Winter Moon

Five Hundred Kingdoms #1.5

by Mercedes Lackey

New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey In an isolated land where the lure of the "Moontide" leads to shipwrecks, a woman is torn between obeying her father or her king.

When she chooses to follow a Fool, she discovers magic she'd never expected... at a price that might be too high.... World Fantasy award winner Tanith Lee Struggling under the curse of a dead comrade, Clirando, a warrior priestess unready to face the powers trapped within her, must face "The Heart of the Moon" to reveal what has been hidden....

C.E. Murphy In "Banshee Cries," ritual murders under a full moon lead Jo Walker to confront a Harbinger of Death. Maybe this "gift" she has is one she shouldn't ignore-- because the next life she has to save might be her own!

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Romance, Paranormal

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.

"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.

"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:

"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."

Also writes as Misty Lackey

Author's website

Reviews

[Meredith is a hot mess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for The Heart of the Moon , a novella by Tanith Lee. Available on Scribd and Kindle.

Loved this magical tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption.

5 stars for Clirando and Zemetrios.

TL's note:

Dear Reader,

The heart of the moon is, of course, the heart of a cool, strong and self-controlled woman. In this case, Clirando. She wears a "mask" because she's been hurt. And because she is tough, she challenges what hurt her and drives it off.

But most of us know there are things that, discard or deny them as we may, leave their marks on us, like the scratches of a lion. Some fade, some scar. The scars are still there to be looked at long, long after.

I wanted very much to find a way to free my character from her hurt. She deserved that. But like most of the ones I write about, she, or others in this tale, told me how her freedom would come about. She needed not only new light, but the means to confront the shadows. When Zemetrios entered the story and showed his worth, the core of the narrative began to flame--the fire-heart was being refueled.

In fact, I first saw the heroine's name in a dream, written across a white moon above a dark isle. It's a kind of play on words, too, I believe. Clir-an-do: Clear and do.

Quotes:



He told her, also, and told the crowd, why he had lost his sexual interest in her. She was too cold, he said. Cold as moon Isle with its heartless crags. She was too masculine. She had no feminine gifts to match her male ones.
Clirando knew these things were lies,

Forgive her, Parna. Let her live well in the lands beyond death. Forgive me too for I don't know what I must feel."

_______________

That night Clirando dreamed of Araitha, not drowning, nor as she had been in life, but veiled and hidden, passing through a shadow to a light--to a shadow.

Even when, exhausted as she came to be, she lay down to rest at noon, sleep would not come. It fluttered over the room before the cinders of her eyes, brushed her with its wing, and flew far, far off.

Winter entered Amnos. Now was the time of long nights.

Every sixteen or seventeen years, through the strange blessing of the gods, there would come seven nights of midsummer when every night the moon would be full: seven nights together of the great white orb, coldly glowing as a disk of purest marble lit from within by a thousand torches.

Forget that impression. The Isle is supernatural and may produce anything. it is a place half in this world and half elsewhere. In spots, they say, it opens on the country of the moon itself. For philosphers have decided the moon is not what it appears, a disk, but rather a world, an unlike mirror to our own. Therefore anticipate magic, and great danger. Sacrifice is common on the Isle. So is death. But too the land is mystical and profound, and from death life may spring. There is a saying: a closed eye may sometimes see more there than one which stares. Do you consent to go?

"Mother--I consent. But my girls--" "Have no fear for them. They will be safer than you. You, Clirando, are the one the Isle requires. Human presence on it invokes the power of the moon, her cold fire. But sometimes pain is needed in the process, but not from all."

Clirando felt a shadow fall on her, like a heavy cloak for traveling. Her sleep-starved eyes half glimpsed Araitha suddenly, standing there in the shade behind the goddess's statue, motionless, with face averted.

"Pack anything you may need, for battle or for mere existence."


He told her then that the priests in Rhoia had assured him a large village lay at the heart of the Isle, deep in the forest and below the mountains. This was where the Seven Nights were celebrated.

4

Village

Shadows are called
By the ending of the day
Night unfolds her wings
With the white moon in her hair...

