(From UK history):
"In the late 1500s, European explorers started sailing east for trading purposes. The Spanish and the Portugese were originally dominant on these new sailing routes, but after the destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1588 the British and Dutch were able to take more of an active role in trade with the East Indies. The Dutch initially took a lead in this, focusing mainly on spices and in particular the trade of peppercorns.

"Concerned that the English were falling behind to the Dutch on these new trading routes, on the 31st December 1600 Queen Elizabeth I granted over 200 English merchants the right to trade in the East Indies. One of these groups of merchants called themselves Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies, later to become simply The East India Company.

"As the name suggests, the Company’s humble origins was as a small group of investors and businessmen looking to capitalise on these new trading opportunities. Their first expedition left for Asia in 1601 with four ships commanded by James Lancaster (pictured to the right). The expedition returned two years later with a cargo of pepper weighing almost 500 tons! James Lancaster was duly knighted for his service.

"Although these initial voyages turned out to be extremely profitable for the shareholders, increased competition in the mid-1600s made trading much more difficult. Wars, pirates and lower profit margins forced the Company to grow into new markets where competition was less fierce. It was during this time that the Company also decided that it could not compete with the more powerful Dutch East India Company in the trading of spices, so instead turned its attention to cotton and silk from India.

"Although the forces of the East India Company were at first only concerned with protecting the direct interests of the Company, this was to change with the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Faced with a local uprising led by Siraj ud-Daula (with some French assistance!), the Company’s army led by Robert Clive quickly defeated the insurgents. However, this was to be a turning point for the Company and the following years saw it take full administrative powers over its territories, including the right to tax anyone living within its boundaries."

Thus began the resentment of the English by the Indian people. More and more, problems began to arise. This book is yet another novel based on this history of India, with England tramping on the rights of the Indian people, taking their land, deposing rulers and installing English rulers, scorning their culture and religions and insisting they convert to Christianity.

Winter Ballesteros is an orphan who was born in India of Spanish and English blood. She is betrothed, as a child, to a relative of hers, Conway Barton, who is a commissioner of the cantonment at Lunjore. When she is 17, From England, where she grew up, she is shipped out to India, under the protection of Alex Randall, Commissioner Barton's aide. But her fiance isn't who she thinks he is, and she comes to find this out too late.

Really, these characters of English women and men just make you want to shake them, they're so idiotic. But I suppose they may be based on true females and males of the period (19th century). This is nearly 800 pages (too long). The best part of the book is the descriptions of the land and its flora and fauna. ( )

I love historical fiction, especially when there's a bit of romance. Shadow of the Moon may just be my very favorite book in this genre, one I've read and reread many times. It's a book that has earned a place atop a list that includes Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Susan Howatch's great retellings of English and Roman history, Sharon Kay Penman's English and Welsh series, as well as M.M. Kaye's more famous work, The Far Pavilions.
Historical fiction doesn't venture far east often, but Shadow of the Moon is set in India during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Winter de Ballesteros is the daughter of privilege though she never realized it growing up. Born in India, which she idealized, she was sent to England to be raised and only wants to return to the land of her dreams. Her ticket is marriage to Conway Barton, a betrothal arranged when she was very young. Alex Randall, Conway's attache, is sent to retrieve her since the ensuing years have not been kind to Conway, who is only interested in Winter's fortune.
Ms. Kaye is British but was born in India and heard stories of the rebellion from her family's servants. She, in my opinion, treats the subject with care and is fairly even-handed with the causes though atrocities were on both sides. The various religions and sects in India were hard for anyone to deal with, but the British too often viewed them through Western eyes and imposed restrictions without understanding the implications for the people they ruled.
Her writing is lyrical with the descriptions of India, the scents and colors of flora and fauna. The romance is not typical; both Winter and Alex struggle against it before finding love. Many historical figures are referenced: Sir Henry Lawrence, his brother John, General John Nicholson, William Hodson, and others of the East India company and army, as well as Bahadur Shah and Nana Sahib.
It's a wonderful story, full of action and drama, sadness and joy, and one to be read again and again. ( )

A trifle long and involved. But if you have time to devote to this it is worth it. One of the best Indian-British historical romances that manages not to be too sentimental and fluffy that I've read. Worth it!though I prefer [b:The Duke of Shadows|3112394|The Duke of Shadows|Meredith Duran|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364937925s/3112394.jpg|3143676] it was a close run between them. ( )

M. M. Kaye is my new standard for historical fiction and I'm a bit forlorn that with Shadow of the Moon, I've finished the last of her major novels. I enjoy her whodunits, but The Far Pavilions, Trade Wind, and Shadow of the Moon are unforgettable, even monumental reading experiences.

