
The Light of the Midnight Stars
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $21.83
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ana Clements
-
By:
-
Rena Rossner
About this listen
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.
©2021 Rena Rossner (P)2021 RedhookListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Sisters of the Winter Wood
- By: Rena Rossner
- Narrated by: Ana Clements
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a remote village surrounded by vast forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell - despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods. As dark forces close in on their village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations.
-
-
Inventive poetic tale but slightly repetitive
- By Jessi on 01-17-19
By: Rena Rossner
-
Legends & Lattes
- A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
- By: Travis Baldree
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv, the orc barbarian, cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen. However, her dreams of a fresh start filling mugs instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners, and a different kind of resolve.
-
-
slice of life
- By Anonymous User on 02-25-22
By: Travis Baldree
-
Thistlefoot
- A Novel
- By: GennaRose Nethercott
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive an inheritance, the siblings agree to meet—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs.
-
-
I can't decide if I liked it
- By Lorraine Cannon on 11-03-22
-
When Women Were Dragons
- A Novel
- By: Kelly Barnhill
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr, Mark Bramhall
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Jennifer Torres on 05-08-22
By: Kelly Barnhill
-
Book of Night
- By: Holly Black
- Narrated by: Sara Amini
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie Hall.
-
-
Just what I was expecting, but maybe not for all
- By Ollie Oxyn Free on 05-11-22
By: Holly Black
-
Hall of Smoke
- By: H. M. Long
- Narrated by: Samara Naeymi
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside. While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller and atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls.
-
-
Excessive gore
- By Kate Lindauer on 01-27-23
By: H. M. Long
-
The Sisters of the Winter Wood
- By: Rena Rossner
- Narrated by: Ana Clements
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a remote village surrounded by vast forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell - despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods. As dark forces close in on their village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations.
-
-
Inventive poetic tale but slightly repetitive
- By Jessi on 01-17-19
By: Rena Rossner
-
Legends & Lattes
- A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
- By: Travis Baldree
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv, the orc barbarian, cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen. However, her dreams of a fresh start filling mugs instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners, and a different kind of resolve.
-
-
slice of life
- By Anonymous User on 02-25-22
By: Travis Baldree
-
Thistlefoot
- A Novel
- By: GennaRose Nethercott
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive an inheritance, the siblings agree to meet—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs.
-
-
I can't decide if I liked it
- By Lorraine Cannon on 11-03-22
-
When Women Were Dragons
- A Novel
- By: Kelly Barnhill
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr, Mark Bramhall
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Jennifer Torres on 05-08-22
By: Kelly Barnhill
-
Book of Night
- By: Holly Black
- Narrated by: Sara Amini
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie Hall.
-
-
Just what I was expecting, but maybe not for all
- By Ollie Oxyn Free on 05-11-22
By: Holly Black
-
Hall of Smoke
- By: H. M. Long
- Narrated by: Samara Naeymi
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside. While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller and atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls.
-
-
Excessive gore
- By Kate Lindauer on 01-27-23
By: H. M. Long
-
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
- By: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and others
- Narrated by: Devon Bostick, Jack Falahee, Luke Pasqualino, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. The events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn't sure who he is anymore. So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon hunting, determined to find himself again. Whomever this new Simon might be. But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems.
-
-
Great narration and story about Shadowhunters
- By Lynn on 02-18-17
By: Cassandra Clare, and others
-
The Shadow of the Gods
- By: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio. Now, power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms, and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power, promising fame, and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out. As whispers of war echo over the plains and across the fjords, fate follows the footsteps of three people. All three will shape the fate of the world, as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos.
-
-
Not for me
- By John on 05-31-21
By: John Gwynne
-
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
- Whimbrel House, Book 1
- By: Charlie N. Holmberg
- Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead, Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.
-
-
I don't know how to fairly review a book like this
- By Katelyn Standiford on 12-06-22
-
The Weaver and the Witch Queen
- By: Genevieve Gornichec
- Narrated by: Nina Yndis
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always. When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Emily Cross on 10-08-23
-
The Once and Future Witches
- By: Alix E. Harrow
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the Eastwood sisters - James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna - join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement.
-
-
Almost. Not quite there.
- By LovelyD on 11-29-20
By: Alix E. Harrow
-
Piranesi
- By: Susanna Clarke
- Narrated by: Chiwetel Ejiofor
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has. In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.
