What do you think?
Rate this book
Taurus Moon #1
Taurus Moon: Relic Hunter
Taurus Moon is a relic hunter, but the artifacts he searches for aren't found in the jungles of the Yucatan or the deserts of Egypt. His quests often take him through the grittier parts of urbanized cities where even the toughest of thugs fear to tread. Forgotten relics once thought of as only myths and legends can be found, if you know where to look, and have the guts to go searching into dark and deadly places. Taurus Moon is hired by a vampire crime lord to locate an ancient artifact that would make the criminal a God. Even though Taurus is no fan of vampires, especially one aspiring to become a Deity, he does love money and despite his misgivings, he begins the treacherous hunt for the artifact. Things become more complicated when a rival crime lord hires a ruthless relic hunter who has no qualms about killing the competition.
271 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2011
1 person is currently reading
140 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 20, 2017
This read is cool....And funny
October 22, 2011
A very witty and imaginative fantasy tale by D. K. Gaston - some of the antics of Taurus Moon and his associates will have you in stitches. Definitely worth reading! Let’s hope we see the continuing adventures of Taurus Moon in print soon.
May 1, 2013
"If Albert Einstein knew what I knew, he’d have given up science and spent the remainder of his life hiding in the deepest, darkest hole he could have found. Not everyone was cut out to know the truth about the world. In my case, that truth came at a high price." Meet Taurus Moon. Or perhaps, given the nature of his opening quote, do you want to meet Taurus Moon? D.K. Gaston's title character is a human treasure hunter, but not in the tradition of Indiana Jones. Taurus Moon is wholly mercenary: Out to make the most money he can by recovering mythical artifacts for what is mostly a disreputable clientele.
"Taurus Moon Relic Hunter" reads and feels more like a cross between "Lara Croft:Tomb Raider"; Edgar Rice Burroughs's hollow earth civilization 'Pellucidar'; and "Mission: Impossible." Eye-popping action and death-defying danger abound when Moon haggles $1 million cash from a vampire crime boss (appropriately-named Uno) to find a lost artifact that will make him into a god. After narrowly escaping early attempts from one of Uno's vengeful bodyguards to stop the mission, Moon decides to assemble a motley team of immortals and mortals with supernatural powers to aid and guard him. And thus begins the quest, through one magical, subterranean Detroit land after another.
Author Gaston plays things tongue-in-cheek, like a modern matinee movie: Letting the good times, and punches, roll. The comedic dialog is about the only depth of character development in anyone. So when Moon and company bounce back with the skill and endurance of the best superheroes--each seemingly unscathed emotionally or physically from one melee or bladed weapons battle after another--it's consistent with the story set-up. The middle of the novel, however, does bog down in too many such unbelievable stunts and battleramas. There are recurring encounters with Minotaurs and Griffins, for example, that detract from the original plot: That is, to recover a powerful relic. And trying to give Moon something resembling a conscience (via the embedded, erratic spirit of Ghandi) is creative, but seems out of place. Moon's interaction with his mentor, a blind cryptoarchaeology professor named Coltrane, is a better attempt to add a flicker of humanity to the tale.
With a pace that breaks the sound barrier and bones, "Taurus Moon Relic Hunter" is a very well-written, if violent, urban fantasy yarn. So if you're expecting a more methodical, plausible Indiana Jones-type treasure hunt, you're out of luck. If you're in the market for a very creative tale of urban action and adventure that features creatures from A (Ayira) to Y (Yeti), then definitely give "Taurus Moon Relic Hunter" a try.
"Taurus Moon Relic Hunter" reads and feels more like a cross between "Lara Croft:Tomb Raider"; Edgar Rice Burroughs's hollow earth civilization 'Pellucidar'; and "Mission: Impossible." Eye-popping action and death-defying danger abound when Moon haggles $1 million cash from a vampire crime boss (appropriately-named Uno) to find a lost artifact that will make him into a god. After narrowly escaping early attempts from one of Uno's vengeful bodyguards to stop the mission, Moon decides to assemble a motley team of immortals and mortals with supernatural powers to aid and guard him. And thus begins the quest, through one magical, subterranean Detroit land after another.
Author Gaston plays things tongue-in-cheek, like a modern matinee movie: Letting the good times, and punches, roll. The comedic dialog is about the only depth of character development in anyone. So when Moon and company bounce back with the skill and endurance of the best superheroes--each seemingly unscathed emotionally or physically from one melee or bladed weapons battle after another--it's consistent with the story set-up. The middle of the novel, however, does bog down in too many such unbelievable stunts and battleramas. There are recurring encounters with Minotaurs and Griffins, for example, that detract from the original plot: That is, to recover a powerful relic. And trying to give Moon something resembling a conscience (via the embedded, erratic spirit of Ghandi) is creative, but seems out of place. Moon's interaction with his mentor, a blind cryptoarchaeology professor named Coltrane, is a better attempt to add a flicker of humanity to the tale.
