Forever Moon (Beneath the Moon Book 1)

The Killing Moon

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This girl is so stupid. After her sister tells her she's never been in love Celeste is so surprised Stop being so ignorant, idiotic main character! You're sister is a whore that sleeps around. What she experiences isn't love; it's lust. On page she says maybe B's not a werewolf, maybe because she loves him she imagined him that way. I'm way overusing this because the story demands for it, but Why would you see him as a beast because you're in love?

Because he's not a beast! This so called "werewolf" turns into this half-man, half-beast "gorgeous" animal! When they made it into a kind of Wolfman, not fully wolf, I thought that was cool and unique. Not that I dislike when they transform all the way, it's just nice to see something different.

But then they made him out to be this sexy beast that she can't resist. He grows a goatee!!! Not even all covered in hair. Just long hair, hairy legs, arms, and chest and a goatee. Couldn't even make the werewolf part cool. And the werewolf part? She needs to get her facts straight. She kept saying "werewolf form" and talked about when he turned into a werewolf on the full moon.

Just because it's not a full moon doesn't mean he's human. He's still a werewolf. At one point she says "werewolf form" four times in three paragraphs. Two of the paragraphs are only one sentence long! And what's with her saying the only cure is a silver bullet? She supposedly researched it and that's the only thing she could find. Well, she must be the most terrible person at research. I pity all her school essays. I meant, just look here and you'll find other ways! On page Brandon and Celeste are out in the woods, Brandon being in him "werewolf form.

Only he doesn't know, they were just there. Celeste is horrified- she can't imagine her precious Brandon ripping into Bambi's face and killing and eating him He got them out of his grandparents' freezer. So, let me get this straight. It's bad if he kills the deer and you're not sure if you can date him after that, but as long as someone else kills it, that's okay? So, the moral of this story is, stay away from this book!!!

I'm probably going to read the second one because this one ended in a cliffhanger and I just want to see if the author has actually learned something from her mistake of a first book and written an awful book instead of an almost unreadable one. Probably not, but then it's only one more book, not like seven. The one funny scene: This novel was a detestable scramble of pages thrown together, but I have to point out the one good scene, the phone call between Celeste and her friends.

Her friends get so confused because Celeste is talking to them and Brandon at the same time. They made me chuckle. Edit; Read the second book, gave up on series. Read Vampire Kisses by same author, gave up on author. Schreiber has no idea what she's doing. View all 3 comments. I thought I was reading someone's debut novel. Evidently, not so much. Apparently this author has written quite a few books. Unfortunately, that knowledge taints my view a bit. It's fairly boring for a werewolf story.

Lots and lots of instant attraction between the two main characters, which is only made more annoying because he's " from the wrong side of the tracks ". Naturally, there is an overly-dramatic line drawn in the sand between the the suburban section and the poorer section of the town. The description of this werewolf was also stupid. He gets a bit hairy, his voice gets sexy , the hair on his head grows long, little fangs sprout out, and Give me a minute to stop giggling so I can type, please..

I'm not even going to bore you with the supposed plot, because if the magical goatee doesn't send you screaming, then maybe this book will be right up your alley. View all 4 comments. Dec 25, Susan Wastepaper Prose rated it really liked it Shelves: I loved this book. It's just that simple, but I'll elaborate because I realize that doesn't actually say much. In the spirit of full disclosure, I wasn't expecting a lot out of this book. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but I was pleasantly surprised by how solid it was in every way.

The characters, the world, the plot It kept me interested at every turn without trying to be overly complicated. Schreiber I loved this book. Schreiber does an amazing job of creating a world that anyone can relate to. The town of Legend's Run is divided, east and west. Which side is the right side or is there own? Celeste Parker doesn't believe there is. Both eastsiders and westsiders stick to their own, but the arrival of a new student, Brandon Maddox, prompts her to cross the invisible line. As I tore through this novel , both of them became incredibly real to me.

It was the tiny details, ones you could easily gloss over, that made me feel like they could be people I'd met in real life. In fact, Bradon was such a well developed character that he reminded me of a guy friend who is strong, caring and a man of few words. All of the characters evoke clear images of who they are through their words and actions. Tension also runs high. It builds throughout the book, but there are mini cliffhangers and other exciting moments that kept me hanging on every word.

I realized I was turning pages, but I didn't realize how fast. Nothing in this book stood out to me as a problem. I've read a lot of reviews in which people have though Celeste was immature and needed a backbone, but the fact that she is this sweet girl who can't go to her friends with many of her problems didn't bother me. Afterall, I lived through high school and sometimes you don't feel comfortable telling your friends things for fear that they'll judge you. Even adults feel this way on occasion, so Celeste's belief that she couldn't tell even her best girlfriends about the boy from the wrong side of the tracks and everything they go through after he saves her in the woods one night didn't make me think less of her.

