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The Light of the Midnight Stars

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Experience an evocative combination of fantasy, history, and Jewish folklore in this lush and lyrical fairytale-inspired novel from the author of The Sisters of the Winter Wood.

Deep in the Hungarian woods, the sacred magic of King Solomon lives on in his descendants. Gathering under the midnight stars, they perform small miracles and none are more gifted than the great Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters.

Hannah, bookish and calm, can coax plants to grow even when the weather is bitterly cold. Sarah, defiant and strong, can control the impulsive nature of fire. And Levana, the fey one, can read the path of the stars to decipher their secrets.

But darkness is creeping across Europe, threatening the lives of every Jewish person in every village. Each sister will have to make an impossible choice in an effort to survive—and change the fate of their family forever.

Praise for The Light of the Midnight Stars:

"Storytelling as spellcasting. Rossner has conjured something vivid and wild and true."—Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

"Rossner creates a lush, immersive world through which the sprawling plot meanders, punctuated by moments of intense grief. The result is as lovely as it is heartbreaking." —Publishers Weekly

"Rossner's tale is as lyrical as the slow growth of roots, the quick dance of fire, and the stately procession of the stars. Blending folktale with history, hope with tragedy, its touch will linger on your heart long after you put it down."—Marie Brennan

For more from Rena Rossner, check out The Sisters of the Winter Wood.

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    • Library Journal

      Starred review from April 1, 2021

      Rossner's tale combines Hungarian folklore with the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah to tell a story of love and death. Dragon-riding rabbis and their fire-breathing daughters attempt to change the course of history, only to become victims of it, over and over again. The story begins in a tiny village deep in a Hungarian forest, where the daughters of the local rabbi, a magical descendant of King Solomon, try to keep the darkest of magic away from their village home. They are forced to flee when their attempts fail and they are blamed for a resulting tragedy. As refugees, they attempt to hide themselves, their religion, and their magic far, far away, only for evil to again pursue them in their new home. Each of these magical daughters of earth, fire, and the stars falls in love, but in the end their tragic fate is to become legend. VERDICT Highly recommended for lovers of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and her "Scholomance" series, as well as readers who enjoy their fantasy steeped in myths from infrequently represented people and places.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

      Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      March 15, 2021
      Rossner (The Sisters of the Winter Wood, 2018) has crafted a masterful tale blending Jewish mysticism, fairy tales, and history in this story about three girls who wield the sacred magic of King Solomon's descendants. Each of the sisters presents her perspective as they grow from squabbling siblings to a unified front in the face of adversity. Hannah, the oldest, has supernatural abilities with healing and plants and assists their father as his scribe. Sarah, brooding and angry, has an untameable flame within her that accidentally burns their garden, though she eventually learns to control it--somewhat--from one of her father's apprentices. Levana daydreams about the stars, connecting with them intimately while studying with her father at the synagogue. When tragedy strikes their family and they are forced to flee, they adopt new names and move past their infighting to find the best path forward for their struggling family. This spectacular coming-of-age story shows the evolution that each of the sisters moves through to find their ending.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Blending magic and Jewish folklore, this audiobook weaves a tangled yarn to which narrator Ana Clements adds her own flourishes. Three sisters, each with her own magical talents, are members of the magical Solomonar sect. This makes them vulnerable to all kinds of dangerous judgments that are developing in European society. As Clements recounts the sisters' conflicts, she does the best she can with the characters and plot twists. Her voice is strong and confident, but the novel is still difficult to follow. Devotees of the history-fantasy genre may be well equipped to navigate the story, but the audio format has its challenges. Without the ability to revisit some pages and pause on others, listeners may find themselves struggling in the darkness along with the characters. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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