Clirando shuddered. The fragment of song had sounded inside her skull, words clear as the plinking of the lyra which accompanied them--so clear, for a moment she thought a voice had actually sung aloud, a hand actually plucked the chords. Araitha's voice and Araitha's hand. It had been a favourite song of hers to play after supper.

Night unfolds her wings
With the white moon in her hair
And love rises from her bed of dreams
To waken all the sleeping earth

Next thing, the magicians pointed up into the sky. Above, the moon was lifting toward the zenith. Only the most engorged stars gleamed strongly enough to be seen against her extravagant light.
The magicians started to wave their arms and call up at the heavens. "Stars! Stars come down and visit us! No one will miss you up there, on such a moon-white night."

And the stars came.

They detached themselves from the black sky, circling, swarming, like diamond bees down toward the island.

Clirando heard Zemetrios murmur beside her. She too was astounded, and filled by the wildest happiness. Why should stars not fall from heaven?

"I've heard all men," Zemetrios said, "have a spirit animal that lives inside their soul. Perhaps..."

Perhaps.

_______________

As they moved about the bed to meet each other, each of them saw in a sudden glimpse one more magic, stranger and less strange than the sorcery of sex--"The swords--" Both blades had twined together, roping each other round like vines. "Is that because we--?"
But he reached her then.
He took her face in his hands. His body gathered hers in. His mouth was familiar to her. She knew it, as if many times before--

______________

"No longer. You and I are no more one alone to face the dangers and dirt of this world. Two together. Yes, Clirando?"

But winter had shown her, with its unseasonal cruelty, that she must not soften. She had trusted before. Now she must raise her shield if not her blade. She must be forearmed.

And so when, next moment, she saw rushing across the moon's long vista, the dappled lion-beast she had first seen on the cliffs of the Isle, she did not draw her knife. Now, she knew.
As it sprang, she too sprang forward.
In space they met. The collision was instantaneous and had no impact, only a brilliant lightning that coursed through her, cold then hot, then warm.
Landing in a warrior's practiced crouch, Clirando knew herself for one moment to be a dappled lynx-lion, tail lashing, claws ready, eyes of fire. And then the beast sank back into her spirit, accustomed as a fine knife in a sheath of velvet.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently found this book on the shelves of my local used bookstore. Of course I bought it; I'm a huge Mercedes Lackey fan, and I was pretty sure, standing there in the store, that I'd read some of Tanith Lee's stuff, too. And then I read it. It wasn't bad. But...how to put this...?

I'm glad I got it at half price.

With collections like this, I prefer to rate the individual stories and then average their scores, so this review is for the stories themselves rather than the book.

“Moontide,” by Mercedes Lackey — 3 stars.

This is...not really much like her other work. I know she has a lot of critics, but I've always liked her books. Not necessarily for the plots, which have, on occasion, been a bit lazy, or for the characters, which can get a little Mary Sue-ish; I mostly love her books for her worlds. Lackey worlds – and I'm not just talking about Valdemar – come with rich societies and detailed geography and complex histories. She builds great magic systems and interesting cultures. I don't want to make it sound like I think her writing is terrible aside from her settings, because she's written many books that I like in every respect. But, even when that's not the case, hanging out in her worlds is worth putting up with the occasional lazy plot device or too-good-to-be-true character.

The problem with short stories – especially ones not set in an established universe – is that there's no room for all the extras that made me enjoy, for instance, The Collegium Chronicles, even though side characters Bear and Lena were unbelievable and ridiculous. Don't misunderstand me: I'm not calling Moontide bad, not at all. It just wasn't as...magical as I might've hoped. It might still have rated four stars, though, except for the romance, which was both entirely unnecessary and ridiculously, unbelievably quick.

I honestly wasn't crazy about the characters, either. Moira is a little too perfect for me. Despite being very young, she's able to play the roles of expert spy, expert swordswoman, expert embroiderer, expert noblewoman...you get the idea. A little more in the way of flaws might have made her a bit more believable. And of course we have the opposite, as well: Moira's dad, who dials the unfeeling authoritarian lord role up to eleven, and the bad guy, who's naturally a diabolical sociopath or something.

