Europe, 1766: After claiming victory in Scotland, werewolf Joseph Cornishe and his newfound family face an even greater challenge. The vampire hierarchy stretches far beyond British shores, and dark forces gather in Venice, where an ancient evil plots revenge.
As Joseph and his allies pursue their enemies across Europe, they discover the vampires seek a legendary tome of unfathomable power - the Book of Thoth. With his sons divided by their own quests, Joseph must navigate treachery at every turn.
In the waterways and palazzos of Venice, an unholy alliance between vampires and the church threatens to unlock powers that could reshape the world. When Joseph's family is captured and imprisoned, their only hope lies with the Obeah witch Rose and her growing mastery of forbidden magic.
Before the Rising Moon is the thrilling conclusion to the Cornishe Chronicles. It plunges readers into a supernatural adventure spanning Britain to Europe, where family bonds are tested, ancient powers awaken, and the line between monster and man grows ever thinner.
Europe, 1766: After claiming victory in Scotland, werewolf Joseph Cornishe and his newfound family face an even greater challenge. The vampire hierarchy stretches far beyond British shores, and dark forces gather in Venice, where an ancient evil plots revenge.
As Joseph and his allies pursue their enemies across Europe, they discover the vampires seek a legendary tome of unfathomable power - the Book of Thoth. With his sons divided by their own quests, Joseph must navigate treachery at every turn.
In the waterways and palazzos of Venice, an unholy alliance between vampires and the church threatens to unlock powers that could reshape the world. When Joseph's family is captured and imprisoned, their only hope lies with the Obeah witch Rose and her growing mastery of forbidden magic.
Before the Rising Moon is the thrilling conclusion to the Cornishe Chronicles. It plunges readers into a supernatural adventure spanning Britain to Europe, where family bonds are tested, ancient powers awaken, and the line between monster and man grows ever thinner.
Friday 10th October 1766, Drumin Castle, Scotland
Joseph Cornishe stared out of the castle window and took in the bleakness of the Highlands. The sky was iron grey, the clouds like slabs of slate, producing a gloom that muted even the green of the forest that faced him across the dark fields. His bones still ached from the extraordinary efforts of the past few months, yet he supposed he should feel relaxed now. Heād finally found Elizabeth, the woman heād thought heād lost forever. But an emptiness lurked within him, something lacking that he couldnāt put his finger on.
He put all that aside and wondered again how heād achieved any of this. With help, of course. Help from people he hadnāt known existed until recently, the sons he didnāt know about, and creatures he could never have dreamed of. Theyād all helped him to find Elizabeth, to claim her. Or was it, to be claimed by her? Hadnāt she orchestrated the whole thing? Wasnāt it she who had called him and their son Heth back to her side when she needed them?
His thoughts wandered to the people heād lost on this adventure. His sons, Cyrus and Gabriel, had both gone their own way for different reasons. Could he have done anything differently? Would he have done anything differently? And the French werewolf, Sophie. Her death was his responsibility. Possibly she would return, if the magic that Killerton promised could be performed. But that didnāt remove his culpability. Heād come so close to getting Cyrus to have faith in him, to accept their relationship, only to have it torn away by a single silver bullet.
āWhat is the matter, my darling?ā
His breath caught in his throat at the sound of her voice and he turned. Elizabeth, standing before him, unchanged from the time heād first met her, and the time heād lost her, forty or more years ago. It had been a few weeks since they were reunited, but he still hadnāt got used to it. Her radiance was stronger even than he remembered; her strength greater than he could ever have imagined. And his love was conjured back too, like a fire in his chest. All the passion and longing heād felt for her came back to him the moment heād set eyes on her again. But what, then, was this hesitation he felt?
āTwo of my sons are lost to me,ā he said.
She held out her hands and he grasped them. āWhere are they?ā
Joseph shook his head. āLondon, Yorkshire.ā
Elizabeth showed no sign of emotion. āThereās much to do here. We must protect this place. Have faith that your sons will find their way back to you.ā
Cornishe wasnāt sure they wanted to come. He took a deep breath and nodded. In the decades since heād lost Elizabeth heād been his own person: a sugar plantation overseer, a successful man of the trade. But now they were reunited, he felt the conviction that she was his superior. His Queen. Perhaps the last Queen of the Werewolves.
āIām sure youāre right,ā he said.
