Conqueror's Moon

Boreal Moon #1

by Julian May, Dominic Harman (Cover Artist)

A powerful new fantasy adventure filled with dark magic and deadly intrigue, from the worldwide bestselling author of the Saga of the Pliocene Exile. Conrig Wincantor, Prince Heritor of Cathra, has a to unite the whole island of High Blenholme under Cathran sovereignty. He has so far been thwarted in this ambition by his cautious, aging father, King Olmigon, who, though weak with illness, still clings firmly to the reigns of the government. Now Conrig has hit upon a scheme that will convince the Lords that his plan can suceed. He has formed an alliance with Ullanoth, princess of the remote northern province of Moss and a fearsome sorceress. With her help his army will have the advantage it needs to subdue the only domain refusing to sign his Edict of Sovereignty. But before Olmigon will give his consent he insists on making a pilgrimage to the Oracle of Emperor Bazekoy, there to ask the one question permitted to a dying monarch, which the Emperor must answer truthfully. Meanwhile, Ullanoth tends her own schemes. Posessing the talent to call on the unearthly powers of the Beaconfolk, mysterious otherworldy beings who appear as lights in the sky, her power is undeniable. But the Lights are fickle, and their interference in human affairs unpredictable. If Ullanoth calls on them to help Conrig, they are likely to extract an unforeseeable price.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Ebooks, Sci Fi Fantasy, High Fantasy

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Julian May was an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also used several pseudonyms including Ian Thorne, Lee N. Falconer and many others.

Some 1960's and 1970's biographies and children's science books may belong to Julian May (the science fiction & fantasy writer) profile but no reliable source has been found

Per Encyclopedia.com, May wrote juvenile science non-fiction along with the science fiction novels for adults. (https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu...)

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your basic high fantasy. Avoids "character makes obvious, stupid mistake" syndrome. Got 99% of the way through this one a few months ago, then got distracted and never finished it. Kind of weird, because it really is quite intelligent. This time I made it all the way through, but there's still something not quite grabbing me, even as I like and admire the book. I think I'm just getting senile or something. Time to read the sequel.

[Sue Shipley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conrig is the Prince and is trying to help his ailing father form a Sovereignty among the four kingdoms of the Island. He foes an alliance with the Conjure princess Ullanoth of Moss to use her magical powers to win the conflict. Lots of magic and treachery.

I liked the book overall, a nice escape from Covid talk. A great many characters with difficult names to keep track of, but lots of action and intrigue.

The ending is a nice prelude for the the next book in the series

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been very entertaining, if not for the it´s many flaws. The story in it self was entertaining but all the problems I stumbled over ruined it for me.

The tale begins with a very rushed introduction and almost completely ignores the origin of one of the most important characters, Snudge, the indirect teller of this trilogy. Instead of giving him a proper little story from stableboy to one of the most important tools of the heir apparent May only spares one or two pages to to this, completely leaving out any kind of speculation on why the boy has such outstanding talents.

Another problem I had with this book is the lack of proper characterization. Characters like Ullanoth, Maude, Snudge and Conrig all behave stupid at one time or the other, which would be understandable if the characters were introduced as honorable or stubborn. Without these informations it just comes across as stupid or outright cruel when figures withhold news from each other or kill without apparent reasoning. Even when most of these actions become clear towards the end of the book it leads to a strong dislike for many characters for this reader, at least.

The most important flaw were, in my opinion, the many loose threads May leaves to make sure there is enough potential plot left for a second book. Most of these threads only pop up towards the end of the book and almost always seem to contrived to be true. This problem makes the book as a hole seem unbelievable and not thought through.

I had high hopes for the second book because these flaws could be easily avoided in a follow-up, but the I noticed that Julian May is 80 years old and writes fantasy for over 30 of them. An old dog can´ learn new tricks I guess.

[Kirstyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason I started this is because the cover was so nice. Lesson learnt: don't judge a book by its cover. The only reason I kept reading it was because I don't like leaving books half read. And the only reason I would read the next book is if it focused mainly on Maudrayne and I had nothing better to spend my time doing. It has potential but this was a boring book that dragged out, and despite everything that happened throughout the book, it seemed as if nothing at all happened. No emotional connection to characters. Nothing. Three stars is maybe a bit much.

