Voyage of the Shadowmoon (Book One of The Moonworlds Saga) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sean McMullen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2004

The Shadowmoon is a small, unobtrusive wooden schooner whose passengers and crew are much more than they seem: Ferran, the Shadowmoon's lusty captain who dreams of power; Roval, the warrior-sorcerer; Velander and Terikel, priestesses of a nearly extinct sect; and the chivalrous vampyre Laron, who has been trapped in a fourteen-year-old body for 700 years.

They sail the coast, gathering useful information, passing as simple traders. But when they witness the awful power of Silverdeath, an uncontrollable doomsday weapon of awesome power, they realize they must act. But every single king, emperor and despot covets Silverdeath's power. It will take all of their wits and more than a little luck if they hope to prevent one of these power hungry fools from destroying the world. Their only advantage? The Shadowmoon.

While it seems to be little more that a small trading vessel--too small for battle, too fat for speed-it is actually one of the most sophisticated vessels in the world, one that allows them to travel to places where no others would dare. They can only hope it will be enough to save them all before Silverdeath rains destruction across their entire world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of McMullen's epic far-future SF Greatwinter trilogy (Souls in the Great Machine, etc.) will be pleased to find that the Australian author has brought his world-building expertise to his first fantasy novel, eschewing the genre's typical cookie-cutter black vs. white conflicts. Emperor Warsovran plots to take over the world with Silverdeath, a legendary weapon buried centuries ago in a ravine for fear that its awesome power would be misused. When Warsovran digs Silverdeath up and unleashes its wave of immense heat on the continent of Torea, the only survivors are the motley crew of the schooner Shadowmoon, a cargo vessel with some curious enhancements and a decidedly secret mission. Aboard the Shadowmoon are several individuals bent on countering or even stealing Silverdeath. As various lords and nobles scramble to take advantage of the power vacuum created by Torea's destruction, alliances crumble and reform. Boatmaster Feran Woodbar, the warrior Roval Gravalios and his companion, vampyre Laron, warring priestesses of the nearly extinct Metrologan Order and a host of dispossessed royalty bent on revenge are among the large cast of distinctive characters portrayed with wit and skill. McMullen has once again crafted a marvelously unpredictable and intricate story, full of swashbuckling intrigue and adventure on a grand scale.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When the Emperor Warsovran discovers a powerful artifact called Silverdeath, he uses it to further his ambitious plans of world conquest; instead, Silverdeath reveals itself as a weapon capable of destruction on a global scale. United only by their determination to find a way to capture and neutralize Silverdeath, the passengers of the small schooner Shadowmoon embark on an epic journey to save their world. The author of the "Greatwinter Trilogy" (Souls in the Great Machine; The Miocene Arrow; Eyes of the Calculor) crafts an intriguing fantasy world where magic resides in the cosmic "ether," souls from other worlds inhabit oracular devices, and a 14-year-old vampyre holds the secret of the world's salvation. One of Australia's most inventive sf authors demonstrates his prodigious talent for fantasy in a standalone novel that belongs in most libraries. Highly recommended.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 565 pages
• Publisher: Tor Science Fiction (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076534713X
• ISBN-13: 978-0765347138
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,001,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Voyage, December 31, 2002

By 

Amy Cubellis "amterc" (Lynden, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Voyage of the Shadowmoon (Hardcover)

This is definitely one of the strangest and best books I have read in a long time. McMullen is not afraid to mix humor and weapons of mass destruction together - as a result, this book has a certain timeliness to it. I really appreciate a fantasy book where the author has made some effort to link the plot/characters in some way to our own modern events and troubles.
All the characters are interesting in that they all posess depth - everyone has a good reason for what he/she does. One can emphasize with the character's reason and still not like the result of the character's action. I am getting very tired of "cookie cutter" fantasies, where black is black and white is white and no one's actions mirror what a real person would do in the same situation. McMullen avoids cardboard characterization and instead writes of people who make mistakes, change allegiances and generally try to stay alive.
One final note - Laron is definitely one of the most interesting vampire/vampyre characters I have encountered in a long time, ranking up there with Daetrin of "The Madness Season" (C.S. Friedman) as my favorite.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inside this book, beat the two hearts of a vampyre., May 14, 2004

