Throne of the Crescent Moon / Saladin Ahmed

Throne of the Crescent Moon
(Crescent Moon Kingdoms #1)
by Saladin Ahmed

fantasy

copyright 2012
read in October 2015

rated 8/10: really quite good

What an excellent book ! A range of overdrawn characters, all likeable. (Except for the villains, who are various shades of despicable.) A solid plot. Not subtle but draws you in. And a very different world...

How different is this world, really ? Other than the monsters and magic, that is. Is it a realistic depiction of the cities, villages and desert of the Middle East ?

At first I thought, Aha ! all the Arab stereotypes brought together and exaggerated for literary effect ! Then I noticed the name of the author... (I'm not good with names. That's one reason for this blog -- to remind me which authors I have read.) So... Saladin Ahmed... Is he writing a close version of reality based on personal knowledge of Middle Eastern customs ?

Who knows. Who cares... It's great fun -- and part of a unique fantasy world.

The plot is "not subtle"... Warning: spoiler paragraph... I was expecting, for example, a surprise reveal of the identity of the chief villain. My goodness, it's that creepy councillor who always sneers, for example. But no, it's just the otherwise unknown hidden villain.

That's a very small niggle. I thoroughly enjoyed this book !

Great magic, vicious fights, tough, sympathetic, varied and likeable characters. Plus a satisfying ending that leaves lots of opportunity for further stories. All set in an unusual, believable yet extraordinary world...

Believable ? I don't remember other books where it takes the heroes several hours to walk through the very crowded city ! Oh, and I love the fact that the main hero loves the city where he lives. Not just lives there, he lives there because he wants to.

Admittedly, there are a lot of words devoted to description and discussion. What shall we do next, and how good is my city, that sort of thing. Which all adds up to an understanding and appreciation of the characters and the setting !

A most enjoyable book. I hope that there are more.

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Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!