[L. Meadow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of fantasy and this series was a breath of fresh air in a genre that has gotten (in some respects) rather predictable and stale.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not been reading enough Julian May. What was I thinking? I loved the Saga of the Pliocene Exile books when they were new--great characters, great setting, engrossing plot, amazing language--and thought her writing was amazing. I should have read Conqueror's Moon long ago, because the same characteristics are found in this novel. Of course.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I bought this new in 2005 and set it aside. That was about when life and busy-ness intervened, making big fat fantasies time out too often for me, and I just stopped opening them. Now, I'm looking at them again, and pulling this off the shelf, finally, I'm reminded again how much I love her writing. And even as I write this, I discover that she passed away in 2017. Damn. I was just thinking I would try to find her at a convention or something, because I'd love to meet her. Get an autograph. Too late. :( A remarkable writer, incredible talent. Someone to be missed, for certain, though she has left us her books.

My favorite character in this novel is Deveron (Snudge) but there are so many great characters--Ullanoth, Prince Conrig, Ansel, Beynor. Along with each character comes a constellation of well-defined motivations and conflicts, all of them interacting with one another. This creates a dynamic plot where where many plans are made and attempted, yet no one's plans go forward without a hitch. I find the complexity and maturity of the plot, emerging as it does from complex characters, very engaging.

A similar complexity is evident in the prose. It's clear and sharp, with just the right word in just the right place. Since the 80s, when I was reading The Many-Colored Land and its sequels, I've always been amazed at how often that "right word" is new to me, and yet utterly perfect. Thirty years later (30?!) there are fewer such new-to-me words but still more than I find with any other author. I like reading smart language, and that's what she offers.

The author's precision extends to the action, where scenes of men and women sailing ships, operating machinery, doing battle, climbing mountains, riding horses, doing magic, or engaging in any other action are rendered with unusual clarity. The mechanics of movement, of the interaction of humans and the physical world--or the supernatural world, for that matter--are impressively accurate in detail and well-imagined, and I believe that the author's glittering vision reaches the reader's mind remarkably intact.

That is my experience, anyway. The description of a group of boys tasked with sabotaging a bridge mechanism, for instance, is told with such confidence on the author's part, with such a comprehensive understanding of what must happen, that I marvel at it. It's like she saw it as it occurred and just wrote it down.

One more note regarding the author's mastery of subjects in the novel--the magic system is impressive. I rarely care about this topic, though I see it often discussed by other readers and writers. However, it was so well done here that it deserves special mention. The way magic works in this world, which includes the sources of it (unusual), the cost to the users (painfully high), and the difficulty and danger in managing it (frightening!), adds a wonderful extra dimension to both setting and plot. It is important to the plot, but also used to inform characters, making it integral to the story in a way that is especially effective.

This is a solid novel, with a satisfying arc leading into its sequels, and it was a pleasure to read. Julian May is gone, but I'm grateful she left her art for us, including books I have yet to look into. I look forward to them, even as I hope many new readers discover these treasures.

[Joy Ramlogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy novels hold a special place in my reading adventures and Julian May is a fascinating author with strong world building and a varied and amazing imagination. Conqueror's Moon is a medieval based fantasy in a world where the eldritch and their like hold great power and mere mortals access their immense power using their talents and dangerous sigils. The novel is a memoir of the former intelligencer and wild talent, Snudge who is loyal to his ambitious prince. Julian May is singular in the world of fantasy as her characters have depth and behave in most human ways. She also masterfully makes us understand the Mosslander kingdom and the damaged and power hungry siblings whose rivalry makes their starving nation easy fodder for others. And Cathra, the most prosperous of all, the blindness of the wealthy and the truth that an ailing king is so weak that his liegemen may not listen to him and he may have to use persuasion rather than force to get his bidding done was very real. I may seek the next in the series in the local secondhand bookshop.