-
-
Fascinating Social Study
- By Henry V on 02-26-21
By: Susanna Clarke
-
When the Angels Left the Old Country
- By: Sacha Lamb
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In publishing-speak, here's what we at the LQ office sometimes describe as the Queer lovechild of Sholem Aleichem and Philip Roth: Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.
-
-
loved this
- By Igeratabee on 10-13-23
By: Sacha Lamb
-
House of Salt and Sorrows
- By: Erin A. Craig
- Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were 12, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts.
-
-
a novelized folk tale
- By Sarah on 10-30-19
By: Erin A. Craig
-
Spinning Silver
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty - until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk - grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh - Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered.
-
-
One of my favorite authors. Only 1 small complaint
- By R. W. Olsen on 11-30-18
By: Naomi Novik
-
The Witch's Heart
- By: Genevieve Gornichec
- Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology. Angrboda’s story begins where most witches' tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.
-
-
A Masterful Exploration of Norse Myth
- By Catherine A Rector on 02-19-21
-
The Golem and the Jinni
- A Novel
- By: Helene Wecker
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Helene Wecker's dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.
-
-
Enchanting Debut Novel - Delicious!
- By Tango on 04-26-13
By: Helene Wecker
-
Seventh Son
- Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 1
- By: Orson Scott Card
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, Stephen Hoye
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into an alternative frontier America where life is hard, and folk magic is real, Alvin is gifted with power, but he must learn to use his gift wisely. Dark forces are arrayed against Alvin, and only a young girl with second sight can protect him.
-
-
Great story, great reading
- By A Reader on 05-01-07
By: Orson Scott Card
Critic reviews
"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)
"The Light of the Midnight Stars is storytelling as spellcasting. Rossner has conjured something vivid and wild and true.” (Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies)
"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, author of The Lady Trent Memoirs)
What listeners say about The Light of the Midnight Stars
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- BonnieD
- 04-20-21
Beautifully Written. Wonderfully Narrated.
The Light of the Midnight Stars is a gorgeous, captivating book set in the 14th century. It is about Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters, all of whom have special powers. When the dark mist comes creeping in, however, can they be saved?
This is a wonderful combination of history, Bible stories, fantasy and folklore that is gorgeously written by Rena Rossner. I have heard some of the Bible stories all my life but they come alive in this book and are so well told.. The Bible stories and folklore are told as "stories within the story" and are fascinating.
Although I received a free digital copy of this book, I also purchased the audiobook because I had a feeling that this would be even better in spoken form. I was right. This is the way the original stories would have been handed down, verbally from generation to generation. Ana Clements does an amazing job as narrator.
This is a finely woven together creation that defies a rating. Five stars is not enough for this exquisitely crafted novel.
My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maria
- 05-12-21
Interesting, boring, and depressing
Some really interesting folk lore and fantasy is going on in this story, but the plot is grindingly slow and poorly constructed, and while the book spends almost all of its time on character development, the characters feel very flat. Also, the book is very focused on story telling with characters telling stories within the story, but a lot of the stories they tell are not particularly interesting, or are really straightforward re-hashings of the plot so-far.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Meghan P.
- 11-25-21
overall great storytelling
I loved the Jewish mythology here. hard to listen to at times though- a lot of tragedy and persecution.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sara R.
- 06-14-21
Interesting idea but missed the mark
I am a little confused as to how this book made it onto an LGBT science fiction/fantasy book list. I really wanted to like this book. I was super excited for a story based on the magic of Jewish folklore. I think I was expecting more fantasy novel with a Jewish LGBT heroine though and what I got was a collection of diaries on the day to day happenings of a Jewish family who happen to have magic with one LGBT side note thrown in. It is painfully slow and often repetitive. If you like romance dramas, coming of age stories, or historical fiction you might like it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L. Pomeroy
- 11-25-22
Confusing
I didn’t like the multiple different points of views that confuse me a lot. Everything else was good though.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ally
- 03-25-23
Ehh. A miss for me.
Early on, the story seemed like it was going somewhere, but towards the middle it seems like the editor made the call for the story to be published and there are a lot of trailing ends. Not for me.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Serena
- 03-07-22
Don’t waste your time
Story started off interesting, but halfway through it was confusing and extremely plot driven. There was no emotional relatability with the characters, they were solely punching bags. The author loses all the momentum she built in the beginning. I thought I was listening to a completely different book. It also seemed as if the writer was checking off boxes in what she included as far as traumas and identity politics go. Don’t waste your time. I read well over half of the book and DNF… I just couldn’t do it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!