Customer Reviews

Blaggard's Moon

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pirate Smith Delaney finds himself atop a tall post in the midst of a tropical lagoon waiting for a particularly gruesome death to arrive in the form of savage mer-monkeys. Attempting to keep his thoughts from the flesh-hungry piranha in the waters around him, and the imminent arrival of the Onka Din Botlay -- rippers of bone - Delaney casts his thoughts to and fro in hopes of finding a solution to his desperate predicament. Rather than discovering a clever means of escape, he is alternately drawn into examining his life to date and recalling a particularly engaging tale spun by a fellow pirate - Ham Drumbone - detailing the lives of several world-shaking figures in the kingdom of Nearing Vast. Delaney's own life plays a small yet significant role in the histories of these persons, and the two trains of thought eventually converge upon the present.

Set in a fictional world somewhat reminiscent of the Elizabethan age, George Bryan Polivka's Blaggard's Moon is a prequel written after the conclusion of his Trophy Chase Trilogy. I found the premise of a Christian pirate novel irresistible, and the results immensely entertaining. It takes a certain amount of skill to convey authentic pirate language while refraining from outright blasphemy and cursing, yet Polvikka pulls it off. Both his narration and dialogue are lively - vivid, captivating and just plain fun. Indeed, Polivka's work clearly places him amongst the top writers in Christian fantasy today.

Using the context of piracy to contrast righteous and corrupt behaviour, Polvikka casts Damrick Fellows as a man fiercely dedicated to ridding the world of evil, Conch Imbry as a ruthless, greedy and heartless pirate king, and the lovely Jenta Stillsmithers as the woman caught in a dangerous dance that is largely outside of her control. Though the main characters seem stereotypical, this trio of super-hero, villain, and damsel in distress are endowed with living, breathing three-dimensional fullness that etches their characters in the mind. The sharp contrast of choosing for God and choosing against Him in both these lives and that of others Delaney has known drive him to self-examination during his final hours.

The near exclusive use of Delaney's recollections of Drumbone's tale combined with discrete incidents from his own life result in a story that is taking place on a stage that nearly entirely exists in Delaney's mind. An uncommon device in what is essentially an action novel, the alternating narrative viewpoints only add to the rush towards the present, where all three stories eventually meet. Lovers of boisterous sea battles need not worry; his reminiscences are filled with active language, fierce battles complete with nautical language and complex schemes hatched by merchants and pirates alike.

The Story. Blaggard's Moon is a unique book because it is actually three stories. In the opening, pirate Smith Delaney, who readers of the Trophy Chase Trilogy will know, is sitting on a post with piranha swimming below. Through his musings, the reader learns that he's been abandoned there as punishment for some unknown deed. Throughout most of the book, Delaney is remembering his life, particularly his decision to become a pirate. But in the remembering, he recalls a period of time when the storyteller on board, Ham Drumbone, related to his pirate shipmates the tale of Jenta Stillmithers and the Hell's Gatemen. The majority of the book is Jenta's story--one of hope and sacrifice and redemption and love and fear and grief and conviction.

Yes, there are battles, though not related in the blow-by-blow style most common today. Still, there are sword fights and gun battles and ship-to-ship assaults. There is blood on the deck and in the water. There are bodies on the pier and skeletons on the ocean floor. This is definitely a pirates' story. But at the center is Jenta.

Strengths. This is a book I'm excited about. The packaging is terrific--Harvest House did a wonderful job with the cover, the paper, the interior art.

The writing is terrific. Perhaps because of the non-linear structure of the story, it has a somewhat literary feel. Certainly there is a wonderful rhythm to the writing, and the descriptions are vivid and evocative.

The characters win the day, though. In my opinion, Mr. Polivka is masterful in developing believable, authentic characters. It is their authenticity that make them memorable and engaging, in my opinion.

While the characters make the reader care, the story keeps the reader turning pages. It is amazing that Delaney didn't leave his post for 330 pages, but the tension and suspense of his story line consistently grew.

Ultimately, Blaggard's Moon is important because it carries a timeless message.

Recommendation. I feel confident that Blaggard's Moon is destined to win Mr. Polivka another Christy Award nomination. (The third book in the Trophy Chase Trilogy, The Battle for Vast Dominion, has been nominated this year.) Readers should not think of this book as "just a pirate story." It is more, and readers of fantasy, of historical, romance, suspense, or literary fiction will find a satisfying novel. I recommend Blaggard's Moon as a must read. Those who enjoy a faster-paced story will find enough here to keep them entertained, and they may be surprised by how a deeper tale affects them.

