Synopses & Reviews
Praise for
Glass Dragons:
"McMullen has a gift worthy of the best mainstream authors for creating memorable, finely nuanced characters, making him must-reading for fantasy enthusiasts."--Booklist
* "Like 2002's well-received Voyage of the Shadowmoon, this second novel in Australian author McMullen's Moonworlds Saga expertly blends fantastic melodrama and broad farce . . . the book is especially attractive for its tricky shifts from dark, passionate intrigue to sly but rowdy slapstick, like a Storm Constantine plotline performed by Monty Python. There may be a lot of story to come before the world's balance of magical powers is restored, but the readers won't mind if additional books in the series are as entertaining as this one."--Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"This one is much better than its predecessor, which was pretty good itself, and suddenly McMullen is threatening to emerge as one of the leading names in fantasy."--Chronicle
"Australian author McMullen depicts a world filled with intrigue and strange magic . . . His sometimes whimsical, always literate style brings a gentle touch of wry humor to a tale of courage and cowardice, love and death, mystery and magic."--Library Journal
"A complicated and fast-moving tale of unlikely heroes . . . fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams will appreciate McMullen's dry wit, shifting points of view and almost complete disregard of fantasy conventions, making for a highly entertaining and far from typical fantasy adventure."--Romantic Times
"A captivating and unique blend of fantasy, comedy, cloak and dagger, sword and sorcerty, blood and thunder and almost any other pair of linked icons you care to name . . . Such is McMullen's expertise at action-packed scenes, so admirable is his spare yet evocative prose, and so fecund is his sens of invention, that you will finish this book in a gallop, eager for a third foray into the Moonworlds realm."-Scifi.com
"A boisterous entertainment, as spectacular as its memorable predecessor, Voyage of the Shadowmoon. . . McMullen's heady and headstrong brand of fantastic adventure is sure to remain addictive, and I for one will follow its siren call anywhere."--Locus
Review
"His sometimes whimsical, always literate style brings a gentle touch of wry humor to a tale of courage and cowardice, love and death, mystery and magic." Jackie Cassada
Review
"Fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams will appreciate McMullen's dry wit and shifting points of view, making for a highly entertaining and far from typical fantasy." Library Journal
Review
"McMullen has a gift worthy of the best mainstream authors for creating memorable, finely nuanced characters, making him must-reading for fantasy enthusiasts." Romantic Times
Review
"Like 2002's Voyage of the Shadowmoon, this second novel in Australian author McMullen's Moonworlds Saga expertly blends fantastic melodrama and broad farce." Booklist
Review
"Suddenly McMullen is threatening to emerge as one of the leading names in fantasy." Publishers Weekly
Review
"A boisterous entertainment, as spectacular as its memorable predecessor, Voyage of the Shadowmoon." Chronicle
Review
"Such is McMullen's expertise at action-packed scenes, so admirable is his evocative prose, and so fecund is his invention, that you will finish this book in a gallop." Locus
Synopsis
One of Australia's leading genre writers delivers the second novel in his Moonworlds Saga, a fantasy epic of daunting skill and scope.
Synopsis
The Shadowmoon is a small, unobtrusive schooner whose passengers and crew are much more than they seem: Ferran, the Shadowmoon's lusty captain who dreams of power; Roval, the warrior-sorcerer; Velander and Terikel, priestesses of a nearly extinct sect; and the chivalrous vampire Laron, who has been trapped in a teenage, body for seven hundred years.
When they learn of the awful power of Silverdeath, an uncontrollable doomsday weapon, they realize they must act fast; every king, emperor, and despot covets Silverdeath's power. It will take more than a little luck to prevent one of these power-hungry fools from destroying the world.
Their only advantage? The Shadowmoon. For while it seems to be little more that a small trading vessel--too small for battle, too fat for speed-it is actually one of the most sophisticated vessels in the world, one that can travel to places no others would dare. But will it be enough to prevent Silverdeath from raining destruction across the entire world?
