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Socerer’s Moon
The Boreal Moon Tale, Book III

by Julian May



      It’s always tough to come in on the third book in a high fantasy trilogy, and Sorcerer’s Moon is certainly no exception. Without the previous books to orient the reader, the vast number of characters and quick jumps from one character’s predicament to the next can be confusing - so you’ll want to start the series at the beginning. For those who have, Sorcerer’s Moon does a tidy job of tying up all the threads of the tale neatly - if a bit predictably. At its heart, it’s the story of a man who wants to be Emperor - a goal so filled with hubris that you know it isn’t going to work out for him. By book three, the combination of magical influences and logical paranoia (almost everyone really is out to get him) has driven King Conrig nearly mad and he still has the Salka threat to deal with. Salka are big man-eating amphibians with magical powers and sly plans for conquest. The source of their power is a complex game played by god-like supernatural beings who are always looking for a little fun by making lesser creatures suffer. Throw into this mix a lot of humans (and nonhumans) with plans of their own and you can imagine the complexity of loose ends May needs to tie up in this book. With that in mind, it’s a little slow going at the beginning, but picks up about halfway through. It kept me quite riveted to the end. There aren’t many surprises here - but good solid plotting and an interesting magical world make it an enjoyable read for high fantasy fans.

The Book

Ace Hardcover
August 2006
Hardcover
044101383X
High Fantasy
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Jan Fields
Reviewed 2006
NOTE: Reviewer Jan Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of stories and articles for the children's magazine market.
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