"Blaggard's Moon"by George Polivka is a wonderful book. The author of "The Legend of the Firefish" does not disappoint in this tale of pirates, their choices and the sea. This novel is the perfect place to start reading as it is the prequel to the Trophy Case Trilogy which consists of "The Legend Of The Firefish", "The Hand That Bears The Sword", and "The Battle For Vast Dominion". This is a wonderful adventure novel about choices and consequences seasoned with the salty sea air. "Blaggard's Moon" has it all - romance, war, swashes and buckles. This is masterfully written Christian science fiction/fantasy, a genre that is very new to me, but becoming dearer with every novel I read. The author's language takes the reader to new levels, proving that intellectuals really do read and write quality fantasy.

Length:: 1:49 Mins

When hardened pirate Smith Delaney meets a little girl whose simple song changes his whole world, he must make a choice:
Kill the girl, or defy Belizar, the evil pirate lord, and risk death himself.
Reader's of Polivka's Trophy Chase Trilogy will enjoy learning the backstory of Delaney, one of the unsung heroes of that series!

I decided to read this book because someone in a forum had called it a pirate, fantasy, christian novel and I was astounded that such a category of books could even exist, let alone be well written. So I checked the book out of my library and was pleasantly surprised. The pirates and plot seemed realistic, and the Christian elements were skillfully woven into the novel so that it seemed natural and not like the "in your face" simplistic view of Christianity that is present in some other Christian fiction, which portrays Christianity as a division between good (those who believe in God) and evil (those that do not). There was a lot of character development, and the characters were very complex; I truly enjoyed them all. As for the pace of the book, the book was overall a fast read although I often felt like the story parts about Smith Delaney were slow and boring. There were certain parts of the novel that were odd and out of place. To me, the mermonkeys seemed to be really weird and an unnecessary distraction from the otherwise believable pirate plot. I also found Polivka's naming of people and places to be at times quite comical in their utter unorginality. (Such as Nearing Vast for a city, and Ham Drumbone for a pirate.) The book jumped between 3 stories, focusing on Smith Delaney who is a stranded pirate waiting to be eaten by mermonkeys, Ham Drumbone who is telling a tale to a bunch of pirates, and the story of Conch Embry, Damrick Fellows, and of course the girl they're both in love with. Although the jumps between each story were often abrupt and randomly placed, the story was still very coherent. The author also managed to avoid swearing, sex, and vulgarity in keeping with the Christian fiction tradition and still managed to create convincing pirates. Which is pretty amazing if you ask me. Overall, despite it's flaws I would still give the story 5 stars for its amazing and at times unpredictable characters and fast action-oriented plot. (There are several ship battles and fighting scenes for those action oriented pirate readers out there.) The story is the tale of one man who rises and organizes the people to fight against the pirates who have been cheating them and controlling them. It has action, romance, pirates, Christianity, and fantasy all in one book, who could ask for anything more?

Marooned on a post in the middle of a lake filled with flesh-eating fish, erstwhile pirate Smith Delaney ponders his sorry life and the strange sequence of events that led inexorably to the grisly fate that awaits him. Even if he doesn't tumble into the water, the dreaded Onka Din Botlay, the "rippers of the bone," will claim him at moonrise. As Delaney reminisces, we're drawn into the recent history of Nearing Vast, where marauding pirates roam the seas, terrorizing honest folk, and the line between legend and reality is often very thin indeed.

Much of Delaney's tale is told via the stories of one Ham Drumbone, a pirate renaissance man who knows almost everything about Nearing Vast and entertains his crewmates each evening with tales of romance and derring-do. How much of his storytelling is truth and how much is creative embroidery, we may never be sure, but it's all well worth the listen, I swear by my tattoo.

The cast of characters is expansive. We meet such notables as Conch Imbry, the pirate king of Nearing Vast and as evil a man as ever flew the Jolly Roger; Damrick Fellows, former Marine officer and the daring leader of Hell's Gatemen, a vigilante force dedicated to exterminating Imbry and his ilk; and Jenta Stillmithers, the woman desired by both Imbry and Fellows, with beauty and spirit enough to inspire a roaring case of the vapors in Drumbone's audience of ragtag buccaneers. We travel to exotic locales, with names like Mann, Mumtown, Cabeeb, and Skaelington City. We bear witness to foul treachery, heartless brutality, courage in the face of impossible odds, tide-turning ingenuity, narrow escapes, and the serving-up of just desserts. Yes, there will be blood.

The story shifts back and forth between Ham's stories and Delaney's current predicament. The war between Gatemen and pirates builds to a climactic battle between Imbry and Fellows, but as the last ship sinks and the smoke dissipates, the fates of Jenta, Delaney, a legendary pirate treasure, and a mysterious little girl who haunts Delaney's dreams still hang in the balance.

The power of choices and consequences provides a central theme that ties the story together, but doesn't provide the reader easy answers. I enjoy stories that make me think and lead me to wonder what I might have done were I in the characters' shoes. In Blaggard's Moon, good choices are not necessarily rewarded with happy outcomes, and evil's comeuppance is often long in coming. Missed opportunities cast long shadows. As you might expect, bad things can happen if ye've seen the curs-ed treasure.

