Review: Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

Throne of the Crescent Moon
Saladin Ahmed
Fantasy
February 2012
DAW
ISBN: 978-0-7564-0711-7
274 pages
hard cover
accquired: purchased

The blurb, from Goodreads:
From Saladin Ahmed, finalist for the Nebula and Campbell Awards, comes one of the year’s most anticipated fantasy debuts, THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON, a fantasy adventure with all the magic of The Arabian Nights.

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings:

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, “The last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,” just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame’s family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter’s path.

Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla’s young assistant, a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety, is eager to deliver God’s justice. But even as Raseed’s sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the Lion-Shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man’s title. She lives only to avenge her father’s death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father’s killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince’s brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time–and struggle against their own misgivings–to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

The Review:

Throne of the Crescent Moon opens with an enjoyable morning for Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, one of the last ghul hunters, and the last such in the city of Dhamsawaat. He’s had a long life, has fought monsters for most of it, and what he wants–and what he knows won’t last long, if his history holds true–is to just relax and have a peaceful cup of tea.

Adoulla is a good man, a very very good man, who has a wonderfully earthy attitude. A page into his point of view and I had a great deal of affection for him. His sense of humor, fatalism, and faith instantly sucked me in, and I found myself wanting a cranky, funny, tired, and strong Adoulla is my own life. He reminded me of composite of my uncles, with the added kick-ass ability to destroy the monsters that roam the world.

A perfect foil for Adoulla is the devout and straight-as-an-arrow Raseed bas Raseed, a dervish who, until his apprenticeship to Adoulla two years prior to the story, had seen precious little of the real world, living the sheltered life of a monk. Raseed’s idealistic, black and white view of the world clashes often with the worn practicality of Adoulla’s attitude and perspective. It’s the vitality and naivete of youthful inexperience against the jaded and nuanced view of an old man’s experience. It could be trite, but Ahmed writes them both so well that it feels completely natural.

Raseed and Adoulla come across Lamia Banu Laith Badawi, the Protector of the Band, a young woman who has been touched by Angels and given the ability to shift into the shape of a lioness. She’s on a mission to avenge the deaths of her people, killed by the beings that Adoulla and Raseed are hunting. Lamia is driven by revenge and grief over the loss of her family and band, which has the potential to come across as simple and two-dimensional, but as Adoulla gets to know her, and as the point of view shifts to Lamia, we realize how complex a person she is.

The point of view of the novel starts off with Adoulla, and later shifts to the other major characters, who all are well rounded and believable people. I’m not always a fan of a rotating point of view in novels, but it was handled well here, so no complaints from me.

There is more, of course, to the novel than the characters. I just keep going on about them because I got quite attached. The pace, despite Adoulla’s internal grumblings, is quite fast, giving Adoulla, Raseed, Lamia, and their companions barely time to recover from setbacks and injuries. There are ghuls of different varieties, human monsters, a political crisis, and on the edges, romance. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s woven together beautifully.

Throne of the Crescent Moon is the first book in a planned trilogy, and after reading it, I’m impatient to read the next installment. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and encourage everyone to check it out.

Visit the author’s Website. Follow the author on Twitter.

An aside – Wraith, by Angel Lawson

I have a friend (Angel Lawson) who has published her first novel, Wraith, which is available for the Kindle over at Amazon. Paperback options are forthcoming. I’m  ridiculously excited for her and want to support her in this.

Because I know Angel and think she’s awesome, I don’t feel like I can be an objective reviewer… so I’ll just say that I really, really like the characters, the story, and the whole feel of Wraith and tell you to go check it out to see it it’s something you might like, too.

Here is the blurb:

Freak. Weird. Crazy. These are the names tossed around seventeen-year old Jane Watts by her fellow classmates. But things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes there’s a reason for talking to yourself in the hallway at school.

Adjusting to her new home and school after an abrupt move, Jane wants one thing in life—to be like everyone else at school, but that’s hard to do when you’re the new kid. Although she does manage to make one friend, Evan—he’s sixteen, charming, and protective. Everything a girl could want in a best friend…with one minor caveat.

He’s dead.

Caught somewhere between life and death, Evan is tied to Jane and the living world unable to complete the journey to the other side. She thinks he’s here to be her friend, to take care of her, and that’s why no one can see or hear him.

