The Moon Riders

"The Moon Riders" is novel published in 2002 by Theresa Tomlinson. There is also a second book in this series called Voyage of the Snake Lady.

Plot introduction

This story is about the Moon Riders, known historically as the Amazons. The main character is Myrina, who joins the Amazons in her teenage years.

Family

Myrina is daughter to Gul and is the younger sister of Reseda. Later in the book she becomes aunt to Phoebe and Yildiz - who she later adopts. She later marries her childhood friend Tomi and has a baby girl by him.

Life

Myrina joins the Moon Riders when she is 13. She becomes friend and confidante to Cassandra the Princess. As the 'Snake Lady' she acquires a gang of four young ophans who travel with her, until all but one have been killed.

The Moon Riders and Voyage of the Snake Lady

In writing "The Moon Riders", Tomlinson drew on a mixture of Greek mythology, such as "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad" [Authors Note, The Moon Riders] as well as archaeological and historical works, such as a BBC2 "Horizon" programme called "The Ice Maiden", and Lyn Webster Wilde's book "On the trail of the Women Warriors".

The second book of the series, "Voyage of the Snake Lady", relates the tale of the now grown up Myrina and her tribe of Moon Riders, many of whom are refugees from the slave pens of Troy. This story draws on the adventures of Herodotus [Authors Note, Voyage of the Snake Lady] in describing the fate of the Moon Riders, whilst also drawing on Euripedes "Iphigenia at Touris" in order to continue Iphigenia's story. [Authors Note, Voyage Of The Snake Lady] Tomlinson acknowledges in the Authors Note to this book that, whilst most accounts of the Trojan war have Cassandra taken by Agamemnon after the fall of Troy and then murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, after his own death at her hands, an account by Dares the Phrygian sees her released by Agamemnon to live near Troy. This version, Tomlinson points out, was used by Chaucer for "Troilus and Cressida" [Author Note, Voyage of the Snake Lady] This second book sees a definite future established for the Moon Riders, whilst re-establishing and strengthening the ties between Myrina, Cassandra, and Iphigenia.