Rating: 
Summary: Yawn.
Review: Boring, contrived, simple and uninteresting. I could not wait for this book to end and won't be purchasing the sequal. To my chagrin, yet another orphan boy with great powers tale. Yawn. The entire book had exactly zero characters that I enjoyed. In fact, I was hoping that they would all die at the end and May would reboot the entire series. Maybe that would have caused me to think about picking up book 2. Folks below wrote that this book was well written, and that May is a "world builder". I didn't see any of it. World building is Erikson and Martin. Read those.
Rating:
Summary: Yawn.
Review: Boring, contrived, simple and uninteresting. I could not wait for this book to end and won't be purchasing the sequal. To my chagrin, yet another orphan boy with great powers tale. Yawn. The entire book had exactly zero characters that I enjoyed. In fact, I was hoping that they would all die at the end and May would reboot the entire series. Maybe that would have caused me to think about picking up book 2. Folks below wrote that this book was well written, and that May is a "world builder". I didn't see any of it. World building is Erikson and Martin. Read those.
Rating: 
Summary: Returning to the epic fantasy worlds May is famous for
Review: Conqueror's Moon is the first in a projected trilogy, returning to the epic fantasy worlds May is famous for in painting the story of an island divided into warring kingdoms. Add geologic unrest and the influence of outside sorcerers and seed this setting with the story of a prince's secret alliance with a beautiful sorceress and you have a powerful fantasy which is gripping and hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Memoirs of an Intelligencer
Review: Conqueror's Moon is the first novel in the Boreal Moon Tale series. In the far north, within the Boreal Sea, the island of High Blenholme contains four nations: Blencartha, Blendidion, Blentarn and Blenmoss. The richest in land and trade is Cartha, but Didion has thick forests and abundant shipyards. Tarn is poor in farmland, but rich in minerals. Only Moss has no riches, but the Conjure-Kings control powerful magic. Before Emperor Bazekoy the Great conquered High Blenholme a thousand years afore and planted his colony there, the island belonged to the mighty Beaconfolk, the Great Lights, as well as other magical people. The armies of Bazekoy drove out the Small Lights, the Salka, and the Green People, but didn't bother the Great Lights. Neither did the Beaconfolk seem to be disturbed by the invasion. Now times are hard on Blenholme, with the volcanoes of Tarn belching ash and gases into the air, poisoning the air and bringing twilight to most of the island. Crops fail in Didion and Tarn and fare poorly even in Cartha. Moss, however, is little effected due to its distance from the volcanoes and its dependence upon swamp vegetation for foodstuffs. Conrig Wincantor, the Prince Heritor of Cartha, conceived of reuniting the island into a single Sovereignty as it had been under Emperor Bazekoy. He convinced his father King Olmigon to first proclaim the Edict of Sovereignty to Didion, but the king refused to send a powerful force with the announcement. King Achardus of Didion didn't receive the proclamation calmly, however, instead putting all the envoys to death, throwing their bodies into the sea, and mounting their heads on pikes above Mallmouth Bridge. In this novel, Conrig calls a council of Northern lords at Vanguard Castle to propose an invasion of Didion to capture King Achardus and to force him to comply with the Edict. Conrig has brought his brother Vra-Stergos, a newly ordained Doctor Arcanorum in the Mystic Order of the Brothers of Zeth, capable of watching on the wind. He has also brought a lowly footman, Deveron Austtrey, called Snudge, a wild-talent who is his intelligencer. Both his brother and Snudge detect that someone is watching them. Conrig sends his brother to their chambers and slips out through a secret passage to the musicians gallery overlooking the banquet chamber where the lords are gathering. Conjure-Princess Ullanoth, his partner in recreating the Sovereignty, appears to him there in a Sending and announces that her brother Beynor has sailed south to the continent with Princes Honigalus and Somarus of Didion, probably to conspire with the corsairs of Stippen. Then she leaves and he prepares to meet the lords. While Conrig proposes his plan to the lords, Snudge searches for the watchers. As he expects, one is Ullanoth, but the other is an unknown, located somewhere within the castle near the stables. When Snudge tracks down the unknown watcher, he finds only a faint shadow thrown on the wall by something unseen. Snudge confronts the invisible watcher and is attacked, both physically and magically, but manages to stop the heart of the sorcerer with his dagger. Snudge discovers a sigil of concealment on the man and places it in his wallet. As the sorcerer lay dying, he called upon Beynor, Conjure-Prince of Moss. When Conrig discusses this disturbing news with Ullanoth, they prepare an elaborate disinformation plan to fool Beynor into thinking that they are attacking through the Great Pass and covering their real movements by fog created by Ullanoth's magical alllies. Then Conrig returns to Cala Palace. This story depicts the unfolding of Conrig's plan to enforce the Edict of Sovereignty on Didion. As usual, things go wrong, and several of the tasks alloted to Ullanoth cannot be implemented by the princess. However, Snudge proves capable of performing these unexpected tasks with versatility and competence. However, he soon learns to be leery of the dead sorcerer's sigil. This story is very similar in several ways to Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. However, Snudge does not have a mentor to help him learn his talents. Instead, he swipes books from the library of the Royal Alchymist. Moreover, Snudge is the son of a common leatherworker rather than the illegitimate offspring of royalty. Recommended for May fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of clever youngsters making their mark on the world.