Synopsis
Sean McMullen, one of Australia's leading genre authors, delivers
Glass Dragons, the scintillating sequel to
Voyage of the Shadowmoon which
Kirkus Reviews called "a brilliantly inventive, marvelously plotted sea-faring fantasy that both mocks and surpasses genre expectations. . . . Australian author McMullen writes like Roger Zelazny at the peak of his powers: his dashing, flamboyant, cleverly resourceful characters trade off insults and reveal surprising abilities as they swagger bravely from one hair-raising scene to another. Exciting, suspenseful, vividly believable, and great, clever fun: a major fantasy-award contender."
Glass Dragons continues the tale of Laron, the chivalrous 700-year-old vampire, the appallingly dangerous and beautiful Velander, and the long-suffering Terikel, as they investigate a secret project of arcane magic, a magic so dangerous it could destroy their world. A project which threatens to fall into the wrong hands.
Glass Dragons is a broad and complicated tale, filled with wonderful characters both new and old, woven through with low humor and great courage, built upon grand acts of heroism and love. Enjoy.
Synopsis
Praise for Voyage of the Shadowmoon, Book One of the Moonworlds Saga:
"McMullen has once again crafted a marvelously unpredictable and intricate story, full of swashbuckling intrigue and adventure on a grand scale."--Publishers Weekly
"McMullen's Voyage of the Shadowmoon provides pleasures familiar from his earlier offerings: secret agents and ruthlessly ambitious adventurers in an epic-size story with a large cast and plenty of surprises in the who's-really-who department. It is a rambling and complicated tale, simultaneously busy and leisurely, woven through the several voyages of the spy vessel of the title. . . . We are treated to plots, crossplots, intrigues, betrayals, reconciliations, murders, massacres, genocide, secret identities, unmaskings, rescues, and paybacks-and also to displays of loyalty, courage, romance, and chivalry. A pleasure to read."--Locus
"One of Australia's most inventive sf authors demonstrates his prodigious talent for fantasy in a standalone novel that belongs in most libraries. Highly recommended."--Library Journal
"This novel represents world-building fantasy at its finest; complex characters and world-altering plots are interwoven to create a tapestry of great intricacy. McMullen is an expert craftsman whose stories will engage any fantasy lover, particularly those who enjoy such works are George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series. . . . This fantasy novel will be popular anywhere that epic fantasy is in demand, whether in high school or public libraries."--VOYA
"With the Aussie-style rowdiness McMullen showed in his earlier Greatwinter trilogy, it's a fun read."--San Diego Union-Tribune
Synopsis
A broad and complicated novel filled with wonderful characters, woven through with low humor and great courage, and built upon grand acts of heroism and love. It is the tale of Laron, the chivalrous 700-year-old vampire, the appallingly dangerous and beautiful Velander, and the long-suffering Terikel, as they investigate a secret project of arcane magic, a magic so dangerous it could destroy their world . . .
About the Author
Sean McMullen is one of the leading Australian SF authors to emerge during the 1990s, having won more than a dozen national awards in his homeland. In addition, he has sold several dozen short stories to magazines such as
Analog, Interzone, and
Fantasy & Science Fiction, and was co-author of
Strange Constellations, a History of Australian SF. He established himself in the American market with the publication of the
Greatwinter trilogy (comprised of
Souls in the Great Machine, The Miocene Arrow, and
Eyes of the Calculor). His fiction has been translated into Polish, French, and Japanese. The settings for Sean's work range from the Roman Empire, through Medieval Europe, to cities of the distant future.
He has bachelor's and master's degrees from Melbourne University, and post-graduate diplomas in computer science, information science and business management. He is currently doing a PhD in Medieval Fantasy Literature at Melbourne University, where he is also the deputy instructor at the campus karate club, and a member of the fencing club. Before he began writing, Sean spent several years in student reviews and theatre, and was lead singer in three rock and folk bands. After singing in several early music groups and choirs, he spent two years in the Victorian State Opera before he began writing.
He lives in Melbourne with his wife Trish and daughter Catherine.