Customer Reviews

Goblin Moon

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Theresa Edgerton, I will state right now, is one of my absolutely favourite fantasy authors in the genre today. Within the space of a few hundred pages, she transports us to a world both foreign and familiar, introduces a cast Dickens would envy, and completes a novel that *might* relinquish the reader's attention given the space of a month. While publishers are constantly "upping" the cost and the length (and the dullness) of their new lines, Theresa Edgerton is an excellent foil - slashing through the cliche bilge and shining through the benighted press. Her stories have the added quality of "rereadableness" - for they rest on limited omniscience rather than surprise.

In "Goblin Moon," the first book in a duology, Ms. Edgerton creates a world based on eighteenth century Europe, replete with evil duchesses and dashing masqueraders, husband-catchers and Faust mirrors, Guilds of gnomes and dwarves and covens of goblins. Although readers of her other series (The Green Lion Trilogy, and its sister Trilogy - both set in a para-Celtic land) might find the abrupt change in world surprising, yet the first few chapters will certainly convince them to continue reading. Students of this particular era (who suffered through Locke and have been looking for a means of putting such non-knowledge to use) will find her world-building especially delightful, from the Fates to the sheep-drawn carriages.

Beware, though. Ms. Edgerton's novels are notoriously difficult to find, but more than worth the agony of waiting.

Goblin Moon is set in a quasi-Victorian time. There are several different species, such as gnomes, blood-sucking trolls, hobgoblins and, of course, humans. The main heroine, Seramarias Vorder, is an appropriately intelligent and resourceful young woman in a rather false society. However, the hero, the elusive Lord Francis Skelbrooke, steals the show. A perfect gentlemen, laced and powdered to perfection...armed to the teeth and with the deplorable habit of shooting enemies at point blank range.

Together, Sera and Lord Skelbrooke must find out exactly what the mysterious and bewitching Duchess and her suave minion Jarl Skogsra are plotting.

Full of intrigue, ironic humor, the stylized world of the Victorians, and a touch of romance, Goblin Moon is an enchanting read. It is well worth the time and effort to locate a copy.

Teresa Edgerton, I will state right now, is one of my absolutely favourite fantasy authors in the genre today. Within the space of a few hundred pages, she transports us to a world both foreign and familiar, introduces a cast Dickens would envy, and completes a novel that *might* relinquish the reader's attention given the space of a month. While publishers are constantly "upping" the cost and the length (and the dullness) of their new lines, Teresa Edgerton is an excellent foil - slashing through the cliche bilge and shining through the benighted press. Her stories have the added quality of "rereadableness" - for they rest on limited omniscience rather than surprise.

In "Goblin Moon," the first book in a duology, Ms. Edgerton creates a world based on eighteenth century Europe, replete with evil duchesses and dashing masqueraders, husband-catchers and Faust mirrors, Guilds of gnomes and dwarves and covens of goblins. Although readers of her other series (The Green Lion Trilogy, and its sister Trilogy - both set in a para-Celtic land) might find the abrupt change in world surprising, yet the first few chapters will certainly convince them to continue reading. Students of this particular era (who suffered through Locke and have been looking for a means of putting such non-knowledge to use) will find her world-building especially delightful, from the Fates to the sheep-drawn carriages.

Happily, Ms. Edgerton has reissued her excellent Mask and Dagger duology, opening another generation to the charms and danger of Lord Francis Love Skelbrooke...who's just like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Only better.

It's so sad that this book is no longer in print, and that only seven people have reviewed it. That means there are A LOT of people out there who have never been introduced to the wonder that is Teresa Edgerton's Lord Skelbrooke!

I don't know how I first heard about these books- I probably saw them on someone's Amazon Listmania list, and then requested them off a bookswap service. But once I started reading Goblin Moon, I was sucked right in.

Is it epic fantasy? Not at all. Is the plot twisting and turning and totally compex? Nope. What it is is more of an adventure story than anything else, coupled with romance, science, hilarity and chaos. It is so ovious while reading this book that Edgerton enjoyed writing it. The characters come to life full-blooded, they enjoy living within their pages so very much, that it is impossible to read it and not enjoy their lives as well. Francis Skelbrooke steals every scene in which he appears, and Sera, too, is a heroine I'd love to have as a friend any day.

I highly recommend this book, and its sequel, The Gnome's Engine. Both are superb, and even if I came late to the game, I'm going to be cheering Edgerton on for a long time.

Usually, I am not a fan of Gothic Romance. However, Ms. Edgerton's novel Goblin Moon reminds me of the works of Tim Powers and James Blaylock. The story is well-written with interesting and engaging characters. Magic, revenge and action as well as romance are seamlessly woven together to make this a worthy read.

If you like fantasy, even if you don't care for romance or gothic, give this book a try. I look forward to the (implied) sequel and will attempt to find other books by the same author.

The literary antecedents of the Goblin Moon are equal parts Jane Austen (but without the boring parts) and Alexandre Dumas, with perhaps a dash of Baroness Orczy (The Scarlet Pimpernel), are readily identifiable in this delightful blend of adventure, intrigue, and dark magics.

Set in a pseudo-Europe of the Victorian era, in which humankind is not the only sentient race but shares the world with the Faerie, Dwarves, Gnomes, and some of the Darker Powers (tm), her protagonists are flawed but strong of heart, her villains intriguing, and her intrigue suitably mysterious.

Fans of the excellent James Blaylock "Narbondo" series, Steven Brust's "Phoenix Guards" books, or merely those with an appreciation for the Victorian era manners, ironic humor, and a delightful literary style will be enchanted!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Goblin Moon. Lord Skelbrooke is dashing, mysterious, and intriguingly explosive, and Sera Vorder has a spine and a great deal of common sense. The quirky supporting characters are equally appealing, drawn with a deft hand that brings to life the creepy, mannered, and enchanting town of Thornburg-on-the-Lunn.

I picked this up in a used bookstore and thought it was ok to start off, but by the end I was hunting through Amazon to see what else they had by the author. This isn't deep literature, but it's quite good fun and moves along nicely. A very interesting mix of Captain Blood/3 Musketeers/ Zorro - 17th C ish swashbuckling and faerie. I especially liked the twist on the bad would-be fairy godmother element. The society is nicely realised with some excellent touches and the characters are likeable. Though the goblin's in the title never really played a role, despite the cover art. Trolls and Faeries and Dwarves all part of society but no goblin action. It's terrible shame most of her work is out-of-print. But I'll certainly try her latest novel! And see what I can pick up otherwise.

I found this beaten up paperback on a shelf of neglected paperbacks at my University's library. Everything is hard-bound (the school does it itself) so the few paperbacks are regulated to these four tiny rotating shelves by the bathroom on the first floor in the back of the building. The cover was cheesy and weird and I didn't think I would like it. But read it, I did, and I discovered a new favorite author. I like very few female fantasy writers (they always seem to try too hard) but Edgerton is superb. I like her simplicity, which can ALMOST be compared to the style of Guy Gavriel Kay. Her books are very well-written, but I believe Goblin Moon is the best. Highly recommendable

This is a book I found on the shelf in my reading class, unread and looking pretty old. I took it in and almost gave up on it because I found the beginning a tad bit uninteresting. But then the two lovers came in (yay!) and I was caught. The relationship between them totally sucked me into the book, which is now my fave. I would recommend this to anyone with a thing for good romances or just generally good fantasy books.