Moths to a Flame

by Sarah Ash

Book Overview

Myn-Dhiel, a place of gothic-Byzantine glory, is now corrupt and subject to a king and queen slowly going mad inside their labyrinthine palace. A god-driven plague descends that kills by its beauty,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 185798272X
• ISBN13: 9781857982725
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Sarah Ash's First Novel--- worth the read

"Moths to a Flame" is Sarah Ash's first novel, and introduces readers to her ever expanding fantasy world where her books "Songspinners", "The Lost Child" and the Tears of Artamon trilogy take place. "Moths to a Flame" is the story of Lai and Laili Dhar, fraternal twins and initiates of the Goddess on the island of Ael Lahi. Captured on the eve of their coming-of-age ceremony and taken from their home to the hostile slave markets of Ar-Khendye, Lai is forced to become a gladiator and Laili is taken to the palace of Myn Dhiel as a concubine for the Arkhan, Melmeth. However, something has followed the twins from the isle of Ael Lahi. While the royal house disintegrates under its secret corruptions and Lai raises himself from a mere gladiator to the station of the Arkhan's Champion, a plague descends on Ar-Khendye. As citizens begin to die in agony, Lai and Laili discover that they have come from Ael Lahi knowing as little about their Goddess and her mysteries as the unprepared people of Ar-Khendye...and the Goddess' wrath is great. "Moths to a Flame" is rich in description, and hands the reader fully realized religions, cultures, and all those other delightful tid-bits that make for believable fantasy stories. Here, Ash lays the ground-work for her later novels, and readers will recognize the origins of countries mentioned in her other books. The relationships between characters are complex and the characters themselves are memorable. However, some concepts that are touched upon never reach their full potential, and while the climax of the book is gripping, it is not quite what one would expect (I was hoping for something more along the lines of The Pied-Piper). Even so, "Moths to a Flame" is well worth the read, and fans of Sarah Ash's other novels will enjoy seeing how the author's style has evolved.