Voyage of the Shadowmoon

Moonworlds Saga #1

by Sean McMullen

Sean McMullen, one of Australia's leading genre writers, took America by storm with his sweeping Greatwinter Trilogy, a post-apocalyptic science fiction tour de force that won over critics and readers alike.

Now McMullen delivers Voyage of the Shadowmoon , a fantasy epic of daunting skill and scope. The Shadowmoon is a small, unobtrusive wooden schooner whose passengers and crew are much more than they Ferran, the Shadowmoon’s lusty captain who dreams of power; Roval, the warrior-sorcerer; Velander and Terikel, priestesses of a nearly extinct sect; and the chivalrous vampire Laron, who has been trapped in a fourteen-year-old body for seven hundred years.

They sail the coast, gathering useful information, passing as simple traders. But when they witness the awful power of Silverdeath, an uncontrollable doomsday weapon of awesome destructiveness, they realize they must act. But every single king, emperor, and despot covets Silverdeath’s power. It will take all of their wits and more than a little luck if they hope to prevent one of these power-hungry fools from destroying the world. Their only advantage? The Shadowmoon.

While it seems to be little more that a small trading vessel--too small for battle, too fat for speed—it is actually one of the most sophisticated vessels in the world, one that allows them to travel to places where no others would dare. They can only hope it will be enough to save them all before Silverdeath rains destruction across their entire world.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Vampires, Science Fiction, Pirates, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Dr. Sean McMullen, author of the acclaimed cyberpunk/steampunk Greatwinter Trilogy, is one of Australia's top Science Fiction and Fantasy authors.

Winning over a dozen awards (including multiple Analog Readers Awarda and a Hugo Award finalist), his work is a mixture of romance, invention and adventure, populated by strange and dynamic characters. The settings for Sean's work range from the Roman Empire, through Medieval Europe, to cities of the distant future. He is a musician, medievalist, star gazer, karate instructor, felineophile, and IT manager.

Reviews

[Dirk Grobbelaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attempted reading this novel about five years ago, but abandoned it after being bogged down for some time. Now, I have decided to give it another try, and am I ever so glad. Voyage of the Shadowmoon is actually a pretty demanding read. The world has a very “established” feel to it, even though it’s vastly different to the norm, and McMullen does not spoon-feed his readers. Bland imaginations will probably not appreciate this too much, as readers are often forced to speculate and draw their own conclusions. In fact, getting a holistic view of the proceedings here can be quite a challenge. The plot is also somewhat more complex than first impressions suggest, and navigating the warren of deception and intrigue slowed down my reading experience considerably. Despite the 550-odd pages, at which this novel isn’t exactly the biggest fantasy tome available, it took me a long time to finish. There are some really interesting aspects to the world that is only ever hinted at, little crumbs dropped here and there, and I’ll probably look up the sequels just to see whether these are explored further. Bear in mind that, despite the existence of sequels, Voyage of the Shadowmoon is a stand-alone novel and you won’t need to read any more novels in the series if this doesn’t appeal to you.

There is quite a bit of humour on offer here, and it’s handled pretty well for the most part. This adds another dimension to the reading experience and certainly ups the fun-factor. There are many characters, most of whom remain shrouded in mystery. Let me just say that nothing in this book is what it seems. My edition of Voyage of the Shadowmoon does not contain a map, which is a shame, as there are so many different nations and locations involved.

In the end I really enjoyed the novel. I was going to give it 5 stars, but the convolutedness of the whole affair eventually forced me to reconsider.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something about this book, its something I can't really explain in a review, but I just love it. There isn't one thing I can point at and say "This is what I loved" its just the whole book and the way its meshed together.

Sean McMullen has this ability to make me laugh out loud at a book and draw the attention of everyone around me and for me not to care. The part where Laron and Druskarl stumbled upon Velander and Feran is just too much. I think I read it to everyone who would listen.

Laron is also probably one of my favorite vampires and characters. I always think of him when I think of vampires and smile to myself. I don't have time to say much other than I think more people should give this series a chance.

[hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have Some Thoughts.
• This reads like the background info and script for characters and events from someone’s DnD campaign. A fun sounding one, though.
•The humour consisted of one liners so cheesy I rolled my eyes at several points.
•The author seemed to like writing each thing that happened as though it’s a scene from a tv show, assembling them along a timeline and jumbling them up a little so that every single plot point that happens (and trust, there’s a lot) you physically cannot predict what you’re going to be reading after.
•Said plot ideas are absolutely wild and you will read IKEA instruction manuals with more depth of description - seriously, one or two of this book’s chapters could’ve been a whole book in itself if they were padded out to the traditional New Adult trilogy + spinoff that we now see.
• super weird how the character that looks to be (anywhere from 14 to 17 at different parts of the book) to everyone else has sex with two adult characters (I believe it’s stated he looks about 17 there but. He wears a fake beard that everyone can see is fake so 🙄) who are like yeah actually this is normal and fine.
• the world building was kind of confusing at first especially when we started getting hints that Earth exists as another world? Possibly in the same solar system as this?? And that Laron is from like 15th century France also and THATS barely elaborated on bc it’s not even really important tbh. But like wtf were Penny and Elltee to do with it?? How were they involved with the whole oracle sphere thing?
• Feran’s whole plot twist was so cliché and over the top.
• Could've done with a map lol :(


So why four stars?
• Actual?? Interesting?? female characters?? I’m as shocked as you. It doesn’t start promising at first and you have the whole ‘it’s time for your fantasy book misogyny💁‍♀️! yes dear 😔’ but ! There is character growth! and the female characters aren’t all written to be identical versions of each-other:
(Wensomer is quite happy with her weight despite being called overweight by other characters, and plans to gain it back after her mission, plus it's stated she’s still attractive at a larger weight AND one of the most powerful sorceresses we see as well as extremely plot relevant to the overall climax of the story by destroying Silverdeath; Terikel has sex with Feran as part of her undercover mission and feels guilty that this inadvertently saved her from death, but nevertheless is very sex positive in a way that centres her and not men, and falls in love with Roval, pretty much the only entirely decent good male character that explicitly CANNOT make sexual overtures to her because of his warrior order, so the choice and option is entirely hers’; Velander undergoes intense trauma of having her body stolen and used for sex without her consent, realises how wrong she was in judging Terikel for her actions and how petty she acted,she gets brought back as a vampire with immense strength and explicitly goes after rapists and those who hurt women; Senterri escapes sex slavery partly by her own strength and kills the man selling her, and uses her influence as a princess to found a refuge for enslaved people and other girls escaping the same fate she was subject to; Sairet, a deposed queen labelled mad and forced to dance in the street, reclaims bellydancing for herself and teaches it to girls to help them off the streets and give them a profession, manipulates a conquering but less tyrannical Admiral who has claimed the throne of her city from his own deceased much more tyrannical Emperor to secure her people’s safety and save the city from more infighting). In fact, the only one who doesn’t may well be Darielle, Warsovran’s scheming wife who seeks to take his power and empire, but she’s fairly minor.

• there’s some plot elements in this I’m fairly sure I haven’t seen before. I thought this was a fairly generic fantasy of save the world destroy the big bad weapon kill the evil guy and like. It IS. But not conventionally? If that makes sense?
• everything actually came together. I was so shocked when even the bellydancing was plot relevant. ALMOST enough to excuse the blatantly horny reasoning for the three-breasted woman cameo. Almost.
• the ending was actually kind of sweet, okay! maybe it’s the book equivalent of so bad it’s good but I was happy!!
• the characters were allowed to be human? No one’s a superhero, even the more supernatural characters are first and foremost Just People and not all shining beacons of altruism and goodness
• Laron is kind of an icon
•redemption but NOT character assassination for my miserable unlikeable girl Velander. we need more of that in media. Not even joking.
• It holds up really well as standalone despite the presence of sequels!