I just took it at face value that she was a teenager. If I had a gripe it would be that there is a "true love conquers all" moment or scene that felt misplaced. I can't say it was contrived, but it was couched as more of a revelation than I believe it actually was because it is quite aparent that these characters have deep feelings for one another. It is also obvious they they accept each other completely, down to their darkest secrets. That was the only moment in the entire book that gave me pause, but within paragraphs the story had me again.

It all lead up to a sublime ending that left me intrigued, satisfied, and ready for another book. I will eagerly snatch up and devour the two forthcoming books in this series whenever they are released. Feb 18, Marlena rated it did not like it. Whoop-dee-doo, you are so original Holy I was rolling my eyes at each kissing scene or intimate moment. View all 12 comments.

Jul 07, Jay G rated it did not like it. Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: Celeste Parker is a popular high schooler from the Eastside of Ledgends Run. She has a gorgeous boyfriend named Nash and two best friends named Ivy and Abby. When Brandon Maddox, a new student from the Westside of town arrives at school one day, Celeste is drawn towards him. But since she is from the Eastside, she shouldn't interact with him. One day walking home, Celeste is attacked by Want to see more bookish things from me?

One day walking home, Celeste is attacked by a pack of wolves. Brandon comes to her rescue and both of their worlds change forever. Celeste felt everything in her soul I really did not like this book at all. The writing style was so choppy and hard to read. It almost felt like the author would write the first thing that popped into her head and then said whatever to editing it The writing was repetitive and childish and there wasn't really any plot whatsoever.

The main character, Celeste annoyed me so much. She is your stereotypical popular girl who is a goody two shoes who wants to make everyone else happy. There was no real connection between them other than Celeste thought he was attractive. The instalove was so cring worthy It is also apparent that if you fall in love, you become a snivelling idiot and can't function without constantly thinking about how much you need to be near your 'one true love'.

Brandon was also a cliche. He was your typical misunderstood outsider, he is caring and passionate and loves animals. So when the threat of him hunting animals in his 'wolf form' comes to light he is devastated I'm sorry, but how does this make sense He was practically crying over the fact that he might have killed an animal two seconds ago but its totally okay to get it from your freezer and cook it instead, I do not think so mister.

The two best friends made me angry as well. They were constantly threatening to dump Celeste as their friend because she didn't want to be in a relationship with Nash. They repeatedly told Celeste that she was "too nice" and constantly shunned people for being from the Westside of town Nash was also very creepy to me, some of the things he would say to Celeste were borderline stalkerish and very controlling.

The 'wolf form' that Brandon takes is literally him just growing longer hair, getting a 'sexy voice', growing fangs and sporting a goatee I'm sorry but that is SO not a werewolf I wanted a snarling beast or something dang it!! This entire book just pissed me off I don't even want to continue writing this review, that is how stupid I found this book so I'm just going to leave it at that I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone to be honest and if I could give it 0 stars I would have.

Dec 05, Ruby rated it did not like it.

The Second Chance Hero

Review first posted on http: I mean, a new YA werewolf series? By an author who already has a pretty big following? And I m going to have to tread lightly here, because there wasn t much for me to like in Once in a Full Moon and I just talked about not author-bashing in a previous post. It s a lot of tell and no show.

We re told a lot of things about the heroine, Celeste, a Review first posted on http: This is a pet peeve of mine. I mean, people do not talk the way they write. But what really disappointed me was everything else. The main character, Celeste, is a cardboard cutout of the good girl that runs with the popular crowd. Her boyfriend is a good-looking, popular jock. Her friends are steadfast and loyal. The blue collar side. She is, in essence, a Mary Sue. I mean, seriously, her friends suck.

They make Celeste worse just because she wanted to be friends with them. Basically ignores Celeste and only cares about sports. Can you see me rolling my eyes? I honestly could not figure out why Nash was supposed to be so popular. Maybe you can tell me. Well, Celeste will tell you a few thousand times, just so you get the point.

The Temporary Wife

Everything Nash is not, apparently. So Celeste stays with Nash despite her feelings for another guy. At least, until she finds him flirting with someone else.

When the penultimate werewolf scene finally happens, I actually laughed out loud. Apr 27, Myvampfiction added it. I love to read, and I can generally find something that I like in just about any book. Unfortunately, once in a full moon is not one of those books, so this review will be very short. The plot is boring. Boy gets bitten by wolf. Girl falls in love with boy and vows to help him find a cure. Blah, been there, read that. With the popularity of werewolf books, it is really important to come up with an engaging plot, and this book just doesn't do that.

