Moonrise

Snowfall #3

by Mitchell Smith

The World is Frozen

Civilization survives in pockets of warmth, most notably in the vast, Mississippi-based Middle Kingdom of North America and in glacier-covered Boston. Boston, where high technology that borders on magic is used to create the "moonrisen," people with the genes of animals. Boston, which looks at the growing strength of Middle Kingdom, united under the brilliant King and Commander, Sam Monroe, and sees a time when Boston will not rule.

A coup destroys Middle Kingdom's royal family, save for young Prince Bajazet. With Boston's minions in pursuit, before long Baj is Prince no longer, just a man on the run. His saviours are three of the moon's children, who are conspiring with the surviving northern Tribes to overthrow Boston. Baj has no choice-he must side with the rebels or die.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Apocalyptic

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Mitchell Smith is an American author writing crime fiction and science fiction.

Also known as Roy LeBeau.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The series got worse instead of better. This one was so bad I couldn't even read it...

[Jeff Turney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, good action packed story with good characters. Still liked the first book in the series the best but this one was second best.

[Janet]

I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Snowfall, so I hunted down the other two. It's been hundreds of years since a change in Jupiter's orbit brings on a massive ice age, and modern civilization collapses. The action takes place in North America, and a variety of regional communities have grown up. I really like all the different societies, and the characters he creates. In the first book, I had some trouble believing that the ecology/economy of the Trappers would work, and became happier as they migrated south. In the second book, I found the Middle Kingdom and North Map Mexico to be believable, and the sweeping action riveting. The third book takes the action through the Indian* tribes up to DNA-twisting science-fictionally-magical Boston. [return][return]The second and third books open about 20 years after the end of the previous book, with a protagonist who is a young man now and was a baby at the end of the earlier book -- a most unusual way to continue a series, and quite satisfying. The second book is war, and politics, between three regions. It's rather grounded and realistic, thought there are some fantastic elements. The third book is a quest. The action is one long trip, probably suicidal, to strike a blow for justice. This book takes us into the strangeness that Boston has created, and goes through other wonders. The "farmers" are eerie, the animalistic Boston Guard is astonishing, and the climbing sequence is fantastic. I did have a bit of trouble in the 3rd book, keeping suspension of disbelief down about the Boston economy.[return][return]While each book is quite different, and probably could be read on its own, I think you'll get more out of them by reading them in order, if only due to the handful of continuing characters. If I hadn't read them in order, I wouldn't have been on the edge of my seat, terrified, as Martha traveled from her home to the Island. Yowza.[return][return]There are wonderful, strong women characters: Catania the Trapper doctor; Patience the slightly mad, rather blood-thirsty, flying Bostonian meddler; Queen Joan of the Middle Kingdom, who was Crazy Joan of the Trappers, and likely to say "Fuck, let's get this over with" on ceremonial occasions; and Nancy the sort-of fox; Charmian is critical to Sam Monroe's greatest military victory.[return][return]*They're kinda, sorta Indian tribes.

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some series get better as they move along, and some are pretty steady. Others, however, just seem to get worse, and that's where I am with this one. Despite the fact that I can generally be counted on to read pretty much anything that's considered to be apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, it was a real slog finishing this series. As with the second book, the tone and character of the third book differed greatly from the ones that came before it, which can be interesting in the right hands. This time, however, the characters are even more one-dimensional and the constant praise given to "warm-time" words and phrases that are supposedly so perfect is even more grating. On top of that, large portions of the plot don't make the slightest bit of sense. There's one point where a number of characters spend days climbing an unrealistically high ice wall, and those pages (once you ignore the fact that it's pretty ridiculous to begin with) had a really nice tension and flow to them. I'l probably remember that scene farther down the road, but the rest of this book is perfectly forgettable. A good idea for a series overall, just poorly executed.

[Dystopian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so happy to be finished with this series. I had to make myself finish the last book. The premise and the story aren't bad, but the author or his editor needs a refresher course. Every other page he will use a word and then say "Wonderful warm-time word!" or "Perfect copybook phrase!" It was extremely tedious and bordered on ridiculous. I could see it if he had one character who said that a lot, was fascinated by people using rare words or something, but it's EVERY character. Also, every single time a character says "Oh my God" or similar, the author states that only decades ago that would have gotten them killed down south. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

[William Gerke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting close to Smith's Snowfall series. All set in the same world with crossover of some characters, each book had a different tone. Moonrise follows the son of a fallen conqueror, adopted son of the River King, and what he does when his old life is shut away. A tale of revenge, sacrifice, horror, love, and true humanity told in Smith's characteristic immersive style.

These three are his only fantasies, and I'm very curious to read his other stuff (which appears to be mostly crime fiction).

[Zedsdead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bajazet, adopted son of Sam Monroe, goes on a quest to make Boston pay for the murder of his brother and friends. As with book 2 of the Snowfall trilogy, the protagonist was a baby born in the previous volume.

Solid, but not as good as the first two in the series. The creatures of Boston feel lazy compared to books 1 and 2; now they're just human-animal hybrids instead of monstrous creations designed for a specific purpose.

This is more of an (occasionally dull) road trip, after the frantic flight and search for a home of Snowfall and the war story that was Kingdom River.

[Terry]

3rd book in the Snowfall Trilogy set in a premature future Ice Age brought about by alterations in the orbit of Jupiter after several major comet impacts which in turn altered the Earth's orbit or declination to the degree that a new Ice Age was created in mere decades; thus wiping out modern civilization and leaving the survivors with meager remnants of basic technology.

[Cynthisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conclusion to the Snowfall Trilogy. Prince Baj, the third generation crosses the east coast to take on Boston. Limp 'coming of age' sort of tale. Kinda dull - no real reason to care about Baj. Just a long, dull road trip mostly.

[George Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed.

[James Willey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little long and tiresome but had to plod through it to finish the trilogy. Liked the two previous tales a lot. Basically an ice-age survival trek.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started well with a great chase sequence but then felt rushed, clumsy and saccharine by the end.