21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Serious Humor and the start of Hawk and Fisher, January 9, 2004
Blue Moon Rising is simply one of the best fantasy novels in recent years. It has spawned a number of sequels (Down Among The Dead Men, Beyond the Blue Moon, etc.) as well as the Hawk and Fisher novels.
Prince Rupert is the second son of the King of the Forest Kingdom. As such he could be trouble for the succession and be used as a pawn in a civil war. Thus he has been sent by his father the King to go out and slay a dragon. That should be the end of the second Prince.
But Rupert is more dedicated to his duty than any would believe. He survives the Darkwood, finds a dragon, rescues it from a Princess, survives the Darkwood again and returns home. All in the first few pages.
But all is not well when he returns. Not only did he not conveniently die, but the Darkwood is now growing, a Blue Moon will rise soon and the Demon Prince may have returned. It is up to Rupert to find the High Warlock and convince him to return from exile and help the kingdom.
All the while he has to put up with assassinations, plots, an overbearing brother, an arranged marriage, the Champion, demons beyond counting, a wise-cracking unicorn and the possible end of the world. Well Rupert is not going to take it all lying down. He will do his duty even if it means not dying.
Fun and light but with a serious backbone of a plot. Rupert's early encounters with the unicorn, dragon and Princess help set the tone while the setting of the Darkwood and its demons set the pace of the plot. A wonderful book. Fans of this one might also want to check out Slay And Rescue by John Moore.
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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just One Thing After Another, January 20, 2008
Blue Moon Rising (1989) is the first novel in the Blue Moon series. It is also a precursor to the Hawk and Fisher series.
In this novel, Prince Rupert of the Forest Kingdom and his unicorn are hunting for a dragon. His father King John IV has sent him out on this quest in hopes of him taking off and never coming back. But Rupert feels duty bound to find the dragon.
Rupert is searching for the Night Witch, whose home is within the Darkwood. They encounter a huge cobweb, a demon and goblins in the Tanglewood even before entering the Darkwood. Within the Darkwood, only blue phosphorescence lights their way in their trek to the Night Witch's cottage.
Luckily for Rupert, the Night Witch was in love with his grandfather. She presents him with a map to the Dragonslair. Rupert continues through the Darkwood to the other side. He keeps feeling like someone -- or something -- is watching him.
When they break through to the light again, Rupert heads toward the Dragonslair. The mountain is too steep for the unicorn, so Rupert goes on alone, over scree and up almost vertical slopes. Finally he reaches the mouth of the cave where the dragon dwells.
Rupert calls out to the dragon and the creature comes forth. The dragon is thirty feet from snout to tail, with dozens of very sharp teeth and wickedly clawed hands. Unfortunately, the dragon isn't interested in any fighting that day and invites Rupert back into his lair. There Rupert discovers that the dragon's hoard is a huge collection of preserved butterflies.
Rupert also encounters the princess who is staying with the dragon. Julia is not quite what Rupert expected in a princess. She has a strident voice and an overbearing manner. The dragon is hoping that Rupert will rescue her just to get her out of his cave.
In this story, the dragon agrees to return to the Forest Kingdom with Rupert and the princess. After they reach the bottom of Dragonslair, Rupert calls the unicorn, but he doesn't want to come out where the dragon can see -- and catch -- him. Yet Rupert finally coaxes him into the open and they head back to the Darkwood.
Rupert hesitates before entering the Darkwood again, but still goes on. This time, however, the demons are waiting for them. They have to fight thousands of the demons. Finally, the dragon performs some magic to allow Rupert to make the Rainbow Run. He runs and runs and finally reaches a clearing, where he finds a magic sword. He returns to his companions with the sword and calls the Rainbow.
The Rainbow not only kills demons, but it melts away their bodies. Moreover, it heals the companions wounds and returns life to the unicorn. But it doesn't restore his horn.
Upon returning to his home castle, Rupert learns that the Darkwood is spreading. Demons are raiding villages and surrounding the castle every night. Something has to be done and Rupert is selected to do it.
This story relates the maturing of Rupert. He has always been known for doing his duty, but he is now acquiring a degree of cynicism and a much greater skill with the sword. His brother Harald used to be able to defeat him with ease, but not any more.
Julia is also maturing. She now can go for weeks without punching out some wisecracking courtier. Of course, some of that comes from her new reputation, but she also has developed a degree of patience.
The unicorn begins to display a trace of bravery, but maybe that comes from being raised from the dead. On the other hand, the unicorn doesn't have much choice in the matter, since it is fight or die . . . again. His coat is beginning to look like a much repaired garment from all the scars, not to mention the stub of the horn.
The story has a degree of humor as well as violence and betrayal. The unicorn and Rupert have an ongoing discussion about honor and duty, with the unicorn disparaging Rupert's attitude. Julia and Harald also have an ongoing discussion, but about marriage; she keeps saying "no" and punching him out.
The story has more twists and turns than a mountain road. Moreover, it has a well foreshadowed, but surprising solution to the Darkwood problem. The ending is also surprising, but not quite unexpected.
Highly recommended for Green fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magic, close combat and political intrigue.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Book, August 12, 2000
The first time I read Blue Moon Rising was in 1992, one year after it was first published. I picked it up on a whim, and read it in two days (maximum.) Since then, I have read it at least once a year, and gone through three copies.
This book is simply spectacular.
It starts out with Prince Rupert, the second son of a bankrupt kingdom, on a quest to find a dragon. What he finds is a flatulent dragon and a sword fighting princess. And, when Rupert returns to the Forest Kingdom, he finds out that the Blue Moon is rising, and demons are walking the Forest Kingdom.
Simon Green's characters are funny, and endearing. The intrigue in the court of the Forest Kingdom is as well written as the epic battle scenes. I have read every book that Simon Green has written, and this one is by far the best. If you enjoyed the syle and flair of the Deathstalker novels (despite the fact that they sort of peter out), you will enjoy Blue Moon Rising. Every person that I have recommended this book to has liked it.
Read it!
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