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    Moth and Spark: A Novel
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    Moth and Spark: A Novel
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    Moth and Spark: A Novel
    Audiobook14 hours

    Moth and Spark: A Novel

    Written by Anne Leonard

    Narrated by Christian Coulson

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A prince with a quest. A commoner with mysterious powers. And dragons that demand to be freed—at any cost.

    Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons from their bondage to the Empire, but dragons aren't big on directions. They have given him some of their power, but none of their knowledge. No one, not the dragons nor their riders, is even sure what keeps the dragons in the Empire's control. Tam, sensible daughter of a well-respected doctor, had no idea before she arrived in the capital that she is a Seer, gifted with visions. When the two run into each other (quite literally) in the library, sparks fly and Corin impulsively asks Tam to dinner. But it's not all happily ever after. Never mind that the prince isn't allowed to marry a commoner: war is coming to Caithen. Torn between Corin's quest to free the dragons and his duty to his country, the lovers must both figure out how to master their powers in order to save Caithen. With a little help from a village of secret wizards and a rogue dragonrider, they just might pull it off.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 20, 2014
    ISBN9780698149533
    Unavailable
    Moth and Spark: A Novel
    Author

    Anne Leonard

    Anne Leonard has degrees from St. John’s College (B.A), the University of Pittsburgh (MFA), Kent State University (Ph.D), and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She lives in northern California with her husband, teenage son, and two black cats.

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    Reviews for Moth and Spark

    3.5/5

    59 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A little slow at first, but once I hit 50 pages, it began to zoom by! Fantastic read. Reminiscent of Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy but in one neat little novel. A little bit of love and romance,war, magic, and mystery all rolled together. Didn't want it to come to an end.
    • 4/5
      As an invited guest of the Summer Court, Tam a commoner, wasn't expecting to fall in love. Not only was love in the cards, but love with the crowned Prince and heir, Corin. Their romance is threatened by a looming war and a mission that goes into the heart and origins of the empire's dragons. Once free and majestic creatures, now subjected under slavery and servitude to the empire, Tam and Corin, amidst war and invasion, must go back in time to discover the secrets of the dragons to save the people of Caithenor.As a debut novel, this book pretty much as all the ingredients to make for a smashing read. Moth and Spark was a heady combination of political intrigue, an unlikely caste complicated love affair, and a haunting history between man and beast. All these things together should have hooked me, drawn me in, and kept me captivated and yet for some reason I felt distant and uninvolved. Perhaps the book wasn't long enough to fill in all the details needed to really make me feel invested. Perhaps the love seemed trite and unrealistic at times. Or perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to truly appreciate it. In the end, I think I was more enamoured with the notion of liking the book than actually liking it. For those who enjoy romance and court shenanigans in a fantasy setting, this book is worth a read.
    • 3/5
      I won this book on Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.Everyone should love a book about dragons...shouldn't they? So when I entered to win this book I had high hopes of reading a fantasy full of dragons and dragon riders. This doesn't quite happen.Ms. Leonard doesn't give the story enough on dragons and relies heavily on romance and political intrigue. The author has the ability in her writing to convey Prince Corin's frustration at his lack of answers towards his quest. Unfortunately that plot then takes a major step back as the novel becomes more about his romance with Tam. Once the two meet, the book's plot relies heavily on their relationship. Even secondary characters are minimized as the story becomes more romance than fantasy. Aside from the two protagonist, no other character makes a deep enough impression.If her target audience is the fantasy genre group, this novel will not feed that need. There is a great plot here but the author does not keep on track.
    • 4/5
      While I felt that the fight at the end felt a bit rushed to me, overall this was a good read for me.It's a romance with dragons. The dragons are somewhat secondary to the romance but overall I found it an enjoyable read, the romance felt real and the characters seemed to be realistic within the world of the novel, they could see the blocks clearly and went about them as intelligently as possible. Tam stole my heart as a character with depth and soul.I look forward to more by this author.
    • 5/5
      Moth and Spark was one of my top anticipated novels of 2014. My gut instinct told me it was going to be a good one, and while my gut might not be the best guide for a lot of things, it has hardly ever steered me wrong when it comes to books. And I was pleased to see to that it was right once again. If anything, Moth and Spark gave me even more than I bargained for.To understand why I liked it so much, you also have to understand that I've been looking for a book like this for a long time. While I was reading Moth and Spark, a Goodreads friend of mine commented on one of my status updates, "Fantasy with a romance sub-plot is rare." Indeed it is! Everyone who knows me knows I enjoy a good love story. And I would be reading a lot more romance, except I prefer it combined with other elements, especially from speculative fiction. What I've always wanted to read was a meaningful and actively engaging romance in a high fantasy, but typically, most of the adult fantasy novels I enjoy merely scratch at the surface of romantic relationships. It's pretty much made me resign myself to the fact that I can only have one without the other. That is until this book came along and filled that void.Moth and Spark is also different from a lot of romances. The love between the two main characters may feature heavily in this book, but it never lets you forget that both Corin and Tam are organically part of a much bigger story unfolding around them. Their relationship, as suddenly and swiftly as it occurred, is not the central focus with just the fantasy setting tacked on; it is part and parcel of the overall plot which involves a rich tapestry of courtly intrigue, back alley conspiracies and impending war, all culminating into a nation hanging in the balance. Together, the crown prince of Caithen and the commoner daughter of a renowned doctor must work together to save their homeland, combining their powers to free the dragons from their bondage to a mad emperor. That's right, there are dragons. Just when you think things can't get any better, eh?I think most of all, I loved this book for the wonderful characters that Anne Leonard has created. Call me a softie, but I like it when I see strong, inherently decent people find each other and fall in love. I like it when I see lovers like Tam and Corin sacrifice for each other, care for each other, respect each other. That's a biggie, because nothing drives me up the wall like characters who fall for jerks that treat them like crap. That just doesn't do it for me as a reader. I much, much prefer relationships like the one here in Moth and Spark, where the chemistry is natural and mutual.The author is also very adept at world building. She has a way of inserting very detailed information about the environment without encumbering the prose. For instance, I only noticed afterwards that there is actually a lot of description in the text, but as I was reading I hardly felt overwhelmed by them at all. As well, this was accomplished without laying the background of the world out all at once; there are parts of the Empire's history or magical lore which aren't explained right away, for example, and we only gradually learn about them as the story progresses.I could go on and on about a lot of other things: the magic, the dragons and their riders, the king's wizard-assassins (I really liked Joce, who was probably my favorite character after Tam and Corin), the court politics, the sword fighting scenes and so on, but I should leave some of the more enchanting parts for readers to find out for themselves. I will say, though, that the ending involves a duel on dragonback. Oh yes, this book gets my heart pounding in more ways than one.Suffice to say I was very impressed with Moth and Spark, which is a debut for Anne Leonard. The novel's story of love and adventure struck the right chord with me, and it's going straight onto my shelf of favorites. I'll definitely be watching this author in the future for more.
    • 5/5
      MOTH AND SPARK was amazing high fantasy and a wonderful romance too. Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons who are in the control of his liege lord, the Emperor Hadon. But he also has to save his country, Caithen, from being invaded by the cruel and vicious Tyrekh. This is no time to fall in love, much less fall in love with a woman he would never be able to marry.Tam Warin is a commoner and the daughter of a well-respected doctor. She is at the court with her brother's wife who is a noble. She is amused at the antics of the court but has no interest in playing the courting games the other young women seem obsessed with. However, strange things begin happening to her when she sees the death of one of the court nobles and recognizes a Tyrekh poison as the cause. That and the visions she had when he died indicate that she might be a Seer.It takes until page 76 for Corin and Tam to meet. They literally run into each other in the library. But they form a very romantic relationship. Corin is honest about the fact the he will never be able to marry her and Tam weighs that in her consideration to have a romance with him anyway. She is good for him because she doesn't treat him with to much deference and her unique viewpoint helps Corin clarify his own thinking. The world that the author built was rich with wizards, dragons and an epic war. She also made Tam and Corin into very real people who had strengths and weaknesses and who needed each other to be the best people they could be. Between rides on dragons, battle scenes and characters having to go into hiding and flee the enemy, the story was filled with action and adventure. The book was fast-paced and filled with wonderful detail. I recommend it to all lovers of fantasy.
    • 5/5
      I am very enthusiastic about Moth and Spark. It is very difficult to believe that this work is the author's first novel. There is family drama, tender romance, secrets and gossip, caste differences and a believable quest. The dragons find a hero in Prince Corin but he needs his commoner princess to help him give them their freedom. The style of writing is enticing and this one will keep you engaged from cover to epilogue. My one criticism concerns an historical fact. There are at least three references to piano music being heard in the background. When I think of the time of dragons and dragons being used as weapons of warfare, it is a lot earlier than 1700, which is the date (give or take a couple of years) of the invention of the piano in Italy. In the 1730's, the models being made by Silbermann in Germany are shown to J.S. Bach, which is towards the end of his life. It is not until the next generation of composers that the harpsichord begins to be replaced by the early piano and probably not until Beethoven's time or later that one would hear the piano as the after dinner musical instrument. Dragons are not burning towns to crisps in the late 17 or early 18 hundreds. Perhaps the next edition could use a musical instrument transplant. My thanks to the author and Goodreads for a complimentary copy.
    • 4/5
      Awww, that was awfully sweet.

      Tam Warin is a doctor's daughter who's been invited to the Season at Court through a family connection. However, she doesn't fit in very well with all the giggling well-bred girls in search of husbands.
      Wandering idly around the palace on a rainy day, she happens to become a witness to a violent death, and unwittingly is drawn into a mysterious intrigue.

      So far, so good. I loved it. Great set-up.

      Then, a handsome man strides into Court, still rough and dirty with the grime of a long road... Tam doesn't know this man is the Prince - and supposedly far out of her league - but her interest is caught. And in turn, Prince Corin falls headlong in love with her.

      Here, the book takes an abrupt turn into romance. And it's pure fantasy romance: Two beautiful, intelligent, talented people in true love, complicated only by the circumstances surrounding them (and even then, only a little bit). I can see how some people would criticize this, but honestly - I wholly enjoyed it. I thought it was sweet and sexy, and I found myself captivated and rooting for the couple all the way. I would've loved it even more if I were a young teenager.

      Then, 3/4 of the way through1t the book, another abrupt turn is taken... War is declared, a long-hinted at plot involving dragons and dragonriders comes to the fore, and our protagonists develop magical powers. I have to admit, it lost me a bit here. The magical powers just weren't necessary, and the scenes didn't feel nearly as well-drawn as those at the beginning of the book.

      As a whole, though, I really enjoyed the book and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to be drawn into a hopelessly dreamy fairytale romance.

      Copy provided by NetGalley - thanks for the opportunity to read!
    • 2/5
      This book was just all over the place. I should have known I wouldn't like it when the beginning failed to pull me in. I had to keep forcing myself to pick it up and then force my eyes to stay focused on it because this book made me feel like I had ADHD.

      There was entirely too much romance (read: foreplay, sex, and more of the same sex… in the midst of a bloody war no less), entirely too much vagueness/mysticism about the aspects that mattered, and entirely too many details about the things that didn't matter. I can generally tolerate books that have a lot of telling and not enough showing, but even I have a limit. The overly analytical dialogue didn't help; if anything it made things confusing and exposed the inconsistencies and poor plotting.

      I won't say that I disliked the whole book, but I disliked the majority of it. The middle (oddly enough the part with the most romance) gave me hope that I might enjoy the rest, but the last third of the book was a real struggle to finish. It didn't go straight downhill afterwards but there were far more valleys than peaks and I gave up hoping for better story-telling.

      Overall it was a flimsy, awkwardly prosed story that was trying to do too much all at once. If there were less fantastical details dumped into the mix then the remaining ones could have been better developed. Instead the “magic” of the story felt forced and borrowed.
    • 5/5
      Anne Leonard's debut novel, due in early 2014, is an auspicious first effort. Her story, though set among dragons, castles, and wizards, carries the weight of human reality, and her characters are far from one-dimensional. Excellent world-building, well-crafted dialogue, and a propulsive story made this one un-put-downable for me.
    • 4/5
      There's something about the flow of words in this political fantasy that took me a while to adjust to. A little too stream-of-consciousness on occasion, and it's confusing that some of the names are capitalized and some are not... but that's likely a feature of the advanced reader's copy.

      On the whole though, I found it highly engrossing, refreshingly intelligent and very enjoyable. I particularly like that it's a stand-alone book -- there's space for more stories in that world, or even for a continuation, but this story is finished. I also love the romance, and how loving Tam and Corin are. It's a joyful thing.

      Advance copy provided by Edelwiess
    • 2/5
      I picked this up expecting an epic high fantasy tale. The description was promising and I originally found it on a list of anticipated fantasy books releasing this year. Perhaps my mistake was allowing those facts to create some preconceptions about this book.

