

FOUR PEOPLE, FOUR COUNTRIES, ON A KNIFE EDGE OF MYSTERY, MISCALCULATION, AND MANIPULATION . . . WHILE THE THREAT OF WAR AND SOMETHING MUCH WORSE LOOMS EVER CLOSER.
Driven by a prophecy, a desert warrior-priestess leads her people on a desperate campaign. A disfigured king is confronted by unexpected messages that stir intrigue and betrayal. A young man begins a new career at Shanwood Castle but experiences disturbing visions. As rumors of war grow, beyond the horizon even greater disaster inexorably approaches--against which there is no defense, unless someone with an exceptionally rare talent can be found in time.
“Three Moons Occluded . . . a fascinating mix of Tolkien and Heinlein in a dangerous world . . . A masterful blend of engaging characters involved in conflicts and struggling with extraordinary and disturbing visions. A great read that I couldn’t put down!” Betsy Schwarzentraub, author of Tossed In Time.
“Peter Stafford creates compelling characters you grow to care about, wrapped around a story that will keep you glued to your seat until the end of the book." David Mattingly, renown SFF illustrator.

AMBITIONS COLLIDE, DECEIT AND TREACHERY ABOUND, WHILE DOOM DRAWS NEAR.
A brand new Chapter One replaces the old chapter one. This new Chapter One introduces one of the main characters and connects to the chapters that follow, making for a better reading experience!

Called a bond-breaker by his family and especially by his brother Corregan, he leaves behind a promising future at his family's merchant house to become a minor staffer at the Kingdom of Shan's Finance Ministry in Shanwood Castle. Something about the castle calls to Ziallo. Occasional strange dreams and odd notions bother Ziallo. He can't explain why he feels so driven to be at the castle, nor, as his time there lengthens, why he is increasingly bothered by odd dreams and unsettling encounters. Clouds of suspicion and mystery close in on him.
Worsening famine lead Tur-Pegan, warrior-priestess of the Hadrethan desert tribes, to mount a desperate campaign against the land of Anak. Its king several times rebuffed Hadrethan pleas for food, all while Anak's fields were rich with cattle and crops. An augury foretells that in the aftermath of the Hadrethan invasion, the Anakkan king will be in chains. But there are rumors that a Great Turning may be approaching, with unpredictable and potentially dangerous effects. But Tur-Pegan has no choice but to gamble with fate.
After a long reign, Anak's king dies, leaving the throne to his 25-year-old disfigured son, Kriggus Calagaris. Unlike his gruff, war-like father, whose campaigns against the rival country of Shan never succeeded, Kriggus decides to seek a trade treaty with Shan--a decision that disturbs and angers many of the advisors and generals who had served his father. Worse, only a few months after coming to the throne, news of Tur-Pegan's invasion rocks the kingdom. Visions hinting at disaster come to Kriggus, but he shuts his mind to them.
Loris Corbald, an ambitious colonel in the service of the Kingdom of Rollem, a smaller country to Shan's southwest, is plucked from her garrison command and sent to Shanwood Castle to advise Rollem's ambassador about a proposed trade treaty with Anak. The urbane yet evasive ambassador infuriates her. Court politics and intrigue frustrate and repulse her. As the ambassador continues to ignore her advice, her ambition for generalship appears out of reach. Worse, she hears mutterings about coming tumult. Even the castle itself seems to groan and rumble as if a hidden terror was beginning to stir.
Days of the week: The Shannian week (a quintal) is five days long. Five quintals make up one nintal--the Shannian month.
Time of Day: Shannian hours are called "bells." There are 20 bells in a day, with "10 bells" being noon, and "20 bells" being midnight.
Distances: The rough equivalent of a mile is known as a scalar.
Just as we have many everyday expressions that include references to God, etc., similar expressions are used by the inhabitants of Shan, Rollem, Anak, and the Hadrethan Confedera-tion. While religion is not a focal point of the Three Moons pentalogy, here is a brief summary:
Residents of Shan and Rollem believe in a polytheistic (multi-god) religion (the "Quinterium")
Anakkan citizens and the Hadrethan believe in monotheistic (one god) religions: Annakans worship the Blessed Nethaldis, while the Hadrethan pray to the Eternal Protector, Conelth Ergan.
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