Disclaimer: I applied to read and review this book. I got it for free, and in return have to write reviews/posts/WOM on social media and a third-party source about said book with pictures and the hashtag #CrownsofTheTwelve.
Now that we've got that out of the way, it's time for introductions. Moonlight is a Celtic retelling of the story The Swan Princess. This story is full of Celtic and Irish lore, but the author has been kind enough to create a glossary full of explanations, pronunciations, and translations. So, while most of it is common sense, or is explained in the next sentence, a lot of it might go over your head.
The Royal Family of Summer Isle consists of King Aodhagáin, his wife Sulwen, and their children. They have six boys--Choróin, Caoin Croí, Lorgaire, Rógaire, Eagnaí, and Stór and one girl--Aowyn. She is the heroine of the story. The King reveals the Queen is ill, she confirms it. Aowyn spends one last evening with her, and her mother reassures her that even though this is the "Winter of her life", she will always be there for Aowyn.
"My love is like the Moon--shining and eternal. And as long as it rises in the sky, you shall never be alone."--Queen Sulwen
This brings some comfort to her, but all the while Aowyn and her mother are relaying suspicion over a handmaiden in the court--Ciatlllait. This handmaiden isn't exactly behaving normally, smirking and laughing as the Queen confirms she is dying. Once Sulwen loses consciousness and must be put to bed, the suspicion rises. So, Sulwen dies and Ciatlllait visits her grave to reveal her plan to the deceased Queen--she is after three things:
"Your throne. Your husband. Your crown. Mine."--Ciatlllait
So in the next passing days, the handmaiden starts working on her plan. She seduces the two eldest--Choróin and Caoin Croí. She makes sure to completely keep them in a lovesick daze, to the point where they both deny Aowyn's claims that the woman is poison. Luckily, Aowyn's brother Eagnaí, whom she is close to, hears her out. She discovers they're both wary of Ciat. A disgusting display is put on for a while, until one night everything changes--The handmaiden curses the brothers and transforms them into swans.
Aowyn escapes with them to the one place she feels safe--a pond called An Cuan Áille. This was a space where she, her mother, and brothers secretly went the previous summer. All was well in this fragrant space, and the glow of the Moon washes over them. She spends a LOT of time here, as she feels it is the only pace that Ciatlllait's magic will not find her. The brothers can no longer speak, but are mentally linked to Aowyn. Eagnaí encourages her to return to the castle to see things out, and she first refuses but goes along--just in time to find out Ciatlllait and King Aodhagáin are to be married during Bealtaine--a time of rebirth and renewal.
Horrified, Aowyn protests. In a show of crocodile tears, Ciatlllait pretends to be upset, and Aowyn storms out. She goes to her brothers to relay the news. Lorgaire asks her to tell the story of Aobh and his sons. From this, he concocts a plan--love will break the curse and make all right again. Aowyn then goes to her nursemaid Maeb for advice. Maeb tells her to see the one who gave Ciatlllait her power--Sylas Mortas.
As this is going on, Ciat. summons Sylas as well, forming the rest of her plan. To make a long story short, she's going to slowly kill the King with a curse, right in front of Aowyn, to make her visit Sylas in retaliation to try and defeat her. The plan, of course, follows through. Aowyn comes to see Ciat herself, for answers. She witnesses the curse and attacks her. Ciat. sends her to the bogloch, where Sylas resides.
So this is the skinny on what happens there--she's trying to find a way to undo the spell Ciat has created, and Sylas tells her it's not that simple. In exchange for her brother's return to mortal form, she must not speak for one thousand moons (Which is about three years?) or else her brothers die.
At the same time, on the other side of the world in Blackthorn of the Twelve Kingdoms, King Rab is preparing to come to Summer Isle during Bealtaine to start a war and make the isle his. He has two sons--Bannock, his pride and joy, and Xander--a thorn in his side. He cannot stand the latter because he was a "mistake" that took his wife away from the world. So he mistreats Xander, favoring his older brother. He sends them both on a voyage to start the war.
Xander knows his father has it in for him, possibly sending him to his death. Still, he wishes to be in his favor. He's instructed to wait on the boat, and that's when things fall apart. Traitors toss him off the boat and he must scramble to shore, as kelpies attack him. He makes it, barely. He is immediately thrown into the horrors of war, fighting alongside his brother until the bitter end. When the end comes, it's awash with the dying pleas of his brother, Bannock:
"Be more than one thing. Find something in life worth fighting for."--Bannock
Feeling the weight upon him, he stops asking what his now dead brother would do, and attempts to depend on himself. Meanwhile, Aowyn has no idea what is going on, until their paths meet at An Cuan Áille. The third turning point! Xander is "the archer" in this part of the story, but Aowyn doesn't know this. As she tries to save Eagnaí, her protest kills Stór. Her remaining brothers chase off Xander, and she returns to the royal castle to fetch her finest jewelry box to place her deceased brothers. Her living swan brothers urge her to bury them in the ancestral burial ground, but she refuses. As she was afraid to go when her mother was buried there, she is surely afraid with brothers for swans. Meanwhile, Xander has returned to camp, upset that he could not retrieve his kill, but finds himself enamored with the image of Aowyn.