All in all, I found Blaggard's Moon a very well-written, absorbing read with memorable characters, pulse-pounding action, a flutter of romance, a bit of mystery, and a dead man's chest full of piratey adventure. Pirate stories aren't usually my first choice for reading material, but Blaggard's Moon has given me a new appreciation for the genre. I'm definitely planning to check out Mr. Polivka's other stories about Nearing Vast.

Blaggard's Moon is a fictional pirate adventure written from a Christian world view. The author is George Bryan Polivka. One should know that while I don't hate pirate stuff, I'm not exactly drawn to it either. My tendency to turn away from it is probably due to the recent years of pirate over-saturation in our day to day.

That being said, I'm finding it very difficult right now to find the right way to describe the book. So I'll go with the closest thing that comes to mind... it was absolutely amazing!

From the very first sitting I was sold. My opinion did nothing but rise the whole book through. I have never been tempted to read a novel twice until now. I know I'm on a review tour, and I know I'm an author of novels myself, but I'm honestly not a big reader of stories. I love to read theology, and I'm all about watching stories on the screen instead of reading them in books. But man, this book was good!

The characters, very well done. Every one of them was believable, colorful, and unique. The setting was solid. Well put together, well used, and with massive amounts of potential for more. The storyline, I really enjoyed it. There were a couple points where I would have gone a different route, but it's good that Mr. Polivka was the author and not me. Good job man!

All these elements were solid and fun to experience. Based on these alone I would recommend this book to any fan of fiction.

But the main reason I like the book, the one reason why I'm considering another reading... I have never enjoyed the telling of a fiction story better than I have with this novel. There is exception to that, and that is in the storytelling of Andrew Peterson's songs & books. But considering books and even movies, George Polivka's telling of a fictional tale is jaw dropping! I'm not worried about overselling this part. He could never compare to God, nobody can. But God has made men in His image, and storytelling is a talent that it seems He has given to George.

I know that the elements I mentioned at first are, in a sense, part of story telling: characters, settings, plots. But one can nail these elements and still not tell a story. An author can give a narration or history lesson that does a great job on the particulars, without the author being a true bard.

I must also say that one can even do a terrible job on the particulars and still do a real good job of telling a tale. A man could tell you the dumbest tale you ever heard, and yet even then captivate you.

But Blaggard's Moon nails the particulars, and then delivers them to you on not just a silver platter, but on a silver platter on a silver table on a silver floor, while you sit in a silver chair under a silver moon. I'm not sure I can even detail why I was so impressed by the story telling. And maybe that's partly why it was so good.

I also really appreciate some of the applicable truths one can find in the story. You may not consciously catch them; the author himself may not have even caught them as he wrote the book (or maybe he did). But they're there, and they're good.

Even though it's a pirate's tale, I'm pumped about reading more from this author! Thank you George Bryan Polivka. I pray that your soul and your pen follow His leading.

Please, read this book.

In this prequel to the Legend of the Firefish, we get an in-depth look at the character and background of reluctant pirate Smith Delaney, and the events leading up to his run of bad luck.

It opens with Smith in a rather precarious situation that affords him plenty of time to think. And so he remembers a tale told by a shipmate many years ago. As it progresses we see that his predicament is the continuation of that same story, though at first they seem unconnected.

It took me a while to get into it, because of the at first glance unrelated storylines and continually thinking "what is going on here?" - as many new characters are introduced that we didn't know from the Firefish trilogy. But once it gets going it is as rollicking as the other pirate tales from this author.

There's plenty of intrigue, romance, danger, sea battles, and tragedy, all bedded in the unique world of Nearing Vast we've come to love in the other books - that magic mixture of an alternate fantasy world and real-life Biblical faith. Having said that, there's not much fantasy in this one. It's all about the people, with only rare mentions of the mythical sea-monster, the Firefish. A good read, as we have come to expect from Bryan.

I enjoyed this book as much as the other three books in Polivka's Trophy Chase trilogy. This is a very easy book to read for hours at a time because something new and exciting is always about to happen. The characters are very well developed and the plot is unpredictable. A fantastic read for someone looking for fantasy Christian fiction which is hard to come by these days.

Do you remember in The Princess Bride when the grandfather is telling his grandson all the great fighting, giants, villains, and, yes, unfortunately, romance that he would get to hear if he would just let his grandpa read it? That's how I felt about Blaggard's Moon. There is swashbuckling, villains, a little romance, creepiness, redemption, pirates, joy, hope, sorrow, & loss. This is a GREAT book! I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and the excellent story telling provided by Polivka! I cannot wait to read his other three books! I haven't been this pleased with a read since a Jamie Langston Turner novel I read a while ago. Even if someone doesn't completely appreciate the subtle Christian metaphors and references, I think he or she would still love this book. Nice job, Polivka!