Moonsword

Rating:
Summary: Moonsword Madness!
Review: From start to finish, this book was one wild ride! I loved everything about it. It is filled with action, adventure, and romance! The hero/heroine is a refreshing twist to the same old fantasy formula. Moonsword breaks the mold, creating a world in which I was completely pulled into. Beautiful scenic descriptions compliment the wonderful character developement. I can't wait for the sequal!

Rating:
Summary: Moonsword by Diana Hignutt
Review: I am an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy novels and recieved this book as a gift.This book gives a new slant to the tried and true story line of GOOD vs. EVIL which I enjoyed completely.The main character's internal struggle with his destiny held your interest throughout the whole story.I also liked the treatment of the supporting characters as more than just background but made integral to the bringing of this fine story to a satisfing conclusion.This should definitly be on your to read list!

Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I don't normally read books of this genre, but I stayed up all night in order to finish Ms.Hignutt's book, not only to find out if good triumphs over evil, but to see how the author handled the physical changes in the Challenger. The names in the book are wonderfully creative: Lord Tolian, Findelbres, Rwiordes, Brythia. I bought copies to give as Christmas gifts to my fantasy-loving friends.

Rating:
Summary: Great job, Ms. Hignutt
Review: I had the unfortunate luck to get the flu along with half the civilized world last Wednesday and my only derived pleasure was reading Diana Hignutt's wonderful book, 'Moonsword'. Reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkein's 'Lord of the Rings', Ms. Hignutt's setting includes faeries, demons, griffins and magic.
I found myself immediately caught up in the world and life of Tolian, the Prince of Lorm. His bravery and strength are all the markings of a fair and just King when it comes time to take the throne. The plans for his life are turned upside down when he is kidnapped and told that the future of the world is dependent upon his making a tremendous personal sacrifice; becoming a woman. His personal journey toward that sacrifice are beautifully woven by Ms. Hignutt's talented writing skills. I felt the torment of his decision and the angst of his burning humiliation as he looked upon his new and foreign body.
The story and plot are wonderful and is told in a fast paced style that keeps you turning the page to see how the story unfolds. As I read, I felt an undercurrent of something else at play here as well, and this, in my opinion, is what makes this story so intriguing. I felt a part of my own inner dialog at play as I read about Tolian's fate. I had to ask myself what my reactions would be if I had to change my gender for the good of the world. Could I learn to love? What gender would I feel comfortable loving? Could I ever learn to accept myself?
I was expecting an entertaining read and I wasn't disappointed in the least. What I wasn't prepared for is the lingering effects of a thought-provoking topic long after I finished the last page. Most well done, Diana.

Rating:
Summary: Moonsword
Review: I had the unfortunate luck to get the flu along with half the civilized world last Wednesday and my only derived pleasure was reading Diana Hignutt's wonderful book, `Moonsword'. Reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkein's `Lord of the Rings', Ms. Hignutt's setting includes faeries, demons, griffins and magic.
I found myself immediately caught up in the world and life of Tolian, the Prince of Lorm. His bravery and strength are all the markings of a fair and just King when it comes time to take the throne. The plans for his life are turned upside down when he is kidnapped and told that the future of the world is dependent upon his making a tremendous personal sacrifice; becoming a woman. His personal journey toward that sacrifice are beautifully woven by Ms. Hignutt's talented writing skills. I felt the torment of his decision and the angst of his burning humiliation as he looked upon his new and foreign body.
The story and plot are wonderful and is told in a fast paced style that keeps you turning the page to see how the story unfolds. As I read, I felt an undercurrent of something else at play here as well, and this, in my opinion, is what makes this story so intriguing. I felt a part of my own inner dialog at play as I read about Tolian's fate. I had to ask myself what my reactions would be if I had to change my gender for the good of the world. Could I learn to love? What gender would I feel comfortable loving? Could I ever learn to accept myself?
I was expecting an entertaining read and I wasn't disappointed in the least. What I wasn't prepared for is the lingering effects of a thought-provoking topic long after I finished the last page. Most well done, Diana.

Rating:
Summary: I have to be honest here...
Review: I haven't read this book. I find it fascinating though because the author, Diana Hignutt used to be a man. She was on a local radio show today, and used to be named Tim. She is still married to her wife. Interesting that the book concerns a hero that has to change gender to succeed.

I plan on reading it soon.

Rating:
Summary: Masterfully Written By a Master Craftsman
Review: I must admit, before pulling back that intriguing cover of Moonsword I had never read a fantasy novel and I can't say I was looking forward to sampling my first. After all, I had gone more than fifty years without being exposed to one; I could, I felt, close out my years, thank you, being virginal in that genre.

Then came along Diana Hignut. Gingerly, I opened her book, peered inside, and within two electric chapters she had her hook securely set in the soft flesh of this old fish's mind and was reeling me in.

