Sing the Midnight Stars

Rift #1

by C.M.J. Wallace

A cold-blooded killer lusts for others’ magic. A drug-addicted detective vows to thwart him. Dragged into a dangerous homicide investigation, Andrin Sethuel alone stands between the killer’s murderous desires and his future victims’ salvation, a kingdom’s freedom and its enslavement.

Andrin has survived a childhood that should have destroyed him. Slavers brutally murdered his parents in front of him, ripped him away from everything he knew, and addicted him to drugs. The aftermath leaves him warring against hostility, prejudice, and suspicion on every front. And it leaves him entrenched in self-loathing. Yet despite the odds, he becomes head of the Torvian kingdom’s criminal investigative forces.

Andrin speculates that the killer scythes magic from his victims to reap power and augment his burgeoning might, but such a capability is unthinkable. And wielding spells without a catalyst should be impossible. Yet irrefutably, the killer is wrenching his victims’ craft away with his own unimaginable sorcery, growing more powerful and treacherous with each successive murder.

While Andrin struggles to expose the murderer and his search for the killer turns into a fight for his life, lies and duplicity threaten to rip his only friend from him—and she’s keeping a secret that could be the key to solving the murders. Andrin is forced to choose between his friend and his duty, and ultimately between his king and a betrayal that will save his country from a ruthless conqueror’s invasion.

Genres: Fantasy

412 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2012

About the author

I'm the author of the Rift series and am also a medical editor. I graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor of science degree and, being a lover of language and not laboratories, promptly transitioned from lab wretch to editor. In 2001, I took a medical editing course taught by the Journal of the American Medical Association’s director of manuscript editing, who then recruited me, the foolish thing. It was like being hunted by a cannibal witch doctor, only not (she's a sweetheart). I'm now a freelance medical editor when I'm not writing, which pretty much means my computer is an appendage.

In 1992, I created the rudiments of the Rift series, which I began writing in 2008. Nothing like a short hiatus.

I'm currently working on another novel in the series.

Sing the Midnight Stars, book 1 of the Rift series, was awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion.

Reviews

[Stuart Aken]

This fantasy is full of imagination and introduced me to a thread of magic I hadn’t come across before. Whether that type of magic is entirely the invention of the author or not I don’t know, but it’s a very effective story element.

I was hooked straight away by this tale of intrigue, with the mad king intent on apparent self-destruction as he greedily sets about obliterating all that is good in his kingdom. The central protagonists, male and female, are fully realised characters about whom the reader very quickly cares. The lesser characters are cleverly drawn so that they, too, are real people. Many different quirks and faults are employed to make the cast into real individuals.

The story moves quickly and the pace only slows when appropriate, allowing the reader to gather background information and details of relationships before being plunged into further action. I found the balance of description and action very well done.

I read this in ebook form and wasn’t able to access a map, which would have been a useful addition. I don’t know whether the book comes with a map or not.

Personal commitments prevented me reading this lengthy tome at one sitting, but I was always eager to get back to it. It’s a page-turner. If you like your fantasy told with skill, passion and imagination, you’ll enjoy this read. I thoroughly recommend it.

[Sandra Hoover]

One of the best Fantasy books I've ever read! C.M.J. Wallace has created an intriguing, mysterious, magical world of incredible depth with a complicated, deeply entwined plot. Sing The Midnight Stars is Book 1 of her incredible Rift series. She weaves her story with beautiful writing giving birth to believable yet mysterious, magic filled characters who live in this magnificent world of magic, suspense, murder, deceit and betrayal. Andrin Sethuel is head of the Torvian Kingdom Criminal Investigation unit. He is racing against time to discover the identity of a killer who is stealing the magic from his victims augmenting his own magic to unprecedented levels. Adding to the mayhem is a mad, crazy King and an impending invasion and takeover of Carvel by an evil Emperor of another land. With a vivid imagination, C.M.J. Wallace has created a world where an extensive cast of magical characters live and die by both magic and sword. I wasn't sure I would like this book. I'm happy to say, I loved it although there are several loose ends left to be tied up in the following books of the series.

[Georgiana]

A “must read” for all fantasy lovers:
From the very first page Sing the Midnight Stars is fascinating and I was immediately hooked by the beautiful, descriptive writing and believable dialog. The characters are robust, multidimensional, and very distinct from each other. Even though I don’t normally enjoy fantasy novels, I was pulled right into a world that rings true. The details about the characters, the architecture and geographical setting in which they live, the unique, ingenious magical elements, the sharp, witty dialog and superb writing all work together to make the book a pleasure to read. It’s an intelligent story populated with compelling characters who face authentic challenges and must deal with some very unexpected turns of events. I’m anxiously awaiting the publication of the second book to see what happens next!
Sing the Midnight Stars

[Lita Burke]

Sing the Midnight Stars (Rift) by C.M.J. Wallace, is the start of an epic fantasy featuring Andrin Sethuel (a police chief for the royal city), his capable second-in-command Cloelle Banderal, plus townspeople, royals, assorted toadies, and an on-its-way invading army.

One of the best parts of the story were the lyrical fantasy names. Workers' titles, feudal nobility, even the city librarian had lovely honorifics that rolled off the tongue. A well-planned political and social hierarchy made for a rich and immersive world. The tight prose of the bardelains (police officers) was great--I heard their brisk footfalls and the no-nonsense rhythm of their speech.

Mixed in was the very personal anguish of Andrin's forced drug addiction by slavers when he was a child. Some passages made me feel his sweat, desperation, and defiance of this unconquerable personal demon. Well done.

There were many other delicious elements in the story: a mad king, roots of a rebellion, and a much stronger magical foe. The story also had a deadly matchmaker queen, a femme fatale, and a hero who was clueless about the yearnings of his heart.

At times, some parts pulled me out of the story. The viewpoint in some scenes switched between characters without warning, sometimes jumping to the narrator, instead of staying inside the character who had established the scene. A few redundant descriptors on dialogue tags would allude to a speaker's emotion, which was obvious from the words in the preceding speech.

In summary, Sing the Midnight Stars (Rift) is an inventive fantasy world filled with characters to care about--I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Ginger Gelsheimer]

Magical Fantasy Adventure!

Sing the Midnight Stars was my first stab at reading fantasy and I found it an enjoyable read. The author's descriptive prose is elegant and brings you right to the forefront of the scene and Wallace's style is that of a true classic novelist. It is a little more descriptive than I personally prefer because I like to read fast as a busy person. This combined with the "magical language" at times slowed down the action, but that just stems from a matter of preference for what I usually read. Sing the Midnight Stars will be well worth many five-star reviews from readers that truly appreciate the more descriptive style.

Following the journey of Andrin, who is tormented by his past and addiction, is quite an adventure intertwining magical stones and kelders, jealousy, murder, deceit and insanity. While trying to solve a series of murders, he becomes a target himself. And if that isn't enough to deal with, there is an impending war about to break out. The book is the first in the Rift series, so it does leave the reader hanging on the cliff.

I would highly recommend Sing the Midnight Stars and look forward to more great things from C.M.J. Wallace.

[Sharon Stevenson]

'Sing the Midnight Stars' is the first novel in a fantasy series about drug addicted detective Andrin whose determination to solve a series of strange murders leaves him facing some tough choices.

This is a really cool blend of gritty detective story and dark fantasy. The drug and how Andrin ended up addicted to it was a very compelling part of the story and really made me sympathise with this character. I also loved the murder mystery aspect as I thought it was something unusual for this type of fantasy story, and it was done in a captivating way.

This book is very well written. It's descriptive, atmospheric and believable. I found all the strange character names a bit hard to remember at times but it wasn't too big of a problem because the characters were so well described I could picture them easily every time their names came up.

Overall this is an excellent start to a very interesting and different fantasy series. I look forward to reading the next part soon. Highly recommended for mystery and fantasy fans alike!