Rating:
Summary: Memoirs of an Intelligencer
Review: Conqueror's Moon is the first novel in the Boreal Moon Tale series. In the far north, within the Boreal Sea, the island of High Blenholme contains four nations: Blencartha, Blendidion, Blentarn and Blenmoss. The richest in land and trade is Cartha, but Didion has thick forests and abundant shipyards. Tarn is poor in farmland, but rich in minerals. Only Moss has no riches, but the Conjure-Kings control powerful magic. Before Emperor Bazekoy the Great conquered High Blenholme a thousand years afore and planted his colony there, the island belonged to the mighty Beaconfolk, the Great Lights, as well as other magical people. The armies of Bazekoy drove out the Small Lights, the Salka, and the Green People, but didn't bother the Great Lights. Neither did the Beaconfolk seem to be disturbed by the invasion. Now times are hard on Blenholme, with the volcanoes of Tarn belching ash and gases into the air, poisoning the air and bringing twilight to most of the island. Crops fail in Didion and Tarn and fare poorly even in Cartha. Moss, however, is little effected due to its distance from the volcanoes and its dependence upon swamp vegetation for foodstuffs. Conrig Wincantor, the Prince Heritor of Cartha, conceived of reuniting the island into a single Sovereignty as it had been under Emperor Bazekoy. He convinced his father King Olmigon to first proclaim the Edict of Sovereignty to Didion, but the king refused to send a powerful force with the announcement. King Achardus of Didion didn't receive the proclamation calmly, however, instead putting all the envoys to death, throwing their bodies into the sea, and mounting their heads on pikes above Mallmouth Bridge. In this novel, Conrig calls a council of Northern lords at Vanguard Castle to propose an invasion of Didion to capture King Achardus and to force him to comply with the Edict. Conrig has brought his brother Vra-Stergos, a newly ordained Doctor Arcanorum in the Mystic Order of the Brothers of Zeth, capable of watching on the wind. He has also brought a lowly footman, Deveron Austtrey, called Snudge, a wild-talent who is his intelligencer. Both his brother and Snudge detect that someone is watching them. Conrig sends his brother to their chambers and slips out through a secret passage to the musicians gallery overlooking the banquet chamber where the lords are gathering. Conjure-Princess Ullanoth, his partner in recreating the Sovereignty, appears to him there in a Sending and announces that her brother Beynor has sailed south to the continent with Princes Honigalus and Somarus of Didion, probably to conspire with the corsairs of Stippen. Then she leaves and he prepares to meet the lords. While Conrig proposes his plan to the lords, Snudge searches for the watchers. As he expects, one is Ullanoth, but the other is an unknown, located somewhere within the castle near the stables. When Snudge tracks down the unknown watcher, he finds only a faint shadow thrown on the wall by something unseen. Snudge confronts the invisible watcher and is attacked, both physically and magically, but manages to stop the heart of the sorcerer with his dagger. Snudge discovers a sigil of concealment on the man and places it in his wallet. As the sorcerer lay dying, he called upon Beynor, Conjure-Prince of Moss. When Conrig discusses this disturbing news with Ullanoth, they prepare an elaborate disinformation plan to fool Beynor into thinking that they are attacking through the Great Pass and covering their real movements by fog created by Ullanoth's magical alllies. Then Conrig returns to Cala Palace. This story depicts the unfolding of Conrig's plan to enforce the Edict of Sovereignty on Didion. As usual, things go wrong, and several of the tasks alloted to Ullanoth cannot be implemented by the princess. However, Snudge proves capable of performing these unexpected tasks with versatility and competence. However, he soon learns to be leery of the dead sorcerer's sigil. This story is very similar in several ways to Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. However, Snudge does not have a mentor to help him learn his talents. Instead, he swipes books from the library of the Royal Alchymist. Moreover, Snudge is the son of a common leatherworker rather than the illegitimate offspring of royalty. Recommended for May fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of clever youngsters making their mark on the world.
