From Publishers Weekly
Dangerous family secrets and the growing threat of Salka invasion make for arcane bombast and treacherous politics in May's taut, fast-paced third Boreal Moon Tale (after 2005's
Ironcrown Moon). As King Conrig of High Blenholme readies for war with the tentacled Salka, his official heir, son Orrion, foolishly bargains with the ancient magical Beaconfolk to gain the hand of his true love, Nyla, rather than wed Hyndry, the daughter of King Somarus, Conrig's ally. The Beaconfolk take his sword arm, leaving him unfit to rule and the fate of the royal dynasty in turmoil. Meanwhile, Deveron Austrey, Conrig's former spy, seeks Dyfrig, Conrig's true firstborn son and heir, and the wife Conrig divorced years earlier, in the hope of setting things right. Given the complex backstory as well as the immense cast, new readers would do well to start with the first of this epic fantasy series,
Conqueror's Moon (2004).
(Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
The conclusion of the Boreal Moon Tale (
Conqueror's Moon, 2004, and
Ironcrown Moon, 2005, precede it) fulfills most readers' expectations. The magic of King Conrig of High Blenholme, by which he maintains his rule against the rebellious, nonhuman Salka, is weakening. He trusts his son, Prince Orrion, will succeed him, but that depends on a dynastic marriage. Orrion wants to marry his childhood sweetheart--and endanger his succession. Posing further danger to orderly succession, Conrig's first wife thinks her son is the legitimate heir and intrigues to put him forward. That might solve Orrion's romantic problems. Then the Salka flare into open revolt, and Conrig is driven to desperate measures, including old, foul magic, to get himself off the horns of his dilemmas. Though the pace is sometimes slow, May realizes characters, setting, and the potential ethical conundrums involved in using magic with her accustomed skill, and readers who've enjoyed her for 30 years won't stop now.
Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