[C.S. Johnson]

Sing the Midnight Stars is a very well written fantasy adventure focusing on the main story of detective-like character Andrin. In a world where sorcery and magic abound, he is tasked with asking some of the harder, more uncomfortable questions. In conjunction with this, there is the concern of war for the kingdom, the question of treason in the high courts of the land, and sexual tension abounding in the Andrin's office as his subordinates - one a sexual cynic, the other his long-time friend - Elarin and Choelle try to work with Andrin without drama.

Overall the story was very well put together. It was a bit hard to get into the fantasy part of the novel, understanding the levels of society and relationships between people, but once it was clear it became very enjoyable. The ending was good, and leads into the second book in the series quite well.

[Jada Ryker]

Sing the Midnight Stars, by CMJ Wallace, is an amazingly well-crafted fantasy. It grabs the reader by the throat with murder by unknown magic, committed by the victim's trusted friend. And that's just the first two pages!

Andrin Sethuel, the head of the kingdom's investigative service, uses both magical and non-magical tools to help him solve crimes. After his horrendous childhood, which resulted in the loss of his parents and a dark drug addiction, Andrin must investigate and solve the murders.

The book is very well written. If I didn't know it was fantasy, I would think the Torvian kingdom was real and CMJ Wallace its celebrated historian. Ms. Wallace has done an excellent job in bringing the kingdom and its colorful characters to life.

I highly recommend the book. I can't wait to read the next one, Flight of the Shadows.

[Joel Bresler]

"Sing the Midnight Stars" is an engaging novel which transcends its genre. This is not to diminish fantasy literature in any way; rather, for a complete neophyte like myself, the book was an entertaining read.
Author C.M.J. Wallace keeps the narrative tight and interesting, which is especially notable considering how much new knowledge is required to make sense of what is going on. She seems to know when she's on the brink of "too much information", and moves on just in time.
"Sing the Midnight Stars" ends in a cliffhanger. I have no doubt readers will want to tune in again for the next installment.

[Sonya Dodd]

This is the first book in a fantasy series which promises great things, and delivers them. From the initial page the reader is drawn into the amazing world of Andrin, a drug addicted hero who sets out to investigate a string of strange murders.
The detail and description in this novel is very Tolkien-like and creates a vivid picture for the reader of this fantastic land as well as all the wonderful individuals he meets on his journey.
If this is the level of detail and adventure presented in the first book, the series should be pretty stunning and I look forward to reading the next novel.
All fans of fantasy worlds need to read this book!

[C.M.J. Wallace]

Why didn’t I rate my own books? Because the rating would be undeniably biased and therefore meaningless. I’m very fond of them, but I know that they’re not for everyone and that some people will loathe them unequivocally. That’s just the way it is because we readers bring our own experiences and preferences with us when we travel to other places through the sorcerous portal of words on paper (or e-screens). Sometimes you like where you end up and sometimes you don’t.

You can read others’ opinions of my books on Amazon, Smashwords, and Goodreads if you’re interested.

Here’s some information that will help you decide whether you want to journey to the world I’ve created:

Sing the Midnight Stars is a B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree.

It’s a cliff-hanger series, but not by design: It grew without my permission. I knew early in the writing that it was going to be far too large for a single book, so I broke it into four full-length volumes at the most amenable places I could find. The second book completes some of the major plot points of the first, and by the end of the fourth book, the entire plot is resolved. I’m planning to offer the series as a single e-book after the fourth one is published, so those who despise unresolved plots can read from beginning to end while remaining dangle-free. (I have to admit that I like discovering series after they’re finished so that I don’t have to wait for the next book to come out. Impatience is a curse.) There will be a fifth and sixth book, but they take place ten years after the close of the fourth. Fear not, cliff-hanger haters!

My writing is like Stephen R. Donaldson’s, particularly his Mordant’s Need series.

The books are genre bending, combining fantasy elements with a murder mystery involving a serial killer and the drug-addicted detective who hunts him.

If you think you might want to explore Carvel and Torvia, read on. The synopsis is below.

