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Guardian of the Moon Pendant
The MacAlpin women are of a fierce clan, born from a rare bloodline that harbors a dark and powerful secret – a mystical heirloom called the Moon Pendant. It is the key to controlling the MääGord standing stones, a magical Portal into the Otherworld, the realm of the Fae.
Anabel and Izzy MacAlpin are two sisters, polar opposites, living separate lives.
Anabel’s life is going precisely according to her plan, a ring on her finger from her steady beau, Edgar, and medical school in the fall.
Izzy’s life is filled with scars and wounds from her past. Dubbed the “spare child” by her family and treated poorly, she rebelled, and now lives life by her own rules.
These two sisters’ worlds are about to explode when one of them must go to Scotland and fulfill her duty as the Guardian of the Moon Pendant, by recharging this magical heirloom with four elementals, air, earth, water, and fire, and then finally close the Portal.
There’s only one problem…
The Baobhan Sith – a vampiric faery who lures men in with her hypnotic voice, feeding on their blood or transforming them into Màrmann, her zombie-like warriors who do her bidding – desires the Moon Pendant to take control over the Portal, opening a gateway into the realm of man, helping her to seek revenge on the MacAlpin clan, and to quench her eternal thirst for human blood.
Anabel finds herself torn between a sinfully handsome Scottish warrior, Blane and her fiancée, Edgar. Izzy finds herself, angered by her sister’s lack of faith in her.
Both sisters are forced to help one another, but may end up killing each other in the end. Surrounded by an array of good and evil Scottish Fae like a vampiric faery, the Baobhan Sith, zombie-warriors, the Ankou, Dryads, the Fachan, the Ghillie Dhu, Heather Pixies, Leigheas, the Nuckelavee, the Bloody Baron a Red Cap, Stone Faeries, Trows, and Will-o’-the-wisps.
Will these two sisters put aside their differences before the final task to charge the Moon Pendant and close the Portal or will the Baobhan Sith, the vampiric faery, be successful and open the Portal into the Otherworld?
Anabel and Izzy MacAlpin are two sisters, polar opposites, living separate lives.
Anabel’s life is going precisely according to her plan, a ring on her finger from her steady beau, Edgar, and medical school in the fall.
Izzy’s life is filled with scars and wounds from her past. Dubbed the “spare child” by her family and treated poorly, she rebelled, and now lives life by her own rules.
These two sisters’ worlds are about to explode when one of them must go to Scotland and fulfill her duty as the Guardian of the Moon Pendant, by recharging this magical heirloom with four elementals, air, earth, water, and fire, and then finally close the Portal.
There’s only one problem…
The Baobhan Sith – a vampiric faery who lures men in with her hypnotic voice, feeding on their blood or transforming them into Màrmann, her zombie-like warriors who do her bidding – desires the Moon Pendant to take control over the Portal, opening a gateway into the realm of man, helping her to seek revenge on the MacAlpin clan, and to quench her eternal thirst for human blood.
Anabel finds herself torn between a sinfully handsome Scottish warrior, Blane and her fiancée, Edgar. Izzy finds herself, angered by her sister’s lack of faith in her.
Both sisters are forced to help one another, but may end up killing each other in the end. Surrounded by an array of good and evil Scottish Fae like a vampiric faery, the Baobhan Sith, zombie-warriors, the Ankou, Dryads, the Fachan, the Ghillie Dhu, Heather Pixies, Leigheas, the Nuckelavee, the Bloody Baron a Red Cap, Stone Faeries, Trows, and Will-o’-the-wisps.
Will these two sisters put aside their differences before the final task to charge the Moon Pendant and close the Portal or will the Baobhan Sith, the vampiric faery, be successful and open the Portal into the Otherworld?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 15, 2016
Full review here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...
Guardian of the Moon Pendant takes us on the journey of two sisters who travel to Scotland to prevent a portal to the realm of the Fae from opening. On the Isle of Moon stand the MääGord standing stones and the portal to the Fae realm. Once every nineteen years the full moon passes through the standing stones and the portal will open a pathway for the Fae. Before that can happen the Guardian of the Moon Pendant must recharge the Pendant's power with the elements--Air, Earth, Water, and Fire--and close the portal. The new moon is here. Can the Guardian accomplish each task and save mankind from the Fae?
Anabel and Izzy MacAlpin are two sisters who couldn't be more different. Anabel has her life all planned out and everything is going accordingly. Izzy is just trying to get through each day in one piece. These two are constantly fighting, bickering, and trying to one-up the other. Their relationship perfectly portrays the sibling rivalry to a T. Although Anabel and Izzy go too far sometimes, I felt the relationship between them was genuine.