[Zahava (pallor17reads on YouTube) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from a 3.75*

This was whacky. If you're looking at the cover and you think it's giving Liveship, you're mistaken. Don't get me wrong, I loved the cover, it WAS giving Liveship, and that's what had attracted me to begin with. But what a whorl. I think the Shadowmoon and its voyage takes a backseat to the politics and silliness of this novel. This book has a varied cast of characters, all striving to survive in this Earth-adjacent planet full of ethereal magic, and low-brow humor. Australian sci-fi/fantasy author Sean McMullen has created a creature/character, that of Silverdeath, such as I have never before come across in fiction. It's so unique in method and madness, and really gets you thinking about how if such a thing existed for real, what a disaster it would be. Thankfully, the humans on Verral are much more understanding and forgiving than those on planet Earth.

So you have wizards, vampyres, preistesses, autons (humanoids/androids), as well as a varied cast of human characters from war generals, to royalty, to dance instructors and scholars. The Shadowmoon is a small seafaring vessel with a secret ability that allows it to move undetected in the most dire of circumstances and again, I say this only because the somewhat complicated plotline makes of the ship merely a tool through which the characters can exercise their various ambitions. I would say it's more of a character driven novel but so much - so much - is going on that sometimes it's hard to keep things straight.

I will say that McMullen does not dumb down his readers. He expects you to keep up and this often leads to confusing or truncated exposition and plot development. You can pass weeks or months in the span of a single sentence. While this is great for pacing, it makes the storyline a bit hard to follow. I think that I may like to wait a year or so, and possibly reread. No, definitely this book demands a reread. For sure. But my brain needs to rest a little. I'm not sure I like what Laron lost vs. what he gained. I liked his character status at the beginning of the book and would have liked to see that carry forward. If you know, you know.

All that said, the sequels are hard to track down, being out of print, but I will keep my eyes open for any which the Universe may wish to send my way.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voyage of the Shadowmoon isn’t your standard “farmboy-to-hero” fantasy. Oh no, this one crackles with old-school ambition and adult edge—a swashbuckling, high-magic adventure that feels like Game of Thrones collided with Treasure Planet, then took a shot of alchemy and set sail. Sean McMullen, known more for his speculative fiction, here crafts a world teetering between science, sorcery, and sly political treachery.

The story orbits around Lupan Aspic, a cunning, world-weary mercenary and one-time nobleman who stumbles into a conspiracy involving assassins, cursed artifacts, and gods that don't stay politely mythological. He becomes unwillingly entangled in a battle for control of a sentient warship—the titular Shadowmoon—which is as moody, magical, and opinionated as any of the humans around her. This ship isn’t just a vehicle—it’s a character with secrets and grudges of her own.

From here, McMullen spins an elaborate voyage that careens across a continent of fractured empires, seductive necromancers, killer librarians, undead princes, and mysterious factions that seem to be playing five-dimensional political chess. The book walks the tightrope between fast-paced pulp action and dense, immersive worldbuilding—with fireballs, naval cannons, and betrayals at every port.

What really sets Voyage of the Shadowmoon apart is its tone: mature, slyly funny, and laced with philosophical jabs. The prose isn’t flowery—it’s sharp, lean, and often dryly ironic. This is a world where magic has rules, power has price tags, and characters rarely do the “noble” thing unless it benefits them. And yet, under the cynicism, there’s an undeniable sense of wonder. Magic here is dangerous, rare, and beautifully strange—blending arcane tech, ancient prophecy, and eerie moonlight logic.

Lupan makes for a compelling lead—not a chosen one, but a survivor with a mind sharper than any blade. The supporting cast is equally colorful and morally complex. There are no clean heroes or villains here—just agendas, grudges, and the occasional reluctant alliance to stop total annihilation.