[Gary Currier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conqueror's Moon: Book Review
Julian May has written an intriguing story. It is a well designed fantasy story with all the trappings from magic to swords. Julian has mastered the art of dialog, and this book shows off her excellent work. While her characters are interesting, none of them are all that likable. The story line is strong and interesting. Her idea of how magic is presented in the book is a unique view. I like the stories ride but found myself rolling my eyes as main character after main character really made stupid mistakes. It broke the pace of the story for me rather than capture the conflict. The end of the story comes swiftly but it is packed with openings for book 2 and 3, so be prepared. You're going to have to read all three for the entire story to come together.

[Scott Goldie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julian May is a fantastic writer and whilst this is not quite up to the standard of the Pliocene Saga, it is better than the majority of similar fantasy series out there. The characters are interesting (there are quite a lot of them) and, despite their flaws, or maybe because of them, they grab at our sympathy. The book can be slow moving and it takes a long time to get to the action that is hinted at quite early on. Still, this is my second time of reading and I still enjoyed it.

[Marie-José · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intro of the book was not very clear and rather hurried but the story itself was rather captivating. The Dutch translation didn’t really add to it but I am looking forward to read its sequel and find out what is going to happen with the main characters.

[Barbara Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantasy mostly based on warring factions so wasn't sure it was for me, however as I continued to read, it developed characters and their lives and I ended up really enjoying it and looked forward to the next book.

[Kathy Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting fantasy by Julian May that is book one of a trilogy. Magic, intrigue, kingdoms at war, spies this has it all. Can't wait to get my hands on book #2 to see what happens next. Great world building, and characters that draw you in immediately.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent casual read. Magic has a price and so does abuses of power.

[Paul Savereide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Draws you in and makes you comfortable in a place and time long ago yet not so long ago. Enjoy.

[Jackie O'sullivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dire. I gave up on this one after only a couple of chapters. Not the May I used to read I think

[Sam Vanspriell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great but was entertaining

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

i don't like the way he introduces characters but then doesn't bother to tell you much about them. the main character has a special ability but we are not told what it is.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in January 2004.

May begins her third series (discounting the collaborative Trillium novels) with this story, part one of The Boreal Moon Tale. Like the Trillium series, it is a fairly standard fantasy and even shares one of the main features of these, novels, a system of magic in which stones and crystals play an important role as repositories of power. (This is something which can be seen in a lot of post-Tolkien fantasy, of course.)

The setting is the island of High Blenholme, once part of a large empire but now divided into petty kingdoms. Three are particularly important to May's story: Cathra, which seeks to re-unite the island as a response to a lengthy famine; Didion, the main opponent to this unification; and Moss, home of the strongest magicians where the royal family is divided between supporters of the other two mentioned nations. A lot of the story is structured around the personalities of the members of the royal families of Cathra and Moss, which makes the politics more believable than those in the quest and lost heir stories which are the staples of the genre.

Something else which is unusual is that the novel is written in such a way that the reader is on the side of the aggressor; almost always in fantasy, military matters are arranged so that the reader sympathises with those who are attacked. This is more generally the case at least in post 1945 literature; given that Tolkien wrote at least partly in response to the Second World War in the most influential fantasy novel, it is hardly surprising that I can't actually think of another example in the genre.

There are things which don't quite work. For example, the character of the ambitious teenage prince of Moss, Beynor, is not sufficiently three dimensional. He is so much a stereotypical teenager, whiny and irritating, that it is hard to see why the rulers of Didion take him at all seriously. (This is one of the factors used to cement the reader's sympathy with the Cathran side.) Surely he would not be the kind of person anyone would rest their strategy for defending their kingdom on.

The beginning is dull and formulaic; I suspect that there will be quite a few potential readers who have given up after the first few pages. In the introduction, we are introduced to the idea that The Boreal Moon Tale is the memoirs of a Cathran wizard; this, though is the only part of the novel written in the first person. It is extremely like the arch little historical introductions of which David Eddings is fond, right down to the turns of phrase, and if there is one writer I never expected the author of the Pleistocene Exile saga to remind me of, David Eddings would probably have been it. This describes the problem I had with Conqueror's Moon - it is good, and it has something out of the ordinary about it, but it is not as inventive and unusual as May has been at her best.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3, 2, 2 stars

I'm a big fan of the Saga of Pliocene Exile, and I also enjoyed the Galactic Milieu. So, since I was unable to get the books one by one as they appeared, I bought the entire Boreal Moon trilogy in one go, excited for a real treat.