Maybe, had this been a full-length novel rather than a novella, Lackey would've had room to give her characters a bit more nuance and slow down the romance. But even still, I didn't dislike this story. It could've been better, but it entertained me regardless. And I'll tell you what, I'm a bit disappointed there *isn't* a full-length novel (or series!) set in this universe; the glimpses of the society I got in the short time I was there were very interesting.

“The Heart of the Moon,” by Tanith Lee — 3 stars

This story was...unusual. It had a literary, almost poetic flavor to it; it felt a bit like I should've chanted it instead of reading it. I'd tend to bet the writing will turn a lot of people off, but honestly? I think it was necessary, because the style and cadence helped disguise a thin plot and an even thinner setting.

Sort of like using a lot of spice in your stew to hide the fact that the meat is of dubious quality.

I'm not going to say as much about this book, mostly because I don't know a way to write about my issues with the story without massive spoilers. I will say this, though: it's a weird story. It's sort of like fantasy fiction on magic mushrooms. But as weird as it was, I never seriously entertained the idea of abandoning it. For what it was, it, too, entertained me, which is why I ultimately decided not to give it two stars. But, whereas with Lackey's tale had laid enough of the framework to make me intrigued by the universe and wish for a longer book, this one left me with no desire to continue on; this universe was like the badly painted backdrop of a high school play. It was necessary to prop up the story, but it'll never be more than a paper-thin prop.

“Banshee Cries,” by C. E. Murphy — 4 stars

How funny that the one story in the book I suspected I'd like least turned out to be my favorite!

Unlike the other two tales, this one is solidly urban fantasy. Not only do I tend to strongly prefer high fantasy, the protagonist was such a cliché I could've described her perfectly before even starting reading. (Strong, mouthy, single, highly sexed, snarky, disdains traditionally “feminine” stuff in favor of dude stuff...do I need to go on?)

But, I've never minded reading derivative stories as long as they're well-done, and this one really was; I'd say it's on par with several popular series I've sampled (Kate Daniels, Alex Noziak, Raine Benares...).

In fact, I'd say the worst thing about the book is that it's a followup to an existing series, and as you might suspect, the feeling of having missed the beginning of the story was pretty strong. The story was good, but it would've been better had I already read Urban Shaman. Had it been a standalone, I'd have knocked a star or two off for not having enough exposition – there wasn't nearly enough explanation of Jo's powers and history and relationships with the other characters – but I have to assume most of that was covered in the series's first volume.

I think some people are under the impression this is a romance. (They can be forgiven, I think; this is such a bog standard urban fantasy in every other way, why wouldn't there also be the bad-boy love interest?) I can't say whether there's a romance later on in the series, but this story doesn't even have so much as a single lingering glance. (If you're wondering, that was not a complaint.)

Like I said, I really wouldn't have thought this story would be my cup of tea, and out of all of them, my expectations of Banshee Cries were lowest. It was good enough that immediately after finishing, I downloaded Urban Shaman so that I could start the story from the beginning.

So for the whole book, we come in at 3.33 stars, rounded down to three. Looking at the book as a whole, I think I'd probably have to call it “vaguely entertaining.” I certainly don't regret buying or reading it – though I think I might've been peeved had I paid the full cover price – but I also think it's going back to the used book store the next time I head down there. Not bad, but not compelling enough that I expect to reread it. My advice: see if your library has it before buying it.

[The Flooze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of Murphy's Walker Papers series, I've suffered from grave confusion throughout the last two books, thinking: What battle with a banshee? When did Billy almost die? WHAT is the deal with Joanne's mom? What in the middle realms is this lady talking about?

Some digging uncovered the novella "Banshee Cries" which Murphy labels Walker Papers 1.5. (Don't you hate it when authors make shorts required reading?)

This was a worthwhile addition to the series, exploring the reasons behind her mother's abandonment and also the timing of her death. It highlights the Gaelic side of Joanne's shamanism.

The novella is fast-paced with the right amount of humor, just like the other Walker Papers.

There's always one area where I feel this series is lacking though: the development of the villain. I know these creatures are things of myth and magic, but I wish they felt more real and tangible, less spectral. They are, after all, affecting real terror on the world..

[Myridian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book consists of three novellas by three different authors, Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee, and C E Murphy. None of the three really spoke to me in the way I was hoping for.

