• Shadow of the Moon

  • By: M. M. Kaye
  • Narrated by: Tara Ochs
  • Length: 34 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (341 ratings)

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Shadow of the Moon  By  cover art

Shadow of the Moon

By: M. M. Kaye
Narrated by: Tara Ochs
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Publisher's summary

The author of The Far Pavilions returns us once again to the vast, intoxicating romance of India under the British Raj. Shadow of the Moon is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress come home to her beloved India. It is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her protector, who aches to possess her. Forged in the fires of a war that threatens to topple an empire, their tale is the saga of a desperate and unforgettable love that consumes all in its thrall. Filled with the mystery of moonlit palace gardens and the whisperings of passion and intrigue, M. M. Kaye evokes an era at once of its time, yet timeless.

©1956, 1957, 1979 M.M. Kaye (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Shadow of the Moon

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    222
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Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Has always been a great story.

Would you consider the audio edition of Shadow of the Moon to be better than the print version?

Not necessarily. Have owned a printed copy for nearly 30 years and have always enjoyed reading it, when time permitted. In the last few years I have come to appreciate the portability of audio books, and the luxury to listen while engaged in other tasks not condusive to holding a book.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tara Ochs?

Vikas Adams who is the narrator of The Far Pavilions. His voice and characterizations were spot on for the story. He brought all of it to life.
Tara Ochs has a good voice for nonfiction, but is far too bland for performing.

Any additional comments?

If possible redo the narration for this story and get Vikas Adams to it.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

What made the experience of listening to Shadow of the Moon the most enjoyable?

This book is a long-time favorite. Even though I've read it multiple times, listening to an audio version makes any book new again.

What aspect of Tara Ochs’s performance would you have changed?

I was disappointed by her mispronunciation of words (vehemence and desultory are two examples) as well as inconsistent British accents for the same characters. Shame on the director and producer for allowing it too.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story! Disappointing reader.

Would you try another book from M. M. Kaye and/or Tara Ochs?

I grew up reading M.M.Kaye's books, and loved them. I own a bedraggled first-edition copy of Shadow of the Moon, and was looking forward to hearing it as an audiobook.

I have Trade Wind also in book and audiobook form. I own The Far Pavilions in book form also. I am looking at getting that one in audiobook form, but would not consider it if it were read by Tara Ochs.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alex Randall. He is a man of character and principle.

How could the performance have been better?

I am dismayed at the sheer number of mis-pronounced words and place names in the audiobook. If we have access to the internet to hear words we are not sure how to pronounce, it seems that Tara Ochs would also have that access, at the very least!

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It depends on whether the movie was made by Americans or Brits.

Any additional comments?

Please choose your readers on the basis of their ability to read aloud, not on who they are.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A bland reading of a great story

Would you try another book from M. M. Kaye and/or Tara Ochs?

M. M. Kaye: Absolutely. I've been a huge fan since the re-release of the book in the 80's, and have read them many times. Tara Ochs: no. Though she is a steady reader, I found her style to be bland, too clinical, and generally uninspired, and also her various mispronunciations of words to be exasperating. She didn't do justice to a great story.

What did you like best about this story?

Kaye writes with authority about British India, having lived there for many years, and she is also a tremendous story teller.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

No. Narrator sounded bored.

Any additional comments?

I'm with some other reviewers: find a better narrator and redo--complete with proper pronunciation and more conviction.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Superficial Romantic Melodrama

"Shadow of the Moon" is strictly for fans of melodramatic romance novels. It is not a great story: it is, in fact, completely overwritten by an author who never uses one word when she can use 20, who can't introduce so much as a minor, fleeting character without providing their pointless back stories, who repeats herself over and over. You can skip chapters three at a time without missing a thing. As a book reader, the narrator is O.K., but she she accentuates its flaws by failing to bring it vibrantly to life.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Epic!

I felt like I was in India during the Victorian age!
A great epic book. It was fun to watch a character grow up.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • MS
  • 10-09-16

Worth the listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Shadow of the Moon to be better than the print version?

Yes- I tend to scan and miss things while reading.

What did you like best about this story?

The historical accuracy- the author had access to many first hand accounts- and the well-developed main characters.

What three words best describe Tara Ochs’s performance?

Bland. Stilted. Mediocre.

Who was the most memorable character of Shadow of the Moon and why?

Alex Randall. An honorable man, but one with flaws. He realizes his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. He's strong minded and unafraid to stand up to authority and take matters in his own hands (and at considerable physical danger) to himself when necessary.

Any additional comments?

The story is fantastic. The narration, not so much, but it's still well worth the listen.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Hated to. have the story end

Not sure which story was better written - Shadow of the Moon. or Far Pavilion. And the narration was fantaztic.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Much too long for the story!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. While the storyline was very acceptable and interesting the length of the book was not.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The book 34 hours long, excessively descriptive and the story could have been told in half the time without all the adjectives and introspection.

Have you listened to any of Tara Ochs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did Shadow of the Moon inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

I am not sure if the story was based on fact, but if so it was well researched and I would read another of her books f it was shorter.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Great narrating excellent story. I highly recommend. I couldn't stop listening even late into the night.

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2 people found this helpful