This wasn't it. From the start, the first book failed to capture my interest, but eventually, I forced my way into the story, and after a few chapters, it got better. Sadly, not much.

The series relies on complex politics, and simplistic individual motivations. The evil foe (the Salka) are a caricature - literally stupid, evil, slimy, green, tentacled baddies - sidestepping the fact that they somehow created the special magic sigils the entire trilogy depends on. Worse, the entire story ignores the fact that the slimy creatures are the aboriginal inhabitants of the island, and that humans displaced them through conquest. The fact that they want their land back just proves their evil nature. Good creatures who want their land back are fine, though.

The omniscient narrator tends to forget that the characters are not (meant to be) omniscient, and central figures keep picking up key bits of information almost at random. The magic system is barely examined, and is highly inconsistent - for example, "windscrying" (clairvoyance) is widely used, but virtually no one takes even simple precautions against it. This means that all sides can easily pick up opponents' plans - except when scrying mysteriously doesn't work (or isn't considered) - all too apparently for the convenience of the author. Finally, the resolution of the trilogy is very much ex machina.

May relies here heavily on an omniscient, yet coy and perpetually vague oracle/fate. She used this same technique to slightly better effect (though near-equal reader frustration) in the Galactic Milieu books. Having now read all her major works (including parts of the Trillium and Rampart Worlds series), I can say that she was at her best in Pliocene Exile, when her voice was fresh and the setting unique. Much less successful, though still interesting in the Galactic Milieu, which built on part of the same background. The Boreal Moon trilogy, however, uses the same techniques in a fairly standard-issue fantasy setting, and it just doesn't work.

The trilogy is slightly dull and convoluted in the first volume, but still worthwhile for May fans. The second volume (Ironcrown Moon (The Boreal Moon Tale)) is substantially less interesting, but does carry the story forward. The final volume (Sorcerer's Moon (The Boreal Moon Tale)) is a very hard slog indeed, and worth reading only for those who just can't stand to quit a story part way through.

If you enjoy Julian May and epic fantasy, skip this series.

[Viridian5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick and pretty good read, but I did have some problems with it. The backcover summary says that the goal of Prince Conrig's alliance with Princess Ullanoth of Moss is to unite the warring kingdoms of High Blenholme "under the iron hand of one supreme rule." That phrase suggests something, but I don't know if the actual series is going that way. Both Conrig and Ullanoth are presented rather sympathetically, but the text itself doesn't give you an idea of what kind of rulers they'd be if they did achieve their ambitions. Ullanoth talks of using Conrig to rule High Blenholme but later falls in love with him. Ullanoth's brother is so bad that she would have to be better than he is, and that's considering that some of the powers she deals with eat people. I sometimes feel bad for her in light of how Conrig really Isn't That Into Her. Conrig is smart and occasionally ruthless but so far his darkest moments are only in front of his spy, Snudge. Snudge is somewhat sympathetic, and I root for him at times. Conrig's wife is pissed off when she finds out that he's having an affair with Ullanoth, yet the book seems to be suggested that I shouldn't support her in her plans of vengeance... kind of. The people Conrig invaded did some really horrible things to the diplomatic party sent to them earlier in the past, but "onscreen" they don't seem to be better or worse than Conrig's people.

It leaves me unsure about how I should react to certain plot events. Things happen and things happen, and I take it in but only in an "...okay" fashion. I have very little connection to these people and what they're doing. I'm open to reading the next book in the series because the plot and magic system are interesting, but I won't feel bad about it if I don't.

