can trust. Surrounded by princesses, servants and a crown prince, she’ll discover that appearances can be deceiving, and that true courage often comes from remaining true to yourself.

Although Amy is the heart of the story, it is the people she meets — and the choices they make — that shape her journey. From loyal friends to enigmatic royalty, every relationship teaches her something about courage, trust and finding where she truly belongs.

Explore the Folklore

Voices from Readers

★★★★★ Ronel’s writing is always engaging, often intriguing, and she had me at winged horses anyway. This is a great plot, and while some outcomes might be expected, others were not, and the reveals were extremely well handled. I loved this book and hope there are more stories to come from this world. — Jemima Pett

★★★★★ This is a delightful, fun mix of Pretty Woman and Cinderella with its own clever twists and turns. I highly recommend it for those times you just want to escape reality and find a happily ever after ending. — Jacqui Murray

★★★★ An enjoyable read, full of fantasy, magic, and conspiracy: I’d love to see more of Amy and Idil 🙂 — Louise Brady

Buy Magic at Midnight

Beyond the Archive:

Magic at Midnight Around the Web

• Magical Pegasi
• Love Triangles
• Dragonspire Book Corner: Magic at Midnight! #YAFantasy #BookReview
• Interview – The Wonderful Ronel Janse van Vuuren
• Power of Novellas
• Underestimating Princesses
• For the Love of Superheroes
• Magic of Composting
• Book Review #TackleTBR Magic at Midnight by Ronel Janse van Vuuren
• The Importance of Diversity in Fiction
• For the Love of Movies
• Interview
• Magic at Midnight: Live #booklaunch @heavensgtvenue
• Diversity in Fiction: Live #booklaunch @heavensgtvenue
• The Princess Project: Live #booklaunch @heavensgtvenue
• Hot Button Issues: Live #booklaunch @heavensgtvenue
• Magic at Midnight and Once… Live #BookLaunch @heavensgtvenue

Explore the Audiobook Library ✦ Browse the Lore Archive ✦ Discover the Faerie Mythos Books ✦ Join the Mythmaker’s Circle

Your Turn

Have you already explored the Midnight Kingdoms, or are you planning your first visit? I’d love to hear from you! Which character, creature or discussion question caught your imagination? Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you’d like to discover more artwork, folklore and inspiration from Magic at Midnight, continue your journey on the Magic at Midnight Pinterest board.

Part of the Faerie Mythos

Also available in Afrikaans ✦ Christi & Saphira universe (coming soon) ✦ All stories archive