This month the CSFF Tour is featuring Cyndere’s Midnight, the latest book from film critic Jeffrey Overstreet. It is the second book in the Auralia’s Thread series (the Blue Thread).

In the first book of the series, Auralia’s Colors, we are introduced to the world of the Expanse, home of four great Houses. The House Abascar in the East is where a mysterious young girl is found as a baby. As Abascar grows cold and bleak, this girl breaks forth with a gift of colors that enchant and enrage. Events involving the royal family, poor servants, exiled criminals, and this young Auralia swirl together until the House is brought low, and the remnant must flee to the cliffs farther south.

The second book takes us to the western House Bel Amica, where a lonely heiress contemplates life without her consort and the pressures of being the sole heir of their throne. She shared visions with her love of helping the beastmen of Cent Regus, a once magnificent house in the South that has fallen into a literal corruption, with the people being transformed by a strange Essence into the form of animals, with the mind of savages as well.

Four brothers of the beastmen are led by their oldest brother toward a plot involving the weakened refugees of Abascar. However, one of the brothers, Jordam, has developed a new awareness by his exposure to Auralia’s colors, and he begins to question his purpose and direction.

Passions, power, and politics threaten to engulf the Expanse as two solitary figures collide at a well, painted blue by an orphan girl, unaware of their place in the coming conflagration.

I am excited for this tour for several reasons. First, I’ve finally managed to read one of the books (missed out on the last few offerings). Second, I was highly impressed with Auralia’s Colors, and was curious on how the story continued in Midnight. Finally, I think that Jeffrey is an important voice in Christian fantasy, and I want to see what comes of his work.

I have several things, including a review of the book and an interview with the author. I have several past posts covering Auralia’s Colors (here, here, here, and there).

You can also visit Jeffrey Overstreet’s Web site, blog, or find him on Facebook. And as always, see my amazing tourmates below (Rebecca LuElla Miller always keeps a list of those that have posted each day).

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Andrea Graham
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Kait
Carol Keen
Magma
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
Wade Ogletree
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Alice M. Roelke
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Jill Williamson