The MacAlpin clan has been the Guardians of the Moon Pendant and the portal for generations. Anabel, being the eldest daughter, is the heir and it's her duty to become the Guardian, but she wants no part of it since it will ruin her perfect life plan. Whereas Izzy is nicknamed the "spare child" and treated badly. Izzy views Anabel's resistence to being Guardian as her chance to prove herself by becoming the Guardian instead. But as their grandmother said, the Pendant is fickle and it may not let Anabel go.
I love reading about mythology and folklore, so when I saw that Guardian of the Moon Pendant featured Scottish fae folklore, I couldn't wait to start reading. There's the Red Cap, the Baobhan Sith, the Nuckelavee, the Ghillie Dhu, Trows, Will-o-the-Wisps, among others. I just love the stories behind these fantastical and otherworldly beings.
While I'm on the subject of Scotland, this book does have a highlander--in all his kilted glory. Blane is a Sentinel of Light, who swore an oath to Danu to protect the Guardians and the portal. He is roughly 500 years old, but only looks about 25 years old, and boy, does he make Anabel want to change her mind about marrying Edgar. It's too bad that a Sentinel is forbidden from marrying a Guardian. Though I thought the romance between Blane and Anabel wasn't necessary to the story as a whole, it was nice to see a bit of romance--and I'd like to know what Anabel ever saw in Edgar? He's kinda icky in my opinion--I'd choose Blane when I first laid eyes on him.
Besides the Fae was a whole, the main villain of the book is Lainahywn, the Baobhan Sith. She is a vampiric faery who sucks men dry or turns them into zombie-like warriors. She wants the Pendant and control of the portal--and she'll do anything to get it. Lainahywn is really kinda scary. She may look real pretty when she's all glamored up, but once she drops the facade--ugh! She's definitely a baddy you want to stay away from.
Guardian of the Moon Pendant takes us on the journey of two sisters who travel to Scotland to prevent a portal to the realm of the Fae from opening. On the Isle of Moon stand the MääGord standing stones and the portal to the Fae realm. Once every nineteen years the full moon passes through the standing stones and the portal will open a pathway for the Fae. Before that can happen the Guardian of the Moon Pendant must recharge the Pendant's power with the elements--Air, Earth, Water, and Fire--and close the portal. The new moon is here. Can the Guardian accomplish each task and save mankind from the Fae?
Anabel and Izzy MacAlpin are two sisters who couldn't be more different. Anabel has her life all planned out and everything is going accordingly. Izzy is just trying to get through each day in one piece. These two are constantly fighting, bickering, and trying to one-up the other. Their relationship perfectly portrays the sibling rivalry to a T. Although Anabel and Izzy go too far sometimes, I felt the relationship between them was genuine.
The MacAlpin clan has been the Guardians of the Moon Pendant and the portal for generations. Anabel, being the eldest daughter, is the heir and it's her duty to become the Guardian, but she wants no part of it since it will ruin her perfect life plan. Whereas Izzy is nicknamed the "spare child" and treated badly. Izzy views Anabel's resistence to being Guardian as her chance to prove herself by becoming the Guardian instead. But as their grandmother said, the Pendant is fickle and it may not let Anabel go.
I love reading about mythology and folklore, so when I saw that Guardian of the Moon Pendant featured Scottish fae folklore, I couldn't wait to start reading. There's the Red Cap, the Baobhan Sith, the Nuckelavee, the Ghillie Dhu, Trows, Will-o-the-Wisps, among others. I just love the stories behind these fantastical and otherworldly beings.
While I'm on the subject of Scotland, this book does have a highlander--in all his kilted glory. Blane is a Sentinel of Light, who swore an oath to Danu to protect the Guardians and the portal. He is roughly 500 years old, but only looks about 25 years old, and boy, does he make Anabel want to change her mind about marrying Edgar. It's too bad that a Sentinel is forbidden from marrying a Guardian. Though I thought the romance between Blane and Anabel wasn't necessary to the story as a whole, it was nice to see a bit of romance--and I'd like to know what Anabel ever saw in Edgar? He's kinda icky in my opinion--I'd choose Blane when I first laid eyes on him.
Besides the Fae was a whole, the main villain of the book is Lainahywn, the Baobhan Sith. She is a vampiric faery who sucks men dry or turns them into zombie-like warriors. She wants the Pendant and control of the portal--and she'll do anything to get it. Lainahywn is really kinda scary. She may look real pretty when she's all glamored up, but once she drops the facade--ugh! She's definitely a baddy you want to stay away from.