Lackey had been one of my favorite authors as an adolescent and I was looking forward to a little bit of guilty pleasure, escapist reading. Unfortunately the characters didn't feel well drawn out enough for me and too much happened for it to be a satisfyingly described novella. It is true that by the end of the story I wanted to spend more time with the characters, but I feel that that was more because I was left not having been given enough rather than because I simply wanted more.

Lee's story was my favorite of the three, but I felt this was one of the less strong stories of hers that I have read. The premise was interesting and the dream-like quality of Lee's writing was heightened by the subject of being drawn into an actual dream world. Again it was the characters that I had a problem with. Lee's character descriptions are often terse, but here I never felt a strong connection to her creations. This very much acted to the detriment of the story as I couldn't really bring myself to care overly much what happened to them.

Murphy's story was my least favorite. Again I felt the lack of enough space to fully develop the character in a way I could connect with. What's more, in this story Murphy was brining back a character I gather she has written about extensively elsewhere. Overall, Murphy did a passable job of brining in a virgin reader to the world, but still I felt a little like I was at a party where everyone keeps brining up in-jokes.

Perhaps the overall message of this book for me was that I dislike novellas, but as I am certainly a fan of the short story genre, it's hard for me to believe that there isn't a way of setting up a novella that leaves me more satisfied than any of this series of three did.

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** "Moontide" - Mercedes Lackey
If you're a fan of Lackey's work in general, you're bound to like this. A young woman, Moira, is summoned home from her fosterage by her estranged father, Lord of a cold sea-keep. Little does he know she's been trained in spycraft and assassination at the King's court. But Moira guesses that her father has some plot up his sleeve, and his plans might be worse than just marrying her off to a cruel pirate.
The plot progresses without any real surprises, and the general feel (as expected from Lackey) is very YA - but nevertheless, I found the story to be charming and genuinely romantic.

*** "Heart of the Moon" - Tanith Lee
I love Tanith Lee, but unfortunately, this didn't live up to my expectations. It had a bit of a dashed-off feeling to it. There was some potential in the idea of a pilgrimage to a mysterious island to work out feelings of guilt - but I didn't feel that the main character actually probed her motivations and jealousy deeply enough, and her happy ending was too quick and easy (and her lover is just too, too perfect.) I liked the magic of the island, but it remained oddly unexplained, while other elements were wrapped up too patly. Still, I'd say this is the best selection out of the three in this volume.

** "Banshee Cries" - C.E. Murphy
Apparently, this is part of an extensive series by the author. I won't be seeking other entries out - this kind of neo-urban fantasy just isn't for me. There's a cop investigator, who is a bundle of rolled-together cliches about Native American and Celtic heritage - of course, with supernatural/psychic powers inherited from both sides of her family. Conveniently - perhaps TOO conveniently, considering her background, there's a supernatural being committing ritual murders for her to investigate. Nothing too original here.

[Mireille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the C.E. Murphy story. I was not interested in the other 2 stories; I just needed my fix until I could get my hands on the next "Walker" papers!

[Olga Godim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book consists of three fantasy novellas with a whiff of romance.

Mercedes Lackey's Moontide was a decent story, though a bit rush. Moira, the protagonist, returns from her fosterage to her sea-keep home. Her father, the lord of the manor, never loved her, and she returns his sentiment in spades. Now, he seems to be engaged in some nefarious, maybe even traitorous business with his guest, a pirate prince Massid, and Moira is determined to uncover their unsavory secrets. She plays the part of an obedient girl while she watches and plans. She would do anything she could to ensure that no treachery against the King will take place in her home.
All the characters seem a little cartoonish, as if they don't have enough page space in the novella to be fully realized. And emotionally, this tale left me cold. I couldn't sympathize with any of the characters. I read it purely for the plot, which wasn't that interesting either. The writing was professional though, so this novella deserves 3 stars.

Tanith Lee's The Heart of the Moon was, like the first novella of the book, a fantasy with a romantic flavor. It was as dreamlike and lyrical as many of this author's books. This one followed a warrior priestess on her surreal pilgrimage to a mysterious island, to find absolution for her guilt or a cure for a curse - I wasn't clear on her goals. Not my forte at all anyway, but despite the abundant descriptions of weird places and the moody atmosphere of the narrative, the story read well, even if I didn't enjoy it much. Still, 3 stars for the professional quality of writing.

