The MoonQuest (The Q'ntana Trilogy, Part 1)
by Mark David Gerson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark David GersonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-18
ISBN: 097954758X
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: LightLines Media
Book Reviews of The MoonQuest (The Q'ntana Trilogy, Part 1)
Book Review: Discovering Your Own Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Times in the land loomed dark and dangerous. Having outlawed all music and storytelling, an evil king threatened lovers of truth and beauty. Bards (singers and storytellers), previously revered and held in high regard in the once magical land of expression, had been exiled for years as the land wasted away in the doldrums of their absence. This fantastical country Q'ntana sprang forth from the creative genius of Mark David Gerson through the 90s and early 00s.
As I read "The MoonQuest," something extraordinary happened.
In a classic hero's tale, the protagonist of "The MoonQuest" Toshar is a bard--"youngest of the old and oldest of the young"--destined to inherit the premier Elderbard position of Q'ntana from his grandmother. First, however, it is said he must venture out of exile and set out on the quest to restore storytelling to the land that years earlier fell into the clutches of the dark king. Only he can lead "The Return."
"The MoonQuest" is obviously Toshar's story, the older bard reflecting on his youth and relating the adventure as it unfolds. As expected in any good hero's quest, I began to correlate Toshar's troubles and challenges to those of my own. Naturally, even smugly, I associated myself with the main character, knowing he was the hero of the tale. Then it happened.
Unlike most heroes I have encountered in literature--mythical heroes who confront all types of challenges without a second thought--Toshar began to demonstrate human frailties that I less than proudly identify with and avoid claiming. Toshar didn't want to go on the journey, to accept the undefined responsibility. "Do I have to decide now?" he tries to beg off. "I wouldn't know what to do, where to go."
Suddenly Toshar mirrored me more precisely than I had anticipated. Due to his vulnerability, I began to identify with him in unexpected personal ways and assimilate my own journey with Toshar's search. Almost every challenge Toshar confronted paralleled one of my own personal questions.
As new characters entered Toshar's story and aided him in furthering his quest, I began to recognize particular friends that serve me as well as other friends, relatives, acquaintances, even adversaries in my life that may only pass through yet contribute to my own evolution.
I then realized--with profound new insight--that every living being is weaving together a story. Beyond the moments, or years, that others may travel my road, their stories contain unrelated chapters that I know nothing about. A fresh awareness illuminated the meaning of "oneness"--the interconnected tapestry of all life.
As demonstrated in "The MoonQuest," our challenge is to allow or create a safe space where the complete story can be told. Most people claim that their own story is not interesting, too mundane, but dig deeper and those same people usually admit concealing the most consequential chapters in their biography because those chapters don't fit into "the norm" or are too painful to retell for fear of reprisal--criticism or judgment.
Imagine a world where everyone's most deeply concealed chapters were allowed an airing. Freed by truth, the world would enjoy no room for judgment of others, no space for arrogance, bigotry, hatred, resentment, bitterness, or any of the other less than positive aspects of human nature that prevent others, and ultimately ourselves, from progressing toward a more fruitful unfolding.
Toshar's friend Fynda's revelation near the end--one of the more difficult but most significant points in the novel--graphically demonstrates the need for permitting the hidden parts of our lives to be uncovered. As a result of Fynda's courage, her friends are given the space to free themselves from the burdens and bondage of their own secrets.
The author states that he didn't want to include this part of the journey but kept being compelled to do so, and in my estimation, Fynda's unveiling of her deepest pain is pivotal to the point of "The MoonQuest"--that the complete story must be told. As in Q'ntana, being allowed to tell all stories is the only means by which we can free ourselves and move upward.
Begun as pure entertainment, reading The MoonQuest turned into an unintended vehicle for personal growth: first, to recognize that I too am compelled to tell my own story and every decision determines the paths I travel; second, to help identify and be grateful for the other characters that play critical roles in my own enlightenment; and finally, to understand the powerful, positive impact of revealing our deepest, most closely held secrets and how such exposure frees not only us but all those around us.
In summary, I recommend "The MoonQuest" on two levels. One, it is simply a fantastical ride to another world, but more important, it is a phenomenal journey of self-discovery and personal growth--the kind of book the world should clamor for and read more of.
Summary of The MoonQuest (The Q'ntana Trilogy, Part 1)
In a land where fear rules and storytelling spells death, only one bard's imagination can end the tyranny. Here, as black-clad armies terrorize the countryside, Toshar and his three companions must follow a trail of stories to the source of the moon's dimmed light. A gripping and epic adventure rich with universal truth.Winner of 5 awards, including a New Mexico Book Award and an IPPY Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards.
Soon to be a major motion picture.
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