With a pace that breaks the sound barrier and bones, "Taurus Moon Relic Hunter" is a very well-written, if violent, urban fantasy yarn. So if you're expecting a more methodical, plausible Indiana Jones-type treasure hunt, you're out of luck. If you're in the market for a very creative tale of urban action and adventure that features creatures from A (Ayira) to Y (Yeti), then definitely give "Taurus Moon Relic Hunter" a try.
September 21, 2016
This was a fast read (somewhat marred by typos that literally leaped out of pages), involving an action-hero (relic hunter, for **** sake!) who is witty as well as conscientious in his own way, accompanied by a real kick-ass heroine, a comic-relief as well as resourceful AI, a silent but reliable ultra-strongman, and a budding wizard who is also romantic. Together, they take on a horde of vampires, a draconian relic-hunter, a super-strong werewolf, a ninja assassin, a golem, evil mummies, dragons, minotaurs, and sundry other interesting characters (mostly villainous). The story was notionally that of a quest through an alternate dimension, juxtaposed and connected by several events where our heroes face perilous situations again & again, but overcome them with brain, brawn, wit, and empathy.
Also, the story ended at a stage where we can most assuredly be looking forward towards a (or several) sequels.
Do you need any further motivational inputs? If not, then get hold of the book, because new pulp doesn't get any better.
Also, the story ended at a stage where we can most assuredly be looking forward towards a (or several) sequels.
Do you need any further motivational inputs? If not, then get hold of the book, because new pulp doesn't get any better.
October 11, 2011
This book was great!! I love me some Taurus Moon and cannot wait for his next adventure. Of course I'm in love with a certain JH as well! lol..updated of course. I loved the fantasy of the book, yet it was able to keep it real all at the same time. Gully is definitely growing on me and I think as time goes by he's going to show us some neater tricks! lol...The relic Taurus is searching for is definitely something this particular "employer" doesn't need to get his hands on..he's not a nice guy at all. Basically, this is a must read if you love adventure, have a great imagination, and want to be transported to a time and land where anything is possible!! Great job Mr. Gaston!! keep up the wonderful work!!
August 8, 2013
This is my favorite book so far this summer. Imagine Indiana Jones crossed with Ferris Bueller with a Shaft swagger - sounds crazy, but it works SOOOO well. Taurus Moon is a non-stop action adventure that is genuinely funny, quirky and wildly imaginative. Both the good guys and the villains are interesting, which I think is a very good thing. The author is working on the sequel and I can not wait. I got the audiobook for this one and it was a superb experience.
October 9, 2015
This novel was excellent. The fast-paced action and imaginative storyline kept me turning pages right until the end. There was a skillful blending of magic, mythology, mysticism and high adventure.(Indiana Jones ain't got nothin' on Taurus Moon!) It also had the perfect balance of humor and peril. Kudos to Mr. Gaston. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Moon's adventures.
August 14, 2013
Love the action and the adventure that mixed finding magical relics with vampires, lycans and other magical creatures. Loads of fun, a great sense of humor and enough twists to keep it from being another Indy Jones knockoff. Way different, and the characters are great.
October 22, 2013
A fun book. I liken it to Indiana Jones with creatures. D.K. Gaston does an excellent job mixing action and humor in this exciting book. I highly recommend it.
July 20, 2018
This should have been a 3 1/2 but I gave it the benefit of the doubt due to the steady improvement the book made by the end.
Taurus Moon is a relic hunter that lives in Detroit. His band of friends include a magician, a warrior and a mighty man from the past. Together they go on a hunt to get items that would make the leader of a local vampire gang a god
What drove me nuts was in the beginning it seemed like the author tried to bring up every supernatural being he could think of. I felt it was a bit overdone and stalled the story. After he got that out of his system the book became a fast paced, interesting adventure that was a lot of fun.
I will read the next book in this series.
Taurus Moon is a relic hunter that lives in Detroit. His band of friends include a magician, a warrior and a mighty man from the past. Together they go on a hunt to get items that would make the leader of a local vampire gang a god
What drove me nuts was in the beginning it seemed like the author tried to bring up every supernatural being he could think of. I felt it was a bit overdone and stalled the story. After he got that out of his system the book became a fast paced, interesting adventure that was a lot of fun.
I will read the next book in this series.
July 18, 2021
Was looking for urban fantasy and the cover caught my eye. Decided to read it on a whim and I don't regret it. At first it was a little bit hard to get into because the writing was repetitive and off in some areas.
But I've got to say that this book is incredibly enjoyable. Taurus Moon is my kinda charecter, yes he makes questionable choices and is a career thief, but not a coldblooded killer. I actually like all the characters and love that he added folk hero John Henry. The adventure is random, but it all makes sense and the action never stops. I'm very excited to read the next book.
But I've got to say that this book is incredibly enjoyable. Taurus Moon is my kinda charecter, yes he makes questionable choices and is a career thief, but not a coldblooded killer. I actually like all the characters and love that he added folk hero John Henry. The adventure is random, but it all makes sense and the action never stops. I'm very excited to read the next book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews