Waking the Moon

By: Elizabeth Hand

Narrated by: Carol Monda

A Gothic fantasy set on a college campus from the author of Wylding Hall

Sweeney Cassidy is the typical college freshman at the University of the Archangels and St. John the Divine in Washington, DC. She drinks. She parties. And she certainly doesn't suspect that underneath its picturesque Gothic facade, the university is a haven for the Benandanti, a cult devoted to suppressing the powerful and destructive Moon Goddess. But everything is about to change as Sweeney learns that her two new best friends are the goddess' Chosen Ones.

Rich and engrossing, Waking the Moon is a seductive post-feminist thriller that delves into an ancient feud, where the real and magical collide, and one woman is forced to make a decision that will change the world.

©2019 Elizabeth Hand (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Loved This!

This book was great! The narration was really hard for me. She sounded like a heavy smoker? Anyway, story is brilliant and I loved the woman in purple!

This needs to be a horror movie

I was not sure I was going to like this book when I started listening. I think of myself as pretty open-minded, loving dark humor and wicked delights, but this book had me feeling like a prude. These previously unknown prude-like tendencies were offended left and right. The darkness and depravity in this book were not funny, but they were gripping. I was sucked into this book as I have most of the books that fit into my normal, go-to reading wheelhouse. The characters are out of this world, yet created so well that feel very real.... believable, which made the book almost terrifying. The true terror comes from the story itself. I could see this book being made into a blockbuster horror film, or a sci-fi channel number 1 horror series. Carol Monday did a fabulous job bringing this story and these characters to life. Well done!

This is one her best books!

I've been reading her books for years now, one here and there. I came across this one and we'll love her books. I have to say it will keep you one your toes. I didn't want to stop and if you've read her books you know all about that. Great Read!!

Love it!

This was the first of Elizabeth Hand's books I ever read, years ago when it was first released in paperback. I just finished listening to it and am blown away by how relevant it still is. It's a Gothic novel in the modern tradition. It has a great plot, plenty of mystery and mysticism, science and mythology, and a quest for power at its core. The characters run the gamut from relatable to enigmatic, beloved for their flaws as well as their virtues. The narrative pace is spot on, with the right amount of plot twists and unexpected developments to keep me just as enthralled this time around as I was back in the 1990s.

The style of her writing has changed over the years, but this book took me right back to the '90s. Her language, turns of phrase, and descriptions are so evocative of that time that they add a layer of texture she couldn't achieve without that occasional touch of purple to her prose. Hey, it was the nineties, that's how we liked our fiction. And I don't think she overdid it.

I docked a star from performance because I have a pet peeve about mispronunciations, but I love the tone and touch of grit in Carol Monda's voice. It's perfect for Elizabeth Hand's novels.

I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Hand's work and have read all of her books. I hope Audible will make arrangements to carry more of her back catalog. I, for one, would love to hear all of her books on audio.