Rating:
Summary: A breath of fresh air in epic fantasy...
Review: In a genre marked by bloated, badly-written, and over-hyped series, Julian May's newest novel is a much-needed breath of fresh air; "Conqueror's Moon" is the real deal. Unlike some of her present-day contemporaries, she can actually write. And (note to said contemporaries): she also researches, infusing her world-building with truly original ideas. Her magic system alone is worth the price of admission. Also, she demonstrates that one can write solidly entertaining fantasy without being a clone of Tolkien or McCaffrey. The prose reminded me of a cross between Zelazny and Katherine Kerr (Deverry novels), who I consider two of the finest stylists in fantasy & SF literature. Forget Goodkind & Jordan; get this book now--then join the impatient wait for the next book in the series!
Rating:
Summary: A breath of fresh air in epic fantasy...
Review: In a genre marked by bloated, badly-written, and over-hyped series, Julian May's newest novel is a much-needed breath of fresh air; "Conqueror's Moon" is the real deal. Unlike some of her present-day contemporaries, she can actually write. And (note to said contemporaries): she also researches, infusing her world-building with truly original ideas. Her magic system alone is worth the price of admission. Also, she demonstrates that one can write solidly entertaining fantasy without being a clone of Tolkien or McCaffrey. The prose reminded me of a cross between Zelazny and Katherine Kerr (Deverry novels), who I consider two of the finest stylists in fantasy & SF literature. Forget Goodkind & Jordan; get this book now--then join the impatient wait for the next book in the series!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best world builders in fantasy today
Review: It should have been a peaceful place, the isolated island in the Boreal Sea but the four kingdoms that inhabit it have periodically gone to war. In the kingdom of Cathra, the heir to the throne Prince Conrig wants to be the high king when his father dies and all the other lands would become his vassal states. He lost his chance to enforce the Edict of Sovereignty when his father refuses to commit an army to invade Didion and instead orders a naval embargo which the seafaring nation easily avoids. Now Conrig has made an alliance with the powerful Sorceress of Moss, who will help him in return for becoming the queen of her kingdom as his first vassal state. Her brother Prince Beynor is the heir and has made an alliance with Didion, giving to them what his sister has given to Conrig, the full use of the powerful magic they would need. Julian May, author of THE MANY COLORED LAND, is one of the best world builders in fantasy today. His latest sword and sorcery saga is of epic propositions and is told from the point of view of Snudge, Conrig?s snoop, assassin and the one called upon when something nasty needs doing. CONQUEROR?S MOON is the first installment in The Boreal Moon tales and readers will be hooked, anxiously wanting to read the next volume to find out how some of the dangling threads are sewn up. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: One of the best world builders in fantasy today
Review: It should have been a peaceful place, the isolated island in the Boreal Sea but the four kingdoms that inhabit it have periodically gone to war. In the kingdom of Cathra, the heir to the throne Prince Conrig wants to be the high king when his father dies and all the other lands would become his vassal states. He lost his chance to enforce the Edict of Sovereignty when his father refuses to commit an army to invade Didion and instead orders a naval embargo which the seafaring nation easily avoids. Now Conrig has made an alliance with the powerful Sorceress of Moss, who will help him in return for becoming the queen of her kingdom as his first vassal state. Her brother Prince Beynor is the heir and has made an alliance with Didion, giving to them what his sister has given to Conrig, the full use of the powerful magic they would need. Julian May, author of THE MANY COLORED LAND, is one of the best world builders in fantasy today. His latest sword and sorcery saga is of epic propositions and is told from the point of view of Snudge, Conrig's snoop, assassin and the one called upon when something nasty needs doing. CONQUEROR'S MOON is the first installment in The Boreal Moon tales and readers will be hooked, anxiously wanting to read the next volume to find out how some of the dangling threads are sewn up. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: May should go back to the Pliocene!
Review: This novel had a fascinating world and an intriguing system of magic and sorcery.
But the story itself was weak, and the characters uninteresting.
I've read and loved everything else May has written, but this series just stinks to high heaven.
| 
