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Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1)

Saladin Ahmed

Start date: May 21, 2013

Finish date: June 20, 2013

Discussion: Book Discussions

Why we're reading this: Group Conteporary Novel read for May 21, 2013
(Hugo & Nebula nominee, 2013)
[close] Group Conteporary Novel read for May 21, 2013
(Hugo & Nebula nominee, 2013)

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Aug 11, 2013 Fungus Gnat rated it liked it · review of another edition

When a friend’s niece and her family are killed, the expert but aging ghul-hunter Adoulla sets off to track down who or what killed them, taking with him his young dervish assistant. When they meet a shape-shifting desert tribe girl whose entire band has been slaughtered, Adoulla knows they are dealing with a greater and more malevolent power than he expected. This quest fantasy gains interest from its setting, which is very similar to the Arab world of some centuries ago. Exoticism drenches the When a friend’s niece and her family are killed, the expert but aging ghul-hunter Adoulla sets off to track down who or what killed them, taking with him his young dervish assistant. When they meet a shape-shifting desert tribe girl whose entire band has been slaughtered, Adoulla knows they are dealing with a greater and more malevolent power than he expected. This quest fantasy gains interest from its setting, which is very similar to the Arab world of some centuries ago. Exoticism drenches the built and natural environment, clothes, food, folkways, and spirituality through and through, and it makes the usual magic and superhuman powers seem a little more credible—and the typical stilted language as well, which is not even exactly typical but a step beyond; the repeated formulas and periodic alliterations give the tale a folkloric ring. Adoulla makes an attractively vulgar and compromising lead, set off nicely from his two more ideological and thus tiresome young allies. Fortunately, they are joined by Adoulla’s old friend and his wife, a magus and alchemist of a similar age and wisdom. This diversity in characters is important because, after the first few chapters, Ahmed begins circulating the viewpoint chapter by chapter among the members of Adoulla’s party, and the book is best when the right people are "telling the story." (There’s also a strong, dashing and morally ambiguous but you-know-he’s-a-good-guy prince, who never gets the mike). Ahmed structures his plot and builds character rapport to create an intense, moving final contest that plays out over several chapters. And it comes none too soon, because the middle chapters have a tendency to drag. Really, for an adventure yarn, there isn’t much venture. Our party begins to assemble on Adoulla’s initial ghul-hunting trip, then waits around on Adoulla’s home turf, running only minor errands and staving off one major attack, until it’s time for the final all-in assault. There’s a lot of the two young warriors’ making eyes at each other and Adoulla’s worrying about his city and his old friend’s health. And what’s with those truly ghoulish prologues to each of the book’s main parts? Are they just mechanical attempts to give us a fix on the Villain? All in all, though, I’d rate this a generally successful epic-but-personal fantasy entertainment with plenty of local color, well enough written for the purpose. ...more

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May 27, 2013 Daran rated it really liked it

A thoroughly entertaining adventure. Bracing action, an rich setting and engaging characters. This is Heroic Fantasy at its best.

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood is a ghul hunter. An old one. A fat one. Filled with aches and pains from years of fighting monsters, he wants nothing more than to retire in peace. He hopes to leave his assistant Raseed bas Raseed, a Dervish of deadly skill and fanatical devotion, to continue the battle. But it seems God has called on him to fight one last time... Now Adoulla ...more

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