Customer Reviews

Voyage of the Shadowmoon (Book One of The Moonworlds Saga)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I sure don't know what book it was that some of my fellow reviewers read, but it certainly wasn't "Voyage of the Shadowmoon." McMullen has written a fine fantasy, head and shoulders above the formulaic junk that's on the market today.

This is the story of a reverse quest. Our characters must find and somehow destroy an overwhelmingly dangerous and enticing magical - "etheric" - tool or machine, Silverdeath. In the Prologue, we see Silverdeath unleashed by the Emperor's general. In a flash of fire, the heart of an enemy citadel is destroyed, and the Emperor is made young. But Silverdeath is unstoppable. At the risk of spoilers, at regularly shortening intervals, it destroys again, doubling the radius of destruction. Even worse, Silverdeath cures the illness, even death, of anyone who is made to don it. This gadget makes Tolkein's One Ring of Sauron look like a bauble.

To stop this threat there is the Shadowmoon and its very motley crew, all of whom have their own agendas. And many of those agendas are mutually inconsistent. Particularly compelling is the oddly chivalric vampyre Laron, trapped for 700 years in a pimply 14-year old's body. He must drink blood and etheric energy, but he only destroys those who deserve it. Not the kind of person you'd want on a long ocean voyage on a small ship.

The tale is told in a rollicking, rowdy fashion, and the seemingly unrelated threads are all tied up neatly in the end. The parallels to our own world are obvious; some aspects of Silverdeath are a fantasy-rationalized nuclear weapon. But McMullen gives the reader too much fun to call this an allegory. Parts will make you laugh out loud; other parts are poignant. Sometimes those parts are on the same page.

Yes, the story-telling is a little uneven, but overall I strongly recommend this book. If you enjoy it, read the two sequels (so far), "Glass Dragons" and "Voidfarer."

Unfortunately this was not one of Sean McMullens better works. I really loved his greatwinter trilogy books, especially the first and third ones, so I had a high degree of expectations for this next book. In Voyage of the Shadowmoon, Sean McMullen has entered into the fantasy genre, where most of his other works are more science fiction, not hard core scifi, but scifi nonetheless. In Voyage I think he forgot what he was good at or maybe he just wanted to try another type of writing, either way I dont think it worked out very well. This book seems much too rushed, character development wasnt what Ive grown to expect from his writing and there are more than a few questions that have been left open. I really do think that if youre looking to get this book you should do yourself a favor a read his other works, especially the greatwinter trilogy, (Souls in the great machine, The Miocene Arrow and Eyes of the Calculor) these are some of the freshest ideas in scifi I have read with some of the most unforgettable characters. Also, try one of his first books, The Centurions Empire. all of these are way beyond what Voyage is. I will be waiting on his next book and I hope he returns to what made me like his work so much.

Took me about 75 pages to get into - McMullen's style is different than I'm used to and it was a little hard to follow. Once I got used to the style, I couldn't put the book down - similar to the reaction I had when first reading Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon.

Voyage of the Shadowmoon was the first I have ever read of Sean McMullen but it has certainly made me want to read more of his books. The book is a fantasy and a comedy at the same time, delightful to read. But it does have a bit of violence, so I wouldn't recommend it to children, but parents are bound to enjoy it.

Shadowmoon series:
Voyage of the Shadowmoon (US, 2003), #1
Glass Dragons (3-04, US hb), #2
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VOYAGE is a fun book with neat characters in a pleasingly picaresque, unclicheed fantasy adventure: "A-", maybe even an "A". McMullen has a fertile imagination, and is a dab hand at drawing believable, likeable characters. VOYAGE does meander at times, but it's a fast read for such a fat book. Fantasy, with some SF elements. Recommended.

It's well worth Googling Groups for Joe Bernstein's nice review of VOYAGE (posted to rec.arts.sf.written).

GLASS DRAGONS is the direct sequel, carrying over many of the same characters, who face another Giant Magical Mystery Widget, this time the Dragonwall, advertised as a cure for the giant storms resulting from the runaway Silverdeath in VOYAGE, which cooked a continent. You won't be surprised to hear that powerful, unscrupulous magicians are using the Dragonwall to settle scores....

This appears to be an open-ended series ("Moonworld"), seldom a good sign. It has a slow start, but moves along briskly after that. "B+", a worthy effort, if not quite up to the first.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman

Led by Captain Ferran, the bizarre crew of the Shadowmoon seems like weird cargo handlers sailing the seas. Though they actually trade the goods kept in the hold of their schooner, the mission of the Shadowmoon is to sail the ports of the continent Torea seeking information as the crew serves as an undercover espionage unit.

The orb changes for Ferran and friends when they see the horrifying total annihilation of Torea. Apparently the Emperor Warsovran became impatient with the siege of Larmentel. He obviously found the long buried Silverdeath, an awesome weapon of mass destruction interred centuries ago out of fear of its misuse. He used the weapon leaving only the off shore crew of the Ferran alive as eyewitnesses to total death. The planet's aristocracy clamber to take advantage of the void with several of them wanting possession of Silverdeath already in the hands of a genocide megalomaniac. Only the fearless crew of this seemingly minnow of a vessel stand in the way of some lunatic unleashing the final wave of annihilation.

VOYAGE OF THE SHADOWMOON is simply great, as readers will obtain one of the top epic fantasy tales of 2002 in time for the holidays. Even with vampires and sorcery, the world seems so real before and after the destruction of Torea. The large key cast members are easily distinguishable between them because each one is fully developed yet done within the context of the action-packed story line. The fantasy realm has a winner with science fiction guru (see the Greatwinter trilogy) Sean McMullen who unbelievably makes the impossible seem authentic.

Harriet Klausner

A fun quest by a misfit band of adventurers to stop, basically, a super death ray. Done as more a fantasy type setting than Jules Verne, but that is part of the feel. Super secret amazing technology ship that they travel in, all that sort of thing. That, and a smartarsed trapped in a youth's body vampire, as your major character. Enjoyable romp.