Liar's Moon
Liar's Moon
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2011--
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Annotation: In a quest to prove her friend, Lord Durrel Decath, innocent of the murder of his wife, pickpocket Digger stumbles into a conspiracy with far-reaching consequences for the civil war raging in Lllyvraneth, while also finding herself falling in love.
 
Reviews: 7
Catalog Number: #4979731
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Copyright Date: 2011
Edition Date: 2011 Release Date: 11/01/11
Pages: 356 pages
ISBN: 0-545-13608-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-545-13608-2
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2011005071
Dimensions: 22 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist

In this sequel to Star Crossed (2010), gifted thief Digger has returned to Gerse to discover that nobleman and friend Durrel Decath has been imprisoned after being accused of murdering his wife. After determining to prove Durrel's innocence, Digger becomes entangled in a web of deceit and intrigue. Bunce incorporates mystery, suspense, romance, and social issues into an absorbing fantasy-adventure that is likely to resonate most with returning readers, although the appended lexicon will help orient newcomers. Digger's highly descriptive first-person narrative brings the settings and diverse characters to life, and the cliff-hanger ending is sure to leave readers anticipating the follow-up.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

This StarCrossed sequel finds Lord Durrel Decath accused of murdering his wife. Petty thief Digger uses all her eavesdropping, forging, and lock-picking skills to identify the real murderer and save Durrel from execution. Bunce's confection of romantic fantasy, light and speedy in the reading, also offers up the ins and outs of courtly intrigue and marriage- and power-brokering.

Kirkus Reviews

A solid fantasy sequel embroils its irresistible heroine in mystery, intrigue and romance (StarCrossed, 2010). Erstwhile lady's maid, forger and spy Digger is back in the besieged city of Gerse--picking pockets, avoiding the fanatic Greenmen and looking for any opportunity to aid Prince Wierolf and his rebel allies. But when her friend Lord Durrel is imprisoned for poisoning his wife, Digger devotes her skills to proving his innocence. The titular moon belongs to the god of wine, deception and thieves, all of which play significant roles in a convoluted narrative involving murder, magic, smuggling, sex, blackmail, bribery, religion and revolution, with a fair sprinkling of humor and romance. There's an awful lot of plot going on, but it never spirals out of control; Digger always manages to be where events are unfolding, make friends with the right people and uncover the crucial clues. She remains a marvelous creation, with a wry observant voice and a veneer of heartbreaking bravado; indeed, her personality is so vibrant that (lacking an equally strong antagonist) every other character tends to disappear in her shadow. While it's not a standalone, sufficient information is provided to start with this entry, and the main plot lines wrap up in a satisfying fashion--but an unexpected twist in the final paragraphs will leave Digger's many fans impatient for her next adventure. Simply put, a darn good read. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Gr 9 Up-Durrel and Raffin from Starcrossed (Scholastic, 2010) are back. Pickpocket Digger is now in her home city of Gerse, but life has not returned to normal. Civil war is dividing the country and the peoples' loyalties. Those with magical gifts are being imprisoned and tortured; and Digger's brother, Werne the Inquisitor, is trying to compel her to assist him in rounding them up. In the midst of this, the young lord Durrel has been arrested for the murder of his wife. As he once saved Digger's life, she vows to help him. What she discovers is a muddle of politics, intrigue, and poison that even the most accomplished sleuth would be hard pressed to sort out. This mystery/fantasy hybrid is intriguing and complex, and the setting is well-imagined. Digger is a scrappy, cynical, morally deficient, yet honorable, thief. Readers who like independent heroines and/or Philip Pullman's "Sally Lockhart Mystery" series (Knopf) will enjoy this novel. Although confident readers can follow the twisting plot, the complicated situations may cause confusion for some teens not familiar with the first book. Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist
ALA/YALSA Best Book For Young Adults
Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)
Wilson's High School Catalog
Wilson's Junior High Catalog
Word Count: 113,761
Reading Level: 5.7
Interest Level: 7-12
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.7 / points: 18.0 / quiz: 147866 / grade: Middle Grades+
Reading Counts!: reading level:5.5 / points:26.0 / quiz:Q53673
Lexile: 840L
From Liar's Moon

As I crossed back through the empty court, something that wasn't moonlight flashed in the corner of my vision. Swearing silently, I spun slowly back around, my eyes pressed closed until the last moment. But I hadn't imagined it. There by an arched doorway, in a streak like the mark left on the floor from heavy furniture, was the faintest glitter of something that should not have been there. I knelt beside it and gingerly dipped my fingers toward the flagstones, tapping just lightly enough that a stream of silvery mist spread out from my touch like the radiating arms of a star, flashing the floor in sparkling light.

There was magic at Bal Marse.

Of course there was.



Excerpted from Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Prisons, poisons, and passions combine in a gorgeously written fantasy noir by the author of the Morris Award-winning A Curse Dark As Gold.

As a pickpocket, Digger expects to spend a night in jail every now and then. But she doesn't expect to find Lord Durrel Decath there as well--or to hear he's soon to be executed for killing his wife. Durrel once saved Digger's life, and when she goes free, she decides to use her skills as a thief, forger, and spy to investigate his case and return the favor. But each new clue only opens up more mysteries. While Durrel's marriage was one of convenience, his behavior has been more impulsive than innocent. His late wife had an illegal business on the wrong side of the civil war raging just outside the city gates. Digger keeps finding forbidden magic in places it has no reason to be. And it doesn't help that she may be falling in love with a murderer . . .


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