Blaggard's Moon

Smith Delaney---sailor and swordsman of the Trophy Chase---is sentenced to die for mutiny. While anticipating his death, Delaney ponders his life. What events brought him to this fate? He recalls noble love gone awry, sacrifices, dark deeds, the lust for gold, and more. Will he encounter God, who offers grace where none is deserved? 350 pages, softcover from Harvest.

From the author of highly praised Trophy Chase Trilogy comes this exciting swashbuckling tale of a pirate sentenced to die for the crime of mutiny.

As he awaits his fate, this pirate (none other than the delightful Smith Delaney from the Trophy Chase Trilogy) ponders his life and the events that have brought him to this fate.

In the process of remembering, and in grappling with mercy and justice as they have been played out in his life, a tale is spun, a tale of true hearts wronged, noble love gone awry, dark deeds done for the sake of gold, and sacrifices made for love. In the end, our pirate will come face–to–face with himself, with his own death, and with a God who promises grace where none is deserved.

Readers of Christian fantasy will once again be swept away by Bryan Polivka’s compelling storytelling abilities. As Publisher’s Weekly said of the author’s first book, “readers will be flipping pages eagerly.”

Gruesome death, heart pounding violence, terrible crimes, wild adventure, romance, gifted storytelling (by author and characters), vivid pictures playing on the reader’s mind-screen, a totally believable fantasy world filled with a wide assortment of convincing people, pirates, unscrupulous business men, daring marines, the ubiquitous mermonkeys, and one little girl. All this, and more, are yours when you open Blaggard’s Moon. A triptych, this book braids together three strands. There is narrator Delaney, a pirate marooned precariously on a post in the middle of a dangerous pond; a type of Everyman – we all sit on a perilous post in the axis of society’s dangers. Jenta is the second strand; a lovely young woman, sought after by many men, born low and aimed high by her mother. Determined to do what needs to be done, Jenta ably uses all the vagaries of her heritage. And third, a large, debauched group of pirates pursued by their relentless nemesis, our not-as-cold-blooded-as-he-thinks-he-is protagonist. Add to this blend cataclysmic battles of Shakespearean proportions, some breathtaking reading, an eminently satisfying denouement, and enough left over wisps to provide the lead into another book.

Take the book of Job, mix well with Ecclesiastes, and you have The Blaggard’s Moon, plus all the blaggard (blackguard; scoundrel) characters contained therein. Pirates are a perennially popular theme as evinced by a recent series of movies. Author George Polivka uses them with dexterity in this, the next installment in his Firefish series. With both pathos and an underlying current of humor, Polivka conjures an engrossing story which is also a parable about fighting the world (business), the flesh (self), and the devil (pirates); the Christian fight against principalities and powers. A good summary of the plot is found in Ecclesiastes 9:2, “It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.”

A satisfying fantasy, which remains true to its world while ably reflecting ours and our struggle to cope with Christian values, Blaggard’s Moon will be enjoyed by all capable readers of any age. It is good escapist reading, which also leaves you with a wide variety of seed thoughts. – Donna Eggett, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

Average Rating:

5 of 5 Reviews Showing:

Reviewed by Novel Teen Book Reviews (Oregon), June 11, 2009

The story opens with a man named Delaney sitting on a post in the middle of a jungle lake that is infested with piranah and horrible mermonkeys. As Delaney ponders how he came to be in such a predicament, the reader drifts with his memory and into a wonderful adventure. We come to know the story of a girl named Jenta who was low born but brought up as a lady. We learn of a young man named Damrick who stands up to defend the common folk from pirates by forming the Hell’s Gatemen. As Damrick and his men take to the seas, we meet many pirates such as Sharkbit Sutter, Conch Imbry, Dancer Clang, Skeel Baris, and Belisar the Whale. All of these ingredients combine to form a very interesting and extremely entertaining adventure. This book was engaging. It took a few chapters to get me into the author’s style, though. It was interesting to experience a story through one man’s memory of another man’s tale, but it worked very well with this pirate novel. Polivka’s characters were dynamic. I could see them and hear them. I could relate to how they got to where they were in life and why they did the things they did. I really liked one of the themes of how the love and encouragement and prayer of one person can change another’s life. I’ll be thinking of this one for a while. This book not only had wonderful characters, the plot was smart and I couldn’t guess how the author was going to pull all his story threads together. That in itself makes it so satisfying in the end, though it’s not the happiest of tales. I highly recommend this one to just about everyone.

