Janice Y. (jai) reviewed on 12/10/2006 + 310 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

I picked this up because I love Tanith Lee, and I've also read and enjoyed Mercedes Lackey's work, so the idea of 3 novellas centering around strong young women, magic, and the winter moon was interesting. I'd never read anything by C.E Murphy before, but I wasn't disappointed. The first story, "Moontide" by Lackey, centers around Moira, a young girl summoned back home to a sea keep by her father from an unusual finishing school. Her father expects a demure young woman, but Moira has hidden steel beneath her proper exterior and she suspects him of treason against the king. I thought that the description of the sea keep was probably the most fascinating aspect of the story. It probably could have been longer, and I felt unsettled about something until I was drifting off to sleep and then woke up thinking about a plot hole. The second novella, "The Heart of the Moon", by Tanith Lee centers around a spiritual journey by Clirando, a warrior priest who has been deeply affected by guilt and the betrayal of her best friend. Tanith Lee presents a very dreamy, wintery, changing landscape, and a sceptical woman. Thirdly was C.E. Murphy's story. Although I have not read Urban Shaman before I read her novella "Banshee Cries", (which is supposed to be part 1.5 of her series), it was easy for me to understand what was going on and get into the story anyway. This was more of a modern, paranormal story compared to the other two which were more fantasy, but it rounded off the trio very well. Joanne is a cop with newfound powers as a shaman who is still trying to learn what she can do while trying to catch a murderer. She also learns something about her past along the way.

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