      Unfortunately, this one didn't really deliver. I felt like the world-building was a bit incomplete. There were things that didn't really connect and I found it difficult to become immersed in what should have been a fascinating world. The major relationships seemed rushed (and in some ways a bit too convenient) which made it difficult to really hold onto the plot in any significant way.

      I wanted to like this book but I reached the end and just shrugged.
    • 1/5
      If I hadn't spent my one stupid credit on this I never would have finished it. It's twilight with dragons. The first bit you can hear for free is god enough to fool you but around chapter 6 it becomes a super market romance of moat vomitous and vile quality.
    • 3/5
      The dragons have chosen the heir to the throne, Prince Corin, to free them from their enslavement to the mad emperor Hadon. Tam is a commoner, invited to the court at Caithenor to keep her sister-in-law company while Cina’s husband – Tam’s brother – is away. While at the court, she witnesses a man’s death and discovers that she is a Seer. Setting tongues wagging with their whirlwind romance, Corin and Tam are separated when hostile armies invade Caithenor, and both must first survive the war against the Empire and its allied forces and, once reunited, are faced with an impossible choice.I read some very favourable reviews of this debut novel, but I have to confess to being more than slightly underwhelmed by it. I think the story has potential, but unfortunately the author has decided to let the romance between Corin and Tam take centre stage, rather than focusing on the more interesting and rewarding thread involving the dragons, how they came to be enslaved and how Corin must overcome several obstacles if he intends to free them. The result is a romance with dragons as minor players, and a very unevenly paced one at that: Tam and Corin take up so much space in the novel that the war and the final confrontation with Hadon felt unduly rushed, and I was convinced until very nearly the end of the book that the story would end on a cliff hanger, with a second book describing how Corin frees the dragons and providing the answers to some of the unresolved questions and unexplored avenues in terms of plot development and imagery; sadly, this is not the case. I admit that I enjoy a romantic sub-plot now and then, but here I felt that the romantic angle was shoved unnecessarily into readers’ faces, and in my opinion at least did lack the essential ingredient for a love story: palpable chemistry between the two lovers; just because the author tells us that Corin and Tam are falling in love and can’t keep their hands off each other, doesn’t mean that the spark transmits to the reader, and I feel less would definitively have been more in this case. Corin and Tam are likeable and I did feel for them, particularly towards the end when the romance took a back step to allow for more character development, but I took to Corin more as Tam is just too perfect to be entirely believable, apart from a mischievous streak, which felt slightly contrived at times.I also did not get on with the author’s style of prose at all: her sentences are on the whole quite short, giving the overall impression of being abrupt and devoid of atmosphere and eloquence. I think part of the problem is that the novel can’t decide whether it is a fairy tale or not; it has certain hallmarks of fairy-tale stories (love at first sight and against the odds, dragons, an evil adversary, destiny), even making reference to the stories of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (with an intriguing role reversal), and yet in my opinion the prose was completely at odds with the events described; for an example of economic yet poetic prose that enhances the setting turn to Kate Danley’s The Woodcutter to see how it’s done right.You might enjoy this if you put more emphasis on romance than plot and character development in your choice of reading, but this was not for me.(This review was written for Amazon's Vine programme.)
    • 5/5
      5 Stars*I received this uncorrected proof from Penguin First to Read*Prince Corin has been given the task of freeing the dragons from the Empire’s hold along with being entrusted with some of their magic. Tam, a commoner and daughter of a respected doctor, has the gift of visions. Falling in love at a time of war wasn’t expected, especially by two people who were not allowed to be together but their feelings are too strong to be denied. Like their love, the war will lead them to lean on each other and while they learn their own places in the bigger picture. With help from wizards and dragon riders Corin and Tam might discover more than they thought possible.This is one of those stories that I am heartbroken that I finished reading. There are so many positive things to point out that I will never do it justice. Dragons are always a plus for me so I was really excited about their presence and the way they are depicted. Action wasn’t abundant early on but there’s plenty later on. That fact is one I appreciated in this story because there are so many other great elements like the dragons and magic that some of the story might have been jeopardized if it had been. It ended up coming together very fluidly making the pace feel flawless. There’s also a beautiful love story and a touching focus on family that a lot of readers’ can relate to.I would recommend this to anyone. There really is something for everyone. This one is perfect for readers’ who may be intimidated by fantasy novels with numerous characters or abundant page numbers too. This novels is definitely on my favorites list.