I didn't finish the third novella, C.E. Murphy's Banshee Cries . It seemed darker that the other two, so it didn't hold my interest.

[Bridgette Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What better unifying symbol for a collection of fantasy romance novellas than the moon—that silver disk so often associated with women and female spirituality? Likewise, what better symbol if the publishing house just happens to be Luna Books, the fantasy imprint of Harlequin. In what seems an almost too-perfect fit, one of its November 2005 releases is Winter’s Moon, a collection of three novellas.

I’ll confess that it wasn’t the title that caught my eye on this volume. It was the authors, in particular the first two: Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee, and C.E. Murphy. Luna pulled out its powerhorses for this collections and the stories live up to their authors’ reputations.

All of the stories create an excellent sense of place and give us characters that are easy to care about. They all have their strengths and vulnerabilities in nearly equal amounts. In fact, it is their vulnerabilities that feed and power their strengths.

Moontide

The first story is by Mercedes Lackey, a tale about a woman who understands and accepts her place in a patriarchal society. Does this mean that she is a weak, submissive woman? No. She is a strong, submissive woman and what she submits to his not a man, but to her people and to the debt she owes them.

Moira is the eldest daughter and heir of Highclere Sea-Keep. She’s been a fosterling of the Countess Vrenable and has become one of her Grey Ladies, women with numerous, often hidden, talents. She is recalled to her home by her cold-hearted father Lord Ferson who has hatched some plot that she must divine and foil.

Moira is someone who shows her cleverness by hiding behind demure submissiveness and making the most of another person’s false assumptions about her. She is also an eloquent defender of the concept of noblesse oblige and is willing to be wed where it would benefit her people the most.

While the plot is interesting, it is really the character of Moira which holds the most appeal. She is passionate, wise, and capable. She is a person that you want to learn more about and follow her future adventures.

As it is a Luna book, there is a love story. While it is not part of the main theme, it is very much a feel-good addition. It boosts the story’s catharsis and leaves the reader with a smile at the end.

The Heart of the Moon

Tanith Lee’s story begins in a warrior society where most of the warriors and clerics are female. Clirando discovers that her best friend and her lover are having an affair. She immediately demands justice and challenges them to a duel in which she thoroughly shames them and is responsible for their exile. While this is justice, she is so beset by guilt that she is eventually set upon a quest where she must either conquer it or be conquered.

The Heart of the Moon is a very magical tale, even while Clirandro herself practices no magic at all. Instead, it is the magic of the human heart and what we must do to find forgiveness—not for others, but for ourselves. During her journey, she meets Zemetrious, another injured soul. The two of them journey in search of healing, even while they both think they are searching for something else.

It is a very psychological story. There were times when you could almost hear the voice of a therapist wrapped in the sparkle of magic and the words of sages. The paths that these two protagonists are set upon are paths that many of us must traverse in our lifetime, even if we don’t travel to the moon to find answers.

Banshee Cries

C.E. Murphy’s novella is an intermission between her June 2005 release of Urban Shaman and the second book in the series due out in 2006. One could almost call it version 1.5. She takes the same characters and gives us more background about them by giving them another adventure.

Though perhaps adventure is too hearty and upbeat a word to apply to the investigation of a grisly serial murder. The would-be mechanic beat cop is called upon to use her newly found spiritual abilities to find the inhuman evil that has murdered women in a park.

The story is a tale of mothers and daughters and coming to terms with the past. Joanne, the mechanic, beat cop, and urban shaman, is suddenly having intense conversations with her mother who died nearly six months before. Their relationship—one that had lasted only a few months before her mother died—was a cold one and it now undergoes a strange and unusual transformation.

The magic in the book ranges from Native American to Irish while having an almost hard-boiled detective feel to it. Of the three novellas, this was the one which had the least love story. The love story was the love between a mother and daughter, not a romantic love shared by lovers.

The bright and witty writing had me frequently laughing aloud. This novella could almost be a marketing piece for her novels. It certainly inspired me to read Urban Shaman--which is now sitting at my bedside as the next book on my list to read.

