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Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Red Moon and Black Mountain 3. Science Fiction, Fantasy Three children are drawn into another world where a fierce conflict for power is waging. Paperback , pages. Published March 1st by Ballantine first published Mythopoeic Fantasy Award To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

To ask other readers questions about Red Moon and Black Mountain , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Red Moon and Black Mountain. Lists with This Book. I read very few children's books as a child my tastes ran to mythology. Reading this as an adult, I noticed a lot more about the everyday lives of the people of Vandarei than I probably would've as a child.

I also noticed the philosophical complexity. The childhood fantasies Chant records as an adult might always have been philosophically complex, and they surely are now-- there's no doubt that this is not a simple 'good vs evil' story, if read with attention to the discussions, rather than ju I read very few children's books as a child my tastes ran to mythology. The childhood fantasies Chant records as an adult might always have been philosophically complex, and they surely are now-- there's no doubt that this is not a simple 'good vs evil' story, if read with attention to the discussions, rather than just the pageantry.

For example, this may be the first book where I read the flat statement that 'the end does NOT justify the means'. But it's an equivocal statement. The Vandarin don't intend not to kill people: It's also probably the first book I've encountered where the fear of a 'warrior' is broadened to include not only the fear of dying, but also the fear of killing. We're told in our society that nobody who's sanctioned to kill has any right to be hesitant to use that sanction. But it's not, of course. Still, the 'enemy army' are killed without apparent remorse--nobody seems to care about the suffering and griefs of THEIR families.

Then there's the retort of the Earth Witch, who points out that the others scorn them because their religion involves the shedding of blood--but that in this battle, those who despise the Earth Witches have shed more blood in a night than the Earth Witches do in a century. It's not sensible to expect answers to these questions in one book--but at least they've been raised, instead of ignored as in far too many other books.

The Witch of Black Mountain

Jan 13, Ccaywood rated it it was amazing. Chant was as skilled at world-building as Tolkien and she too confronted the not-so-happily-ever-after that makes her characters psychologically true. And I think her Dark Lord may be a superior evocation of evil.

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But, aside from all that, it is a great story with wonderful individuals, glorious landscapes, breathless suspense, and deep emotion. And that's what I want from a fantasy. Nov 09, Fletcher Vredenburgh rated it really liked it.

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What matters is the story: Red Moon and Black Mountain shows how it can be done in under three hundred pages. Oct 17, Teresa Edgerton rated it really liked it. Despite multiple award nominations and enthusiastic reviews, Miss Chant went on to publish only three more novels before she disappeared from the fantasy scene. Three children are unexpectedly whisked out of modern-day England and dropped into the fantasy land of Kedrinh. There, they become pivotal figures in an epic battle between forces of good and evil. This, however, is no Lord of the Rings rip-off, like another fantasy written about the same time that I might mention.

The world of Khendiol of which Kedrinh is only a part existed in Chant's imagination long before she wrote about it. Chant draws on familiar legends, Christian symbolism, and pagan mthology, and gives it all her own slant. Through long years of exile, Fendarl has grown in power, and now war seems inevitable, so even if the White Eagles are able to win this skirmish -- which is described powerfully and in detail -- there is no guarantee that the Starborn will prevail in the greater battle ahead.

Some confusion arises because Chant has a tendency to make too many of the names sound alike, but otherwise one of the delights of this book is the elegantly clear but beautiful prose, as here the Princess encourages the White Eagles to fight on, even though outnumbered: She spread her arms and held out her hands to the White Eagles, and called out to them in a language Nicholas did not understand. It was a language of cold pure sounds; a language of words harsh and sad.

It brought visions of bare shining rockscapes, or high lonely peaks of wintry solitudes through nights of splintering cold and days of piercing light. Every word seemed to come acriss vast gulfs, gulfs wider than space and deeper than time; one soul speaking to another across a schism made in the very beginning of the world. Nicholas' whole body shuddered as he listened. The battle between the eagles ends with the rising of the white moon.

The Princess is weakened by her need to protect the children; otherwise her power would have been too great for her captors to overcome. Fortunately, Nick escapes to summon assistance. After several days of defiant and anxious imprisonment, the Princess and Penny are rescued by Lord Vahn, grandson of a king allied with the Starborn. The Lord was merely proud and silent; but the Princess was troubled and miserable, and Penelope grew unhappy watching her. She would sit on the horse with her head drooping, arguing endlessly within herself; and then suddenly fling her hair back and laugh defiantly, and start talking with fierce gaiety.

But that was always the signal for Vahn to fall silent or to give curt answers.

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Once or twice her temper flashed, and they almost quarreled. On the whole Penelope preferred the Princess to be silent. Whenever they just said 'the God', they meant Kem'nanh, Kem'nanh was theirs; they were Kem'nanh's. He was the king of the wind, the plains, the sea, horses, men -- anything fierce and free, anything Khentor.

It was he whome, hailing him as Lord of the herds, they would thank in song and dance for their good hunting, for the game driven towards their spears.

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Then after the thanksgiving the hunters would stand forth , and act the story of the hunt. It surprised him the first time, that they told little about their own part; their praise they lavished on their quarry, telling how cunningly it had evaded them, how cleverly it kept watch, how only with the help of Kem'nanh the Hunter had it been killed. Around the fire they danced, stepping delicately, their skirts swaying, their dark hair tossing, their high clear voices rising and falling together. Then the men began to sway and stamp, and to sing quietly; and more drums joined the first.

Now the men too stepped out and began to dance, casting their own circle around the wreath of girls, and their deep voices joined the song. And the voices of the men were the dark sea, while the voices of the girls were the flying white foam; or the vast dark plain, and the silver light that ran rippling over it; or the wind-brought rumour of thunder,and the shimmering levin-light. Never seeing his own face, never seeing any face that was not slant eyes dark beneath a cap of dark hair, high cheeked and small nosed, with a proud sombre mouth, he forgot that he did not look like them.

The undeniable love he feels for Nick and Penny only makes him feel guility and uncomfortable. For war has battered the land itself and sown the fields with dead. In the land of the Khentor, the goddess Vir'Vachal has been roused. Where she comes the people and the animals run mad and die. Unless she is under the earth it will not bear fruit, and they cannot bind her.

Only a sacrifice will appease her. It is then that it falls on the Chosen One to pay the ultimate price. Aug 11, Arlene Allen rated it it was amazing Shelves: She wrote like a poet. I have to admit it took me a while to get into this story of three kids transported to a magic land, but by the end I was enthralled. It's not really a children's book, and the religious roots are quite clear. Atheist as I am, that doesn't really bother me - it's just another mythological tradition - for legend and myth are the lifeblood of this story, running close under the surface.

In many ways it reminds me a little of Narnia especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but there's no d I have to admit it took me a while to get into this story of three kids transported to a magic land, but by the end I was enthralled. In many ways it reminds me a little of Narnia especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but there's no denying that Chant's work is far kinder, subtler, and more intelligent than Lewis' - more affecting as well.

That's not a knock against Lewis, as I'm extremely fond of Narnia, but the two worlds are really written on two very different moral levels. I'm going to have to find myself a copy. Three children, two boys and their young sister, are transported to a fantasy land, each to play their part in the fight against an evil invader. The elder boy is 'chosen' and goes native, becoming a plains warrior and forgetting his old life for a time, but it all turns out to be a grand plan by spiritual powers. Reminiscent of Narnia, especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in some respects, but with a more mature and philosophical aspect with regard to the personal journey of the olde Three children, two boys and their young sister, are transported to a fantasy land, each to play their part in the fight against an evil invader.

Reminiscent of Narnia, especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in some respects, but with a more mature and philosophical aspect with regard to the personal journey of the oldest boy, who comes to question whether killing is right and has to face the reality of sacrifice. There is some violence and a token questioning of the subservient role of women, though this is 'answered' by the fact that the plains women drive the wagons and so are 'helpless' though I don't see why this would prevent them from at least fighting in self defence.

Even among the town and city dwellers, where women of the hereditary star magic wielders appear to enjoy more equality, there is the idea that women must marry for fulfilment, even though the Princess In'serinna loses her powers by marrying an outsider, and condemns her linked star to blowing up! The best aspects are the vivid description of a battle between eagles representing the good and bad powers, and the touching end section where the oldest boy, Oliver, has to face his true position, but quite a bit of the story is fairly humdrum. There are a lot of different cultures with difficult to pronounce or too similar names and it is easy to lose track.

This is first in a trilogy, and was not interesting enough for me to want to track down the other volumes which are probably long out of print. There are certainly some scenes and situations that are reminiscent of Lord Of The Rings but honestly you can say that about a lot of Fantasy books. I did also notice some similarities with C. Most noticeably right from the start when three English children, two brothers and one sister, are whisked away to another world, the world of Vandarei.

There they help the forces of Good in the battle against ultimate Evil. One of the children, Oliver is separated from his siblings becomes the chosen one to be the main warrior in the fight against evil. Penny and Nicholas, in contrast to their brother's central role, are mere observers to events.

Chant is a talented wordsmith, but the plot failed to have to have much drama at all. The world-building was a little undercooked. Lots of names mentioned but the narrative was so short, there was no depth to the backstory. Similarly the map shows a large world, but it is almost completely useless to the reader, as all the action takes place in one little corner. Forty years later when there is so much great High Fantasy being published, it is not surprising that is somewhat overlooked by modern readers. I wish I could like this book more. I think if I'd read the book back when it was first published, before the glut of "Tolkienesque" books hit the market, I would have loved it - because Chant pulls all of the right things out of Tolkien the love of language, of a created mythos and world history, of grand battles, and so on and she's worlds beyond the plethora of other Tolkien imitators out there.

Yet I can't help but see that she WAS still an imitator. And since she's trying to imitate him in I wish I could like this book more. And since she's trying to imitate him in all his grandiose style, trying to cram all of that mythos and history and epic battles into a slim page volume means that it all ends up seeming extremely shallow because she doesn't have enough time to give any of it the depth it really deserves.

Also, I suppose it should be noted that I'm not a Tolkien fan, so perhaps it's not surprising that I didn't like someone who strives to imitate his style, though I can see why they got their awards View all 4 comments. Jan 03, Charles rated it liked it Shelves: First, this book is lovingly written and I really enjoyed the prose. It would get more than 3 stars for style and prose quality.

I thought the plot and the detail of the story were weaker, which is why it doesn't get a higher rating. In the story, three children from our world get transported to another world where they have roles to play in a great war of good against evil. It has quite a few Lord of the Rings elements, but because the book is pretty short it didn't really develop the evil enou First, this book is lovingly written and I really enjoyed the prose.

It has quite a few Lord of the Rings elements, but because the book is pretty short it didn't really develop the evil enough for me. I also would have liked to have seen more about the evil army. We got virtually no description of that other than generic description. I also felt the evil force was defeated perhaps too easily. I did enjoy the book and thought the ending was just right.

And I definitely enjoyed the characters.

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Jul 27, Katharine Kimbriel rated it really liked it Shelves: I think it would be one for teens as well now -- even mature YA. I remember I liked it a great deal on first reading, but have not re-read it in a few years. Still have it, though! This is a portal fantasy. Some lovely images in it, nice use of traditional fantasy tropes. A couple things I'd question now, thinking back, but only in plot choices. They might work great for others. Jul 06, Fraser Sherman rated it liked it Shelves: That's the best way to describe this book, which is very Tolkien-influenced but also good not something I can say of all LOTR wannabes.

If a few scenes come a little too close to the original, it also has many memorable moments and not quite so whitebread a cast as the Inklings usually worked with. For more of my thoughts on this forgotten fantasy classic, please visit this blog posting: View all 3 comments. Red moon and Black Mountain is a work of great power and beauty, carrying embodied in its symbols and incidents and characters a deep moral and spiritual meaning.

So more enchantments he made, with more hard-won power, and armoured himself against all that is under sun or moon, against every creature of Khendiol, and went again to the oracle — but this time it Red moon and Black Mountain is a work of great power and beauty, carrying embodied in its symbols and incidents and characters a deep moral and spiritual meaning. So more enchantments he made, with more hard-won power, and armoured himself against all that is under sun or moon, against every creature of Khendiol, and went again to the oracle — but this time it was silent.

So he can be slain by no creature of Khendiol. None of you could face him; do not try. It would be useless. The talk went on, but he no longer heard. He felt himself to be the pivot of a vast wheel, the focus of the attention of the universe.

He stood alone, face to face with a knowledge he did not want, hearing the beginning of a call he wished to flee. No creature of Khendiol. But he had heard, and he knew, and was alone in a moment grown deep and ringing, as if echoing to a great gong-note. He did not see the Council; he did not hear the voices. He saw only the choice before him and heard only the unmistakeable summons. The adventures that befall Oliver embody in symbolic form and on a contracted time-scale the progress of an adolescent through a crucial period in the development of self-awareness and self-confidence.

His being snatched away from Earth into Khendiol stands for his departure from the secure conditions of childhood, his entry into an unknown region where he can scarcely remember his parents or his home or any of the familiar features of his life. His training in weapons and warfare stands for the internal re-equipping of the self to cope with the demands of adulthood.

The combat with Fendarl symbolises his coming to terms with weaknesses and with negative or potentially evil impulses within himself. The return to our world, preceded by a clear recalling of his parents on the night before the battle, signifies a re-emergence into normal life, but on new terms. Yet in his shame and grief there was a seed of anger, for it seemed to him that in some way he could not understand he had been cheated.

He had been ready to make an offering of his fear, and maybe even of his life; but something had been taken which he had not offered, something which could not be regained and would be missed forever. He felt an oppression, as if part of his life had ended. So he went at last to his rest, wherein lay the only healing for him. But the thing which he had lost he never did regain, though what it was he never would have said. Perhaps it was his youth. For Li-vanh was one who had looked upon the darkness in his own heart, and he must henceforth live his life in the knowledge of that darkness and in the fear of himself.

As Neumann says, each emergence into a new stage of life is characterised by a sense of loss, even of abandonment and betrayal, for the growing individual. At this stage in the story it seems that Oliver has suffered for others but has gained little for himself that is worth the suffering and loss. Oliver goes on to take a step which only his mature, tempered self would have the strength to take, and the Christian story of death and rebirth is acted out within a context of the worship of the Mother Goddess.

Oliver, meanwhile, is tormented by his sense of no longer belonging in Khendiol, now that his task is fulfilled, and puzzled as to how he is to get home. His brother and sister have already been returned by the God Iranani who called them into Khendiol; he is told he must find his own way back. The shock of realising how the pattern of events is shaping, is even greater for him than the original realisation that it was his Quest to meet Fendarl in battle.

But it was there to be done by someone. Whether from defiance, or love of his people, he did not know, but he would do it. He would do more than had been required of him; and spent and weary though he was, somehow that made him the winner. The echoes are of the Christian original that inspires Chant here. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

To view it, click here. A contemporary, dark fairy tale that felt like it had mythical traces of "Vasilisa the Beautiful" in it. Mostly in the idea of meeting a great witch and the retribution afterwards. Always been curious about those riders' origins in the old fairy tale though. But back to the contemporary story, it was a clever creation of characters.



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The idea of the mining "damps" personified as fae like beings, or even more akin to elementals worked well for the environment in the story. I now wonder about Ennic A contemporary, dark fairy tale that felt like it had mythical traces of "Vasilisa the Beautiful" in it. I now wonder about Ennica and if she has become a new witch, a reborn witch, or carries a witch within her child as the old one has vanished suddenly?

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