Polygamy and Polyamory in Moonstone

The marriage at the heart of The Moonstone Covenant is a four-way relationship, which is somewhat unconventional in their world but not unheard of.  The four main characters, Istehar, Olloise, Annlynn, and Vasmine, are two couples who became a foursome over time—this happens prior to the novel’s timeframe but one hears pieces of the story throughout the novel.  Their relationship may not be conducted in the same way as polyamory or polygamy in our world, though some things about it might be recognizable.

Since Moonstone is a city of many cultures, its laws cover many kinds of marriages and relationships.  While the dominant religion in Moonstone, the Abbatine tradition, is somewhat repressive and can be close-minded, there are many other faiths in the city with their own customs, and the city allows for that diversity in its legal structures.  As Olloise says, “Group marriage is legal in Moonstone—there are a hundred wedding customs here—but some people frown on it.” There are those in Moonstone who condemn the wives of Undersong House for their relationship, but they have Moonstone law on their side. Our four main characters also sometimes interact with other characters in plural arrangements, as well as characters whose lives are more conventional, so we learn more about how relationships work in Moonstone.

The complexity of the four characters’ marriage is part of the novel’s narrative and helps to drive the story. Annlynn and Vasmine’s passionate romance, Istehar and Olloise’s bonding as orphans at the edges of Moonstone’s society, the sexual healing that occurs between Olloise and Vasmine, and the four women’s openness to additional relationships—all of these aspects are part of the marriage of the wives of Undersong House.

That they’re in a polygamous marriage is not the wives’ main concern at the time of the story.  They have other fish to fry.  Still, their complex and changing relationships are a huge part of their world—and the world of Moonstone.

—Jill Hammer