Diana Hignut is a consummate craftsman. She has an engaging style, employing all the strategies of the novelist's craft: a fine balance in chapter, paragraph and sentence length, so as never to lull the reader to sleep with sameness. In the latter instance, when her novel is in the active mode, the sentences are short and punchy; when she wants to draw the reader into a warm, romantic, or beautiful scene, the sentences roll like foothills, on and on. One paragraph tugs you into the next, and most chapters end with a question or a doubt or a fear for Tolian's or her lover, Brythia's, lives - or that God-awful fear of fears... for the end of the planet's life itself. I guarantee you'll flip that page and launch breathlessly into the next chapter. Hopefully, it won't be just as you're called to dinner, or that the light at the intersection at which you are stopped has just turned green.

To read Moonsword is to dip deeply and frequently into the soul and spirit of its author. With the integrity of the poet and courage of the warrior, she holds up her own life, through these pages, for display and exploration. She doesn't invite a close scrutiny. She demands it! It is virtually impossible to engage in this masterful allegory that Diana Hignut has penned without squirming through her protagonist's (and her own) initial humiliation, their painful confrontation with reality -- no less than Armageddon on the microcosmic and macrocosmic level -- their spiritual separation, the great schism, the personal/universal Yang slipping (not easily or seamlessly) into its opposable counterpart: Yin. Finally, came the reconciliation with character and author on the physical, emotional and spiritual level.

Moonsword, as with any great work, yields itself to many different cognitive levels. The interplay of opposites abound. We find Good and Evil, Darkness and Light, Sun and Moon, and, lest we forget, Man and Woman.

You may enter Moonsword a trifle skeptical as I did. But, I promise you this: after you turn the last page and close the book, you'll walk away from the experience, thoroughly entertained, and perhaps, just perhaps, socially... and, yes, maybe even a little more spiritually enlightened.
.

Rating:
Summary: Masterfully Written By a Master Craftsman
Review: I must admit, before pulling back that intriguing cover of Moonsword I had never read a fantasy novel and I can't say I was looking forward to sampling my first. After all, I had gone more than fifty years without being exposed to one; I could, I felt, close out my years, thank you, being virginal in that genre.

Then came along Diana Hignut. Gingerly, I opened her book, peered inside, and within two electric chapters she had her hook securely set in the soft flesh of this old fish's mind and was reeling me in.

Diana Hignut is a consummate craftsman. She has an engaging style, employing all the strategies of the novelist's craft: a fine balance in chapter, paragraph and sentence length, so as never to lull the reader to sleep with sameness. In the latter instance, when her novel is in the active mode, the sentences are short and punchy; when she wants to draw the reader into a warm, romantic, or beautiful scene, the sentences roll like foothills, on and on. One paragraph tugs you into the next, and most chapters end with a question or a doubt or a fear for Tolian's or her lover, Brythia's, lives - or that God-awful fear of fears... for the end of the planet's life itself. I guarantee you'll flip that page and launch breathlessly into the next chapter. Hopefully, it won't be just as you're called to dinner, or that the light at the intersection at which you are stopped has just turned green.

To read Moonsword is to dip deeply and frequently into the soul and spirit of its author. With the integrity of the poet and courage of the warrior, she holds up her own life, through these pages, for display and exploration. She doesn't invite a close scrutiny. She demands it! It is virtually impossible to engage in this masterful allegory that Diana Hignut has penned without squirming through her protagonist's (and her own) initial humiliation, their painful confrontation with reality -- no less than Armageddon on the microcosmic and macrocosmic level -- their spiritual separation, the great schism, the personal/universal Yang slipping (not easily or seamlessly) into its opposable counterpart: Yin. Finally, came the reconciliation with character and author on the physical, emotional and spiritual level.

Moonsword, as with any great work, yields itself to many different cognitive levels. The interplay of opposites abound. We find Good and Evil, Darkness and Light, Sun and Moon, and, lest we forget, Man and Woman.

You may enter Moonsword a trifle skeptical as I did. But, I promise you this: after you turn the last page and close the book, you'll walk away from the experience, thoroughly entertained, and perhaps, just perhaps, socially... and, yes, maybe even a little more spiritually enlightened.
.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, I tried...but this book just didn't happen for me.
Review: I really thought this would be a good book. I tried to like it, I really did, but I just had to put it down in utter disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A unique fantasy with a wonderful dreamlike quality!
Review: I throughly enjoyed this book because the characters have a well-defined three dimensional qualities. The authoress keeps you wanting to read more by incorporating many twists and turns in the plot. The overall subject matter definitely adds much intrigue into the world of fantasy. I certainly hope that there is a sequal to this exquisite book.