[The Karina Chronicles · Rating 4 out of 5]

05/05/2019

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

English

I do have little hate/love relationship with this book. A few times I started it, but put it away after sometime while I never do that, without really figuring out the reason. The last try for this book I found I quitted all these time because I hated the main character Conrig and i decided it was actually pretty impressive writing that it gave me such strong emotions. After I realized that this was the problem I could let it slide and it read as a very nice fantasy novel!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dutch

Ik heb een beetje een haat/liefde relatie met dit boek. Een paar keer ben ik begonnen met dit boek en heb ik het weg gelegd, terwijl ik de vinger niet echt op de zere plek kon leggen. De laatste poging bedacht ik mij dat het kwam door het hoofdpersonage Conrig dat ik echt verschrikkelijk vond. Eigenlijk is het dus heel erg knap geschreven dat dit mij zo wist te raken. Toen ik mij dat besefte las het ineens weg als een goed fantasy boek en heb ik er erg van genoten.

[Lyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although not the best book I've ever read, it went beyond my expectations in writing, plot, and characters. I put Conqueror's Moon in the same category as Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn because it closely follows the same themes (which I greatly enjoy); overthrowing an empire, and conversely, starting a new one; many different angles on the same plot from a multitude of characters; and an element of magic. The sorcery in this book isn't quite up to par with what I'd expect from an epic fantasy novel, but it's still a major factor in the story. May is an intelligent writer, which also helps quite a bit to win my approval.
Over all, I highly enjoyed it. I anticipate enjoying the series.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm probably underscoring this book. Maybe. It's hard to tell. The plot was reasonable, but the delivery was poor. The characters were flat, the writing was overblown, and no point of tension in the story was left unresolved for more than two pages. I felt like almost every line of dialogue could have been spoken by any one of the characters. Every now and then I wasn't cringing at the use of gratuitous "y"s (chymicals? I suppose there were Alchymists...) the floofy language made me think that a complex idea might be hiding behind it, but no. The tale had the potential for political intrigue, interesting magical stuff (that was a nifty piece of the tale), and all sorts of personality drama, but it just kinda fizzled.

[Madbutmagic]

Mad But Magic YA Blog

Royal lovers, a sorceress, and a secret. I am really hoping at some point there will be a dragon, but the cover makes no promises. There's a speck there, but I suspect it's a bird...

Why did I pick it up? Have you ever had this happen? This book emerged fully formed from my bookshelf. I have no idea where it came from, when it came, or when it may leave, so I simply must read it before it disappears again. This is what happens when you have too many books, but I sort of embrace the enchanted-object stylings of my fantasy bookshelf.

In sum: Enchanted objects reminds me of Beauty & the Beast which reminds me of...sigh.

[Knecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am quite fond of this book (and series). Julian May creates a very rich world, with an interesting take on how magic is used in the world. The settings were vivid, and what really kept the pages turning for me was trying to figure out how the sigils (the magical foci in the book) worked, and how the characters would outsmart the rather ominous implications of using the sigil magic. The plot has a nice balance of political intrigue, exploration, and fate-of-the-world type struggle without relying too heavily on drawn out battles or fight sequences. The characters are decently rounded, but aren't really the book's strongest point. Overall, though, it was a highly memorable series!

[Sam Sigelakis-Minski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got more of a 3.5 stars from me, but I rounded up because I genuinely got engrossed in it. While the story-line had some pretty large plot holes and the opening scene with adult Snudge was very brief, the characters are intriguing and flawed, which is always a treat. The women characters for me really carried the story, which is odd in this genre.I look forward to reading the sequels, but I am not jumping to buy them right away.

[Linette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry I took so long! Haha It was just another book while I was waiting for the books that I orderd to arrive. It's kind of good. But I really don't get the love part about the book. Julian May did craft a beautifully-structured world. It was a good distraction. And I'll think about reading the rest of the trilogy.

[Ataahua · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not up to her exceptional standards in the Saga of the Exiles or the Galactic Milieu books, Conqueror's Moon is the start of a good fantasy trilogy that benefits from an original premise regarding magic and strongly-drawn characters. Definitely worth a read - although the last book in the trilogy is weak, unfortunately.

[Jennifer Leistikow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LOVE Julian May! But this book moved very slowly for me. I am going to read the next book in the series, hoping that it moves a little faster.
May's Jack the Bodiless remains one of my favorite books of all time!

[Eh?Eh!]

a disappointment. the author's intricate sci-fi gave me high hopes for her fantasy (bujold jumps between the genres with astonishing skill) but this series clunks.