Jericho Moon

The heroine of the Battle of Tyre, mercenary Barra the Pict, signs on for a rescue mission in the deserts of Canaan lured by the promise of rich rewards for the rescue of the Prince of Jebusai

A band of Bronze Age mercenaries face the supreme enemy--Yahweh, the Lord of the nation of Israel--in Jericho Moon, the sequel to Iron Dawn. The barbarian princess Barra and her compatriots take on the job of rescuing the prince of Jebusi (Jerusalem) from the tribes of the Habiru. But rescuing him is the easy part--compared to the challenge of saving the entire city of Jebusi from the righteous slaughter that the Habiru war-leader Joshua and his thousands of warriors have planned. Barra can't turn down the role of savior; not only is the prince of Jebusi an attractive guy, but the city's goddess has made it clear that Barra is her chosen champion, and the city hasn't a chance without her. Jericho Moon is filled with thoroughly scary magical battles--think thunderbolts, hail of stones, and other demonstrations of godly wrath. While there is still some humorous by-play, as when Barra meets some barbarians from her homeland at a fancy party, this book is darker than Iron Dawn and the subject matter more risky. (Yet Yahweh does shine as a vengeful and merciless villain.) Jericho Moon is first-class fantasy entertainment, stuffed with likable characters, brawling adventures, and heroic struggles. --Blaise Selby