Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Mar 09, 2012 [Name Redacted] rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, horror, dark-fantasy, alternate-history, religion, arabian-nights

There's not a lot to say about this one, other than that it's worth a read. Ahmed undertakes something both bold and unique -- an Islamic fantasy novel, set in another world which closely parallels our own in the medieval period (not unlike something Guy Gavriel Kay might write), but in which an Islamic God and angels and holy scripture (still) exist. It is exactly that feature which makes it so Islamic, and yet so unusual -- it posits that there is another world (or maybe an alternate version o ...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Derek rated it liked it

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood is at the end of his career: he is aging, tiring, and the calling that already cost him much now costs him more with each battle. His Order has mostly passed from the world and the once-revered profession is now inundated with pretenders and scam-artists. He and his compatriots are looking at the end of their road.

There is certainly much to like about the story, from the flavorful worldbuilding to a set of interesting and likeable characters, but framing it as a last gre ...more

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Jun 18, 2014 Mike rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I’m late to the party checking out Saladin Ahmed’s Throne of the Crescent Moon which given my love for the work of Howard Andrew Jones’ Chronicles of Sword and Sand is even more egregious an error than you might expect. However, unlike Jones’ work Adhmed takes several big steps away from the historical choosing instead to center his story a bit more loosely. The Crescent Moon Kingdoms of Ahmed’s novel are familiar but not explicitly defined as part of our world and borrowing just enough from his I’m late to the party checking out Saladin Ahmed’s Throne of the Crescent Moon which given my love for the work of Howard Andrew Jones’ Chronicles of Sword and Sand is even more egregious an error than you might expect. However, unlike Jones’ work Adhmed takes several big steps away from the historical choosing instead to center his story a bit more loosely. The Crescent Moon Kingdoms of Ahmed’s novel are familiar but not explicitly defined as part of our world and borrowing just enough from history to lend the story an air of credibility and tangibility. The story of Throne of the Crescent Moon centers on ghul hunter Doctor Adoulla Makhslood and features a strong cast of supporting characters including the dervish Raseed, the shapeshifting Zamia, the mage Dawoud, and the alchemist Litaz. A series of seemingly unrelated events see the Doctor uncovering the fact that recent murders in the city of Dhamsawaat may be more than they appear and that something ancient, evil, and dark is stirring beneath the sands.

Ahmed nails creates an extraordinary sense of place that in is inextricably linked to his main character Doctor Makhslood. In simple, broad strokes and with only the lightest hint of exposition Ahmed invests the Doctor with a deep sense of history. It is apparent from the opening chapters that this is a man with deep history and strong roots both of which are tied to the city of Dhamsawaat; a place that the good doctor both loves and loathes. In the Doctor, Ahmed has crafted a character who is almost in the twilight of his years but who still loves life in all its forms. It is that last bit that has seen done the Doctor the most harm as his drive to protect others has prevented him from experiencing life to its fullest.

Under the Doctors wing is the dervish Raseed. Raseed’s hope, naivete, a bright passion serve as excellent counterpoints to the Doctors more careworn views of the world and its inhabitants. Indeed, Raseed’s zeal when played against the Doctor’s far more relaxed views on the world often offers a great deal of comic relief throughout the novel. There are some lovely moments, particularly when Raseed is sharing space with the rebellious Falcon Prince, that showcase the young warriors skill and his innocence. A good portion of Throne of the Crescent Moon is given to the subtle education of Raseed as the realities of the world, and love, collide headlong with the seeming inflexibility of his religious beliefs. Similarly trouble by her own views Zamia is confronted with the same problems albeit from a different perspective. The loss of her Bedouin tribe and her reliance on the Doctor for help in tracking down the killers wars with her independent nature and her wounded sense of honor.

The group of heroes is cemented by the addition of the Doctor’s long time friends Dawoud and Litaz. The wisdom and experience of Dawoud, Litaz, and the Doctor together serve as excellent means to reign in and help educate the two zealous, and powerful, youths. Ahmed once again nails two more characters in Dawoud and Litaz. While Dawoud is not quite given as much a presence as Litaz his willingness to use his magical gifts, which are powered by his own life energy, to aid others is a testament to his character. Litaz, makes another fantastic addition to the story. She is a woman who has given up much to be with the man she loves but she is also a woman who is extremely talented and supremely capable.

I’ve talked very little about the plot and truth be told the story feels almost secondary to the characters. There are monsters, magic, and dire threat to face but all of that seems to pale in comparison to the personal journey taken by the characters. For me this is a strength rather than a weakness. The audiobook version of the novel is performed by the talented Phil Gigante. From his haughty tones for the Falcon Prince to sibilant whispering of the novel’s villain Gigante’s performance bring Ahmed’s already wondrous world to life. If you enjoy audiobooks I can’t recommend Brilliance Audio’s production of Throne of the Crescent Moon enough. Throne of the Crescent Moon is an amazingly accomplished first novel with characters that are engaging and a setting that is brilliantly vivid. The sequel The Thousand and One is still forthcoming and I for one can’t wait! ...more

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Jun 17, 2018 Benjamin Chandler rated it liked it

Imagine an AD&D campaign set in an Arabian Nights-like environment, and you have this book in a nutshell. It's fun and feels fresh.

The world Ahmed created for this book is perhaps my favorite part. The magic and monsters are unique, and the author peppers the book with little names of things (e.g., puzzlecloth carpets, poisonflower bushes) that fill out the world and make it really come alive. The Crescent Moon Kingdoms are saturated, too, with the religion of the characters, which feels similar ...more

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Mar 21, 2012 J.M. (Joe) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, zombies

The real strength of THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON is in its characters. Their development and depth are evident mere pages into this story. The world created by Saladin Ahmed, derived from non traditional Arabian fantasy, is one where wars are being fought by those who are faithful to God and others who dwells in darkness and depravity. Adoulla and his friends are among the ranks of the former, seeking to protect their city from master thieves and necromancers. In their efforts they become involv ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Michael added it

Shelves: gave-up, fiction, science-fiction-fantasy

Meh. I read 20%and lost interest. Not very well written.

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Nov 08, 2012 Chris Conley rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

The setting is different than the norm and handled quite well. The protagonist is also different and done well. The plot builds slowly, but the pay off is worthwhile, so this did work as a book one. The other characters grew on me as the story progressed. My main issue was that the writing felt excessive at times, but that was far from a deal breaker.

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