The Winter Moon was entertaining from start to finish. It was almost impossible to set down and it traveled with me everywhere I went during the weekend that I read it. If you’re looking for enjoyable reading with engaging characters, then indulge yourself in these three novellas.

[Mary23nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the Moontide story.

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 2 out of 5]

✖ "Moontide" by Mercedes Lackey
✖ "The Heart of the Moon" by Tanith Lee
✔ "Banshee Cries" by C.E. Murphy


2 Stars

[Altivo Overo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three imaginative and well executed novellas, by three excellent authors. What more can I say?

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with many short story collections, this was a mixed bag. I am big fan of Mercedes Lackey and her story “Moontide” had all the elements of her classic writing – adventure, strong female character and a little unexpected love. I adore love stories that are sort of incidental to saving the day and this story was a great read. Tanith Lee’s offering “The Heart of the Moon” was much more cerebral, exploring themes of forgiveness of self and absolution. I liked the more dream-like and mystical elements but I didn’t have a lot of emotional connection with the main characters. Unfortunately, C.E. Murphy – who was awed to be included with the other two authors – offered the least enjoyable selection. A stand-alone installment of her ongoing series, it felt terribly jarring to read urban fantasy about a cop after the two more traditional fantasy stories. There were some interesting elements in “Banshee Cries” but it was my least favorite of the three and I have no particular interest in checking out the full series.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 3 stories in this collection, which I'll rate separately.

Mercedes Lackey, "Moontide." 3 stars. I really loved the set-up for this story--courtly political intrigue, set in a sea castle with moon magic? Yes please! However, the ending was really rushed (a pretty complex plot was wrapped in in about 2 paragraphs), and I felt the story would have been better served as a novel. The characters and plot were deep enough; I wish this hadn't been so short.


Tanith Lee, "Heart of the Moon." 3 stars. Not my favorite of Lee's (amazing) stories, but still solid, with a satisfying conclusion.

C.E. Murphy, "Banshee Cries." 2 stars. I skimmed this. There's nothing wrong with it, I'm just not a fan of the first-person urban fantasy genre.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book to read the story by C.E. Murphy, which is part of her Walker Papers series. I enjoyed that story quite a bit. Of the other two stories, I only read one of them, the one by Mercedes Lackey, which was okay. I didn't even try to read the one by Tanith Lee because I know that her writing doesn't agree with me.

[DFZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first two stories but couldn't get into the third. Connecting with the third story in this collection is hard without having read the novel it draws characters from. Despite that, the female characters are strong women who have amazing adventures, and I'm glad authors craft women I admire.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of three books was a mixed bag. The first story was fine. A little predictable and cutesy, but fine. The second story was wonderful. Tanith Lee has a fabulous way of creating dreamscapes in her writing. The third story was so bad I didn't bother to finish the book. All in all I'd suggest reading the middle story and ditching the other two.

[Chichipio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read Banshee Cries by C.E. Murphy. I think this is the perfect length for her stories. Same amount of plot and character development, less than half the whining and other annoying things. Definitely better than the second and third full length books of the series.

[Kathy KS · Rating 2 out of 5]

All these stories were o.k., but didn't grab me enough to check out the series that they may be related to. Actually, the excerpt at the end of the book was the most interesting of the bunch, in my opinion; I may have to check out the full item.

[colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

read 12.30.05
I liked the Walker Papers story best but the other two were also good.

[Mandy Beyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the first and last stories - the middle one was only so-so for me.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Moontide by Mercedes Lackey and thought the second story was ok but didn't make it more than a few pages into the third story before I quit.

[Lindsey Rojem · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. For the first story, the characters and plot could have used way more depth. The second one was pretty well done, and the third just had too much going on.

[Bonnie Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not many anthologies where I like all the stories - this one I loved all three.

[♥Xeni♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mercedes Lackey went first, in this 3-author collaboration book. Her story was a great little one-off featuring a strong woman (trained in assassination) who was unexpectedly called home. There she finds rebellion brewing, and decides that it's her duty to take a stand against her father's malicious intentions.

I loved this tale, as it featured the ocean and coast, digging out resilience within oneself, and evil people getting what comes to them. I really would have preferred a more full tale, as this felt very rushed and hurried. Still, a fun start to this moon-themed anthology.

