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Chronicles of the Shaman #1
Moonblood
Martin Ash’s MOONBLOOD (First Chronicle of the Shaman)
A baby is about to be born in the old city of Ravenscrag. The birth, long predicted, will set in train a series of horrific events and the summoning of dark and potent energies as the newborn child turns out to be something nobody could have foreseen.
A lonely young girl on the verge of womanhood seems to hold the key to the mysteries surrounding these unnatural forces and events.
Into this mix steps an enigmatic young shaman and merchant-adventurer, who, against his will, finds himself compelled to investigate and unravel the mysteries that beset Ravenscrag. As his investigations proceed, obstructed at every step by forces both human and otherworldly, a hidden history is slowly uncovered. A past filled with deception and dark secrets, with falsehoods, corruption and madness, and a ruthless power struggle that has endured for centuries and now threatens to bring destruction to the world of Ravenscrag and all who live there.
Cult author Martin Ash’s MOONBLOOD is a highly original, standalone novel that mixes fantasy and mystery to create a dark, witty and breathtakingly exciting tale. With echoes of Mervyn Peake’s GORMENGHAST, it explores the falsification of history and the hidden transition from ancient, universal goddess worship to the patriarchal god figures that have endured to this day. Both for its narrative power and as an allegory drawing on elements of fairytale and myth, MOONBLOOD is an outstanding achievement as well as a brilliant read.
(Cover design: akira007)
A baby is about to be born in the old city of Ravenscrag. The birth, long predicted, will set in train a series of horrific events and the summoning of dark and potent energies as the newborn child turns out to be something nobody could have foreseen.
A lonely young girl on the verge of womanhood seems to hold the key to the mysteries surrounding these unnatural forces and events.
Into this mix steps an enigmatic young shaman and merchant-adventurer, who, against his will, finds himself compelled to investigate and unravel the mysteries that beset Ravenscrag. As his investigations proceed, obstructed at every step by forces both human and otherworldly, a hidden history is slowly uncovered. A past filled with deception and dark secrets, with falsehoods, corruption and madness, and a ruthless power struggle that has endured for centuries and now threatens to bring destruction to the world of Ravenscrag and all who live there.
Cult author Martin Ash’s MOONBLOOD is a highly original, standalone novel that mixes fantasy and mystery to create a dark, witty and breathtakingly exciting tale. With echoes of Mervyn Peake’s GORMENGHAST, it explores the falsification of history and the hidden transition from ancient, universal goddess worship to the patriarchal god figures that have endured to this day. Both for its narrative power and as an allegory drawing on elements of fairytale and myth, MOONBLOOD is an outstanding achievement as well as a brilliant read.
(Cover design: akira007)
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2015
21 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Martin Ash
12 books5 followersMartin Ash is the author of Enchantment's Reach and the forthcoming The Shaman Chronicles. He is also an editor, lecturer, travel writer and computer games beta-tester, among other things.
He lives and works in London UK and has more interests than he has time to properly pursue.
These include adventure travel and exploration/discovery(photo was taken during a recent trek in the Sahara Desert), music, philosophy, spirituality and metaphysics, wisdom traditions, belief systems and comparative religious history/sacred texts, science, anthropology, culture, food and drink, the arts, gaming and... well, the list goes on.
He is currently working on a means of dilating time to more fully encompass all these interests.
(Website coming soon)
He lives and works in London UK and has more interests than he has time to properly pursue.
These include adventure travel and exploration/discovery(photo was taken during a recent trek in the Sahara Desert), music, philosophy, spirituality and metaphysics, wisdom traditions, belief systems and comparative religious history/sacred texts, science, anthropology, culture, food and drink, the arts, gaming and... well, the list goes on.
He is currently working on a means of dilating time to more fully encompass all these interests.
(Website coming soon)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 21, 2022
See E.M. Prazeman's review. This book began slowly with an 'information dump' in the first chapter, which was, I suppose, necessary.
The soothsayers of the time, correctly predict the birth of a boy ("Redlock"), to Lady Sheerquine, who will possibly be the 'savior' of the little isolated medieval town, Ravenscrag. Baby Redlock has been turned into an appallingly gruesome monster, which Ronbas Dinbig must change back. So, Dinbig travels around a musty old castle, trying to learn who the bad guy(s) are for most of the book. Meanwhile, he has to go to the Realm of the Dead & return with a caretaker called Yo, who guards his body while he explores that Realm, to see what he can learn from his own deceased mother & father. There is a sweet, but brave boy, Linvon the Light, of unknown origin, who becomes nicely attached to young Moonblood, the senior daughter of Lady Sheerquine. Moonblood's father, partially demented Lord Flarefist, provides some comic relief with his absurd pronouncements, Old Rogue, the dog, identifies Moonblood's hiding place, Dinbig has a dallience with Cametta, and there are many light moments.