September 24, 2012
Guardian of the Moon Pendant is my first highland/Scottish book, and it was incredible. It was a story with amazing characters, strong story line and thrilling action screens. Although 30% of my journey with Williams’ book was a confusing, that didn’t stop me in enjoying Guardian of the Moon Pendant.
Characters. Main characters Izzy and Anabel are a sisters and they don’t get along. Though most of the time they quarrel and whine a lot (which makes them somewhat childish to some point) about each other and almost anything, the characters for me felt genuine – capturing sibling rivalry to the dot. I myself quarrel with my younger sister a lot and we fight with almost anything but the love is there – which also reflects with the MacAlpin sisters. They are like north and south and it seems like there’s no way to find the middle ground with the two but in the end, everything worked out. Blane on the other hand I was not feeling so much love. I think part of it is because as I stated this is my first highlander story so I may not be feeling the appeal compared to some readers but character wise he’s okay. Anabel and Blane’s attraction is one of my “huh” moments. I didn’t feel it. For me the story could have done without it and still get an amazing story but it’s there so yeah.
POV. Guardian of the Moon Pendant goes back and forth between Izzy and Anabel and I don’t have any issues with dual or multiple POV as long as the story flowed flawlessly, and in Guardian of the Moon Pendant it did. Dual POV is a good way of knowing what the other character is feeling and thinking making a story more in-depth in my opinion and I love that about this book.
Story. The story started out with the MacAlpin family (Izzy, Anabel and their mother + Edgar) and that gave me a little glimpse about the characters but it was a bit rushed going to the main plot itself which confused me a little bit. It was like Anabel was designated guardian and all the information was dumped rather than being explained – so that’s where my main issue lies. The fae element in the story added spunk coupled with Izzy’s sarcastic dialogues was what really made me enjoy the story in spite my issues.
Overall. I did enjoy reading Guardian of the Moon Pendant. The plot and story line was intriguing and promising but the characters needed more details for me. The ending was okay as well and no loose ends so that was double okay for me. I think I’ll enjoy this better if I had read highlander/Scottish stories in the past more so maybe I’ll re-read this in the future, we’ll see. And I have to add this: that cover is so captivating. Lovely, lovely cover.
Characters. Main characters Izzy and Anabel are a sisters and they don’t get along. Though most of the time they quarrel and whine a lot (which makes them somewhat childish to some point) about each other and almost anything, the characters for me felt genuine – capturing sibling rivalry to the dot. I myself quarrel with my younger sister a lot and we fight with almost anything but the love is there – which also reflects with the MacAlpin sisters. They are like north and south and it seems like there’s no way to find the middle ground with the two but in the end, everything worked out. Blane on the other hand I was not feeling so much love. I think part of it is because as I stated this is my first highlander story so I may not be feeling the appeal compared to some readers but character wise he’s okay. Anabel and Blane’s attraction is one of my “huh” moments. I didn’t feel it. For me the story could have done without it and still get an amazing story but it’s there so yeah.
POV. Guardian of the Moon Pendant goes back and forth between Izzy and Anabel and I don’t have any issues with dual or multiple POV as long as the story flowed flawlessly, and in Guardian of the Moon Pendant it did. Dual POV is a good way of knowing what the other character is feeling and thinking making a story more in-depth in my opinion and I love that about this book.
Story. The story started out with the MacAlpin family (Izzy, Anabel and their mother + Edgar) and that gave me a little glimpse about the characters but it was a bit rushed going to the main plot itself which confused me a little bit. It was like Anabel was designated guardian and all the information was dumped rather than being explained – so that’s where my main issue lies. The fae element in the story added spunk coupled with Izzy’s sarcastic dialogues was what really made me enjoy the story in spite my issues.
Overall. I did enjoy reading Guardian of the Moon Pendant. The plot and story line was intriguing and promising but the characters needed more details for me. The ending was okay as well and no loose ends so that was double okay for me. I think I’ll enjoy this better if I had read highlander/Scottish stories in the past more so maybe I’ll re-read this in the future, we’ll see. And I have to add this: that cover is so captivating. Lovely, lovely cover.
September 22, 2012
First - I feel that I have to mention the cover. Why? Because it is one of the main reasons that I even wanted to read this book. After reading the synopsis though, I was completely sold. Secondly; I feel that I should point out that this book is so epically NOT like every other magic creature filled book out there. & don't let the synopsis fool you, you might THINK you know what is going on - but trust me when I say - surprises are in store. I love nothing more than a book that can captivate me and keep me guessing from cover to cover. So if you are out there feeling burnt out and feeling like you are reading the same book over and over; let me introduce you to Laura J. Williams. You will love her (:
The chemistry between the characters in this novel was very well written. I love the dynamic sibling interaction between Anabel and Izzy - it reminds me me and my siblings. I loved every minute of it. Centered around the MacAlpin family, this book holds your interest with kick butt chicks, insightful and humorous dialogue, epic villains and family secrets. What more could you ask for, right?! I don't think that there was one time where I was bored with this book. I read it in one sitting actually. Which means that there had to be AWESOME just oozing from the pages.
