What do you think?
Rate this book
Children of the Rock #1
Moons' Dreaming
New York Times bestselling author Susan Sizemore and co-writer Marguerite Krause weave a tale of intrigue and magic, love and sacrifice in the Children of the Rock fantasy duology.
In a world under three moons, in the courts and villages of three kingdoms, the fate of the Dreamers is at stake. Only Dreamers can bend the power of the gods and perform the magic that holds chaos at bay. But a recent plague has ravaged the population and damaged, perhaps irreparably, the very fabric of society. Most Shapers no longer believe in magic, and many Keepers no longer see any need for it.
Dreamers are always few in number, born of rare unions between ruling Shapers and peasant Keepers. Unfortunately, love between the rulers and the ruled has grown harder and harder to come by. Only King Sene of Sitrine grasps the importance of saving the Dreamers from extinction. Meanwhile, the death of one princess sends another princes, Vray of Rhenlan, into exile. The queen of Dherrica is murdered, and a few Keepers, among them Jordy the carter and Dael, captain of the royal guard of Rhenlan, begin to contemplate revolution. After all, if the world no longer needs Dreamers, does it really need Shapers, either? Prince Damon of Rhenlan also relishes the idea of a world where Dreamers and the gods they supposedly serve are relegated to their proper place: relics of ancient myth and superstition. Damon sees no use for tradition, or the laws and vows that hinder a man from obtaining all the wealth and power he desires.
The rare and tender love essential for the birth of Dreamers stirs between a few couples amid the conflict…but how can these small sparks be enough to overcome the dark threat of madness and war?
In a world under three moons, in the courts and villages of three kingdoms, the fate of the Dreamers is at stake. Only Dreamers can bend the power of the gods and perform the magic that holds chaos at bay. But a recent plague has ravaged the population and damaged, perhaps irreparably, the very fabric of society. Most Shapers no longer believe in magic, and many Keepers no longer see any need for it.
Dreamers are always few in number, born of rare unions between ruling Shapers and peasant Keepers. Unfortunately, love between the rulers and the ruled has grown harder and harder to come by. Only King Sene of Sitrine grasps the importance of saving the Dreamers from extinction. Meanwhile, the death of one princess sends another princes, Vray of Rhenlan, into exile. The queen of Dherrica is murdered, and a few Keepers, among them Jordy the carter and Dael, captain of the royal guard of Rhenlan, begin to contemplate revolution. After all, if the world no longer needs Dreamers, does it really need Shapers, either? Prince Damon of Rhenlan also relishes the idea of a world where Dreamers and the gods they supposedly serve are relegated to their proper place: relics of ancient myth and superstition. Damon sees no use for tradition, or the laws and vows that hinder a man from obtaining all the wealth and power he desires.
The rare and tender love essential for the birth of Dreamers stirs between a few couples amid the conflict…but how can these small sparks be enough to overcome the dark threat of madness and war?
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2003
7 people are currently reading
217 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 12, 2013
I just wasn't interested enough to finish this book. There were a lot of great ideas in it, but it definitely had it's share of issues. One of my biggest problems is that the book threw way too much at you all at once. There were too many names, places, and subject matters to process right off the bat, to the point where I felt the need to write out a chart to keep track of it.
The story also felt like it was always taking place between the interesting bits. We start off the book in a meeting to decide the fate of a woman we've not met (and will actually never met but are expected to feel sorry that she gets executed). From the sound of what she did, it would have been more interesting to actually be there when the crime was committed. However, no, we hear the decision come down to have her executed, then we jump to the deed having just finished up. It does start getting more interesting later, but by that point I was too confused and a book I've been highly anticipating was finally available.
I don't feel like Marguerite Krause is very welcoming of her readers into her world. There's a lot of talk of dreamers, shapers, the Children of the Rock, but we never truly find out what any of it means. I'm sure it was explained later on, but with it being such a staple of the story from the get-go, I felt lost.
Of course,the greatest sin was mentioning something as awesome sounding as a "plague of fire bears" and not letting me see it.
The story also felt like it was always taking place between the interesting bits. We start off the book in a meeting to decide the fate of a woman we've not met (and will actually never met but are expected to feel sorry that she gets executed). From the sound of what she did, it would have been more interesting to actually be there when the crime was committed. However, no, we hear the decision come down to have her executed, then we jump to the deed having just finished up. It does start getting more interesting later, but by that point I was too confused and a book I've been highly anticipating was finally available.
I don't feel like Marguerite Krause is very welcoming of her readers into her world. There's a lot of talk of dreamers, shapers, the Children of the Rock, but we never truly find out what any of it means. I'm sure it was explained later on, but with it being such a staple of the story from the get-go, I felt lost.
