Book Review

Moon Reads: The Lost War

The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.


If you have read my review for The Bitter Crown which is the second book and kept wondering what I thought of the first, well, here we are!

The Lost War starts like a lot of fantasy settings, in a pub. And it takes a full ride form there. Starting with the fact that Aranok isn’t a young 16-25 year old but rather set in his years with war experience and more life under his belt than just that. And he isn’t perfect or the most handsome.

I loved reading about characters that were each their own world, that weren’t just kids or young adults saving the world. These are adults, struggling with life in a different way, trying to recover a life after a long and difficult war, technically some are heroes and yet they don’t fully feel like that.

To me it felt like an epic Dungeons and Dragons story where it starts in a pub and suddenly what you thought was a chest turns out to be a mimic (and no this does not happen in the book, but interesting stuff does happen). And I enjoyed this as it gave an epic but organic feeling to it. If you’ve ever had a D&D session or many of them, you know that sometimes chaos reigns and joining the story is a feat or the constraints become interesting. And this is all good and fine as friends and if you forget a bit here or there or something changes, you’re totally fine.

The Lost War is a polished refined version of that fun. A contained adventure with some critical ones rolled here and there and sometimes some natural 20s and overall more or less barely enough to make it rolls of the dice, and I love that. Not everything works out but also not everything goes to hell, it is well balanced, with twists and turns, and a very fine twist which I enjoyed a lot as it it was nice and chaotic and also explained some little things that at first you just can’t put your finger on but know something is up.

It was a mastery of storytelling and I enjoyed it a lot.

If you love D&D adventures, chaos, older adventures and badass ones too, a good mix of chaos and kingdom, come try this series out. I’ve really been enjoying it!

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Bitter Crown

The Bitter Crown by Justin Lee Anderson

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.


Welcome to a chaotic review and blog tour post for The Bitter Crown. I somehow managed to leave my review for The Lost War in draft instead of publishing it ahead of today, so you will get the review for book 2 in the series before the review for book one which will come in the next review.

I read both books back to back, in the span of a week or so. They’re slightly chonky and remind me of old 80’s and 90’s novels in the worldbuilding and the adventures, a good fantasy specimen is what I would say. This means that if you didn’t read them one after the other immediately there’s a lot you might forget about this world and story. This brings me to probably my favourite thing in this book, which was the fact you get a “recap” as a relatively seamless part of the story.

This made for some interesting “this sounds too familiar, wait, it is a summary, a previously on” and I loved that.

Now for the actual review, it is hard to do without spoiling too much. With the end of the Lost War, there is now a lot of stake and more than anything, the truth is at stake, and it is hard when so very few actually know what is true or not. And honestly this whole concept of truth was also some of my favourite themes in the book, alongside what do you do when you have to rebuild yourself, your relationships and everything in your life now that you know the truth. Hard work, let me tell you.

The adventures continue and I still have a soft spot for Aranok, Allandria and Samily more than for the rest, I am biased because they really grew on me as the lost war happened and then even more here, particularly given the interesting new challenges presented to Aranok and Allandria (not to spoil things, but this was also a fascinating thing to read).

Overall, The Bitter Crown is a good sequel, giving a lot of adventure, more views of this world, a pinch or two of chaos and a very real and human set of characters. They aren’t perfect, they mess up, make mistakes, act crazy, and have consequences.

If you enjoy epic fantasy, a feeling like you’re walking through a Dungeons and Dragons campaign played by a bunch of adults (for the most part the ages of the main cast are varied and it goes more to older characters rather than very wet behind the ears ones, which was also refreshing to read), pick up the Eidyn Saga, it is really fun and I can’t wait for what comes next.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Lightfall – Shadow of the bird

Lightfall – Shadow of the bird by Tim Probert

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.


In my last review, I talked a bit about the first book in this series, The Girl and the Galdurian and mentioned you’d want the second book at the ready, well, here is my review of it because I couldn’t leave you waiting.

