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Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
Print Length: 236 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
South Carolina, 1783.
The war is over, but for Genevieve "Vieve" Whittier, the battle for a new life has just begun. Once an orphaned indentured servant plucked from the docks of Charlestown, Vieve has survived cruelty, captivity, and a treacherous wartime mission that nearly cost her life. Now, reunited with Oliver Montague, the plantation heir who defied his own family to love her, she dares to imagine a future built on something revolutionary: equality, shared land, and bonds that transcend the brutal lines of race and class.
Together with Maybelle, a formerly enslaved woman of deep faith, and Ashwiyaa, a Catawba warrior torn from her people and traded into bondage, Vieve helped deliver a message that changed the course of the Revolution. Their reward was freedom. But in a post-war South where slavery is expanding, where wounds of loyalty and betrayal have shattered even the most powerful families, freedom is a fragile and dangerous thing. Oliver's vision for Montague Hall threatens everything the old order holds sacred, and his embittered mother may never forgive the women she blames for destroying her family.
As old enemies circle and new alliances are tested, Vieve, Maybelle, and Ash must fight to protect the world they are building before the rising tides of vengeance and greed sweep it all away. In Blood Moon Rising, love is defiance, hope is rebellion, and the hardest war is the one that comes after the last shot is fired.
The war may be over, but for Genevieve Whittier, Maybelle and Ashwiyaa, the future is still far from certain. America has won its independence, and the promise of liberty hangs tantalisingly in the air, but freedom means very different things depending upon who you are, the colour of your skin and where you stand in society.
In 'Blood Moon Rising', Patricia Brandon takes her readers back to Montague Hall, where Vieve's return with Oliver should mark the beginning of a happier chapter in her life. Maybelle is also looking towards the future and contemplating what freedom might now allow her to achieve, while Ashwiyaa has reasons of her own to embrace the changes that peace has brought. Yet there is something deeply troubling happening beneath the surface. Men have disappeared, strange records have been discovered, and there are those who have found very profitable ways of exploiting the uncertainty left behind by the war.
The friendship between Vieve, Maybelle and Ashwiyaa was one of the great strengths of 'Rise of the Pale Moon', and it is once again at the heart of this novel. These three women have experienced very different kinds of hardship, but their friendship has survived prejudice, violence, war and terrible loss. Brandon captures the warmth between them beautifully, particularly in those quieter moments when their personalities are allowed to shine. They may disagree, tease and occasionally frustrate each other, but there is never any doubt about the depth of their affection or loyalty.
Maybelle's story is particularly poignant. Having once been enslaved, she now has the opportunity to consider what she wants from life rather than having those decisions made for her. Through Maybelle, Brandon explores the idea that freedom is about far more than the absence of physical chains. It is also about education, opportunity, independence and having the right to decide what one's own future will look like.
This question of freedom runs throughout 'Blood Moon Rising'. America has fought a revolution in the name of liberty, yet Brandon continually challenges the reader to consider what that liberty actually means and, more importantly, to whom it applies. The end of the war has not swept away the inequalities that existed before it, and the contrast between a nation celebrating independence and the experiences of those still denied true freedom is powerfully explored.
Redemption is another important theme, particularly for characters who must live with decisions made in the past. Brandon does not suggest that recognising former wrongdoing somehow makes its consequences disappear. Instead, she explores whether people really can change and what it means to attempt to make amends when some actions can never truly be undone. This gives several of the characters considerably more depth and provides some of the novel's most emotional moments.
Alongside these personal stories is a mystery involving missing men, coded ledgers, hidden evidence and suspicious dealings. As Vieve, Maybelle and Ashwiyaa investigate, they soon realise that something much larger and more dangerous may be taking place. There is a sizeable cast and plenty of clues to keep track of, which does demand the reader's attention, but the mystery builds steadily as more questions begin to emerge.
Brandon's knowledge of the period is evident throughout the novel, and the aftermath of the Revolution provides a fascinating setting. At times, the amount of historical information conveyed through conversation does slow the pace, but much of it is skilfully incorporated into the story. The uncertainty of the post-war years, along with the entrenched divisions of race and class, gives the novel a convincing historical backdrop while also reinforcing its central themes.
As the novel progresses, the danger increases considerably and the pace quickens. The mystery has several twists along the way, and although there are moments when events fall into place rather conveniently, there is plenty here to keep the reader turning the pages. Brandon successfully balances the darker aspects of the story with the relationships between her characters and their hopes for the future.
As with 'Rise of the Pale Moon', the imagery of the moon is beautifully woven through the story. Here, the blood moon carries associations of violence and warning, but also transformation, renewal and rebirth. It is a fitting symbol for characters trying to create new lives in a country that has itself supposedly been reborn, while many of the injustices of the old world remain firmly in place.
'Rise of the Pale Moon' posed the question of whether freedom would be gained by some and lost by others. 'Blood Moon Rising' takes that question beyond the Revolution and explores what freedom actually means once the fighting has stopped. Brandon has created a thoughtful and absorbing continuation of Vieve, Maybelle and Ashwiyaa's story, combining mystery, friendship and romance with an exploration of liberty, justice and redemption.
'Blood Moon Rising' is a thoroughly enjoyable historical novel and a worthy sequel to 'Rise of the Pale Moon'. For readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction with a strong mystery at its heart, this is certainly a novel worth discovering.
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Mary Anne xxx