fairytale – The Constellation of Moon

Moon Reads: The Isle in the Silver Sea

Posted on October 21, 2025

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

Rating:

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 are new here, let me start by saying that Tasha Suri is one of my absolute favourite authors, and therefore this book has been an anticipated read since I knew of it (back when Tasha was obsessed with The Green Knight film and all those posts of medieval books), so of course I asked Orbit for a review copy, I probably begged. And they kindly let my soul be happy and have it. This review is therefore fully about my love of Tasha’s writing and having a review copy doesn’t change my opinion of it (or make me rate it higher, go check all my reviews of her books from the past).

The Isle in the Silver Sea is a standalone fantasy book (I am surprised since Tasha likes trilogies and epic stories), which is still incredibly epic. It is like being wrapped in a medieval fairy tale, being transported to an old London and then to a set for Merlin or The Green Knight.

The story follows Simran and Vina, who are incarnates, reincarnations of characters from tales, that are destined to re-enact and live their tale to provide life to Britain. Fated to fall in love and then doom each other, over and over, through lifetimes.

But neither of them is ready to simply follow their tale, and even less to doom each other when they realise that an assassin is targeting tales and their incarnates, and they may be next. And so they need to find a way to survive, and ponder if fate can be changed, if tales can be rewritten.

As always, the cast of characters is a whole thing here, and we find a rich world for them to exist in, starting with our main tale for this story, “The Knight and the Witch”, which is a tale of doomed love. But as you read through the chapters (divided between the points of view of Simran and Vina), each one has a snippet of some writing that is related to the tales, so you get more of the world building (and honestly, I think on a second read they would be even more significant).

Tasha deftly builds a Britain and London that is rich in history and yet also completely different, wrapped in tales and lore. And yet, as you read, as you come closer to the end, the currents of what motivates some people here and makes them think they’re British or “English”, also run a current through the story here, parallels and yet, hope lives eternal.

This was my commute book, and oh how I regretted that, because I did not want to stop reading. I dreamt of Vina and Simran, of their world, their tale, their story. I yearned for them, fought with them, dreamt with them. This is a tale that is very much alive and absolutely worth reading. Tasha gets better with each new book, each new story is a craft honed even further.

I cried at it, I hoped, and desperately wanted things to be, for their tale to make it, for life to have a chance. And in the end, I absolutely loved it. I was speechless; I had no more to say or do because this book was perfect.

So all I can ask, is that you give this exquisite tale a chance to wrap itself around you.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Greenteeth

Posted on February 25, 2025

Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill

Rating:

This is one of the books of this year for me (even if I read it last year).

If you like T. Kingfisher, or similar chaotic fantasy, then this is a great book.

Let’s start with the narrator, Jenny Greenteeth. She is your average swamp monster living in her lake with sharp teeth, a love for fish and a healthy lake. So when the villagers suddenly decide to throw in a witch instead of useful things that Jenny can enjoy, she does not expect to end up in a huge adventure.

Temperance knows the old ways and has been helpful to her village, until the new pastor starts poisoning the minds of the villagers against her and claiming she is a bad influence and a witch. So when she gets thrown in the lake, she can’t do much, except maybe convince the Jenny that rescued her to help her make things right.

Now, without spoiling this, I will say that in the first few chapters I thought “oh this is going to be x” and that guess was indeed true, even if, by the time you get to it, it doesn’t spoil or make it worse, it was actually satisfying to think “oh hell yeah, I was right”.

The story is well done, partly monstrous tale, partly a fairy tale, huge adventure and a lot of chaos with not the normal trope of characters. You get Jenny who is a lake monster, and you get Temperance who despite being thrown in the lake just wants to get back to how her village used to be and her husband and family, and you also get a few other monstrous creatures in the mix to aid in the adventure including even a bit of Fae in it.

It grabs all that myth and legend from Britain, from old school stories, from Fae and gives you a wonderful monster of an adventure that will leave you wanting more, and also, extremely satisfied with the ending and the overall adventure. It comes packed with interesting characters, a horrible evil that will be ending the world (or as close as possible), impossible quests that are yet somehow possible, a lot of fun and a heap of old magic just for good measure.

The perfect recipe (and maybe Jenny will share her fish recipe with you).

Highly recommended if you love old magic and chaos and a fresh new take on myths, legends and magic.

10/10 would happily join Jenny and Temperance in the lake and their adventure.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

Posted on December 6, 2024

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

This is the sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies, which is a cosy fairy fantasy book and I found it to be a wonderfully autumn/winter read that I devoured. Map of the Otherlands was also a devour alongside some tea and cake type of book.

Emily is feeling more secure in her position at the university after publishing her encyclopaedia and her adventures in the previous book, and well, there is also the fact that she has some feelings for Wendell Bambleby who isn’t entirely human and more part of the Fair Folk.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that he has proposed they get married and well, she is unsure how to navigate that, does she want to marry him? There are a lot of implications and ramifications she doesn’t even want to think about. I don’t blame her, it is a big bold choice, even when you choose a human, so I assume one of the Fair Folk is an even more difficult and big decision.

And there is also the fact she’s trying to map the fairie realms, but this plan of researching goes a bit sideways when Bambleby is almost assassinated by his mother’s underlings. This spurs a new adventure to the Austrian Alps, in search for a door that may help Bambleby figure a way to free himself from whatever it is his family is planning which so far does not bode well. It is never good news if your mother is trying to kill you, you know?

Once again we navigate a lot of chaos and interesting situations as our pair navigate new company in their adventures and even more interesting stakes.

I enjoyed this one, which still had the same feeling as the previous one, and as a sequel it stands good. It does not have as much punch as I felt the first book had, but it was still cosy and delightful. A good pastry of a read with a good feeling left behind and more curiosity about what is to come. It reminds me in a way, but more cosy of Lady Trent’s Memoirs (A Natural History of Dragons). It is also a lighter approach and it feels less dense (I love the other series but this one is a lot easier to read for tired minds and a lot smoother to go through).

So I can recommend this if you like fairy tales, you like stories about the Fair Folk, and similar books to Lady Trent’s Memoirs. Or if you simply want a cosy read with a nice feeling afterwards.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Wolf’s Secret

Posted on November 12, 2024

The Wolf’s Secret by Myriam Dahmn and Nicolas Digard. Illustrated by Júlia Sardá

Rating:

There’s a cosy vibe going on and this book is full of that stay at home curled up with a good book feeling that I crave during the colder months.

Our story follows Wolf, who is a feared scary hunter, but he has a secret. There is a girl who lives in the forest that sings and makes him very curious.

But will his curiosity and his loneliness (no one tells you that being scary means it is hard to make friends) get the best of him and will he ever go beyond watching this girl and listening to her?

The artwork was absolutely breathtaking, in that beautiful way that is just so expressive and makes you feel everything. I kept wanting to keep that feeling. And the prose, the words, it is a masterpiece in sweetness, in ease of story-telling.

The story overall talks about trust, differences, obstacles, loneliness and friendship and it is one of my favourite books. I kept thinking of it even after finishing reading it, over and over.

I can recommend it for a beautiful short fairy and folk tale that will whisk you away and bring you back feeling like a little magic happened.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Night Marchers

Posted on October 25, 2024

The Night Marchers

Rating:

Another collection of stories, but this time in graphic novel form. This is a rich collection of “Cautionary Fables and Fairytales” from Oceania and around the area, so you get a lot of different stories than the usual fairytales we all know.

Forget Snow White or yet another greek mythology retelling, here you will get tales with a wide range of ideas, some from superstition (like consider what happens to the spirits and invisible beings, or they may be out to get you), to wider and more elaborate stories ranging Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii, and beyond.

Some reminded me a little of the stories from Spirits Abroad but now in graphic novel form, and some felt new and interesting, and it was also an introduction to artists that may not be as well known or that you see less of their work on the Western side of the world, and boy the artwork was also stunning considering it was in black and white, there were many styles and stories.

I haven’t read the rest of the series of Cautionary Fables and Fairytales so I cannot compare it to the rest, but it was a decent number of stories and even though as usual some were not my style either in art, or story or both (I think only one didn’t hit both things for me) the overall feel of the book was good and interesting leaving me wanting to get some more books to read on fairy tales and fables from the regions.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Life of Melody

Posted on January 10, 2023

Life Of Melody by Mari Costa

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

When two very opposite magical beings, a fairy godfather and a beast both find a little girl in the woods and neither wants to back down, they decide to become the parents and share custody. Razzmatazz (the fairy godfather) is convinced that if he raises the baby human it will be easier to work with her when she turns into a fairy tale protagonist, and Bon (the beast) isn’t sure Razz can take care of her and thinks it is dangerous to leave her with him (and he has a point).

The main story is about them slowly learning to live together but not only that but adapting to a “human” life, where they have a job (which is a lot harder for Razz). Razz becomes a helper in a library and Bon starts helping with kids in a school. But it is not only about that but about them being parents and about slowly falling in love with each other gently and totally denying it initially until they slowly admit it and it is a very cute story.

The artwork fits the narrative and the little details of the story and the town they settle in, alongside some of the backstory of our characters. Melody (the little girl) is also a good part fo the story and helps move it along, but the main focus is this setup of almost “fake dating” but not fully that since they only do it for appearances and because they decided to co-parent her.

It made me laugh and feel all cute and lovely inside, and it is a good cosy book to read and enjoy.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Sea Witch

Posted on June 2, 2022

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Rating:

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought a while ago or gifted, not even sure but it was in my bookcase for a long time.

I can’t remember why I bought this one but it caught my eye and I think it was mostly that it was a retelling no of the Little Mermaid and focused as much on the mermaid but on the sea witch that provides the favours. And to be fair, that sounds interesting particularly if it is more of a general sea witch view and not a Disney specific one.

The story follows four friends, two princes and two girls, and their adventures near the sea. It appears initially very straightforward and you feel like you know where the story is going, you know you’re familiar with the Little Mermaid, so of course, you know this story, but as you keep going the story branches a little and does some odd twists.

I admit I enjoyed the book, even if it was more or less extremely focused on love and having a crush, and the feeling of being elevated to a higher status which I mean are powerful emotions to turn someone into a witch but still, it was an interesting approach.

