"Inspired by tales of ancient sea-monsters, McIntyre (The Crystal Star) spins a marvelous alternative-history fable about greed and goodness, power and pathos set at the 17th century court of Louis XIV, France's glittering Sun King. At breathtaking (and chilly) Versailles, Louis pays for his glory by sacrificing his comfort and privacy. He lusts after bodily immortality and unending treasure, and he hopes to find both by devouring the entrails of a sea-woman trapped by Jesuit explorer Yves de la Croix. Enthralled by the creature's songs and telepathic tales, Yves's musician sister Marie-Josephe must defy brother, king and pope to save the sea-woman from the court butcher. Marie-Josephe isn't alone in her proto-ecofeminist struggle. She finds an ally (and lover) in Lucien, Comte de Chretien, a great-hearted dwarf whose inner pain and essential nobility recall Cyrano and Quasimodo. Drawing on deep research (detailed in an afterword), McIntyre vividly re-creates a Versailles poised on the cusp between alchemy and modern science. Her imaginings enliven her history with wonder, but, as in the best fantasy, they serve less to dazzle by their inventiveness than to illuminate brilliantly real-world truths -- here, humanity's responses, base and noble, when confronting the unknown."

-- Publishers Weekly, July 28, 1997

"McIntyre captures the glory and the mindset of the reign of King Louis XIV with her typical allegorical grace and exceptional prose. It is a book of passion, of custom, and of the relentless spirit of a young girl who dares to defy the King and the mores of the times....

"I found myself enraptured by this story and could not put it down.

"...McIntyre has written a story whose allegorical themes cut right to the heart of our own society and challenge the status quo. Ultimately it asks the questions 'Where is the line between human and animal?' and 'Do we have the right to dominate all?' It's a story about social custom, compassion, freedom, courage, loyalty, and most of all, unconditional love. Her characters are human and fallible, full of life and vibrant...."

-- SW, "The High Seas," Explorations, August/September 1997

"A dazzling and spirited evocation of the passions, intrigues, and preconceptions of the age, along with a dandy pair of star-crossed lovers: an enchanting slice of what-if historical speculation."

-- Kirkus Reviews, June 23, 1997

"One of the best novels I've read in a long, long time. It will be a novel I will recommend to my friends and acquaintances for years to come, to my grandkids as soon as they are old enough to read it."

-- Paul Preuss, Bay Area Book Reviewers Association; author of Human Error, Core, Secret Passages

"I've been a major fan of Vonda McIntyre since Dreamsnake but The Moon and the Sun is her best yet. It has the paciness of a good thriller, but it also has an emotional sweep and resonance that only rare great novels possess. I loved it."

-- Robin McKinley, author of The Blue Sword, Beauty, The Hero and the Crown, The Rose Daughter; winner of the Newbery Award.

"The best thing McIntyre's ever done. I liked the hell out of it. A beautiful job."

-- Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, The Unicorn Sonata, The Innkeeper's Song

"This is McIntyre at her best. An enchanting fantasy, expertly woven into 17th century reality. Like a grand opera, The Moon and the Sun regales with charming wit, style, and drama. A thoroughly satisfying read which echoes lyrically in one's memory long after the last page has been turned."

-- Jean Auel, author of Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of the Horses, The Mammoth Hunters

"A fabulous tale in every sense. McIntyre takes the tinkling laughter, froth and glitter of the court of the Sun King and by singing an eerie harmony, a lyric that never was, exposes the underlying reality: the deadly minuet between the secular and religious, brother and sister, man and woman."

-- Nicola Griffith, author of Ammonite and Slow River, winner of the Nebula Award and the James Tiptree, Jr., award

"The Moon and the Sun is a wonderful book! Adventure, love, history, magic--it's an engrossing story with magnificent characters, balanced perfectly on the edge between enchantment and belief."

-- Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber

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