Elizabeth pulled him towards the door. āCome, let us walk the grounds together. We have much to discuss.ā
Outside the castle the air was bracing and would have no doubt seemed cold to a mortal, but Joseph felt nothing. There was no sign of human habitation for miles around them, and the nearby forest was extensive, making this a perfect place for their kind: lycanthropes, werewolves. When they transformed they could run free, to hunt and kill without interference.
āIt will be full moon in a week,ā said Elizabeth. Her red hair shone despite the greyness of the light. āSoon we will take to the woods again together.ā
This lifted Josephās heart. His wolf was close to the surface and he yearned to set it free. Being reunited with Elizabeth in human form was one thing, but in their wolf shapes they had a different kind of bond. His heart hammered with the anticipation of it.
āBut in the meantime, we must prepare for the days and weeks ahead.ā
Joseph was still in recovery from the battle, and Elizabethās talk of preparation threw him. āPrepare for what, exactly?ā
āRetribution,ā said Elizabeth. āWe defeated the vampires here, but they are only one branch of an organisation that stretches across Europe. When they learn of this defeat, there will be a response. We must be ready for that.ā
Joseph had heard this from Elizabeth already, but he was still finding it hard to acknowledge. After all the violence and mayhem heād been through in the past few months, the thought of more conflict, from even more powerful enemies, made his heart sink.
āWe will need as much strength as we can muster,ā she continued. āWhat resources do we have here?ā
āThereās myself and Heth,ā said Joseph.
Elizabethās eyes glinted at the mention of their rediscovered son.
āThen thereās Fyodor, the werebear we met in Yorkshire. His power is great. And the vampire Caspar, who has grown close to the servant, Dorathea. And Rose, of course.ā
āAh yes, the black witch. Now thereās something Iāve not encountered before. Her magic is already extremely powerful. And her potential is even greater. We are truly fortunate to have her at our side.ā
Joseph nodded. āArawak, the native Jamaican, has Cornishe blood in him. He is not a werewolf, but he is stronger than a mortal.ā
They approached a large flat rock embedded in the ground that ramped upwards to end a few feet up from the earth. Elizabeth let go of Josephās hand and padded up to the top of the ramp, then stood with her hands on her hips, gazing out across the bleak terrain that surrounded the castle. āIt all adds up to a force to be reckoned with,ā she said.
Cornishe watched Elizabeth as she stood atop the rock, her figure silhouetted against the grey sky. A mixture of emotions swirled within him: love, admiration and a hint of unease.
I should be overjoyed, he thought. Iāve found her at last, after all these years. Yet here we stand, on the precipice of even greater danger.
He closed his eyes briefly, imagining a different scenario. A quiet life on his Jamaican plantation, the two of them at peace after decades of separation and strife. But as he opened his eyes and gazed at Elizabethās determined stance, he knew such dreams were futile. She was a force of nature. And he? He was bound to her by love, loyalty and a shared destiny he couldnāt deny.
Cornishe squared his shoulders and climbed up to join Elizabeth on the rock. As he stood beside her, looking out at the misty landscape, he thought of the battles to come: both against their enemies and within his own heart.
Before the Rising Moon follows werewolf Joseph Cornishe and his chosen family as they embark on a mission to stop ancient vampires eager to obtain an arcane text for power. With his newfound family scattered across various regions of the continent, Cornishe must confront the vampires before they discover the unimaginable power and unleash their new abilities, putting the world at risk. Cornishe's only hope lies with Rose, the Obeah witch, and her knowledge of the forbidden magic.
Before reading this, I was unaware it was part of a series. Nevertheless, it can also be enjoyed on its own, just as I did. I truly appreciated the book's atmosphere, especially its setting in the early 18th century. The vibes and aesthetics of beautiful Venice, Scotland, and France, all captured in one place, were very satisfying. Furthermore, I personally prefer when the tales of the conflict between vampires and werewolves are recounted in ancient times rather than in modern contexts. This approach makes the characters feel more authentic, powerful, and mysterious, while contemporary settings fail to create the same ambiance for me.
While I recognized that I needed to read the rest of the books in the series to gain more background information about the characters, I still managed to connect with them, even if that connection wasn't as strong as I had hoped. This was also partly due to the many characters involved and the limited time I had to get to know them. Nevertheless, I appreciated the diverse supernatural characters who collaborated smoothly. None came across as overly stereotypical or caricature-like; they felt well-crafted and believable.
The final aspect of the book that struck me was the writing style. It was clear and straightforward, yet impactful.
Overall, Before the Rising Moon is a captivating and fast-paced tale featuring familiar supernatural entities caught up in an age-old struggle, with a clear writing style enhancing the book's appeal.