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Shane Moore is a detective with the Gillespie Police
Department (Illinois). His debut novel is A Prisoner's Welcome.
Shane Moore describes his work as a fantasy similar to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but with much heavier writing
and themes which are best suited for the adult reader.
Shane Moore is the author of Albion: Peace
in our Time; The Trial of Innocence; Darrion-Quieness; The Breach of Crowns; Albion; The Plea of Apollisian; and A Prisoner’s
Welcome.
According to the book description of The
Plea of Apollisian, “On a dark misty morn under a silver sickle moon a child will be born to the fallen
mistress of mercy. Within this child reside secrets as dark as any moonless night yet a bright desire for good things befalls
him. Many mystics and shamans have foretold of it but no one headed there warning. until now. As the goddess of mercy falls
from the heavens the world begins to unravel. The relationship of long time allies' strain under mounting pressure from
unfair treatment forcing the hand of Clan Stoneheart's new leader. Tensions mount and talks waver as a division of warriors
lead by a renegade general march in secret to bath Beykla in its own blood. Can one man stand against this onslaught of vengeance?.
Will his own kingdom hear his plea?”
One reader of Albion said
it “is a bit confusing to a Yank like me. The comics discussed are British in origin, but are no less fascinating. The
writing is gripping and the art is fantastic. It has made me want to learn more about these characters, and can be considered
another feather in Moore's cap.”
Booklist said of Albion,
“Superstar comics scripter Moore made much of his early reputation by refurbishing hoary old superheroes with new trappings.
Here he's up to the same trick, but Albion is unlikely to have the same impact, since the figures revived are from British
boys' adventure comics of the 1960s and 1970s. The setup: the Spider, Grimly Feendish, the Steel Claw, and Captain Hurricane
have been imprisoned by the government for decades, and now one of their daughters is out to free them. Obviously, the nostalgia
factor that likely will make this a hit with British comics fans won't be in play on this side of the pond. Furthermore,
Moore came up with only the plotline and left full scripting to his daughter, Leah, and her husband, John Reppion. They are
capable but not in the same class as the elder Moore, who would have smoothed such rough edges as a critical lack of character
development. Shane Oakley's visual approach dispenses with the dated looks of the original comics, but his decidedly modern
style sacrifices clarity to flamboyance.”
According to the book description of Darrion-Quieness,
“The drums of war echo through out the realm as the dwarven clan's march towards the gathering might of the Beyklans.
While Lance fights to survive as a slave and Jude is forced to stand trial for murder the fates conspire to condemn the wicked
god-king about the whispered prophecy. The world squirms against the confining grip of destiny unsure of its own fortitude
and a growing fear that the fabric of existence will unravel in the path of the Abyss Walker?”
One reader of A Prisoner's Welcome said, it “is
a rare fantasy that lacks the troupes of almost every fantasy novel out there. It starts out with young Lancalion searching
for a person to read some parchments that are supposed to detail the murder of his parents-an orphan with power trying to
discover the one responsible for his parents murder-SAME OLD troupe! That is where it all changes. Moore takes us on a whirlwind
ride with politics. deceit, trickery, and backstabbing on a grand scale. You soon discover that young Lance is not the hero
of the story, he is in fact the prophetic villain! Moore uses his police background to paint the thoughts of villains so accurately
you begin to relate with them! I found myself pitying the monster that was directly responsible for the murder of thousands!
At the end of each chapter Moore has
included a "reflection" where Lancalion speaks about that particular portion of the story and what his thoughts
were at the time he experienced them. This action packed Fantasy was loaded with symbolism and deep rooted
societal issues that reminded me of a cross between Phil Dick and Robert Jordan. Much like Jordan, there was a little too
much "fluff" at times, but it is clear Moore is well on his way to a great career as a writer!”
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