From Publishers Weekly
In her latest epic fantasy, the first of a new series, May (The Many-Colored Land) introduces legions of characters, few with any substance, but her inventive use of magic and well-conceived plot will sweep readers along. Prince Conrig of Blencathra hopes to unite the four kingdoms of the island of High Blenholme, in disarray after three years of disastrous volcanic activity, and crown himself emperor. Intent on launching a daring attack on the kingdom of Didion, Conrig secretly allies himself with the treacherous Lady Ullanoth of Moss, a powerful sorceress. Ullanoth expects to rule not only Moss but also as Conrig's empress. Conrig's current wife, the strong-willed Princess Maudrayne, suspects Conrig's infidelities, and punishes him by keeping her pregnancy a secret. Conrig's father, Olmigon Wicantor, the mostly ineffectual High King of Blencathra, consults the oracular severed head of the Emperor Bazekoy to learn how to redeem his reign. Following the oracle's advice proves tricky for the dying Olmigon. The novel, presented as the memoir of a former spy with magical talents, neatly concludes Conrig's first campaign while leaving plenty of room for sequels. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
May is a competent writer but an outstanding world-builder, and in the latest example of her work the settings are frequently more interesting than the plotting. On a large island continent, where the nonhumans who taught magic to humans still dwell, four kingdoms have squabbled for decades. As the book opens, they threaten to go right on squabbling. But the balance among them has been upset by extended volcanic eruptions, which have destroyed crops and threatened starvation in three of the kingdoms. Only Moss, usually poorest of the four, hasn't changed. Conrig of Cathra, heir of the erstwhile richest kingdom, abetted by the seductive sorcerer-princess of Moss, has a plan to unite all the kingdoms under his rule. But plans depend on people, who have a habit of going their own ways rather than someone else's, and Prince Conrig soon finds himself in trouble. Quality work, certain to be demanded by May's fairly substantial audience. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Publishers Weekly
Inventive use of magic and a well-conceived plot will sweep readers along.


Booklist
An outstanding world-builder.


Library Journal
Skillful world-building and keenly developed characters.


Book Description
The four kingdoms in the Boreal Sea that have clashed since time out of mind. But Prince Conrig of Cathra--who waits patiently as his father, the king, slowly dies--is in league with his lover, the seductive sorceress Princess Ullanoth of Moss. And if their secret alliance succeeds, the warring kingdoms will be united once and for all--under the iron hand of one supreme rule.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Young Deveron Austrey has a secret: He is a wild Talent, a rare individual with magical abilities that cannot be detected by sorcerers. As the intelligencer for Prince Conrig of Cathra, Deveron (a.k.a. Snudge) uses his abilities to further his liege's obsessive quest for power -- with disastrous results.

The kingdom of Cathra is one of four sovereignties that make up High Blenholme, a much-storied island in the Boreal Sea steeped in mystical folklore. With his father on his deathbed, Prince Conrig secretly allies with Ullanoth, the seductive daughter of the Conjure-King of Moss. Of the four kingdoms on the island, Moss is looked down upon for its open use of magic and its long association with dangerous magical creatures like the Salka and the Beaconfolk. But while Conrig sees Ullanoth as a means to powerful magic, she sees the handsome prince as a military ally who can help her defeat her evil brother, who wants to kill her and her father and rule Moss himself. Conrig's grand plan to unify the island kingdoms seems impossible; but with the help of Ullanoth and Snudge, an unlikely scheme is formulated.

Those who enjoy superbly written epic fantasy sagas like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and the Wayfarer Redemption series by Sara Douglass will delight in Conqueror's Moon. With dozens of fully realized characters and enough magic, treachery, intrigue, and illicit romance to fill five books, this wildly entertaining novel is just the first volume in what should be an incredible series. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The four kingdoms in the Boreal Sea that have clashed since time out of mind. But Prince Conrig of Cathra--who waits patiently as his father, the king, slowly dies--is in league with his lover, the seductive sorceress Princess Ullanoth of Moss. And if their secret alliance succeeds, the warring kingdoms will be united once and for all--under the iron hand of one supreme rule.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In her latest epic fantasy, the first of a new series, May (The Many-Colored Land) introduces legions of characters, few with any substance, but her inventive use of magic and well-conceived plot will sweep readers along. Prince Conrig of Blencathra hopes to unite the four kingdoms of the island of High Blenholme, in disarray after three years of disastrous volcanic activity, and crown himself emperor. Intent on launching a daring attack on the kingdom of Didion, Conrig secretly allies himself with the treacherous Lady Ullanoth of Moss, a powerful sorceress. Ullanoth expects to rule not only Moss but also as Conrig's empress. Conrig's current wife, the strong-willed Princess Maudrayne, suspects Conrig's infidelities, and punishes him by keeping her pregnancy a secret. Conrig's father, Olmigon Wicantor, the mostly ineffectual High King of Blencathra, consults the oracular severed head of the Emperor Bazekoy to learn how to redeem his reign. Following the oracle's advice proves tricky for the dying Olmigon. The novel, presented as the memoir of a former spy with magical talents, neatly concludes Conrig's first campaign while leaving plenty of room for sequels. (Jan. 6) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

VOYA - Vivian Howard

Author of the highly successful Saga of the Pliocene Exile series, May begins his first book in the new Boreal Moon Trilogy with a tantalizing prologue. It is narrated in the first person by Deveron Austrey, an old man living in exile and plagued by fears of assassination. Partly to forestall boredom and partly to vent his considerable spleen, Deveron has decided to write about his long years as Prince Conrig Wincantor's spy, and thus the tale begins. After this promising beginning, the story bogs down in the first few chapters, as May reverts to third-person narration and laboriously outlines the politics and the personalities of High Blenholme, an island divided into four kingdoms. This reviewer found her attention faltering more than once, struggling to remember the cast of characters and their political interrelationships. Any reader who perseveres past the slow beginning, however, will be rewarded by a rollicking sword-and-sorcery saga, as Prince Conrig begins his quest to reunite the island under one rule and is forced into some dark and dangerous alliances. This series opener provides a satisfying mix of political intrigue, ambition, and sorcery, along with some fascinating and complex characters. Reminiscent of the works of Guy Gavriel Kay, it is sure to appeal to devotees of high fantasy epics. VOYA Codes 3Q 4P S A/YA (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2003, Ace, 389p., Ages 15 to Adult.

Library Journal