The soothsayers of the time, correctly predict the birth of a boy ("Redlock"), to Lady Sheerquine, who will possibly be the 'savior' of the little isolated medieval town, Ravenscrag. Baby Redlock has been turned into an appallingly gruesome monster, which Ronbas Dinbig must change back. So, Dinbig travels around a musty old castle, trying to learn who the bad guy(s) are for most of the book. Meanwhile, he has to go to the Realm of the Dead & return with a caretaker called Yo, who guards his body while he explores that Realm, to see what he can learn from his own deceased mother & father. There is a sweet, but brave boy, Linvon the Light, of unknown origin, who becomes nicely attached to young Moonblood, the senior daughter of Lady Sheerquine. Moonblood's father, partially demented Lord Flarefist, provides some comic relief with his absurd pronouncements, Old Rogue, the dog, identifies Moonblood's hiding place, Dinbig has a dallience with Cametta, and there are many light moments.
December 11, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. The first chapter, where some of the character's abilities are explained, wasn't something I cared for but I decided to keep going and I'm really glad I did. I didn't care for a lot of the character's attitudes, but his intelligence and inquisitiveness were refreshing, and I liked the pace at which the mystery to be solved was doled out. Recommended as a crossover novel for fans of mysteries and fantasy.
June 24, 2017
Quite good
The story was quite good. A little confusing and a little sad. The main character has to leave his body and travel to a different realm where he must capture someone from that realm, bind them to him to do his bidding. Many battles and betrayal.
The story was quite good. A little confusing and a little sad. The main character has to leave his body and travel to a different realm where he must capture someone from that realm, bind them to him to do his bidding. Many battles and betrayal.
September 17, 2017
Received free for review:
I had a hard time in the beginning maintaining interest in the background pages.
However once the story started I was very glad I kept going!
This combines castles, and me give, and monsters, and strife in a very engaging story!
I had a hard time in the beginning maintaining interest in the background pages.
However once the story started I was very glad I kept going!
This combines castles, and me give, and monsters, and strife in a very engaging story!
October 19, 2016
Martin Ash, author of the widely acclaimed 'Enchantment' fantasy series has once again outdone himself in the art of storytelling.
Moonblood is part old fashioned mystery, part horror/thriller, paranormal and fantasy. The main character, Dinbig, a merchant who is so much more than an merchant, admits to being flawed in various ways, not prone to any great desire in helping others or even caring deeply for their problems. Yet he does the opposite and attempts to save the day. I love this character's wry humor and the uniqueness of the author's other eccentric players in this often frightening, yet charming book.
This is a story that starts out slowly and hooks the reader before the end of the first chapter. Dinbig dabbles in magic and has studied under the teachers of a sect that can leave their bodies and time travel to other astral worlds, including the home of the dead. He is happy to possess this trick especially when being chased by an irate husband, and evils beyond belief brought to life by a long lost prophesy.
In this often dark and brutal fantasy which is part Sherlock Holmes mystery, author Martin Ash's extraordinary skills are at their best. This is not a book one can easily lay aside or forget. Readers enjoying this work which exhibits a panoply of genres as well as ongoing comedy and philosophy, will want to move on to the second book of the series, 'The Chronicle's of the Shaman."
Micki Peluso
Moonblood is part old fashioned mystery, part horror/thriller, paranormal and fantasy. The main character, Dinbig, a merchant who is so much more than an merchant, admits to being flawed in various ways, not prone to any great desire in helping others or even caring deeply for their problems. Yet he does the opposite and attempts to save the day. I love this character's wry humor and the uniqueness of the author's other eccentric players in this often frightening, yet charming book.
This is a story that starts out slowly and hooks the reader before the end of the first chapter. Dinbig dabbles in magic and has studied under the teachers of a sect that can leave their bodies and time travel to other astral worlds, including the home of the dead. He is happy to possess this trick especially when being chased by an irate husband, and evils beyond belief brought to life by a long lost prophesy.
In this often dark and brutal fantasy which is part Sherlock Holmes mystery, author Martin Ash's extraordinary skills are at their best. This is not a book one can easily lay aside or forget. Readers enjoying this work which exhibits a panoply of genres as well as ongoing comedy and philosophy, will want to move on to the second book of the series, 'The Chronicle's of the Shaman."
Micki Peluso
August 19, 2016
The long awaited birth of an heir begins this tale.The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the child and the investigation is what plows it forward. Who could have possibly have done such a thing? The suspects are plenty and with distraught and grieving parent capable of anything can this mystery be solved? What an amazing story! No doubt this is a fantasy book that has a broad range of characters that are very few amusing. The story seems to have more layers than an onion. Remove one layer and you find another. That makes it a wonderful must read book! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
The long awaited birth of an heir begins this tale.The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the child and the investigation is what plows it forward. Who could have possibly have done such a thing? The suspects are plenty and with distraught and grieving parent capable of anything can this mystery be solved? What an amazing story! No doubt this is a fantasy book that has a broad range of characters that are very few amusing. The story seems to have more layers than an onion. Remove one layer and you find another. That makes it a wonderful must read book! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
The long awaited birth of an heir begins this tale.The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the child and the investigation is what plows it forward. Who could have possibly have done such a thing? The suspects are plenty and with distraught and grieving parent capable of anything can this mystery be solved? What an amazing story! No doubt this is a fantasy book that has a broad range of characters that are very few amusing. The story seems to have more layers than an onion. Remove one layer and you find another. That makes it a wonderful must read book! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews