The MoonQuest
The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy is a 2007 fantasy novel by Mark David Gerson.
The novel presents a mythical world where storytelling has been banned and storytellers, or bards, have been put to death. The legend in the land has it that the moon (known as M'nor) was so saddened by the silence in the land (Q'ntana) that she cried tears that have extinguished her light. Thus, the "quest" in the story is to return storytelling to the land and, in so doing, bring back light to the moon. The main character, Toshar, is a young man in his late teens. He is charged with embarking on The MoonQuest, and picks up three characters—Yhoshi, Fynda and Garan—along the way. It is the first part of a trilogy-in-progress, The Q'ntana Trilogy.
The Library Journal praised the book, describing it as "an emotionally solid tale," its "songlike prose a match for its ethereal characters and its allegorical message of inner truth." The Midwest Book Review called it "an evocative and emotionally moving tale."
The MoonQuest has won several national and regional awards, including the 2008 New Mexico Book Award as best fantasy/science fiction book of the year in the U.S. Southwest and the 2008 Independent Publishers Award Gold Medal for best visionary fiction, a national award. The book is now being adapted as a feature film for 2012 release by Anvil Springs Entertainment, based on Gerson's screenplay.