As per the first book, the art is still wonderful, but the tone of it is slightly different, obviously, we have already met most of our main characters and gone from the nice life we used to have to a much more complicated plot and a darkness spreading across the land kinda vibe. This translates both in tones in the comic, but also in the storyline. There is growth or at least what may seem like it at first, but also a lot more conflict.

Bea has overall still her anxiety and the nerves, everything that she fears slowing her down and causing her to doubt, whereas Cad is so confident that it almost jars her and they seem to be finding points of disturbance, but in the end, this gets resolved.

What got me the most was the compassion and empathy Bea displays as the story goes and that she is willing to try to understand both sides of the story not just the one the “winners and survivors” have written, but that of those that lost. Were they genuinely evil or were they just defending their nest and home? What was the reason behind them behaving that way, and are they misunderstood or are they not?

Overall, the soothing vibe is still there but now you see a different more personal side, some more growth and empathy and compassion, things that sometimes we forget. The biases we have and the stories we are told against what the other side may be actually experiencing. It is also a way to show Cad that he may need to consider Bea has also value in her own way and he doesn’t know it all, as he sees himself as an unshakeable hero, but there is something he doesn’t know or understand and his truth may not be the full truth of how things were.

Highly recommended, and sadly the next book isn’t out yet or I would be reviewing it next, but do invest in this series as it is one I plan to re-read and enjoy!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Lightfall – The Girl and the Galdurian

Lightfall – The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.


I can’t remember why I found this book so interesting, but it was on my wishlist for ages until it suddenly had a price reduction and became affordable alongside the fact that there’s now a sequel out too! So I bought it and I am so glad I did.

Let me start with the artwork which made me want to move into the woods and just live there with the characters, but it was also keeping really into the story and marvelling about everything. Then there are our main characters, Bea who is the adopted daughter of a pig wizard (adorable I tell you, and the ideas are so cute and make me smile), and Cad a Galdurian which is somehow supposed to be extinct but isn’t and this is confusing.

The whole adventure goes from “oh hey I am going to collect herbs” to epic levels quickly and to me the favourite part was that Bea has anxiety and enrves and mental health loitering and this shows beautifully int he art, you can understand how she feels, and relate to her and the situation being so overwhelming.

I think the one thing I wish I had gotten a better view of , is Cad mind, just a little bit and a bit more about the world before this, but it does go at a relatively active pace that starts slow and goes quicker untilw e get to the end of the story and now you want to read more.

Oh and the Pig Wizard grandfather figure kinda disappears, thre’s a bunch of cut interesting creatures and a lot fo epic journeys and saving the world and yet also a lot of “humanity” and kindness.

Cute story to be read together with a child, or just on your own when you need a little bit of hope and your brain is doing circles in a wheel that ti shouldn’t be running over and over, but still keeps doing. Soothing overall, and you will want the next book at the ready.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The First Binding Blog Tour

The First Binding by R. R. Virdi

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Ownership: Review copy provided by publisher but I have been excited to read it for ages.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.


This is going to be probably the weirdest review first paragraph ever, so you have been warned. Have you ever grown tired of the usual fantasy tropes of clueless hero, lovely stunning lady, lots of worldbuilding, some info dump here and there, potential trigger topics used just for the plot or close to fridging? Well, fear not, because The First Binding somehow is refreshingly none of that!

Do I mean to say our hero, Ari, isn’t a bit clueless? Yes he is but not the usual fantasy trope way. And what about having stunning lady in the story? Yes we do, but she is her own mystery and worth checking out. She is not there just for plot points.

In all honesty, because I am not the wittiest review writer, the one thing I can highly the most about The First Binding is how refreshing it is. Ari is a completely different male hero/villain/grey character. He is incredibly fully fleshed and has so many shades of grey that you can’t help but want to see them all and hear all his stories. The mechanic of worldbuilding and plot deployment as stories told by Ari and sometimes nested storytelling is brilliant and it does not for once feel just as info dump or as odd chapters taken from a different book. You feel as if you are there when Ari is telling his stories, and as things happen in the present.