At times it waxes too lyrical and tries hard to be mysterious about one of the characters and maybe it is maybe it isn’t, and I do wish it had tried less hard into hiding things and more into explaining why things happened, but overall it felt like a darker odd fairy tale that had modernised.

If you love the Little Mermaid this may be a book for you or if you like fantasy books that read like fairy tales or new takes on them. Like a refresh of stories, this is the book for you!

Book Review

Moon Reads: For the Wolf

Posted on August 25, 2021

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Rating:

Series: Wilderwood

Ownership: Proof provided by Orbit but also preordered since like last year.

Spoilers: No, however, may allude to some events in the book.

As per usual, disclaimer that a book provided by the publisher doesn’t influence my opinion or review of it, and normally I only ask for books I know I will read which is why the rating is usually high for those.

For the Wolf is a very interesting book, but it may not be for everyone. For starters, the premise was initially a little misleading to me, as it felt like it was aiming more for a Red Riding Hood vibe and overall the story is more about an empowering take on Beauty on the Beast with influences from other tales and folklore.

Once you come to it with the understanding of what tale it focuses more on, then you can immerse yourself in the world of the Wilderwood and enjoy the ride. It does have a good interesting start, then a bit of a slow post start where it tries hard to set the character of the twins and their lives, and particularly how Redarys is leaving things behind and Neve doesn’t want her to be sacrificed and she is her world. This is key long term to the story, but initially, it is a bit too full on your face and I think there would’ve been subtler ways to make it click.

The lore of the Wilderwood and why Red has to be sacrificed, alongside how the world functions and what each region provides and why the religion is predominant is fascinating and I enjoyed some of the magic systems and learning more about it all.

The romance is a very slow burn and this is definitely adult fantasy rather than a young adult, and therefore completely shows that side of itself with the development of plot and subplots and it is delightful in doing so.

Overall the curses, sentient woods, and everything in the Wilderwood were what won me.

The not so fun parts for me were the Neve chapters and the views into the religion and what was happening you could see what it was and wanted to stop it but knew it would not stop and it just was frustrating to know where things were going on Neve’s side. This almost made me stop reading a few times but I basically raced through those chapters and returned to the Wilderwood wanting to understand it better and know more about it.

The main cast of characters is relatively small for each twin sister and therefore it relies a lot on the characters and what they bring to the story and how they help move it forward, and definitely, my favourite character was the Wilderoowd, as it was seeing Red develop some agency in her own life. That was probably the best part, the change from “I am doomed to this” to more of a “I can do this and more”.

Recommending it to fans of fairytale retellings in the style of Naomi Novik or Robin McKinley, and for those that like botanical/forest curses and magic systems, as that was a huge win for me and part of what made me enjoy it a lot, alongside the mix fo a good slow-burn romance.

Book Review

Moon Reads: There is No Big Bad Wolf in this Story

Posted on August 23, 2021

There is No Big Bad Wolf in this Story by Lou Carter and Deborah Allwright

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Ownership: Preordered one but also got a copy from publisher

Series: There is no… in this story

So, when I found this book existed, I preordered it, but then Bloomsbury contacted me to see if I would like a review copy which I did. I was excited to read it, since I enjoyed a lot There Is no Dragon in this Story which I have reviewed previously. So basically, as much as I had a copy from the publisher it doesn’t define my review or influence it.

Finn was a fan as you can see, and it is a delightful cute story on a take about how the poor wolf is always the big bad wolf in things like The Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood amongst others. And our poor “big bad wolf” in the story is tired of having to be chased around and be the baddie, and not being appreciated for his hard work in being the bad guy, so he stops doing his job and ends up just chilling with the dragon.

The story characters try to make do without the wolf, and things get interesting to say the least.

It was a cute story, with a fun kudos to other fairy tales and stories for children and I liked the artwork a lot, it is quite vibrant and fun and full of expression, and it works well as a second book to go with the Dragon one.

If you want a fresh take on the big bad wolf, and a new read aloud or starting to read book for children, this is a great one for sure and obviously do recommend the first too!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales

Posted on February 2, 2021

Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales by Jen Campbell and Katie Harnett

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Christmas gift from a lovely friend (Zoe)

Spoiler free review: No

Series: Franklin and Luna #3, you can read my review for the the first and second adventure if you want to know about them.

This time the story is about Luna and the town people preparing a party for Franklin, but they’ve to distract him on his birthday so they go on an adventure.

Accidentally, while browsing books, Luna’s pet turtle goes into a locked book so they follow. Inside the book they start finding the characters of various fairy tales (I think this is the perfect opportunity to “queue” each fairy tale to be read for the next few nights after this book if you’re reading this aloud or if it is a young reader on their own and testing their wings) and as they explain that they’re searching for their turtle friend.

No one has seen the turtle until they find the right fariytale (I’ll let you guess which one, though I’d classify it is a fable rather than a tale). And then they make it to the party with some extra friends tagging along.

I like the concpet of it and that characters keep showing up but new ones come through each new book and the artwork is stunning and fun so I can highly recommend it still. It makes me happy to just read the books and chill.