- FD Gross
My Review of "Ghosts of the Sea Moon"
A god and goddess. A brother and sister. Locked in an eternal battle of hatred. The sea churns. Monsters scream. The living and the dead fear for their existence.
Such is to be expected in A. F. Stewart’s, Ghosts of the Seamoon, book one of the Saga of the outer Islands. Nothing short of high sea adventure, intense battles and burning magic. The back of the book sums it up nicely.
What you fill find in this read of nautical fantasy is a heart felt story about a seafaring captain who happens to be a god. He is humble to those he cares about yet terrifying to those who would double cross him. Strong elements of light vs. dark permeates the pages throughout the story while good and evil pivot against one another in vivid description and forlorn. Stewart has learned the terminology of the genre and understands what it means to be a sailor at sea. She captures the true essence of what it’s like to be a sailor in dangerous waters.
The continuous struggle of pushing and pulling between his sister and himself lingers throughout the duration of the story. With some twists and turns, the main plot serves as the driving force of Captain Rafe Morrorw’s decisions the entire time. At one point an ominous power is introduced as the root of evil, but the interjection is seldom visited and left vague in it description. This will leave the reader guessing but it is a good guess and mystery left to be discovered at some other point in time. This book is definitely for readers interested in the genres of fantasy, adventure, and magic. I look forward to the next installment for this is slated as a series. 4 out of 5 stars.
In the meantime, if your looking for more of the saga of the outer islands story, check out A. F. Stewart’s short story Seabound. It takes place in the early days at the start of Captain Rafe Morrows career as a sea captain. Short and to the point, it is very well written and compelling to no end.
It possess all of the right elements of curiosity and mystery, a fool at heart, and the ever-persistent iron bound will of Rafe.
~ F. D. Gross