SFF

The Light of the Midnight Stars

Redhook: Orbit. Apr. 2021. 432p. ISBN 9780316483469. $28. FANTASY
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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.
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