Reviewed by Amydeanne (Canada), May 08, 2009

Yo Ho and a bottle of rum.. a pirates life for me… okay maybe not for me, but a book… A pirates tale. Now that’s for me! After all the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and such that have been about the past few years I thought diving into this book would be an ease! I must admit the first chapter I couldn’t get into it. It gave a W-I-D-E overview and I didn’t see a focus. The second chapter I started to see a bit more form and started to meet a few characters. By the third chapter I was hooked! The part I love about it: - the different stories going… Delaney sitting on the post (waiting to be eaten by the mermonkey’s. lol) and his reminiscing; a love story entangled in the throws of adventure! Not too mushy - just enough of both to capture me, and hold me captive till the end. I still wanted more when I was done! I was rather sad that it was actually finished — and that is a sign of a great book — when you know you want more! Blaggard’s Moon is the prequel to the Trophy Case Trilogy which includes: “The Legend Of The Firefish”, “The Hand That Bears The Sword”, and “The Battle For Vast Dominion”. I am impressed with Polivka’s depth of storytelling. He really captured me (after that little rocky beginning) and I had a hard time putting the book down. Polivka writes with such imagery and detail that I do think both Christian and non- Christian will enjoy this book. And quite honestly, I’d love to see the movie if there ever is one!

Reviewed by MJ @ Creative Madness (Porterdale, Georgia), May 03, 2009

Smith Delaney is a man who is awaiting his demise. This is a novel, of Delaney remembering a story in vivid detail of how things went from one place to another in the world of vast pirating and pillaging where the townsfolk saw no end of terror. Polivka weaves an intriguing tale as a master storyteller that brings images easily to the mind's eye of a reader and keeps one ceaselessly thirsting for more. Many a book can grab me and pull with the never-ending page turning drama to a finish. This book is different. I was drawn and curious and could not unravel the tale fast enough, but the way the story was told in vivid detail and description causes one to take the tale at a leisurely pace. As a scene unfolds, it is almost necessary to full let it soak in from the words on the page to the reader's eye and then the synapses of the brain. Each section brings a mini story and intrigues a bit further. An adventure of pirates, murder, fights, romance, true love, revenge, and justice prevail. All through out, the story is enticing and pulls a reader to one way of thinking and then changes your mind to another. Mixed in the story in a very non-nagging manner is a fabulous undertone of what is coming... Where are your actions taking you and how will they affect the outcome of your life? It is a thrilling ride filled with the sounds of splashing waves and crying gulls with the scent of salt water to one's nose and I recommend it to many for a leisurely yet full of adventure ride. I am grateful that I was able to start my reading adventures of the Nearing Vast world through this prequel to the Trophy Chase trilogy. Now I am even more grateful that I have the first and third of the trilogy on my shelves waiting for me, and now must find a way to acquire the second novel. Then my adventure will be complete!

Reviewed by Jennifer @ Quiverfullfamily.com (Canada), April 22, 2009

Set in a fictional world somewhat reminiscent of the Elizabethan age, George Bryan Polivka’s Blaggard’s Moon is a prequel written after the conclusion of his Trophy Chase Trilogy. I found the premise of a Christian pirate novel irresistible, and the results immensely entertaining. It takes a certain amount of skill to convey authentic pirate language while refraining from outright blasphemy and cursing, yet Polvikka pulls it off. Both his narration and dialogue are lively – vivid, captivating and just plain fun. Indeed, Polivka’s work clearly places him amongst the top writers in Christian fantasy today. Using the context of piracy to contrast righteous and corrupt behaviour, Polvikka casts Damrick Fellows as a man fiercely dedicated to ridding the world of evil, Conch Imbry as a ruthless, greedy and heartless pirate king, and the lovely Jenta Stillsmithers as the woman caught in a dangerous dance that is largely outside of her control. Though the main characters seem stereotypical, this trio of super-hero, villain, and damsel in distress are endowed with living, breathing three-dimensional fullness that etches their characters in the mind. The sharp contrast of choosing for God and choosing against Him in both these lives and that of others Delaney has known drive him to self-examination during his final hours. The near exclusive use of Delaney’s recollections of Drumbone’s tale combined with discrete incidents from his own life result in a story that is taking place on a stage that nearly entirely exists in Delaney’s mind. An uncommon device in what is essentially an action novel, the alternating narrative viewpoints only add to the rush towards the present, where all three stories eventually meet. Lovers of boisterous sea battles need not worry; his reminiscences are filled with active language, fierce battles complete with nautical language and complex schemes hatched by merchants and pirates alike.

Reviewed by Stacey (Las Vegas, NV), April 04, 2009

George Polivka’s “Blaggard’s Moon” is a truly wonderful book. The author of “The Legend of the Firefish” does not disappoint in this tale of pirates and the sea. This novel is the perfect place to start reading as it is the prequel to the Trophy Case Trilogy which consists of “The Legend Of The Firefish”, “The Hand That Bears The Sword”, and “The Battle For Vast Dominion”. This is a wonderful novel about choices and consequences seasoned with the salty sea air. “Blaggard’s Moon” has it all – romance, war, swashes and buckles. This is masterfully written Christian science fiction, a genre that is very new to me, but becoming dearer with every novel I read. The author’s language takes the reader to new levels, proving that intellectuals really do read and write quality fantasy.

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