The Summer ends, and her brothers feel the urge to do what all swans do--head south for warmth. Although she hates going to the castle, where King Aodhagáin has become Ciatlllait's puppet, she has no other choice. All the while, Xander falls into great poverty, losing men and having to eat boiled leather to survive. Ciat. flawlessly wages war while deciding how to get rid of Aowyn.
Xander and Aowyn's paths cross again, as he has returned to An Cuan Áille to find her bathing in the pond's water. Anger swells in Aowyn's heart, and she fights Xander tooth and nail. He enjoyed the moment, caught in her beauty. She ended the moment by elbowing him in the face. Once all was cleared, she agreed to go with him to heal her wounds. At the camp, Xander reveals that he and his men have been shrouded in coldness, strange fog, and even stranger sights that have driven his men crazy.
At the castle, Ciatlllait and Sylas have created another half to their plan--create a Donestre, a new race to the island. When Aowyn returns, Ciat. makes her pregnancy announcement. This enrages Aowyn, who returns to Xander's camp to spar with him to release her anger. He dubs her "shield maiden". As days pass, and Summer returns, Aowyn gets the feeling that Xander doesn't take her seriously as a fighter. She spars with him again. In frustration, she returns to the pond haven, and her brothers return to her. Xander follows her, and round 2 of drama almost starts, until Aowyn stops the swan brothers and decide to show them Xander is good--by having him carry their fallen brothers to the ancient burial grounds.
Upon return to the castle, she notices that the pregnancy is taking a strong toll on Ciatlllait. Aowyn decides this is the time to strike, and broods over it while spending time at An Cuan Áille. This is also when Xander tries to find out her name. Because she cannot speak, her swan brothers must do it for her.
Upon return to the castle, she notices that the pregnancy is taking a strong toll on Ciatlllait. Aowyn decides this is the time to strike, and broods over it while spending time at An Cuan Áille. This is also when Xander tries to find out her name. Because she cannot speak, her swan brothers must do it for her.
"A...Oh...Win..."--Swan Brothers
Despite her brothers trying to ruin the moment with humor and honking, Aowyin get closer by holding hands and taking in the moment by the pond. They are safe from Ciat. and her attempts to send creatures to the forest to find where the princess is hiding with her brothers. She is losing power, but has a vision that gives her strength--she can destroy Aowyn by driving a wedge between her and Xander.
Aowyn also notices that Ciatlllait is weak from the heavy load of pregnancy, and decides to reveal as much as she can about herself through a game of charades. Once Xander puts it all together--she is the princess, her father is ill, and she needs his army's help, the rest flows like milk and honey. As her brothers depart for warm weather, she and Xander prepare for battle. When she gets to the castle, she chooses to go first. The voices of her fallen brothers Eagnaí and Stór chime into her head, reminding her that love is all she needs to win the fight. Despite Ciatlllait's taunts, Aowyn fearlessly faces her. Sulwen's voice gives her strength, and the battle begins.
Ciatlllait knocked back a good lot of men, but was no match for Aowyn's advances. She tried to win the girl's graces one more time, before Aowyn stabbed her and she went up in smoke. King Aodhagáin grants her regency, and Bealtaine is soon to come again. She is crowned, her father is slowly being nursed back to health, and as she reflects on what all has happened at the shores of An Cuan Áille, her brothers--who have returned--tell her to forget her troubles and celebrate with everyone else. They adorn her hair with flowers and slip some of their feathers into her dress, and she goes to celebrate.
Xander, meanwhile, decides he will marry Aowyn after reading a horrible and belittling letter from his father, who has nothing good to say about anything. He calls him a dog on the chain, and that Aowyn will treat him as a pet. King Rab wants him to return and marry the woman his brother was in love with--Glenna. Instead, Xander goes to King Aodhagáin's bedchambers to ask for Aowyn's hand in marriage. The King agrees, and gives him the Ring of Royals.
Aowyn and Xander's relationship quickly changes, as passion is exchanged between them once he finds her at the festivities. They run to the forest to exchange heated kisses, and for the first time, Aowyn realizes that he is a man. This scares her, and his proposal doesn't help. She is afraid to answer, and eventually Xander considers this as a "no". There are obviously a lot of feelings involved, and simply submitting to one who is not her father or brothers turns out to be a new and frightening experience.