That is until a new boy shows up at school after a rumored stretch in Juvie. Connor can see Evan and he’s not convinced the ghost is being completely honest. From his own experience ghosts tend to need something from the humans they connect to and Evan, despite his arguments isn’t any different.

Jane is resentful of Connor’s intrusion but realizes soon enough he’s right. Evan has secrets about his past and not only did his life end tragically but members of his family are still in danger. Jane must face her fears and battle Evan’s human demons to free both of them.

Coming Soon! February 2012

There are several releases this month that look interesting, but the one that I have been waiting in anticipation for is Saladin Ahmed’s Throne of the Crescent Moon. I’ve enjoyed the short stories of Ahmed’s I’ve read, and when he shared that he had his first novel/series picked up by DAW I was excited…and then bummed that I had to wait until February 2012, which seemed so very far away at that point. But! February is here, and the wait is almost over. Yay!

Throne of the Crescent Moon
Saladin Ahmed
Fantasy
February 7, 2012
DAW Books
ISBN:9780756407117
288 pages

The blurb, from Goodreads:
From Saladin Ahmed, finalist for the Nebula and Campbell Awards, comes one of the year’s most anticipated fantasy debuts, THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON, a fantasy adventure with all the magic of The Arabian Nights.

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings:

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, “The last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,” just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame’s family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter’s path.

Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla’s young assistant, a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety, is eager to deliver God’s justice. But even as Raseed’s sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the Lion-Shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man’s title. She lives only to avenge her father’s death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father’s killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince’s brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time–and struggle against their own misgivings–to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

January’s blogosphere round up

New-to-me interesting bits from around the reading, writing, and geekery Internet and blogging worlds, January 2012 version.

On Tor.com, Marissa Meyer writes From Werewolf Hunters to Rights Activists: Updating Fairy Tale Heroines “It suggested that if a girl were good and pious and silently put up with all the miseries of her life, she had a chance of being lifted up to something better.”

Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast, #21: African SF & Fantasy! Nollywood! Entomology! With Guest Nnedi Okorafor. “Nnedi Okorafor, author of Zahrah the Windseeker and The Shadow Speaker, joins us to talk about Africa as it’s represented in science fiction and fantasy. Dave and John discuss portrayals of Africa in fiction and film.”

Beyond Orcs and Elves: Diversity in Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Readers, a three-part series. Part I, Part II, Part III. From Stacy Whitman’s Grimoire. “One of the hallmarks of this kind of epic fantasy are worlds populated by what has become the standard fantasy races: any combination of elves, orcs, goblins, hobbit-like halflings—called “kender” in Dragonlance, halflings elsewhere—ogres, giants, and dragons (though usually the hero is a white human or light-skinned elf or half-elf, and most often that hero is also a man/boy).”

Matthew David Surridge has A Few Words About Order of the Stick over at Black Gate. Since it’s a favorite webcomic of mine, I wanted to share. “The strip isn’t just about the game, nor is it just a showcase for Burlew’s killer sense of humour. The comic’s run for over eight hundred installments up to this point, plus extra stories in various print collections; it’s developed a coherent story, and surprisingly sympathetic characters. It’s gone from a gag strip to a fantasy epic — a nice trick, given that the story’s told with stick figures.”

Wake Up! It’s Time for a History Lesson, Victoria Martinez at Kristen Lamb’s blog. “So how does an historical author avoid the pitfalls that plague historical research and writing and keep even the most scrupulous readers happy?”

Over at Magical Words: What inspires you. “Today I want to talk about what inspires you to write. Not what gives you ideas, but what puts you in the mood or makes you want to write.”

Give Your Characters a Voice: Writing Strong Dialogue from Susan J. Morris at Omnivoracious. “When your dialogue is strong enough, and each character has a unique voice, readers not only feel like they’ve known your characters their whole life—they fall in love with them.”

A Checklist for creating alternate social and cultural norms in a fictional world at TalkToYoUniverse. “You’ve created a world. The “people” there, human or not, don’t live like we do. How do you go about writing their lives – their manners, their rules, etc. – without sounding either pedantic or overblown? It’s not as easy as it looks, but I hope this checklist will help you to get a good start.”

