Tyrant Moon

Moon, Sun & Stars #1

by Elaine Corvidae

It is the late Bronze Age of another world. Iron is unknown, only barbarians ride horses, and the stirrup will not be invented for centuries. To the north, the nomadic Skald roam the treeless steppes with their vast herds, while in the sub-tropical south the first dreams of Empire begin to be fulfilled. Thraxis was once the most powerful of the Athraskani wizards, before the rogue mage Balthazar cast a death curse upon him. Now any use of magic only speeds the progression of the curse that is devouring his life. The Arrow that Flies the Farthest was the Champion of her clan, until the coming of Balthazar plunged them into the madness of warfare. Her only hope of stopping the war lies with the dying Thraxis, who alone knows how to destroy the jewel that gives Balthazar his power. Together, Athraskani mage and barbarian warrior must begin an incredible journey that will take them from the civilized bounds of the Empire to the wild steppes of the Skald. But can a man sworn to do no harm and a woman born to kill find the common ground to defeat their enemy…before time runs out for them both?

Genres: Fantasy

289 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with Elaine's previous book's delving, "Tyrant Moon" is a rich, fully realized fantasy world filled with believable fleshed out characters, a seemingly hopeless conflict, and a wonderfully paced plot.

Arrow goes to the Empire, south of the steppes where she and her people live, to find help. A powerful mage has corrupted her lands, fueled her clan leader's ambition and desire for power. The Sanctum provides her with a dying mage, their only reluctant offer to assist in a matter not truly concerning them.

Thraxis and Arrow are from two vastly different worlds - and will have to get over their own prejudices if they are ever to help Arrow's people.

The story is beautifully done, interspersing the current conflict with flashbacks to the events leading up to Arrows oath-breaking with her clan. The description of both land and character is a lovely balance, leaving enough to the imagination that a reader can paint his or her own landscapes. The conflict - the secrets - are teased out at just the right pace to keep a reader wanting more - the reveals are worth waiting for!

The only reason this review gets a four is the formatting. I'm sure the print version did not have this problem, but whatever formatting was applied to the file got eaten by the transfer to the Kindle format. Dialogue was especially hard hit, often making it confusing to figure out who was supposed to be speaking at a given moment. This often led to "miscommunication" between the book and my brain, and then would have to reread the selection to ensure I got the dialogue correct.

Overall a brilliant book! I am looking forward to reading more of your books Elaine! Keep up the great work!

[S. Wideman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up Tyrant Moon, it was my first time at Balticon. I honestly can't remember what drew me to the book, but I'm glad it did. I loved the story of Thraxis, a rather pessimistic wizard dying of a curse, and Arrow, a feisty Barbarian woman. The two are rather mismatched, but that makes them work. They are brought together to find Balthazar, the wizard that cursed Thraxis and caused a war with Arrow's clan. The writing is wonderful and the story just pulls you in. The characters are great and some of the scenarios just made me laugh out loud.

I would recommend this book to my friends.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Elaine Corvidae's books.