The characters are horrible. Celeste is too perfect to be true. She gets good grades, volunteers at the local nursing home - basically your all American girl. She's dating Nash, the most popular jock in school because she doesn't want to disappoint her friends. Yes, Celeste is a character who basically lets her friends dictate every aspect of her life.

Do people really shun others because of what part of town they life in? For being such a good girl, Celeste picks horrible friends - they are superficial, snobby and down right irritating. There were times I could stomach Celeste and even Brandon, but the rest of the characters made me want to poke my eyes out with a fork.

The love story falls completely flat. Celeste knows she isn't in love with Nash, so it isn't shocking that she would fall for Brandon. But, this girl falling for hero boy plot line is just so over done. That wouldn't be so bad, except that Celeste falls in love and apparently swallows a pathetic pill. When Brandon returns her cell phone, she doesn't want to put it down because he had touched it. It really does make me sad to leave a book review this negative, but there really isn't anything I can pull out of the book to redeem it. Needless to say, I don't recommend you running out to buy this one.

For only the second time, I am giving a book 0 fangs. Mar 17, Jennifer rated it did not like it Recommends it for: Recommended to Jennifer by: I take the 5th on this one. A student loaned me this book yesterday and there's a story in that too and I thought it might provide a pleasant diversion. I'm fond of werewolf tales Sharp Teeth, Bitten, etc. However, a few chapters into this, the writing was so horrific Schreiber, for god's sakes, "Show, don't tell. I skipped to the end and the last scene was so laughably awful that I'm glad I didn't waste the time getting to it.

I'll think of something diplomatic to tell my student Arghhhh. I'll think of something diplomatic to tell my student who said if I liked it that she had the whole series but I don't have to be diplomatic here. Nov 10, Danny rated it it was ok Shelves: I wanted to read this book because I absolutely adore this cover The story sounded interesting enough, so I started with big hopes in this book. Let's start with the nice things I have to say, the cover is gorgeous right? There is a werewolf, there is some mystery, there is a girl and some romance.

Celeste has a normal and perfect life, has the "right" friends, dates the perfect handsome guy who's in the Football team. Then a Stranger moves to t I wanted to read this book because I absolutely adore this cover Then a Stranger moves to town and she's fascinated by him. Things are getting strange and weird when Celeste is caught in a snowstorm and surrounded by wolves. Brandon, the new guy rescues her from the wolves, gets bitten and then disappears.

Celeste cannot hide her interest in him anymore and starts lying to her friends to be near him. Still, nobody can know that she sees him, because he's from the wrong site of town. Her friends simply wouldn't accept him.. Talking about good friends here Ok , so far so good. I really tried to like this book and I stopped in the middle to pick it up again later with the hope I'd finally like it. I was so annoyed by Celeste!! She's supposed to be 17 but she's behaving like a child.

She's the most childish character I met for a long time. I was changing my head several time, I simply couldn't believe what she was saying and how she was behaving. She fells in love for the first time, and I get it.. Brandon I liked a bit more, but he was just not deep portrayed to me to care. But he also had some great lines.. You are kind, popular and beautiful" Something along those lines I didn't care enough to bookmark the quote What the heck has popular to do with trusting someone???

The fact that I didn't like the characters and that they were most of the time childish and boring made it hard for me to like the book. The dialogues were premature and I had a hard time reading on to be honest. In addition, the plot was kind of predicable and the ending totally anticlimactic. I'm sure there are people who would love this book, but it just didn't do it for me.

Maybe it is more suitable for a younger readership. It's a very young YA, I guess, and I'm just not interested. Besides the simple writing style, everything is told to the reader instead of shown, and there doesn't seem to be genuine personality with the characters, more of stereotypes. I'm not that into the plot summary, either, so it's best if me and this book part ways Marking as DNF. I'm not that into the plot summary, either, so it's best if me and this book part ways.

Oct 08, Heidi yabibliophile rated it it was ok. My middle schoolers will love it but it was too cliche and "flat" for me. It's basically Vampire kisses turned around and with werewolves. Characters didn't really speak like teens speak. Also, characters fall in love without really having a conversation. There is kind of a love triangle but I found that whole aspect awkward.

Again, it will fly off my shelves but I don't know that I'll read the subsequent books. Jun 28, Jenn, Reader of Things rated it did not like it Recommends it for: I have no clue. Recommended to Jenn, Reader of Things by: Got them for a series review. Pull it together, Jenn. I just, I can't even I need a minute to get over the fact that this book even got published. I don't even know where to begin dealing with this. Okay, so, assuming you've read the synopsis of at least the first book, you'll learn that this is your basic girl-in-small-town-falls-for-werewolf-outsider story.