This part really tore me up. The misunderstanding is what turns things for the worst, because what could have been easy becomes incredibly difficult for all who're involved. This was also the most riveting scene in the story. The entire time they were sparring, the passion was building up. It finally erupted, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, hoping for a steamy love scene. I sorta got what I wanted.
So Xander is incredibly hurt and returns to Blackthorn Keep. His father has nothing but cruel things to say to him, cursing the gods for sending such a son. He refers to him as a "disgrace" over and over, jabbing him and riling Xander up, until he snaps and has his own commentary for King Rab. Before the King could backhand him, Xander comments on the war, asking if he sent him to fail, and if it was so easy to send him to a death sure to come. He leaves the room after spitting on his father.
A while later, he decides to marry Glenna. Aowyn only finds this out because she runs after him, and ends up running right into a festival announcing the wedding. She tries to get past the guards to see him, but is thrown like a rag doll away from the scene for causing too much trouble. Meanwhile in Morgoth Swamp, Ciatlllait gives birth to Donestre. Her beauty fades, Slyas comes to her, and her true name is uttered--Crwys. Their pact is finished, and the woman he loved--whom Crwys possessed, is no more.
Xander is at the castle, in bed dreaming of both Aowyn and Glenna. He is torn between love and duty, seeing both women appear to him in dual visions, demanding him to choose. Some time later, a haggard old woman gives her a vial to win Xander back. All she has to do is steal into the castle/keep, pour it into something he will consume, and all will be right. So, she does just that. She sneaks into Blacktorn Keep, she blindly finds her way into somebody's bedchamber--too bad it's not Xander's. It's his father's, and he accuses her of trying to poison him, when the contents of the vial burn his face and hand. Aowyn is thrown into a dungeon. She cannot speak, still. It has not been three years yet. Maeb goes looking for her, and she tries to get her attention, but fails.
King Rab calls for her, to officially charge her. He tries to set up a sordid arrangement to make him change his mind. When she refuses, the order is set--she is to be burnt at the stake after Xander's wedding. She could not speak to save herself, and feared saying anything until the hour of her pact with Sylas was over.
DRAMA!
This is why I love the book so much. The balance between the calm and the fierce drama was wonderful. There were no parts I hated, which is why this review ended up being so long. I could not help myself.
Aowyn is to be burnt at the stake for murder and consorting with a witch. She is able to admit that part through signing a signal for a rune on her hand. Rab labels her "Girl of Inconsequence". The wedding takes place--almost. Maeb is still looking for Aowyn, and stops the wedding. She's screamin' at Xander, calling him an adulterer. Once she gives him the skinny--"Aowyn is here and she loves you!", the wedding is off, Glenna is relieved, and Xander and Maeb go to look for her.
When it's time for Aowyn to be burnt at the stake, she frantically summons Sylas in her head. He comes to her, saying the same thing again:
"I cannot magic it all away. It is the simple things that are the most difficult."--Sylas Mortas
All the players arrive as the torch is lit, and the pyre begins to blaze. Aowyn realizes this is all more than she bargained for, but still refuses to talk. Xander sees her, and a fight breaks out between him, his father, and the guards. Crwys appears to watch Aowyn burn, smiling. Sylas also stood, watching the fray.
WAIT FOR IT.
Choróin arrives. He dives in, with the other two brothers. Attacking guards and eventually he turns into a man again. Xander arms him and they fight as he tries to get to Aowyn, who has already been burnt badly on her legs. Lorgaire also changes, but his twin is not so lucky. Rógaire dies, but is turned into a man as well. As the fight dies down, Xander has a now passed out Aowyn. Screaming at his father, which brings tears to his eyes. Meanwhile, Aowyn sees her mother in her dreams. Sulwen tells her to let go, and she surely does after realizing her mother needed to move on to Mag Mell--the place where souls rest in freedom from Earthly chains.
"Your love was enough..."
Aowyn wakes, identifies herself, and charges the true witch--Crwys. She is burnt at the stake, and is soon ash. All is well and ended, and Aowyn stays with Xander to become his bride. Bathed in the moonlight of their mother's love, the remaining of the King and Queen's children walked to the end of the dock.
Being introduced to the work of Ann Hunter has been an amazing trip. Trying not to give it all away for a review was hard. (It could not be done, and I guess I need to work on that!) I was so excited about this book, and there's just too much goodness to try and hack it up into bits and pieces. It just doesn't do a summary justice.
What I liked about the book--everything.
What I didn't like--No such thing.