By 

David "dtstrange" (Pleasant Hill, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voyage of the Shadowmoon (Book One of The Moonworlds Saga) (Mass Market Paperback)

For those of you who have read McMullen's "Great Winter Trilogy" and agree with me that it was one of the best Sci-Fi novel sets to come out in the past decade, then don't be put off by the author's switch of genres and go ahead and read this delightful Fantasy novel. McMullen is one of the few authors around who can make the switch from Sci-Fi to Fantasy and not miss a beat. Those of you who read both genres know how few and far between such authors are and I applaud McMullen's bravery in coming out and showing the world that the "Great Winter" books were no fluke.

In many ways, McMullen has taken the themes of his previous trilogy and simply moved them to an alternate universe. McMullen stresses the dangers of power and the effects that too much power has on both individuals, nations and the environment. This particular novel is about a power hungry king who uncovers a weapon of awesome power, which very predictably, destroys an entire continent in one fell swoop. A mysterious group of adventurers sets out to stop him.

McMullen's strength as a writer lies in his characters. He does not take his characters too seriously, but gives them a life and charm all their own. In fact, McMullen's characters are very unique. You never find those that are pure good or pure evil. They are humans with both human strengths and failings, sometime extraordinarily so. For example, one of the main characters is a vampyre that only preys on criminals and wife beaters and other people he feels need culling from society. Other characters abound through this novel and all of them are interesting.

One really great thing about this book is that it actually ends. It's not a "Trilogy" in the "Lord of the Rings" sense, it actually has a real ending, so you don't have to worry about when the "next" book will appear. (Take a lesson, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, et al.) I found the ending to be enjoyable and satisfying. I recommend this book to anyone wishing to read a great, light-hearted book with a fun story and interesting characters.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Political Fantasy, Power Scrabbles, and Strange Chivalry..., December 10, 2002

By 

Carl Malmstrom (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Voyage of the Shadowmoon (Hardcover)

While "Voyage of the Shadowmoon" is a switch to fantasy for Sean McMullen, a lot of his style from the "Greatwinter" Trilogy carries over to this book. His sense of epic remains unchanged - the end of the book is far, far away (both geographically and plotwise) from the beginning. His plot twists can sneak up on you - unlike some authors (notably Robert Jordan) plot developments surprise you without a lot of narrative foreboding. He continues his passion for unstable academics - the learned in his world frequently have more depth (and insanity) than any of his other characters. Perhaps most importantly, though, his sense of humor remains unchanged - it can be slippery at times, but he's just as comfortable in the dry and sardonic as he is in the silly. Oh, and he still has a taste for strange romances.

"Voyage of the Shadowmoon" follows a circle of world leaders, spies, priest-academics and a vampyre in the ultimate chase for the ultimate doomsday weapon. As with his "Greatwinter" series, he's quite content to begin with Earth-shattering events (almost literally) and then explore what people will really do in the face - or the lure - of unstoppable power. In that, this book works equally well as political allegory (nuclear winter, anyone?) and epic fantasy. His chases are gripping, his ability to think through a given situation thoroughly impressive, and his sense of timing truly offbeat, which makes this - for my money - the most original fantasy novel since George R. R. Martin's "A Clash of Kings".

I really can't praise this novel enough - even the characters are thoroughly memorable - especially the chivalric vampyre Laron, who after seven hundred years of otherworldly exile has little left to hold on to beyond his chivalric code and a morbid sense of humor. His world is very well realized and plays out with threads and references taken from across two thousand years of human literature. If you liked the "Greatwinter" series, this one is every bit as good - and has at least some potential to continue as a series (although it could easily be left as a standalone novel as well). If you're looking for something to tide you over until the next Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind or George R. R. Martin novel comes out, this is an excellent place to look. Even if you're just a fan of political or historical fiction, it still works. Give it a shot.