In The Far Pavilions, the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny is a passing, though terrifying, event in the hero's childhood. But here, Kaye makes that grisly uprising the focal point of the story. Winter de Ballesteros is a mixed child of English and Spanish descent whose father's noble family has made its home in India. After her parents' death she is shipped off to England where she becomes the ugly duckling of her mother's side. When she is 11, an unscrupulous distant relative, Conway Barton, convinces her grandfather to agree to their betrothal. The purpose, of course, is Winter's large fortune. Conway spends the next six years in India as Commissioner of Lunjore, degrading quickly into heavy drinking, women, and drugs. When Winter comes of age, he sends Captain Alex Randall to fetch her. Winter, who remembers Conway as a hero who will rescue her from her unkind relatives, refuses to listen to Alex's warning and sails for India. I'll stop there to avoid revealing any real spoilers.

Kaye takes her time. This is a 700-page commitment and there is no rush as she introduces the characters, tells their backstories, and effortlessly paints the historical period. But once you're in the grip of the story, there is no escape. Beautifully written, with never a word out of place or even the hint of an anachronism, the tale sweeps you along. A small dash of the supernatural—a recurring theme in Kaye's stories—spices the action nicely. My only criticism, and the reason half a star is knocked off, is a very improbable sex scene (it's tasteful and not explicit, but the circumstances surrounding it are a bit hard to believe, in my opinion).

The novel is filled with fascinating people. Yes, Winter is strikingly beautiful and Alex is very handsome. We can forgive them that convention because they are otherwise truly believable, human characters whom we come to love. Other characters are equally well drawn: Conway, Niaz, Lottie, Carlyon, Lou Cottar, and so many others.

Kaye, who clearly loves India, doesn't shrink from describing the unthinkable atrocities committed during this rebellion, especially against women and children (things I will never forget, I saw them so clearly in my mind's eye). But alongside the horrors perpetrated by the rebels, there are a handful of faithful Indian sepoys, retainers, and ayahs who die trying to protect their feringhi employers. All they had to do to survive was join their people against the whites or even just disappear from the scene, but many didn't. These nameless heroes are remembered here and it gives me something to balance against the awful evils that took place.

What else can I say? Shadow of the Moon is the kind of book you stay up till the wee hours to finish. And then you can't start your next book because you're not done thinking about this one yet. Stunning and splendid! ( )

Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye is a historical fiction novel set in India and details the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. Although this author wrote many books, she is probably most famous as the author of The Far Pavilions, which is also a historical drama set in India. In The Shadow of the Moon, the author combines adventure, romance and history effortlessly into one epic story of over 600 pages. Originally published in 1957, this is a re-read for me as I fell in love with this author’s historical novels during the 1970’s.

This is a lengthy story as the author sets the scene with many descriptions of the colonial policies of the East India Trade Company which had virtual control over the Indian sub-continent. Indian laws and practices were changed to British ways and this caused smouldering resentment that eventually flared into open revolt. The romantic angle of the book is the attraction between Winter de Ballesteros, the granddaughter of the Earl of Ware, and, Captain Alex Randall, who escorted her from England to India in order for her to marry her intended, the drunken, dissipated Conway Barton. This engagement took place when Barton visited England and schemed to tie the heiress to him. At the time Winter was only eleven. The scenery of India serves as a constant backdrop as the characters travel toward their destiny. When the rebellion ignites Winter and Alex are caught up in the turmoil and violence.

I believe that I admire this book even more today than I did back in the 1970’s. The author was born in India and knew that country well, but the painstaking research she did shows in the details of fashion, customs and politics of the Victorian era and the British Raj. The timeline of the mutiny is followed to the letter and she accurately guides the reader through the turbulence and violence. The romance was intense and satisfying and the adventure was engrossing. I was totally able to escape into this book and it was an excellent read. ( )