Of course,the greatest sin was mentioning something as awesome sounding as a "plague of fire bears" and not letting me see it.
August 21, 2021
This is so poorly written one wonders if there was ever an editor involved. No characterization. Confusing premise which was poorly explained. Basic plotting was sloppy. The attempts at humorous dialogue fell very flat. The romances were icky and unbelievable. This would have zero stars if that was an option.
March 5, 2022
Fantasy
Its a little to much for me to keep track of. And it tends to jump months and years with no warning or informing the reader until later. P!us the whole love triangles got annoying.
Its a little to much for me to keep track of. And it tends to jump months and years with no warning or informing the reader until later. P!us the whole love triangles got annoying.
September 11, 2013
Although I overall enjoyed reading this tale and will read the second installment in this duology, there were some notable problems that make it a difficult read.
The authors have created a new fantastical world, whose people are divided into Shapers, Keepers, Dreamers, and Abstainers, and in which three kingdoms reign under the supervision of three moons. Each kingdom has its own name, its own capital, and a number of towns that are mentioned in the text. In addition, each kingdom has its own royal family and notable citizens, whose names must be remembered and whose problems and personalities must be distinguished from each other. Since this book is so great in length, it can take a long while to read it, which means that it can be quite easy to confuse the many-varied place names and individuals. Keeping notes may be necessary for some.
The organization of this world is only revealed to the readers in pieces that are in themselves not completely comprehensible and, moreover, is never explained in full (for example, the story of how this world came into existence is told to us halfway through the novel). Who are these Shapers? What is the purpose of the Keepers? Why are the Dreamers fighting monsters that keep wanting to destroy this fictional world? Who are these Abstainers and why are they not doing the job they were born to do (e.g., Shaper or Keeper)? Where are these kingdoms and their capitals in relation to each other? (A map would have been quite helpful!).
Finally, it is very difficult to follow the passage of time in this book. From the beginning of the book until the end, several years have passed in this fantasy world. But it doesn't seem that way when you are reading it. For example, we read that one character leaves her home and moves to another place. We follow her experiences there for a short time (well, what seems like a short time). Then she moves to another locale, and we again read about what happens to her there. It feels as if only a short period of time has passed during all of these events. However, much later in the story the reader finds out that a number of years have passed from the time she left home to the time she finally settles down! Some better organization would definitely have been desired in this regard.
The authors have created a new fantastical world, whose people are divided into Shapers, Keepers, Dreamers, and Abstainers, and in which three kingdoms reign under the supervision of three moons. Each kingdom has its own name, its own capital, and a number of towns that are mentioned in the text. In addition, each kingdom has its own royal family and notable citizens, whose names must be remembered and whose problems and personalities must be distinguished from each other. Since this book is so great in length, it can take a long while to read it, which means that it can be quite easy to confuse the many-varied place names and individuals. Keeping notes may be necessary for some.
The organization of this world is only revealed to the readers in pieces that are in themselves not completely comprehensible and, moreover, is never explained in full (for example, the story of how this world came into existence is told to us halfway through the novel). Who are these Shapers? What is the purpose of the Keepers? Why are the Dreamers fighting monsters that keep wanting to destroy this fictional world? Who are these Abstainers and why are they not doing the job they were born to do (e.g., Shaper or Keeper)? Where are these kingdoms and their capitals in relation to each other? (A map would have been quite helpful!).
Finally, it is very difficult to follow the passage of time in this book. From the beginning of the book until the end, several years have passed in this fantasy world. But it doesn't seem that way when you are reading it. For example, we read that one character leaves her home and moves to another place. We follow her experiences there for a short time (well, what seems like a short time). Then she moves to another locale, and we again read about what happens to her there. It feels as if only a short period of time has passed during all of these events. However, much later in the story the reader finds out that a number of years have passed from the time she left home to the time she finally settles down! Some better organization would definitely have been desired in this regard.
March 24, 2013
Some thoughts:
* The book starts off with a whole lot of characters and I almost gave up right there.
* Religion plays an important role in this world-whether it is its absence or presence.
* There is light humor threaded throughout the book, to lighten the darkness of events.
* The book is long but I didn't mind because the story kept me interested.
* Would love to read the next one.
* Why are certain parts other magical creatures important was never explained.
* Why are there different colors for the Mothers wasn't expounded upon either.
* Dael gives up on Vray rather too easily-he knows what kind of people the King & his son are!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2013
Hard to start, but I kept going. I was sure I would eventually figure out what was going on. I did. But don't think I will star the second on.
March 24, 2013
did not realize it was not a stand alone story. it leaves you hanging.
April 12, 2013
A bit difficult to understand, good storyline,if only it was written in a more organized fashion.
September 6, 2013
Children of the Rock #1
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews