Synopsis (from Amazon):
“One must be careful practicing deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.”
The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance. Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.
The long fingers of the Guild reach everywhere, and one overly ambitious thief is all it takes to spark a chain of events that will haunt the world of Baelon for many years to come.
Six Moons, Seven Gods is book one in The Legends of Baelon
Praise:
"A fascinatingly detailed and murder-fueled adventure in a violent fantasy setting."
— Kirkus Reviews
“In Robert A. Walker’s Six Moons, Seven Gods, loyalty and treachery entwine, friendships are tested, and dangerous secrets are held close to the heart… a brilliant, compelling narrative that hooks the reader from start to finish.”
— Literary Titan 5-star Review
"...an exceptionally rewarding fantasy. There are twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, unable to stop reading.”
— Ronél Steyn for Readers’ Favorite, 5 stars
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GBn9mY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199440750-six-moons-seven-gods
SIX MOONS, SEVEN GODS EXCERPT
Sibil sat on a bed in a servant’s quarters, her head spinning. Had it not been for previous visits to the palace with Princess Lewen, she would not have known where she was. The steward had escorted her briskly to the room some time ago, leaving her to entertain herself.
There seemed no end to the mystery surrounding her mother. Supposed premonitions of death had been unnerving enough, but now… an audience with the king? At his request! It was surreal, and Sibil’s wildest conjectures did not begin to explain it.
Her attempt to seize control of her own life seemed waylaid once again. She was imagining herself a bit of flotsam from a shipwreck, at the mercy of the ocean’s currents, when the steward returned, shutting the door angrily behind himself.
“Where is my mother?” she asked as he approached.
“With the king.” Without warning, the steward sat so close to her their thighs touched.
“I should like to see her.” Sibil started to rise.
“In due time.” The steward caught her arm and pulled her back to the bed.
“What are you doing?”
“If your mother were more forthcoming, you would not be so inconvenienced.”
“How do you mean?” Sibil’s eyes darted toward the door.
“The woman’s hiding something. Perhaps you’d like to tell me what that is.”
“My mother has nothing to hide from the king!”
“I could be convinced of that, I suppose.” The steward loosened his hold and placed a palm against Sibil’s cheek. “There are many ways for you to prove your loyalty to the throne.” His hand brushed her breast as he withdrew it. “Are you prepared to do so?” Before Sibil could respond, he leaned in, his lips seeking hers.
Sibil pushed him away, struggling to stand. “How dare you!”
“Need I remind you where you are?” The steward rose, positioning himself between her and the door. “Or who you’re talking to?”
“I mean no disrespect, m’lord, but if you—“
“Take off your blouse.”
“What?!”
“Like mother, like daughter. Take off your blouse and let us see what you are hiding there.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” said Sibil breathlessly. “And if you lay another hand on me—“
The steward grasped her sleeve. Sibil twisted violently away, her blouse ripping at the shoulder seam.
The steward grinned. “You see? One way or the other!” He started to laugh, sobering quickly at the sight of the dagger Sibil produced. “Put that away before you hurt yourself.”
“Take me to my mother!” Sibil waved the dagger at him.
“Did I not warn you about making demands?” The steward lashed out, recoiling as Sibil’s blade pricked his arm. He swore loudly as he inspected the spot of crimson staining his white blouse. “You’ll not soon forget what I’m going to do to you.”
“Touch me and I’ll kill you!” Sibil lurched past the steward and onto the bed, clambering quickly over it, but he intercepted her before she could reach the door. He kicked a stool separating them toward her. Sibil grabbed it and flung it back at him. The stool sailed past the steward’s head and crashed against the door.
“Make all the noise you want,” the steward said. “No one cares!”
My Review/Thoughts:
Six Moons Seven Gods started out sad and grim. I found it difficult to really immerse myself in this book for the first, I'd say about third, of the book. I am not entirely sure why. I think partly because it was quite grim with nothing to ease it up a little. This is not a bad thing at all, just not what I am accustomed to and probably not what I was in the mood for at the time. Don't let this discourage you from trying out the book!
After I got past the first few chapters I started to find myself more drawn into the story. I found characters that I wanted to know more about, a few threads of the tale that I wanted to follow, and found myself interested in how the author was going to weave all of the different pieces of this tale together.
There are many characters that I do not like and, I am almost positive, am not supposed to like. I found this fun because most authors seem to try to make every character in their book likeable in some way or to make the ones we don't like the enemy that we will see destroyed by the end. This is not the case in this book and that made me happy. Not everyone and everything needs to be liked to be enjoyed or to be an important element in a tale. I was happy to see that this author understands that.
The writing is good, descriptive without being flowery, and keeps the story moving at a good pace. The setting is easily understandable and the story itself isn't too difficult to grasp even though there are quite a few people involved. The most difficult part for me was remembering who everyone was and how they might relate to each other in the context of the story.
I think I would give this a 3 or a 3.5 star rating. It just didn't draw me in and keep me engaged enough to warrant a higher rating from me. Do not think this is a bad rating. It is not.
Was this my favorite fantasy novel of all times? No.
Did I enjoy it? Yes, for the most part.
Will I continue the series? Yes, most likely. I want to see what ends up happening in the future.
Would I recommend this book? Also yes.
Just don't go into this thinking it is some light YA type fantasy tale. It is not. There is a lot to do with politics and intrigue where deception and ambition play a huge role. There are quite a few characters who are all nicely filled out with obvious differences in speech and mannerisms, thoughts and feelings, and actions and reactions. I enjoyed the variety of characters in this book.
About the Author:
Award-winning author Robert A. Walker grew
up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant
belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west. He’s lived in
California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife
and dogs. When not fabricating stories, he can be found roaming local tennis
courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects.
Website: https://rawalkerwriting.com/
Author Marketing Experts:
Twitter: @Bookgal
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