A cold-blooded killer lusts for others’ magic. A drug-addicted detective vows to thwart him. Dragged into a dangerous homicide investigation, Andrin Sethuel alone stands between the killer’s murderous desires and his future victims’ salvation, a kingdom’s freedom and its enslavement.

Andrin has survived a childhood that should have destroyed him. Slavers brutally murdered his parents in front of him, ripped him away from everything he knew, and addicted him to drugs. The aftermath leaves him warring against hostility, prejudice, and suspicion on every front. And it leaves him entrenched in self-loathing. Yet despite the odds, he becomes head of the Torvian kingdom’s criminal investigative forces.

Andrin speculates that the killer scythes magic from his victims to reap power and augment his burgeoning might, but such a capability is unthinkable. And wielding spells without a catalyst should be impossible. Yet irrefutably, the killer is wrenching his victims’ craft away with his own unimaginable sorcery, growing more powerful and treacherous with each successive murder.

While Andrin struggles to expose the murderer and his search for the killer turns into a fight for his life, lies and duplicity threaten to rip his only friend from him—and she’s keeping a secret that could be the key to solving the murders. Andrin is forced to choose between his friend and his duty, and ultimately between his king and a betrayal that will save his country from a ruthless conqueror’s invasion.

Books in the Rift series:

Sing the Midnight Stars (book 1)
Flight of Shadows (book 2)
This Darkling Magic (book 3)
This Strange Magic (book 4)

[Erica]

Andrin is a drug addicted detective on the trail of a killer. The problem is, he has no idea where to begin. Several murders have taken place, and all the victims have been drained of their magic. There is, however, no obvious connection between the victims. This makes Andrin’s work even more difficult as he tries to find the killer.

Despite starting off with a murder and an investigation, the book moves at a slow pace. There is no race to find the killer before the next person dies. It is overly wordy in spots, further slowing down the pace of what could have been a very exciting chase.

The use of magic in this world is quite interesting. There are special charms to protect a person (I don’t want to give away the details because I found it rather unique and surprising), the ability to disguise one’s self into an entirely new body, and a secret magical weapon of unimaginable power. There is a lot to this world, and I found it interesting and full of life.

Andrin’s drug use did bother me a bit. The scenes depicting his withdrawal symptoms are vivid and well done. They are written in such a way that should deter anyone from trying illicit drugs. His addiction is not his own fault, having been forced into slavery as a child and having the drug administered to him as a means of control. A horrible society indeed.

Another aspect of this society that troubled me was a young woman named Elarin. In her youth, she was repeatedly threatened with rape just because she was “too beautiful”. What a horrible thought that a society is full of men who think committing a crime against a woman is just fine if she’s pretty. I did not like that aspect, but I appreciate the author’s willingness to “go there” and describe this world as it truly is without sugarcoating it.

There is one scene that had me shaking my head. A young detective is examining a deceased body and is embarrassed by his private parts. She obviously does not belong in a medical examiner type role if body parts make her blush. I thought this scene was silly and unnecessary.

Ynala was a fascinating character with a unique magical ability of her own. I believe she is where the book receives its title (a poetic and beautiful one). I also enjoyed the animals in this story: horses who are ready to defend their riders, and an adorable ferret named Dib. As an animal lover, I always enjoy it when animals are given more to do than just stand around.

[Christoph Fischer]

“Sing the Midnight Stars” by C.M.J. Wallace is an intriguing blend of fantasy with a murder detective story. Highly original in this premise it also digs deeper in to its characters’ minds and lives than I would have expected from a fantasy book. The world describes has magic and royalty but is often not too far from our normal world, particularly when it comes to human kind. The forced drug addiction of our main hero being one that draws parallels particularly strongly to modern society. This works very well as it makes the characters much more believable and some of the sub plots all the more shocking.
The world created is intriguing and unique with solid characters and a strong story line. It being the first in a series it will be interesting to see where the next instalments will take us.

[Liviu]

read about 1/2 but it ind of bogged down in conventional stuff; may finish it fast just to dot the i's so to speak

[Eventide]

Won off goodreads first reads
will edit when read