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Shadow Moon (Chronicles of the Shadow War, Book 1)

Shadow Moon (Chronicles of the Shadow War, Book 1)

List Price: $7.50
Your Price: $6.75
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I'm a well-read person with a lot of fantasy books under my belt and I think I can fairly say that this one is not very well written. The premise is intrigueing and the settings are captivating, but there isn't enough variation in the perspectives of the primary characters to have any kind of plot tension show up. Also, the book is too long. I suspect it was intended for publication as a pentology then squashed into a trilogy as the climax occurs about 2/3 of the way through the book. I did make it all the way to the end of this one, but couldn't stand the thought of two more books like this.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This book is absolutely lousy
Review: This is one of the worst books I have ever read. It drags on and on (I read the whole thing) and there was nothing to like about it. The characters run from disaster to disaster, the descriptions always belaboring how close to collapse the characters are and yet they miraculously defeat another crisis without even a minutes rest. It made my eyes hurt to read it, and my brain hurt, too.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Probably the worst book I've ever read
Review: This book bored me to tears. Having read the novel Willow (much better than the film I might add), I expected to see further development of the characters I had grown to really enjoy reading about. Instead, virtually the entire cast is eliminated practically before the book starts. We are left with a bleak, ugly world with characters whose personalities have completely changed since the first book (that being the two brownies and Willow, who no longer goes by that name). It's as if Lucas and Claremont wanted an established world but didn't want to use anything the original author had written.

We are treated to long, drawn out sequences that seem to have no purpose and never end. Elora Danan is not a character I liked, and Willow and the brownies are whiny jerks. Claremont's writing style, which helped popularize the X-Men comics, is sadly out of place in this novel. He's very melodramatic and I think that takes a lot away from the story. To top it off, the book just ends for no particular reason. No big climax, nothing to make you want to read ahead to the next book. That might work in comics where a new issue comes out every month, but it sure doesn't work in novel format.

Overall, I simply hated this book. I hated the authors, their treatment (and killing) of established characters, the writing style, and lack of a real, cohesive story. I don't know what book the other reviewers read, but it wasn't this one. If you want a good novel, read Willow. As for this waste of paper, DON'T BUY IT!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A exciting book full of great and fantastic stuff
Review: This is an amazing book for those who like science fiction and fantasy combined. This book will capture your attention and take you to a land of untold adventures. Never a dull moment. If you haven't read it go get it now and do so. You won't regret it. And check out the others to this book such as Shadows Dawn and Shadow Star.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stick with it..you won't be sorry.
Review: Does it have some drawn out descriptions? Yes.

Can it be confusing at times? Yes.

But stick with it.

You'll find yourself immersed in a wonderful new World filled with deep characters, who you will learn to connect with.

And for those that finish this novel, and don't think they could stand reading another in the series, read Shadow Dawn! Book two is much more fast-paced than this book, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it even more. I did. Take a look at the reviews of Shadow Dawn..last time I checked, it had a 5-of-5 star rating average...those who stuck with the series really enjoyed the outcome. And from speaking with some who have recieved a reviewers proof of Shadow Star, they say that it's the best one yet.

So stick with it. You won't be sorry!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Classic
Review: One of the best Fantasy novels ever written. I once agreed with those who faulted the prose style of the book - but reading it a second time I realized that it all assimilates well. Just like Lucas's films, it takes more than one go-round to understand the style & content. This is better than Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind and the whole lot of the Tolkien rip-offs. Original and unique! The 2nd book - Shadow Dawn - is even better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very good.
Review: As I have said, this book is very good. I've read it twice, and find it to be a fascinating story. I've spoken to several other people and I really can't agree with them. Several people that I have spoken to (friends, family) have said that the descriptions were too long, but the descriptions are part of the appeal. In many books the author gives you a vague idea about what the characters or atmospheres are like, but in this one, you can understand them. I found the action to be delightful, and the characters too. I grew to like them, which of course, should be every authors aim, to make the readers get involved. I found it to be a stupendous writing, and personally can not wait until Shadow Star comes out.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A more grown up approach to Light/Dark, Good/Evil
Review: This book is an interesting counterpoint to both Lucas' more black and white Star Wars Universe and Claremont's world of the X-men. Good and Evil, Dark and Light, all are blended here - deeds, beings, events all blend and swirl in and out of Greys.

The writing is a good attempt from these two authors, who were definately mostly newbies when they wrote this story. And, also, considering one author wrote screenplays, and the other comics - two totally different genres than novels, really - this is *definately* a good attempt.

I stuck with this book, neglected housework and other work. I found it an intriguing look at Grey. The characterization could have been better, but still allowed for an interesting exploration of Right/Wrong, Goodness/Badness, and how each "being" reflects these.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the most original fantasy novels this century
Review: I have become tired of all the acidic, negative opinions voted by readers who cannot handle description, character, a plot above "see spot run" (eg the Conan crud), and haven't yet clocked that "Shadow Moon" doesn't count as one single volume. By rights, the entire "Shadow War" seriews should be one book. It is a work of originality in an age of Tolkien/Conan clones, an age of clowns who cannot stand vivid and independant imagination. For those less insular, I have not given away any of the very-much-existent plot. Read now! Enjoy!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Some good elements, but mostly a failure.
Review: The story itself, the plot, is wonderful. The characters are great. Aside from those, Shadow Moon is a horrid book. The authors ramble on endlessly about literally anything that requires description. The book often goes on for several pages with a single description. Often, more often than not, it leaves the story entirely for this purpose. The book could easily be one third shorter and not only lose nothing, but actually be stronger for the cutting. Most of the dialogue is to contrived as not to be worth reading. Many of the lines are ridiculously melodramatic. Each peril the characters endure is dragged out far longer than is necessary. This may have been done for suspense, but things go on for such an unreasonable length that any sense of suspense is lost and the scenes become simply annoying. While the book does end, it has no proper ending. Things simply stop after one more typically drawn out scene, resolving nothing. It's as if the authors just could not figure how to end so simply stopped writing, believing that the strength of their names alone would be sufficient to carry the book. It didn't work. You'd be better off saving your money and your time. Go read something good instead.


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