While I know this isn't a very detailed review, I seriously wanted to give nothing away. This is most def one of those books that you just HAVE to pick up and read on your own. Seriously. GO GET IT. Since I did lack some detail; I will leave you with a quote :D
The chemistry between the characters in this novel was very well written. I love the dynamic sibling interaction between Anabel and Izzy - it reminds me me and my siblings. I loved every minute of it. Centered around the MacAlpin family, this book holds your interest with kick butt chicks, insightful and humorous dialogue, epic villains and family secrets. What more could you ask for, right?! I don't think that there was one time where I was bored with this book. I read it in one sitting actually. Which means that there had to be AWESOME just oozing from the pages.
While I know this isn't a very detailed review, I seriously wanted to give nothing away. This is most def one of those books that you just HAVE to pick up and read on your own. Seriously. GO GET IT. Since I did lack some detail; I will leave you with a quote :D
"Give me that," I said, snatching the scroll from between his fingers. "And get your ugly boots off my table!"
Vyx snarled.
"Tsk, tsk," I said waving my index finger back and forth. "Remember your anger management Vyx."
Vyx snarled.
"Tsk, tsk," I said waving my index finger back and forth. "Remember your anger management Vyx."
January 31, 2016
This had the potential to be a great story. However, I found it boring, irritating and badly written.
I thought the characters were terrible. Anabel and Izzy were whiny brats who were constantly on about how much they hated each other. Anabel kept going on about how much she loves her fiance and then, as soon as she arrives in Scotland, dumps him for the first sober man she meets. Izzy is constantly on about being the 'bad' girl but never showing any proof of it.
There doesn't seem to have been any proof reading of this book. Not only were there typos but the wrong word was used in several places meaning the text made no sense whatsoever.
Definitely not recommended.
I thought the characters were terrible. Anabel and Izzy were whiny brats who were constantly on about how much they hated each other. Anabel kept going on about how much she loves her fiance and then, as soon as she arrives in Scotland, dumps him for the first sober man she meets. Izzy is constantly on about being the 'bad' girl but never showing any proof of it.
There doesn't seem to have been any proof reading of this book. Not only were there typos but the wrong word was used in several places meaning the text made no sense whatsoever.
Definitely not recommended.
January 28, 2013
I was surprised to find that this book was self-published. Its quick pace, even quicker wit, and the expert handling of the two main characters' growth (Their naval gazing doesn't get in the way of the plot, but they developing/changing is vital to the plot moving forward! Yeah!) at first had me thinking that some big mainstream publishing house had picked up Ms. Williams for a book deal. Fortunately, New York's lack of recognition of this great new writer won't prevent us from enjoying this top-notch novel. I'm looking forward to reading her next one - and if her writing craftsmanship grows as well as her characters did in this title, it should be a darn good book.
September 17, 2012
Loved this book. It broke the standard troll/wizard fantasy by utilizing a fresh set of mythical beings from Scottish/Celtic legends. The plot centered on the growth of the two main characters - two sisters who are polar opposites - who have to overcome inner conflicts and their conflict with one another to solve the larger problem that sets the whole novel into motion. The narrative clicks along at a nice pace; Williams' descriptions are vibrant and her writing style energetic. You won't be bored with this volume.
November 4, 2012
I liked the plot of this book, but felt like the book was rushed overall. I'm a fairly speedy reader anyhow, but it took me less than two hours to read this. I would have liked to have seen more character and plot development. Like another reviewer mentioned, I had a hard time connecting with either of the lead characters, Anabel and Izzy. I am definitely interested in reading a follow up book, but I think the next one should be longer and I'd like to see it go into more depth.
September 15, 2012
Was a very good book!! I loved it. Gets you attention in the first chapter and you don't want to put it down until you are done, leaves you wishing there was more books to keep the story going. Great Characters and wonderful story line. Thanks Laura for writing such a good book.
October 30, 2012
I wasn't a big fan of this book. The story jumped around a lot and certain things weren't explained very well which left me confused about why or how something happened. I also didn't like either protagonist, they were both selfish and immature, I couldn't connect to them.
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October 20, 2012Amazon Freebie 10/19/2012
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews