Midori Snyder's range as a story teller continues to astound me. In this story, mythological elements from Irish, Native American, and Old West sources are woven together into a unique tale of a man on the run. Whether he's running from something or to something is a question both the main character and you keep asking, not to mention wondering what in the world is going to happen next. Another excellent read from an author who simply doesn't publish books fast enough as far as I'm concerned. But given the choice, I'll take quality over quantity any day!

Midori Snyder, who has done wonders with her traditional fantasies, has decided to blend two rather contrary styles. She takes the traditional, down-to-earth stylings of a western novel, and throws in some sensual, and occasionally bizarre, touches of magical realism. Along the way we also get a healthy dose of urban fantasy, as Snyder tells the tale of a young man growing up in 19th century New York who discovers that he has a much richer and more magical heritage than he had assumed. Snyder takes a classic plot -- a mortal sired by faeries -- and makes it shine

The first time i read this book i could not get myself to put it down. Though i tried many times i just couldn't. This was a very creative and in many ways a very imaginative book. It was enjoyed by many people of several different age groups. Though i am a firm believer in God i see no harm in a little fun as long as people know that it is all make believe.

Soulstring was an excellent book. I was lucky enough to find it used, and now I wouldn't give it away. Don't let the first person voice scare you. It helps you get closer to the character. As for the story, it's totally original. The daughter of an evil nobleman and sorcerer, Magda, has inherited her father's power, but has no idea how to use it. One day, Severin, a farmer of Thall, comes to win her hand, and this changes her life. On the run from her father, alone with her new husband who's been turned into a stag, she has to survive. This book was so exciting and touching. It made me want to find my perfect love.

Midori Synder conveyed the world of Dinotopia to me in a exciting, suspenseful way. Every page of The Hatchling was wonderful in its own enchanting way. I especially taken with Anthraxan's(the archeopterex's)poem!

I read this about 4 years ago, and just recently read it again. It is a book rich with fantasy, and Midori Snyder Realy places you within the book itself, characters and places feel real, and the world itself is very much alive. I only wish i could get the other books

I read this book when I was younger and recently found it again while unpacking some old boxes. I immediatly searched out the other two in the series and practically gobbled them up. The writing is rich with images, the prose is beautiful, and the charectars are unforgetable. I have read some of Ms. Snyder's more recent work and can only say that she's gotten even better.

I happened to be lucky enough to pick up the other 2 books in the New Moon trilogy; all in all, it has to be one of the best series I've ever read. Likeable characters, marvelous descriptions that bring the setting to life... everything anyone could ask for. It's just unfortunate that you have to search hard to find this first one... you can read the other 2 without reading "New Moon" first, but I recommend searching for it, as it gives some of the background that is only touched upon in the other 2.

I didn't know it was part of a series. But the end is open and just begging for another title, so I came looking her - discovering it is the second title in the serie! I've already ordered the finale (Beldans Fire)...

I thought this book was great, one of the best fantasy stories I have ever read. Not only does it include magic, and lively characters, but explores one individuals total fear of death. A very fascinating story.

This story continues the tale of the Queen's Four Quarters begun in Snyder's "New Moon." Enough background information is given, however, that it can be read on its own. The cast of characters are sympathetic and well drawn. You come to truly care for the fate of Oran, suffering under the Silean occupation brought in by the country's own Queen

It's rare to discover a fantasy novel that breaks new ground in the genre, and a delight to be able to forgo comparisons with Tolkien. The Innamorati, by Midori Snyder, is such a novel.

It is said that to enter the great maze at the center of the city of Labirinto, one can lose any curse that might haunt them. Thus begins the story of The Innamorati, and from the first page the reader will find himself engrossed in Ms. Snyder's story and unwilling to stop turning the pages.

The Innamorati, set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, centers on no single protagonist, but instead chronicles the bête noirs that haunt a number of co-protagonists. Ms. Snyder has deftly taken the concept often used in television today - several sub-plots within a single episode, each mini-story tied to an appropriate character - and adapted it for The Innamorati. Among the co-protagonists: a mask-maker from Venice who can no longer make masks; a swordsman from Milan who wishes to give up the sword that rules his life; a would-be actor who speaks with a stutter; and a siren condemned to a silent exile far from the sea and her native island. There is also a poet, who at one time wrote the most beautiful sonnets, who loses his "voice" upon discovering his wife's infidelity. While Ms. Snyder places far too great a burden on this poet for his wife's infidelity, claiming he failed to provide for her wants (one could argue the wife's inability or unwillingness to accept what her husband was able to provide her - magnificent sonnets written to her and about her - as the impetus for her action), it is a subject best saved for debate and certainly not a flaw.

Ms. Snyder writes with a combination of clarity, wisdom and a playfulness that is rare today. Her narrative is evocative; her characters are real, and the reader will be easily drawn to them and able to relate to them on a very personal level. Best of all, The Innamorati is about personal identity - how we perceive ourselves beneath the masks we present to others, and how others perceive us. Readers may find themselves wondering whether they are who they are as a result of how others perceive them. While The Innamorati may not appeal to the purists of the fantasy genre (those who read Robert Jordan or Orson Scott Card), those whose appetite is for something more avant-garde will not be disappointed.

The setting : Renaissance Italy, various real and fictional cities.

The cast: (and here's the Chaucerian part): A mask-maker artist,
a priest, an actor, a merchant, a thief, a prostitute, a warrior,
a Siren (well.. that's not so Chaucerian). They come from all
walks of life, but all beset by some 'curse'. Thus they
pilgramage to a fictional city with a magical maze to cure
their woes.

The story starts off with very seperate tales.. almost too hard
to follow as Snyder jumps from character to character to follow
their own individual tales. But slowly, they come together
as the routes of a maze come to the center. The story is
enchantingly different from the classical fantasy genre. Magic is
as viewed by old world Italians is amazingly real and quite
different from the magic in our present day stories. It's magic
that is out of our control, that cuts and mends in surprising
unpredictable ways, that is guided and quirky according to the
personality, the moral ground, the intents of the character
involved.

This book is well worth reading... it won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award!!

In the tradition of Vonda McIntyre's THE MOON & THE SUN and Jack Dann's MEMORY CATHEDRAL, Midori Snyder has created a fascinating historic fantasy filled with myriad characters, a rich atmosphere of Renaissance Italy and metaphors within metaphors. The theme of Masks -- both those that hide and those that reveal -- is subtley woven through a labarynth of individual struggles and stories of brilliant depth, and subtle humor. A truly wonderful book.

This is the last novel in a trilogy that includes New Moon, Sadar's Keep, and Beldan's Fire. To understand it, it is necessary to read the whole series.

I have read and liked other books of Midori Snyder's (my favorite being The Inamorati). This series is unfortunately inferior. The historical background reads as if it was researched by attending a Renaissance and/or a Dickens Faire (street scenes and petty criminals in the main city of Beldan), watching a Middle Eastern dance troupe (the Ghazali), and reading a book about the problems with English (Silean) rule in Ireland (Oran). Grafted onto this is a New-Agey idea of the country of Oran (not the planet, just this country) being maintained by four queens with supernatural powers drawing on the four elements (earth, air, fire, water). Mixed in is some modern pop psychology about intergenerational conflicts, the fear of death, anorexia, and other current concerns.

Although represented as intelligent and resourceful, the characters don't act with ordinary common sense. Perpetually pursued and attacked, hungry and cold, whenever they come to a recently deserted village (which is often), they almost never bother to look for weapons, food, clothes, or other much-needed items. There are many other illogical actions. For example, the Ghazali substitute the words of their native tongue for the most common words of the Oran language (such as "yes") rather than more obscure or untranslatable ones.

This series is an unconvincing and tedious read.

I bought this book a long time ago, but never read it because I found out that it was the last book of a trilogy. It took me many years to locate the first two books in used bookstores, but I finally did, and just finished the trilogy last night. What a shame that they're so hard to find - this is one of the most original fantasies I've read.

The concept of the trilogy is that the world of Oran is held together and protected from Chaos by a "Queen's Quarter Knot", composed of four women, each with the power of one of the four elements. 200 years ago, the Fire Queen Zorah revolted, killed her three sisters, and is now ruling the country herself, using the magic of her element to keep herself young. But she can't do everything herself, so she has brought in a Regent and many of his followers from the neighboring country of Silea, and the native Orans are suffering under the arrogant rule of the Sileans. The New Moon is the name that the Oran rebels have given themselves, and their struggle both against Zorah and the Sileans is one focus of the story; the other is the formation of a new Queen's Quarter Knot as the four elements find each other and realize that Zorah is beginning to lose control and let Chaos claim the land.

The tough street slang of Jobber and the other city-bred characters makes the dialogue more interesting and fun to read. Snyder's Beldan is a well-detailed city with both a seamy underworld and corrupt nobility. The Oran countryside is no less well described. I wish that these three books (the first two are New Moon and Sadar's Keep) were not out of print, because I'd recommend them to any fantasy reader. They're worth searching used bookstores for.

This is the final book of my all-time favourite trilogy. All the characters are engaging, or at least interestingly nasty. Some familiar elements of fantasy plots (street urchins, elemental magic etc) are given real depth by Snyder's lyrical style and a willingness not to pull her punches. The characters face a real struggle for survival and there are no easy solutions on offer. It is criminal that the other two books in this trilogy are out of print, because you really should be able to begin at the beginning. I can't recommend this trilogy enough.

Midori Snyder's book Hannah's Garden is a wonderful journey through a mythical world where two ancient clans battle in a world hidden through out nature. This story draws the reader in through the eyes of Cassie Brittman, a typical teenager with a life that turns far from typical. Other colorful characters are added to the plot to build the suspence and interest. Some are realistic and others are strange and mysterious that keeps the reader wondering where they fit into the big picture.

I found this book very interesting and at times even a bit confusing, but it was a magical tale that made me keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next. This would be a wonderful book for anyone who likes fantasy tales that dance with magic and add a touch of the unusual.