Review: Saucerers and Gondoliers by Dominic Green

Saucerers and Gondoliers
Dominic Green
science fiction, young adult
August 2011
Smashwods
171 pages
format: epub
accquired: author sent copy for review
This review is cross-posted from Spacegypsies

Saucerers and Gondoliers is a fun romp through space with two British teens, Cleo and Ant. We meet the two of them off the side of the motorway, where it’s apparent that Ant’s father is loading his eighteen wheeler with illegally purchased goods. When Ant asks his father what’s being loaded into the truck, he answers “green diesel” – and then the deal starts to go sour. Ant, based on previous experience, takes Cleo off into the woods to get away from the deal his dad is trying to close.

And then Ant and Cleo encounter another example of a man trying to load up a vehicle with ill-gotten goods. Only this one is a flying saucer. Cleo and Ant have gone from a truck loaded with contraband to a flying saucer loaded with it. They have all the luck!

Before long, the two of them find themselves flying through space and their saucer’s captain unconscious from his injuries. With no idea of where they are headed, they survive on the crisps and foodstuffs loaded on the saucer, and have a moment of panic when they stop flying and are just…wherever they are. Adrift, with their pilot unconscious.

This sets up my favorite exchange in the book. It cracked me up when I read it, and I kept going back to it:

The alien saucer turned side-on to the light, and Ant saw a faded emblem stencilled across its side. A star in a circle, two rows of stripes like wings, and the letters USASN.

“We’re saved!” he said. “It’s friendly!”

“How do you know it’s friendly?”

“It must be friendly! It’s American!”

This leads Ant and Cleo to the settlement of Croatoan of the New Dixie colony, which is inhabited by the worst examples of Southern Americans possible. Nearly everyone Ant and Cleo encounter here are parodies (I hope they are parodies) of ignorant, racist rednecks who are frozen in pre-civil rights era thinking.

On the one hand, I find it amusing. On the other–maybe it’s some bias on my part as a reader living in the American South–it’s really, really annoying. The only thing that made the residents of Coatoan bearable is that later the Soviet Russians and then Brits that the kids encounter are also all caricatures (though the Brits are perhaps less obnoxious); everyone is equally two dimensional.

Ant and Cleo’s adventures in space opens up several questions about the beginning of the US space program that turns into the Colonies of the United States in space and the United States of the Zodiac with no resolution. Cleo and Ant (and their eventual +1 from Croatoan, Glenn Bob) find out about the mysterious Saucerers, who may or may not exist, and then…nothing. No resolution or exploration of the mystery.

Their romp in space is fun, and I was entertained. Ant and Cleo are clever and entertaining teens. It was easy to read the whole story as a tongue-in-cheek mockery of the space adventures of old. It felt more like a series of encounters than a thoughtful story, though. This thing happens. And then this! And clever humor at the expense of the Americans and Soviets and generally not bright adults! So I wouldn’t pick this up if you are looking for thinky thoughts. It is entertaining, though. Just not deep.

Visit the author’s Website.

Coming Soon! December 2011 edition

For whatever reason, I’ve had a tough time getting excited about this December’s releases; when I went trolling through the various lists of December releases there were only two that stood out for me (usually there are several, and I have  to narrow it down for this monthly post).

The Demi-Monde: Winter
Rod Rees
Science Fiction
December 27, 2011
Harpers Collins
ISBN: 978-0062070340
528 pages

The blurb, from the publisher:
The Demi-Monde:
1. A subclass of society whose members embrace a decadent lifestyle and evince loose morals.
2. A shadow world where the norms of civilized behavior have been abandoned.
3. A massive multiple-player simulation technology that re-creates in a wholly realistic cyber-milieu the threat-ambiance and no-warning aspects of a hi-intensity, deep-density, urban Asymmetric Warfare Environment.
4. Hell.

Welcome to the Demi-Monde, the ultimate in virtual reality—a military training ground and vivid, simulated world of cruelty and chaos run by psychopaths, madmen and fanatics.

If you die here, you die in the Real World . . .

