The Moontide Bridge is about to open. The world trembles on the brink of cataclysm...
Most of the time the Moontide Bridge lies deep below the sea, but every 12 years the tides sink and the bridge is revealed, its gates open for trade.
The Magi are hell-bent on ruling this new world, and for the last two Moontides they have led armies across the bridge on "crusades" of conquest. Now the third Moontide is almost here and, this time, the people of the East are ready for a fight... but it is three seemingly ordinary people that will decide the fate of the world.
About the Author
David Hair is an award-winning writer with two YA fiction series, the Aotearoa (set in New Zealand), and The Return of Ravana (based upon the Indian epic The Ramayana). Mage's Blood, his first work of adult fantasy, is the first in his brand new quartet. He was raised in New Zealand, and after living in Britain and India and travelling the world, he now lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
Industry Reviews
This is one of those books that is so epic, that gets you so involved and is such an investment in time and emotion, that there is a little sting of regret that the ending had to come at all and you immediately want to go back to the beginning and see how much riper it is second time around * British Fantasy Society *
Makes for an outstanding start to a series which promises to recall epic fantasy's finest. In more ways than one, this book could be huge - an honour I dare say David Hair deserves * Tor.com *
This story is so utterly HUMAN ... Set in a world with religious and political struggles that wonderfully parallel our own, Mage's Blood depicts the good and bad of society and its obsession with power * The Wishing Table *
Mage's Blood has a richness to it that comes so close to the actual history and customs of Europe and the Near East as to make me periodically stop and wonder whether I was remembering my history wrong or I had just tripped over one of the fantasy world's small, intentional tweaks . . . Fans of Game of Thrones will delight in the existence of this different-yet-similar fantasy series. * New Myths *
an ambitious novel sure to thrill readers of character-driven fantasy. Hair has done an admirable job in building a complex world populated by a rich and diverse cast of characters . . . A tense, edge-of-your-seat fantastical drama. There's a little something for everyone here - conspiracies, political backstabbing, high magic, swordplay, a smattering of romance, and more . . . Recommended for fans of George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and Patrick Rothfuss. * Monster Librarian *
Mage's Blood is true epic fantasy. It has everything a fan could want - detailed magic, good characters and evil characters (of both genders) and some in between, a compelling plot, and twists aplenty. * A Bitter Draft *
David Hair's explosive debut as an epic fantasy writer and should be read by all with an interest in gritty fantasy and alternate histories * Fantasy Online *
Hair's first foray into adult fantasy is similar in scope to George R.R. Martin's 'Ice and Fire' and Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' novels and is sure to please those authors' many fans * Library Journal, Starred Review *
This multilayered beginning to the Moontide Quartet plunges readers into a taut network of intrigue and mystery that tightens with each chapter. Hair portrays a stark and beautiful world breaking apart, with both good and evil characters desperate to reshape it through magic, war, and treachery. This strong debut should draw in fantasy readers of all stripes * Publishers Weekly *
Sweeping conflicts, clashes of cultures, political and personal entanglements, rich and in-depth magic, and mighty warriors dot the landscape. . . . Hair tells his story with aplomb in a clear and concise prose * A Dribble of Ink *
Modern epic fantasy at its best * Fantasy Book Critic *
The Moontide Quartet is perhaps the most understated fantasy series currently being written. It features a wide, diverse cast of characters spread out over dual continents. Focusing on a clash of civilisations storyline, David Hair offers a tale that encapsulates epic fantasy to its entirety * Fantasy Book Critic, The Year's Top Ten *
One of the best examples, in recent memory, of epic fantasy * Novelnaut *
'Amazing The Moontide Quartet epic fantasy series. I'll not reveal all the details and plots, you'll just need to read these books. It will get you turning pages in a speed of desert storm * Dejan Delic, Deviant Art *
'This is one of those books that is so epic, that gets you so involved and is such an investment in time and emotion, that there is a little sting of regret that the ending had to come at all and you immediately want to go back to the beginning and see how much riper it is second time around' British Fantasy Society. * British Fantasy Society *
'The author has managed to bring about a mirror to the complex and fascinating historical conflicts that occurred during the middle ages and gives it a drastic mystical kick . . . This is the first volume in a tremendously exciting series and one, which I'll be following with great interest in the next few years' Fantasy Book Critic. * Fantasy Book Critic *
'Hair tells his story with aplomb in clear and concise prose ... one of the better epic fantasy series first installments I've read in recent years' staffersbookreview.com. * staffersbookreview.com *
'Makes for an outstanding start to a series which promises to recall epic fantasy's finest. In more ways than one, this book could be huge - an honour I dare say David Hair deserves' Tor.com. * Torcom *
'The world of Mage's Blood is sort of a fever dream of Europe and its Near East ... stellar pacing and vivid action ... a ripping read' blackgate.com. * blackgate.com *
'The writing is crisp, the characters full of vigour and desires which when they become banded together really gives the story something to focus upon as the bonds grow stronger' Falcata Times. * Falcata Times *
'This story is so utterly HUMAN ... Set in a world with religious and political struggles that wonderfully parallel our own, Mage's Blood depicts the good and bad of society and its obsession with power' The Wishing Table. * Wishing Table *
