Customer Reviews

Blue Moon Rising (Part 2) (Darkwood)

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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

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!

There seems to be some attempt here to pass this off as a nontraditional fantasy story because of its hero being a second son and its heroine being rebellious and cross, as well as a dragon being a protagonist. No, there's nothing inherently unique about this story; it's the details that make it different and a good read. Green fools us a bit by making us think this is a story about Prince Rupert's traditional quest--but no! That only comprises one chapter, and the rest is actually a story about the Forest Kingdom's battle against legions of demons that are taking over the country, as well as including betrayals in the castle and royal politics.

The politics were actually what really won me over about what was at first looking to be an uninteresting book. Yes, it's funny, and by the end very exciting and has just the right amount of blood and swordfighting, as well as a mystery that is entwined throughout the whole thing. But it's the politics that make it unique, because it really draws readers into the world of royal courts and how a medieval kingdom operates. And because this book centers on only one kingdom, it doesn't become confusing but stays very manageable. To avoid being boring, there's also plenty of adventure, and did I mention blood and swordfighting? Green also did his research, because the kingdom and the swordfighting are both described in detail; magic or no, this is a believable world. (Actually, even that's believable because the magic is leaving the world to be replaced by science; one can assume it would be entirely gone by modern times.)

As for criticism: all small things. Princess Julia's infatuation with Rupert is contrary to her rebellious nature. Though she does learn to live without him for a great deal of time, she still mopes about a bit too much for someone who knows very well how to be independent. Actually, it seems like the supporting characters are all a little one-sided and archetypal, but characters aren't really the main focus of the book. I don't like the fact that Green took an easy way out in ignoring the dragon for the majority of the book, and I think a little more character should have been given to the Demon Prince. The pacing could have been better in the first chapter. Lastly, I think there should be more suspects for who the final betrayer is; the culprit is a little obvious.

I am a big fan of the fantasy genre. For years I have been searching for a book in this genre that I could really really get absorbed into. It has been years since I have really been swept away by a good fantasy book... then came Blue Moon Rising. This book is wonderful and a great page-turner. The battles in this book are some of the most graphic and well-described I have ever read. It's funny and it keeps you wondering what will happen until the last page. I loved the fact that the book moved with a fast pace and the action came frequently. I was hooked after the first couple of pages. I can go on and on about BMR. You just have to read it. Make it your next book to read if you are a fan of the fantasy genre. I am now reading the Hawk and Fisher stories( seems to be a sequels to BMR) and even those are great.

Great book. (Four stars is a lot from me.) I see a lot of people looking for a sequel, evidently unaware of the Hawk & Fisher books. Check out "Swords of Haven" and "Guards of Haven" - the lead characters are obviously Rupert and Julia, even if Mr. Green is being coy about actually saying so. And now there's a soon-to-be published volume "Beyond the Blue Moon" where he evidently stops being coy about it - Hawk and Fisher return to the Forest Kingdom. Sounds fun; I can't wait.

I've never read anything of Simon R. Green's but I plan to after reading this one. The characters are lovable and funny; the plot was intriguing. Rupert was the second son of the king in a kingdom that didn't need or want a second prince. The kind sends Rupert off on a quest to slay a dragon. Rupert takes his friend, the Unicorn, and goes off to find a dragon, and a princess, but what do you do when the dragon needs to be saved from the princess? He knows he's supposed to slay a dragon, but the dragon proves to be a better friend than anyone else Rupert knows so he heads back to his kingdom with princess and dragon in tow. Rupert discovers that the Blue Moon is rising, and with it the Wild Magic is gaining power. The nearby Darkwood is spreading quickly and the kingdom must find some way to stop it before it's evil covers the kingdom and all is lost. The story is by turns humorous, touching, and serious. The Princess Julia is my new hero. She's bold, sarcastic, doesn't take anything from anyone, and knows her way around with a sword. No helpless maiden in distress here... Julia plays a major part in the ongoing battle against the wild magic. This book is an instant classic in my mind.

Green has done it again! Few better known authors has his story-telling ability.I don't know any other author that has a book that can swing from clever satire to bloody action and court intrigue without missing a beat!The hero: Prince Rupert reminds me of another Green hero,Owen Deathstalker in that he a reluctant warrior who must rise to the occassion for honor and duty against overwhelming odds.This novel has it all: clever satire that spoofs cliches in fairy tales and fantasy novels with honorable goblins and friendly dragons and courageous moat monster.This novel also has terrifying scenes of battles against demons and monsters and some tense court intrigue.I loved the atmospheric darkwoods and I could fear the evil that dwelled there.Green knows how keep the suspense high and plot twists coming.I laughed at the witty banter and my heart was in my throat over the gruesome scenes of battles and escapes. Two thumbs up! What a ride!

What a fabulous surprise this book was! With characters you really care for and come to love, this fairy tale is very funny, yet extremely scary. It's a fast-paced mix of action, horror, comedy and love story, and is done amazingly well. Effective writing and imagery allows you to "see" and "hear" the action. Cool.

A great opening chapter ensures you'll keep on reading. The faithful but under-appreciated Prince Rupert is sent on a mission to slay a dragon and capture it's treasure hoard for the kingdom's treasury. Fighting danger along the way, Rupert comes across the Princess Julia (a very funny scene) from another kingdom. From this point on, you'll be hooked. Princess Julia is a riot. Tomboy-ish, feisty, brave, funny, irreverent, and sarcastic, you'll fall immediately in love with her, just like Rupert does.

Also, Rupert's poignant relationship with his cowardly yet loyal unicorn is humorous and sometimes heart-wrenching. (I never knew a person had to be "qualified" to ride on a unicorn. Did you?) Funny thing: the unicorn's dialogue is tinged with a proper British articulation that caused me to hear actor Roddy McDowell's voice in my head whenever the unicorn spoke. Very effective writing.

Dragons, magic swords, evil swords, a drunken warlock, demons, love triangles, a paradoxical castle (bigger on the inside than the outside), treacherous conspiracies, and a terrifying evil that threatens to consume the world, all combine to create a dazzling story which will transport you to another time and place. You'll be sorry when it all comes to an end and you're summoned back to earth.

I've loaned this book to dozens of people. Every single person loved it and wanted to read the follow-up book. I've checked around for a sequel but, strangely enough, there isn't one. I guess either this book didn't sell enough copies to warrant one, or maybe Simon R. Green was too pre-occupied with his DeathStalker series and other books. The publisher may also not have realized what a gold mine they had on their hands here. Too bad. Follow-up books would have kept loyal readers happy, and their resulting word-of-mouth would have brought new readers to the series and, thus sold more books.

I bought this book from Amazon on a whim, and I stayed up late nights just to finish it. "Blue Moon Rising" has humor and wit smushed together with a seriousness that few authors today can capture on a book's pages. I recommend this book to the readers out there who enjoy a good laugh, but aren't afraid to cry, too. I frequently write short stories, and I suppose that part of the reason I enjoyed his book as much as I did, is because he has a style, or rather, I have a style fairly similar to Simon Green's. If you read it, and find you don't like it, please e-mail me, and let me know why. I'm curious to know! Adieu.