The second story by Tanith Lee was my favorite, hands down. I really felt connected to Clirando (although not her name... wtf kind of name is Clirando?). Figuring out that you have been battling your own demons this whole time, even when unjustified, was a nice touch. Then showing her a way to come to a resolution and bear the strength of facing her emotions, that was wonderful. I'm glad she could work through her troubles to triumph on the other side. It felt both like a strange and alien culture, but the characters and difficulties they face were familiar. So although it was a unique and dynamic setting, I felt like I was on this journy with Cliro. Beautiful.

The last tale was by C. E. Murphy. Perhaps it was because this is a story set between the first and second of her series, or maybe it's just that her protagnoist has no redeeming qualities, but I just really couldn't get into it. I felt no connection to the characters. The writing felt really annoying and off-the-wall in a bothersome way. I gave it a good shot, but I am just not interested to see how she 'triumphs'. I wish I was, since I love a good mystical detective show, and yet somehow in the written form these stories are just not doing it for me.

Well, I perservered mostly in order to finish up my goal # of books for 2018. Now I'll go reread some old favorites for the holiday season.

[Amethyst · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains three stories of different quality. It is totally worth reading the first two. Don't bother with the third one.

The first story is by Mercedes Lackey and part of her Five Hundred Kingdoms series but you don't need any background knowledge to enjoy it. I loved the writing style, the fully fleshed characters, her strong females (both main and side characters), and the interesting plot. It might not be something completely new and unknow, but the author manages to make it interesting and fascinating. I emphasized with the main character, followed her thoughts and felt her doubts. I also loved that many of the people in the castle had disabilities, including the male love interest.

Tanith Lee's story was quite different, both in writing and in setting. It took me a while to get used to the world which was remniscent of ancient Greece. It also had many interesting and strong female characters, a lot of human drama and an unusual challenge which Lee used to explore the human psyche. I like it a lot.

Whereas I found the story by C.E. Murphy rather disappointing. Her writing was often confusing, because she only mentioned what was actually happening and did not describe it in detail. She spent a lot of time on everyday stuff that was not relevant to a murder investigation or finding the villain - like three or four pages (I skipped that part) on annoying children screaming around and playing with the MC. Dude WTF? There was a lot of tedious bantering between characters, too. I found the MC shallow and unwilling to do what she was tasked to do (how I hate that trope). The villain on the other hand was a twisted parody of a mythological figure whose motif for doing the gruesome deeds was never really revealed. This story is part of Murphy's "Urban Shaman" series and reminded me why I didn't continue reading it after the second book.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed these three stories.

They were very different from each other, though linked by the subject of a Winter Moon, as the title of the book shows, but they have the same feeling of otherness to them that I love.

Story one: Moontide by Mercedes herself, is set in the world of the 500 Kingdoms - books that I haven't read yet, so this was totally new to me - and tells the tale of Moira na Ferson, who is called back to her father's Sea Keep, from her fosterage with the King's sister, where she had learned things that her father would not have approved of.

Those lessons come in very handy, when she realises that there is treason happening in the Keep - and it will take Moira, the King's Fool, who is staying in the Keep over the winter, some ingenuity - and a little magic - to foil the plot.

The second story: The Heart of the Moon by Tanith Lee, tells the story of Clirando, a warrior who is cheated on by her lover and her best friend. This causes her to become cold, and it takes a journey to the Moon Isle, where, in the midsummer, through the magic of the island, she confronts herself over the seven nights of the winter full moon, and finds her way back to herself - along with another love, too.

Story number three: Banshee Cries by C.E. Murphy, is book 1.5 of her Walker Papers - yet another series I've not read but, because of this story, will be getting the books as soon as I can!

This story deals with Jo, a policewoman, who has discovered that she is also a Shaman. This story tells how she comes to terms with both her powers, and her dead mother, while battling with a Banshee on the full moon of the Winter Equinox.

I'll be reading Harvest Moon next, and hope it's just as good as this one!

