The Moonstone Covenant

By: Jill Hammer

Narrated by: Jill Hammer

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The story of four women who set out to uncover the secret origins of an intricate, magical city—and to change its fate.

Istehar Sha'an, whose unique powers allow her to communicate with trees and books, has led her community of refugee forest people to a remarkable place. In the archipelago-city of Moonstone, the Sha'an people find themselves in an extraordinary, multicultural metropolis that houses the Library: the world's all-encompassing repository of wisdom. But in their search for a new home, the refugees soon garner the suspicion of Moonstone's locals, who forbid their magical practices. And when a hostile prince makes a bid to inherit the city's rule from his father, Istehar and her people realize they may be faced with exile—or worse. Meanwhile, Istehar has married three wives of Moonstone—a brave warrior librarian, a subtle-minded former concubine, and a tenacious apothecary who has spent years trying to solve her parents' murder. Driven by magical intuition and guided by a mysterious book, Istehar and her wives embark on a journey that will transform not only their lives, but the city of Moonstone itself.

Fans of Ursula K. Le Guin and Guy Gavriel Kay will delight in The Moonstone Covenant's richly imagined world of mysterious archives, bookboats, and divinations—and its tales of both betrayal and healing.

©2024 Jill Hammer (P)2024 Ayin Press

Critic reviews

"The Moonstone Covenant is a many-layered feat of the imagination, gathering the stories of four very different women who share a marriage—as difficult a feat in their world as it would be in ours—and spinning them through the traumas of a world on the edge of chaos, a place where magic is core to the lives of the women who wield it, but is loathed and feared by those who surround them. Each wife's viewpoint, her unique voice, opens up the weave of this world, leading us by the hand into a magical and spiritual system deeply embedded in the earth: trees speak here, and have opinions that can change the way the world works.

In lyrical and beautiful language, Jill Hammer lays bare the prejudices of an island landscape where the waterways are as important as highways. Through the tale of a four-way marriage, she carries us into the depths of relationships between women, the flows of feeling and passion, history and trust, treachery both imagined and real. Betrayal lies at the heart of this story, but its healing is a thread running through from the start. A genuinely engaging, enlivening, and inspiring read!"—Manda Scott, author of Any Human Power and host of the Accidental Gods podcast

"Part murder mystery, part political thriller, part fantasy epic, The Moonstone Covenant celebrates the power and wisdom of books, the natural world, and queer love. This wondrous novel is a gift of imagination for readers everywhere."—Jonathan Vatner, author of Carnegie Hill and The Bridesmaids' Union

"Like Tolkien and LeGuin, Jill Hammer has conjured up a richly detailed world, alive with magic, political intrigue, and a robust cast of fascinating characters. Readers of fantasy will love this book!"—Ellen Frankel, author of The Deadly Scrolls