The Moon and the Sun [Hardcover]

Vonda N. McIntyre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

In seventeenth-century France, Louis XIV rules with flamboyant ambition. In his domain, wealth and beauty take all; frivolity begets cruelty; science and alchemy collide. From the Hall of Mirrors to the vermin-infested attics of the Chateau at Versailles, courtiers compete to please the king, sacrificing fortune, principles, and even the sacred bond between brother and sister. By the fiftieth year of his reign, Louis XIV has made France the most powerful state in the western world. Yet the Sun King's appetite for glory knows no bounds. In a bold stroke, he sends his natural philosopher on an expedition to seek the source of immortality -- the rare, perhaps mythical, sea monsters. For the glory, of his God, his country, and his king, Father Yves de la Croix returns with his treasures: one heavy shroud packed in ice...and a covered basin that imprisons a shrieking creature.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this rich and engrossing tale, Vonda N. McIntyre proves once again that her plotting and mastery of language are among the best in the business. The Moon and the Sun, which won the 1997 Nebula Award for best novel of the year, is the story of Marie-Josèphe, a young lady in the court of Louis XIV. When her brother Yves returns from a naturalist voyage with two sea monsters (one live, one dead), Marie-Josèphe is caught up in a battle of wills involving the fate of the living creature. The king intends to test whether the sea monster holds the secrets of immortality, but Marie-Josèphe knows the creature to be an intelligent, lonely being who yearns only to be set free. In a monumental test of the limits of patience and love, Marie-Josèphe defies the will of the king, her brother, and the pope in defense of what she knows is right, at any cost. McIntyre's atmospheric prose envelops the reader in a fully realized world--sights, smells, and sounds are described in great detail. The author completely represents the Sun King's court at Versailles--her research for the book must have been quite extensive. The blend of history, science, and fantasy makes for a book you will want to gulp down. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A successful sf writer takes a stab at alternate history in this Gothic tale featuring a captured sea monster in 17th-century France.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671567659
• ISBN-13: 978-0671567651
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,475,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shimmering lyricism, December 11, 1999

By 

Catherine Asaro - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Moon and the Sun (Mass Market Paperback)

Set in Versailles, France, in 1693, this book tells the story of a Marie-Josephe, a lady-in-waiting to the niece of Louis XIV--the Sun King. Marie-Josephe's brother, Father Yves de la Croix, is a Jesuit and also the King's natural philosopher. He has brought the King a sea woman captured on an ocean voyage. So begins a rich tale of conscience, politics, science, history, and love.

The Moon and the Sun combines two demanding genres, with some remarkable twists. It is a science fiction story of first contact with an alien race, but told in a setting more often associated with fantasy. It is also a romantic historical novel, the type of meticulously researched work that brings another era to life. McIntyre infuses it all with her marvelously unique style.

As a scientist, I found the interplay of science and the historical setting fascinating. Few sf novels take place in our past, unless they involve time travel. What McIntyre has done is in some ways more difficult: she accurately represents the state of science in the past, without insights from the future. The depiction of the investigations carried out by Yves and Marie-Josephe are authentic. With the sea woman, McIntyre evokes another classic science fiction theme--how do we create convincingly different alien life? The Moon and the Sun also portrays well how politics and the church affected scientific endeavor in that era.

Science fiction is replete with the idea of the polymath--a protagonist talented in many disciplines. This isn't coincidence; in real life, artistic and linguistic gifts often pair with scientific or mathematical talent. The math-physics-music constellation is perhaps the best known combination. McIntyre gets the personality down well for Marie-Josephe. I found her a likable genius, unaffected and humble, with integrity and humor.

It was also refreshing to see a woman portrayed as the polymath. The book does a good job depicting the barriers women encountered in those times to pursuing science or the arts. It challenges the reader to ask questions about the roles of women the remain almost as valid today, at the turn of the millennium, as they were in the court of Louis XIV.

McIntyre's prose is clean and polished, with a lyrical quality, spare on words and rich with imagery. The historical background gains richness in the detail, from the clothing worn in the Sun King's court to the gardens of Versailles to one of the most realistic descriptions I've read of what it is like to ride sidesaddle. At times I would have liked to see the prose style varied more, but this is minor. Overall, the story shimmers.

The characters are well-layered, neither paragons nor villains, but genuine people. I also enjoyed the engaging, and unusual, romance between Marie-Josephe and Count Lucien.

If Louis XIV is the Sun, then Marie-Josephe and Yves are the moons that reflect his glory. This book poses a fascinating question: the moon exists whether or not the sun illuminates it--but if it cannot be seen, does it cease to exist in the minds of the people who observe and record history? The Moon and the Sun offers prose rich in imagery and lyricism, powerful characterization, a plot that sings, romance, and a depth of insight into human nature.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent blend of fantasy and alternate history, June 8, 2003

By 

Stefan "Stefan" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Moon and the Sun (Mass Market Paperback)

The Moon and the Sun" (1997) is an excellent fantasy novel by US science fiction author Vonda McIntyre. The novel is not a standard fantasy, but rather an alternate history novel with fantasy elements. It won a number of awards, including the 1997 Nebula Award for Best Novel (beating the favorite "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin).

The story is set in 17th century France, during the reign of the Sun King Louis XIV, at his court in Versailles. The novel is filled with a large cast of courtiers, many of them historical figures, who are all competing for the favor of the King. The main character, Marie-Josephe de la Croix, assists her brother, Father Yves de la Croix, in the scientific study of a recently captured sea monster. The King hopes to gain immortality by consuming part of the creature, but as the study continues, Marie-Josephe discovers the sea monster may be more than a dumb beast. This discovery tests Marie-Josephe's loyalty to her brother, her king and her religion.

Vonda McIntyre thoroughly researched the historical setting for "The Moon and the Sun" and created a very convincing setting, filling it with believable and well-rounded characters. Because of the level of detail, the novel can be enjoyed as a historical novel and a fantasy. Very highly recommended.

Note: the novel originated as a short story, written in the form of a fictional encyclopedia article, "The Natural History and Extinction of the People of the Sea", which was illustrated by (fellow author) Ursula K. Le Guin and indirectly inspired by research done by the late Avram Davidson, another brilliant SF writer. The novel also exists as a screenplay.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, not good, August 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Moon and the Sun (Hardcover)

Finally read this, expecting great things from all the reviews - and was disapointed. It's readable, it's original and enjoybale, but disapointed me. The characters are mostly monochromatic, everybody catholic is evil, and it reads like a movie adaptation - little introspection, everybody adapts to big changes in a paragraph and a couple of references later. It's enjoyable, but at least to me, it didn't live up to the hype.