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is three novellas and the first one is by Mercedes Lackey. The only thing that I had a problem with in her story is two minor things. It took forever to get around for something to happen and when it did, it didn't last long. The other thing is that she made such a big to-do about the chick being some kind of (spy or assassin or warrior - it was hard to tell) and then, let her do really nothing about it. How she defeated the villain, any woman (in a fantasy novel) could have. So, nothing special about her. It was still a good story, but, I like my fantasy (was it supposed to be that?) stories a little more fast pace. I used to read her other fantasy novels Heralds of Valdemar series and loved them, so, this one was a little meh.

The second novella was from Tanith Lee. It was interesting and though it didn't have a lot of action, action wasn't needed. It was just a little odd and sometimes a fantasy story can get odd, especially if gods are involved. It just ended too abruptly for me. But, it was still a fun read that had me turning pages, so, it was good.

The third one was from C. E. Murphy and I didn't know, until I started reading it that it is between book one and book two of her Urban Shaman series. So, I felt a little lost, and having not read the first book, I sort of just stumbled around the story going; well, that's kind of cool or hey, that's interesting or okay, that was a bit odd. Even though it was part of a series, taken alone, it was still pretty darn good.

Because the stories were short, it was a fun and quick read. I gave it a 3, but, there wasn't anything to really dislike about any of the stories, but, there wasn't enough of any one thing to bring it up nor bring it down. A 3 is "I liked it" and for the whole book, I did.

[Karisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book includes 3 short stories (novellas?), but I only read the first... "Moontide" by Mercedes Lackey is listed as being part of The Five Hundred Kingdoms series and was my reason for picking up this book in the first place. While I enjoyed the story in general, it read more like a half-finished novel than a short story. Some scenes were carefully written in detail, and the setting and some of the characters were well established, while other characters were just kind of sketched in and there were many scenes that felt like placeholders. I think I would probably really enjoy this if it were fleshed out as a novel; even though the plot was fairly predictable and the main character unnaturally perfect, the setting was interesting, and I enjoyed some of the other characters, and those were enough to balance out a predictable plot. However, as a short story it was unsatisfying.

The second story is "The Heart of the Moon" by Tanith Lee, and I am not sure I care to read to the end of it. I'm about 20 pages in and it's just not my jam.

"Banshee Cries" by C.E. Murphy is the third story, and according to other reviews on Goodreads, it is part of a series and does not stand well on its own. I'm not up for starting another series right now, but maybe I'll come back to this one later.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewing collections is always hard, and this is no different. The three stories are all quite different so, here goes:
Moontide by Mercedes Lackey: So, I read a whole ton of Lackey growing up. It was my jam. Telepathic magic horses that Chose you? Totally what my high school self wanted to read about. I've kept reading Lackey kind of out of habit and out of nostalgia, but with an increased notice of the faults. This is no different. There is some good description, but the pacing is weird and the main villain being a pirate prince from the east who has a harem of wives is...problematic...to be diplomatic. That aside it wasn't terrible as a short story.

Heart of the Moon by Tanith Lee: This was quite good. Very introspective, the pacing didn't feel weird for a short story, and the amount of world building that was packed in without feeling like an overload was impressive.

Banshee Cries by CE Murphy: I couldn't finish this one. It was part of a series which I haven't read, so I didn't have any background and the Celtic/Cherokee main character seemed like a hot mess of cultural appropriation. I'm glad it was the last story so I could just give up.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an isolated land where the lure of the "Moontide" leads to shipwrecks, a woman is torn between obeying her father or her king. Struggling under the curse of a dead comrade, Clirando, a warrior priestess unready to face the powers trapped within her, must face "The Heart of the Moon" to reveal what has been hidden. In "Banshee Cries," ritual murders under a full moon lead Jo Walker to confront a Harbinger of Death.

Heather's Notes
I read this anthology mostly for "Banshee Cries" which I did enjoy. It was a really good story and I still plan to continue that series. I also liked "Moontide". I would like to read more on those characters and while it is the same world as an ongoing series, it apparently does not connect. I will check out that series though. As for "The Heart of the Moon" I wasn't as fond of it. I did not feel the characters need to make amends for what they did. They did nothing wrong, especially Clirando. Also the ending was left very unfinished. It did not mention a series so I assume it is a stand alone. If it is part of a series, maybe the author did more in it.