One of the things I noticed the most and really really appreciated was how Ari treats female characters and how R. R. Virdi writes them. There is respect in there and not just a dump of a character for the sake of needing padding in plot. All throughout the book Ari has a way of approaching things and morality that felt good to read about, to see him live by it and colour his choices, and you can see how he learns from his experiences as he goes through his stories. Eloine is surprised by his way of being, but honestly so was I and I loved it. It is probably one of my favourite things here, and trust me, the stories and adventures are also incredibly good.

I have read many good books this year, but The First Binding climbed incredibly quickly to the top and currently has wiped out every other amazing book I have read. I cannot wait to read the next book and know more.

Book Review

Moon Reads: August Kitko and the Mechas from Space

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: No

Ownership: Review copy provided by the publisher

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

If you like mechas, epic battles, music and music theory, chaos and the end of the world, then this is the book for you! The best way I can summarise it is if you took Evangelion, tossed it with music and music theory, a pinch of today’s world and then fast-forwarded it a 1000 years, you might get this book.

August is having a mini pity party at the end of the world because mechas are coming to destroy humanity and he messed up his big plans for the end of the world. So when he starts hearing the mechas battle it out and it sounds like music to him so he plays a Magnus opus kinda piece, he is playing for himself not to save the world, and yet that is kinda what he does!

OK that is super summarised, but this is a story about how being the hero doesn’t always involve glamour, and there’s a LOT going on with the mechas, the world, August and his plans and music. For me, the music twist was one of my absolute favourite things to add to the idea of mechas and end-of-the-world epic battles, it made me look forward more to the battles than in other books of this style. I do admit I like music and it was just fascinating to have August’s process described and how he would communicate with the mechas and be a “pilot”. Very different to Evangelion but still cool and with in a way similar vibes.

Oh and there is a romance going on, a slight heist, a lot of government officials being themselves, and a lot more about music and people. Honestly, it was a fun chaotic read.

Book Review, Books

There Will Come A Darkness Review

There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

A little disclaimer, I have had this book on preorder for ages (1st of August 2019 apparently) but I also got a review copy from the publisher. Given how far back I preordered, it is pretty obvious they can’t really influence my review at all because I was already hyped for it.

And it was good and worth it. It did take me ages to read but it was mostly because it was the book I had with me while waiting in the queue for going into the shop weekly. It was a good read that kept me engrossed and made the wait not that difficult and helped it not feel like it was long or dragging. (I mean not what you want on your cover, but a book that helps pass a stressful moment and long wait much faster is always a good win).

Our story follows several POV from different characters who are linked by a Prophecy (and some in ways you didn’t expect at all, there’s definitely a few surprises that kept coming). This is a setup and build up book and not in a tell way. It is a book to know each of the characters, their personal stakes and why they are part of this end of times prophecy that isn’t even very clear.

One of the things I liked was that the characters are so varied but they each have something unique and something to move towards (or to run away from, right?). This means we have several subplots going on for the characters and as they start to intersect the stakes get higher and higher.

The concept of Graces at first I was like “meh, whatever” it felt like any other concept but as I read, the more I understood how entrenched, how much they defined the world yet at the same time, you didn’t feel like they were alien or odd in it. Probably the moment to sayt he worldbuilding was great. There’s so many places, and each has their thing but as you move through it in the eyes of the different POVs you start to see all the parts that make it what it is and why it definitely feels like the end of times.

Ephyra, Beru and Anton were my favourites out of them all (and technically Beru doesn’t really get a POV, but I am sure she will be getting one later in the next book, she has to!) even if they are completely different. Gosh, it is hard to explain why without ruining the plot much.

Another thing I liked was that gender isn’t as defining or limiting on how characters act and react. It is a corrupt world and with it a lot fo stuff is wrong and not great, but I didn’t feel like the male characters were stronger/had more agency than the female ones (given the circumstances) which was nice to see.

So in summary, I enjoyed it a lot and want to read the second book now because I need to know what will happen with each of them and also what now? The stakes were high enough as it was and now they are even higher. It is a really well written book with wonderful worldbuilding and great characters, so go read it!