Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Two excellent stories, one very confusing story, December 25, 2005
I picked this anthology up due to the inclusion of C.E. Murphy- and I was not disappointed! Murphy's tale, "Banshee Cries", continues the saga of Joanne Walker, the central figure in "Urban Shaman". In "Urban Shaman", Joanne was a police mechanic for the Seattle Police Department until the department replaced her while she was in Ireland with her dying mother. Consequently, she became an unwilling police officer who also has a spirit guide, Coyote. In this story, Joanne communicates with her dead mother, Sheila MacNamarra, to thwart a serial killer who had also tried to kill her mother. "Moontide" by Mercedes Lackey was an unexpected surprise for me. Moira na Ferson has been trained to be one of the Grey ladies- able to appropriately interact at court and yet have the skills of an assassin. Her father sent her away many years ago and has shown no interest in her until he mysteriously demands she return home. Once home at the Highclere Sea-Keep, she discovers her father, Lord Ferson, has befriended the pirate, Massid, Prince of Jendara. I won't spoil this intriguing story by revealing the nefarious plot Moira and Kedric the Fool uncover and ultimately thwart. "The Heart of the Moon" by Tanith Lee was the weakest of the three stories and a disappointment to me as I had previously read and enjoyed some of Lee's work. Clirando, a warrior for the goddess Parna, discovers her lover, Thestus, and her sister-friend, Araitha, have betrayed her by having sex. She challenges and beats both in duels and both are banished. Before Araitha leaves for her banishment, she curses Clirando. Clirando then receives word that Araitha died in a shipwreck, thus cementing the power of the curse. Clirando and a band of her warriors are then sent to the Moon Isle, a mysterious Isle where selected individuals were sent for the Seven Nights. From there, the story is a series of hallucinations/dreams where Clirando meets her true love, Zemetrios, and both earn their redemption. Perhaps others will enjoy the underlying meaning behind the story (such as the pigs representing Clirando's evil faces) but I felt it was too confusing. Overall, I recommend this anthology based on the strength of the stories by Murphy and Lackey.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Two great reads and one okay one, August 21, 2006
I'd been trying to get a hold of this anthology for a while, so I was pleasantly surprised when Luna included it as the "free" book I received for trying their services. The three novellas in this volume, I believe, epitomize the blend of rich fantasy, strong female characters, and romantic elements offered by the books in the Luna line. Being a bit of a romantic myself, I prefer a solid "happily ever after" type ending, or at least a strong "happy for now" one. So, the first two novellas in this collection did deliver more solidly on that promise than did the last, but that in no way diminished my enjoyment of this collection, and each story within it.
Moontide by Mercedes Lackey starts off this anthology. In this story, the author takes us back to her Five Hundred kingdoms, only this time, it tells the tale of the daughter of the lord of a Sea-Keep sent off to fosterling. Her father wants her back, and she's certain it's for a marriage proposal. However, the proposal doesn't exactly materialize, and what she discovers means treason against the crown. She has only the skills she learned as one of the Countessess' "Grey Ladies" and a Fool, on which she can rely. Will it be enough to stop a threat to not only the King's person, but his very kingdom?
Having been disappointed with the author's work of late, I'm very pleased to have found a story which drew me in and kept me turning pages. Our heroine is a strongly drawn character, with a strength of will and a keen mind, which makes her the perfect foil for her father's plans. With the Fool, a man who is never quite completely drawn, we're shown that in him, she has a partner to help save the king. While the romance is understated, it is there, and is satisfactorily wrapped up in the story. I certainly hope we see more of the Grey Ladies in future stories.
The Heart of the Moon by Tanith Lee is the middle story. A warrior, wounded by the betrayal of a man she called lover and a woman she called friend, finds herself cursed. When she's sent to the Isle of the Moon she finds herself on a spiritual journey and meets a man similarly betrayed. As they work through their issues, they discover a love for each other. Except once their time of the isle is over, they're torn apart, and have to find their way to each other.
I'll be honest, I hadn't been impressed with Tanith Lee's contributions to romance anthologies in the past, and I didn't expect much this time around. However, this story with is poignant characterization and the emotional trails of the characters, created a compelling read, and once that impressed this reader. The Heart of the Moon is a journey of the heart.
Banshee Cries by C.E. Murphy, ended the anthology. An author whose work I wanted to read, I found myself eagerly looking forward to this story. A reluctant beat cop has to come to grips with her shamanic power, her dead mother, and her position within the police department.
I found the characterization and sense of place in this story; however, I kept looking for romantic content and found it lacking. This was mentioned as being book 1.5 of the series, so perhaps reading the first book would help ground the reader in the world and the sense of place. However, as an urban fantasy story, this tale does its job in creating an otherworldly sense to our day-to-day lives, and the narrator's unique and strong voice makes it a page-turning read.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A widely varied trio, January 6, 2006
It's hard to really 'rate' a grouping like this, where I had divergent reactions to the three works.
The Lackey novella I found to be boring and obvious. Yet another plucky young girl who, through the power of feminism, can walk circles around the rest of her society, solving a barely transparent plot against the kingdom. I suppose fans of hers will like it well enough, as it's fairly typical of her work.
I'd been meaning to read some Tannith Lee for some time, and I can see the appeal. I liked her writing style, and the character-centric story. It was okay, even enjoyable, but fairly forgettable.
But I loved the C.E. Murphy story. She's got such a strong and clear voice. This ties directly into last year's "Urban Shaman" novel, and is a nice continuation of the story. I'd recommend reading that instead, but if you do and you want more, this is a large enough chunk to make it worth the trouble. Ultimately, I hope that this causes fans of the more popular Lee and Lackey to discover this exciting new author.
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