In essence, Voyage of the Shadowmoon is a gorgeously weird, deeply satisfying ride—equal parts naval fantasy, arcane noir, and metaphysical chase. For readers tired of cookie-cutter epic fantasy, McMullen’s world offers something fresh, strange, and thrilling. It’s not just a voyage across seas—it’s a journey through the uncharted waters of ambition, myth, and moonlit madness.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantasy novel, that could have been someone roleplaying session. If so then I want to play with that group, as this is not your typical 'the fighter engages the orc whilst the mage prepares a spell and the thief attempts to sneak behind' kind of fantasy story.

A group of interesting characters, in an interesting setting, well written.

If you like fantasy, then this is worth trying.

[Joshua Lapides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I received this as a paperback years ago sand couldn't find it again. If any one is interested in a read with plot twisted and a well played out storyline this is it.

[James Tullos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very surface-level book, there's not much to examine in the way of themes or complex character motivations, but it was an enjoyable adventure nonetheless. While three stars might be more accurate, four stars seems fair.

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins)]

It's been 2 years since I last felt motivated to return to this one, so I'm calling it a DNF. Interesting ideas, less interesting characters, and a plot that mistakes movement for progression.

[Viridian5 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sean McMullen's Voyage of the Shadowmoon isn't your standard magic-using fantasy novel. A submersible ship is a major part of the plot, and a deadly piece of magical warcraft called Silverdeath kills like a nuclear detonation, up to using fire circles and leaving fused glass and ashes in its path of destruction.

A very large group of people's lives are affected by and in some cases focused on stopping or gaining Silverdeath. Here, almost no one is who they seem to be and everybody is double or triple crossing folks. Between everybody being a liar or a spy and the large cast, it's hard to feel connected to anyone. I ended up continuing through the novel for the plot, not the characters. The plot's involving and sometimes humorous.

I was annoyed because a character I did like the author didn't like or see the same way and punished her for it. Her actions said one thing to me, while the narrative outright described her in another way. She's prickly and takes action. Yeah, she can be self-righteous at times. But the author seems to think she should be able to read minds to see people's motives even when they're illicitly having sex against her order's convictions or killing people, while I felt she was justified given what she knew of the situations. McMullen does horrible things to her as if she deserves it, seemingly to make her learn better. That bothers me.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was too long and unfocused. The climax occurred nearly 100 pages before the end of the book. Of course there was not one clear climax, but several small resolutions and the final climax was the author's attempt to set up a second book in the series by adding content to the story designed to make you want to read the next book. And I will admit that the best writing in the book occurred in the last 50 pages and I considered reading the sequel, but reality struck.

The book was probably even longer at some point time. It suffers greatly from poor editing with concepts and background stories for characters completely eliminated or not fully explained. I am not sure, but it seems to be the work of an editor not the author.

The book has some promise, but fails to land any of its punches and the none of the characters are fully developed with one exception. Oh well if you read the jacket blurb and decide to read this book you will probably finish the book and if your standards are not too high you may read the subsequent volumes, but I couldn't bring myself to forgive all the shortcomings in the book.

[Steven Vaughan-Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting dark fantasy with touches of comedy and fascinating characters. McMullen writes his own style of science-fiction and fantasy. Perhaps his most impressive ability is the way all of his characters have real personalities. There is no such thing as an all good, all bad, or simple character in his books and this one is no different.

[Ramathael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me about 75 pages to get into - McMullen's style is different than I'm used to and it was a little hard to follow. Once I got used to the style, I couldn't put the book down - similar to the reaction I had when first reading Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon.

[Danjo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, fresh fantasy world to romp around in.

[Ralph McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most unusal cast of chacters and environs. I am looking foward to reading the rest of the series.

[Noah Easterly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit flat. His use of the third person omniscient just didn't sit well with me, and often I felt like I was reading a description of a book rather than the book itself.

[Nancy]

fun book- good plot

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best and most unique fantasy series I've read.

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5)

[Grimread · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious!

[Amy (I'd Rather Be Sleeping)]

DNF - PG 45

Why?

I like sexual jokes as much as the next person. Innuendo is funny. Maybe that's just me and my off center sense of humor. But I have a problem with derogatory remarks. I don't like them and they aren't funny. So, no thanks.