Throne of the Crescent Moon

By: Saladin Ahmed

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, home to djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, are at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. It is up to a handful of heroes to learn the truth behind these killings:

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, “the last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,” just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame’s family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter’s path.

Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla’s young assistant, is a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety. But even as Raseed’s sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the lion-shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man’s title. She lives only to avenge her father’s death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father’s killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince’s brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time - and struggle against their own misgivings - to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

©2012 Saladin Ahmed (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Fun adventure story, but the narrator is too hammy

I have a feeling I'd take this novel more seriously if it were read by someone who didn't feel compelled to overact. Phil Gigante seems popular, but I found him often nearly painful to listen to. His conceptions of the characters are cartoonish -- each one has only one mood as far as he's concerned. Since the Bedouin girl is initially angry and snappish, she always sounds angry and snappish, even when she's supposed to be talking about tender feelings. I might try another Saladin Ahmed novel in the future. I like the Middle Eastern context, and I have hopes he'll get past the modified superhero storyline, but I'll stay away from Gigante narrations from now on.

Sword and sorcery in the Levant

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed is a well-executed sword and sorcery tale that take place in the Levant. Comprising an exclusive Arab-type cast with a pseudo-Islamic type religious orientation, evil ghuls exist that kill humans with specialized individuals with magical skills that fight them. The main character is an aging ghul hunter looking for one last adventure before retirement and stumbles across what appears to be a powerful ghul sorcerer. Aided with an ensemble cast including a dervish warrior, a husband / wife mage / alchemist team, and a nomadic lion shifting young girl, the battle is on. At the same time, in the city, a Robin Hood type character is trying to bring down the powerful caliphate head which adds to the confusion.

Ahmed crafts an engaging and fast-moving tale that blends actions and deduction effortlessly. The ensemble nature of the various band of intrepid ghul hunters work together smoothly. At the same time, the corruption of big city politics is on full display. The Robin Hood character was an interesting diversion that comes in handy later in the tale. Perhaps the only is the naïve notion that with a vague and ill-defined threat to the city, trying to convince the top dog is not the best course of action when no one else sees the dangers ahead.

The narration is great with solid character distinction. Pacing is smooth throughout.

Refreshing

For me this book was refreshing. After reading fantasy for 20 years it gets a little tiresome reading about the same type of heroes and villains. It was nice to have a different culture, with different looks for the characters. Most fantasy authors ignore people of color. It was also great that the author didn't make religion the great evil, which most are doing these days. The book didn't seem pro or anti religion. The magic system wasn't all that good. The book flow had a nice pace. The humor was ok. The narration was good.

Excellent Stuff Here

What made the experience of listening to Throne of the Crescent Moon the most enjoyable?

The performance was great, the material was great

What about Phil Gigante’s performance did you like?

Characters came alive

Any additional comments?

Just a fantastic fantasy tale, i realy enjoy the setting/background.

Great adventure; Outstanding performance

This is a rousing fantasy set in an alternate Middle East. The characters are not the run of the mill epic heroes, but much more complex and entertaining. The action sequences are fascinating and the the magic system unique. The novel's plot continuously surprises but makes perfect sense in hindsight. The narrator is the best I've ever encountered. I've put some of the books he narrates into my wish list because his performance is so amazing.

Very different and thoroughly enjoyable

What did you love best about Throne of the Crescent Moon?

The eastern flavour is awesome! So used to the western oriented fantasy stories that this was an escape to a different land with a new set of rules!

What did you like best about this story?

The story, whilst complex in myth, was simplistic, fast paced and humorous, my favourite bit was the eastern twist, the descriptions of people and places were magic!

Any additional comments?

I'll be listening to the next one in the series for sure!

An Interesting Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because of the great performance by the reader and it's an interesting story to read.

Would you recommend Throne of the Crescent Moon to your friends? Why or why not?

I would. It was fun to read a fantasy novel that took place in somewhere other than a Tolkien type universe.

What about Phil Gigante’s performance did you like?

The voices for all the separate characters were fantastic.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It wasn't. I was originally reading it for a book club where we were going by chapters so I didn't want to get too far ahead. The length of the audio was fairly short though so I could see it being listened to in one sitting.

Amazing Action Fantasy

Would you listen to Throne of the Crescent Moon again? Why?

I would totally listen to it again. There's so much to it, I'm sure I didn't catch all the fun details the first time around. I'd also love to revisit these characters again. They come alive in the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Zamia the Bedouin. It was wonderful to see a young woman character who is smart and tough, and does not wait to be rescued all the time. She acts and fights like the warrior she is, while still being believable as a young woman.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are so many. I enjoyed the scenes the where Abdulla and Racid battle the sand ghouls, the scene where Lita and Racid fight the Humble Students, all of the scenes with the Falcon Prince. But I also loved the homey scenes at the tea house and the scenes between Abdulla and Miri. Characters and action are equally developed in this well rounded story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending made me tear up.

Any additional comments?

Phil Gigante gives a masterful performance of this brilliant work. I'm really glad I listened to this as an audio book before reading it. Wonderful work all around!

Pleasent listen!

Very pleasent listen. Performance is great! The story isn't the most in depth one in the world but if you are looking for a nice chilly book to listen to then this will help you out!
Enjoy!

If you're sick of European fantasy, start here!

It's no secret that the fantasy genre has a bit of an unhealthy fascination with Medieval Europe when it comes to world building (largely due to the unfortunate influence of Tolkien and Lewis). Thankfully, Saladin Ahmed's The Throne of the Crescent Moon bucks that trend in favor of a sword swinging story worthy of the 1001 Arabian Nights!

Obviously, the titular Crescent Moon Kingdoms is heavenly modeled off of the Middle East during the Golden Age of Islam, but there are also segments modeled off of Africa and India, with the ancient Kemeti Empire clearly a stand in for Egypt and other ancient near eastern empires. At the same time, however, the kingdoms are direct carbon copies of existing nations and cultures, and half the fun was guessing which elements the author incorporated into them.

Now, the characters. Dr. Abdula, the last great ghual hunter. He's over 60 years old but still witty, sarcastic and generally laid back about life. By contrast, his assistant Raseed is a pious, holier than thou Dervish (think kind of like a paladin) who treats life ever so seriously. Along the way we meet Zamia, who is basically a werelion (Angel Touched, is the in universe term), the dashing thief Falcon Prince, Miri the brothel owner (and Abdula's love interest), and so much more. All of them excellently written and fleshed out.

Like, I said before, the writing is amazing and Paul Gigante more than does it justice. I also appreciated that it managed to pack more plot and make its world feel more fleshed out in less than 300 pages, or rather, in around 10 hours. Let that be a lesson all you aspiring fantasy writers; it's skill of writing, not length, that make for good plot and world building.

Ahmed said he intended the series to be both an homage to and a response to the fantasy he grew up with in the 80s and it couldn't come at a better time. When so many writer reuse the same tried cliche's over and over again this book dares to be different. A breath of fresh air in a world gone stale.

Bottom Line: if your looking for fresh and innovative in your fantasy, look no further than this book!