In the year 2018, the Demi-Monde is the most sophisticated, complex and unpredictable computer simulation ever created, devised specifically to train soldiers for the nightmarish reality of urban warfare. A virtual world of eternal civil conflict, its thirty million inhabitants—“Dupes”—are ruled by cyber-duplicates of some of history’s cruelest tyrants: the fanatical Nazi butcher Reinhard Heydrich; Stalin’s arch executioner Lavrentii Beria; the torture-loving Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada; the Reign of Terror’s bloodthirsty mastermind Maximilien Robespierre.

But something has gone horribly wrong inside the Demi-Monde, and the U.S. president’s daughter, Norma, has been lured into this terrifying shadow world, only to be trapped there. Her last hope of rescue is Ella Thomas, an eighteen-year-old jazz singer and very reluctant heroine. But when Ella infiltrates the Demi-Monde and begins her hunt for Norma, she soon discovers the walls containing the evils of this simulated environment are dissolving—and the Real World is in far more danger than anyone knows. With the help of resistors determined to understand their world, Ella must race to save Norma and stop an apocalypse . . . but the clock is ticking.

Blending fact and fantasy, history and religion, military and existential themes, epic adventure and dark wit, dystopia and steampunk in a wholly original and driving narrative stream, The Demi-Monde: Winter is inventive fiction at its finest.

Empire State
Adam Christopher
Science fiction
December 27, 2011
Angry Robot
ISBN: 9780857661937
416 pages

The blurb, from the publisher:
The stunning superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York.

It was the last great science hero fight, but the energy blast ripped a hole in reality, and birthed the Empire State – a young, twisted parallel prohibition-era New York.

When the rift starts to close, both worlds are threatened, and both must fight for the right to exist.

Adam Christopher’s stunning debut novel heralds the arrival of an amazing new talent.

November blogosphere reading round-up

I’ve been reading ’round the writing/publishing/geekery blogosphere again. Here are a few new-to-me bits I found interesting enough to share. November 2011 edition.

For my American friends: I hope your Thanksgiving was lovely! To all my readers: I’m thankful to each of you who come by here and support me.

Kristine Kathryne Rusch talks about free (e)books as promotion. (I found this by way of Angie’s Desk.) “Will I offer a free book in the future? In a heartbeat. But as I said above, I will have a game plan, and I will make sure that I know what I’m aiming for with the promotion. That’s what other businesses do. They don’t just randomly offer a special. They put some thought into it.”

Fueling Plot Momentum - a guest post by Victoria Mixon over at Tartitude. “Every day, in every way, I am always telling aspiring writers, ‘Whatever you do, never interfere with the forward motion of your plot.’ Life is short, and stories are legion. We haven’t got that kind of time. But even better than simply not interfering, we need to know how to increase that forward motion.”

From Kate Nepveu on Tor.com – A Plea to SFF Writers for Variety in Pregnancy and Childbirth Depictions. “The easiest thing any writer can do is, quite simply, to remember that there is a huge variety of experience out there.”

At Worlds Without End, David Brin recommends science fiction for young adults. “Why post a YA list by David Brin? Well, he’s David Brin for crying out loud – which is reason enough for me. And it’s a really good list. But mainly it because Mr. Brin has been actively working to spread the gospel of SF/F to younger fans for many years.”

If Tolkein Were Black at Salon.com.  “There may be swords and talismans of power and wizards and the occasional dragon, but there often aren’t any black- or brown-skinned people, and those who do appear are decidedly peripheral; in The Lord of the Rings, they all seem to work for the bad guys.”

The Secrets of Good Blogging–a Jim C. Hines guest post at Science Fiction & Fantasy Novelists. “Last week, I wrote a post asking whether writers should blog, and why. I wanted to write a follow-up for the hypothetical writer whose thought things over and decided to go for it. Having made that choice, what next?”

Kristen Lamb talks about Ways to Develop Your Unique Writer Voice. “Voice is one of those aspects of writing that is tough to define and quantify. Yet, it is at the heart of who we are as writers. The more we write, the more mature our writing voice becomes. Leave an immature, unformed voice to wander off on its own, and it will be wandering around getting into everything and making a mess.”

From the Worlds Without End blog, Automata 101: Frankenstein’s Monster as Golem by Rhonda Knight. I would’ve loved this approach to Shelley’s fantastic novel when I studied it as an undergrad. I think it would’ve made reading the novel an even better experience than it was.