Moonsword [Paperback]

Diana Hignutt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2002

"The Demon shall be mighty, but not indestructible: He shall be killed by no man and by no born female. No metal of the earth shall harm him..." Prince Tolian of Lorm is the kingdom's greatest warrior and proud heir to the throne. His world is turned upside-down when he learns of the Druidic Prophecy which foretells the coming of a powerful Demon and the end of the world. There is only one hope: Tolian must allow himself to be transformed into a woman in order to become the Champion – the only being capable of defeating the Demon. Tolian reluctantly agrees as the Demon enters the world and begins his nightmarish conquest. Now Tolian must come to terms with her new femininity, gain control of her magical powers, find the fabled Moonsword, battle a host of monsters, and confront the Demon before it's too late. Not your average faerie-tale to be sure.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Harry Potter for adults" -- Louie Free - AM1360, Cleveland

The new novel Moonsword is an action-packed saga of sorcery, secrets and surprises... a rollicking epic... -- Kevin Riordan - The Courier Post

Product Details

• Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (September 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591292468
• ISBN-13: 978-1591292463
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment, March 13, 2004

By 

Dean Esmay (Westland, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moonsword (Paperback)

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this self-published book, but I do like fantasy literature and the reviews were so raving about its groundbreaking and masterful storytelling I picked it up on impulse.

While the book was not horrible, I must say it was marred by plotting that was rather hackneyed and disjointed. Major events happen with little buildup or warning. The characters mostly seem two-dimensional. The language is often odd and strained, with weird word-choices (like "disgustingness," just for example). Nor do you get a strong sense of time or place that these characters inhabit--describing the world it takes place in seems almost an afterthought.

A love interest between two primary characters is central to the book, yet the explanation for how they fall in love is very disjointed and abrupt, and you never get a strong feeling for the romance between the characters, there's no buildup to passion. The sex scenes are also rather airy and vague and not particularly passionate.

I've seen finer fantasy writing by countless authors. Nor is the "twist" of a male-to-female character all that interesting. Although I've never seen that done particularly well except in comedies, I've seen it done better than here.

I think Ms. Hignutt has the potential to be a good fantasy writer but I feel this effort falls flat. Those who like the transgendered theme for its own sake will probably enjoy this, but those looking for a solid and enjoyable fantasy adventure for its own sake will probably want to look elsewhere.

Hignutt so far has not lived up to the potential she shows in this book. Interesting concept, flawed execution.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No Royalties for Author, December 14, 2005

By 

S. Grant (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moonsword (Paperback)

Coming from Diana Hignutt herself:

"I'll expand on this soon, but I ask you NOT to buy my novel, Moonsword published by PublishAmerica. Moonspell, coming from Behler in 2006 is the only authorized edition of this book.
All authors should beware of PublishAmerica, a Marland based POD, neo-vanity press that masquarades as a traditional publisher. I would have saved myself much grief, time and money had I been more wary earlier in my career. However, a scam agent led me into the clutches of PA (PublishAmerica). They claimed to be a real traditional publisher and made considerable promises regarding editing, marketing and royalty payments that were not true. I'll expand on this when I have more time. I urge all authors to avoid them like the plague.

In the meantime, rest assured that my first novel will be reborn in a new revised, re-edited edition coming from Behler Publication in early 2006 under the new title Moonspell, The Moonsword Trilogy, Book 1."

This is the PublishAmerica book, and will give the author no royalties, which is an awful thing for someone who has worked so hard. Whether you like the book or not, if you plan on buying it, don't buy it from here!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A finely wrought fantasy, November 4, 2003

By 

Sherry Russell "Reviewer/author" (Vero Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Moonsword (Paperback)

Diana Hignutt has written a finely wrought fantasy. Fans of good and evil thrillers will delight in this suspenseful confident and intelligent novel with artistic dimensions galore. The author takes you on an exploration masterly crafted with startling intensity and meticulously shaded in all the right places propelling you to read it at a ballistic speed.

I have to say that the thought of reading this genre held all the essence of a mud puddle for me but after being told several times about this book, I had to giddy up and jump in. Moonsword ensnared me in the first several chapters with a gripping energetical pace combined with a certain emotional signature from the author.

When your flesh is weary from the world and you can use a therapeutic cocktail, read this vivid tale blending danger, destiny, courage and balances. Well done!