I say "basic" because this story embodies almost every book cliche I know of. They are as follows: And did I mention that she already had a boyfriend at this point? Then remember, she's only spoken to this guy once Celeste is all like: Do I look stupid to you? The only thing I could remember was that Abby was athletic and Ivy was prissy. I still can't tell the difference between Dylan and Jake Abby and Ivy's boyfriends. I've never read a book and actually been confused about whether or not it was a love triangle.

I guess Schreiber was going for the whole "forbidden love" angle, but in the end it just seemed like a bunch of shallow teenagers from different sides of a river. She's ditzy, slutty hypocrite. Abby isn't really any better. Just a bit less slutty I think. I saw her parents VERY few times throughout the books, and really, if my kid was randomly leaving at night, spending hours who-knows-where and dating a werewolf, I'd make it my business to know! Brandon lives with his grandparents. I think they entered the story maybe one time. I'm not saying that all the questions have to be answered and it HAS to be neat and tidy, but there needs to be something accomplished, something that made it worth reading all three books.

The cheesy romance wasn't even cheesy, it was just stupid. There were also some grammatical errors, and the dialogue sucked. Like, it was so bad. Nobody that I have ever come into contact with speaks how these people spoke. Schreiber, there's these new things, they're called contractions. You should give them a try. But it wasn't just the lack of contractions. The writing itself is awful.

It's so shallow and amateurish and the descriptive wording is just lame. You don't need to keep telling us. The fact that this was published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins just shocks me. They usually publish legit books. This is just pathetic. The plot isn't even a real plot, just one giant run-on sentence. It this wasn't an e-book, I would've thrown it against a wall or onto concrete or into a lava pit or something.

And if you're wondering why I read all three books if I hated them so much which you will, 'cuz that's how people are. You can't accurately review what you haven't read, idiot, and 2 If you don't read the bad, how can you appreciate the good? In Conclusion, Major disappointement. Finishing this series may have been the most difficult thing I have ever done. I think I just lost faith in humanity.

Oct 11, PhobicPrerogative rated it did not like it. What was the plot of the story? A boy running around naked with a goatee, ripped abs and a sprinkling of hair?

A girl avoiding her friends just cause she likes someone from the wrong side of town? Celeste was an awful heroine. Throughout the book, she couldn't stand up to her own beliefs and preferences, and she didn't tell her friends that she liked Brandon Her friends were another matter. It was creepy that Screw it. It was creepy that the clique-y circle had their lives revolve around each other: Celeste cared too much about what they thought of her that I wanted to smack her senseless. I wish the author had redeemed her a little, but I was pretty convinced that Celeste was ashamed to be seen with Brandon, although she said otherwise.

Her friends, I also found, were pretty useless. If Celeste had turned out to be a main character without an entourage, the story would have still worked out. I don't know what value the girls brought to the story except a snobbish attitude and a missing dog who resembled a pumpkin. I should have felt more towards Celeste and Brandon's relationship, but I didn't.

They moved fast, their love was unconvincing, their interactions were strange and her descriptions of their kisses was too weird. Brandon was the only character I liked, but he really didn't bring much to the table except an argument of back and forth telling Celeste to stay away for her own good, et cetera et cetera. Perhaps I felt stuck in the mentality of Celeste being so weak and annoying for not admitting to dating Brandon that I was unable to think of how good they were together. Also, the werewolf phenomenon in the book was just too No ferocious fangs that dripped with drool?

The werewolf in this book could speak in a seductive tone at that and he had a sexy goatee. I wanted a wolf that resembled something on Being Human. Lastly, there was a lack of something impressive about the writing that left me wanting. And the ending did not thrill me enough to want to read book two. Feb 06, Alyssa hoffmaster rated it it was amazing. Couple of things I want to point out that I really liked about this book: I loved how at every chapter there was a picture of the moon, and I loved the cover. It was so intriguing looking. Ever since I read the plot I was hooked. Celeste and her best friends made a bet to go to the psychic on the other side of town, her two best friends get the normal fortu also reviewd on my blog: Celeste and her best friends made a bet to go to the psychic on the other side of town, her two best friends get the normal fortunes told to them, but when the psychic tells Celeste to be away of the kiss under the full moon, it will change forever.

She finds it strange and wants to get out of there as fast as she can. Then the other things that the psychic predicted came true and she started to become afraid. But then the new kid, Brandon comes to school. Because the girls won the bet Nash has to invite Brandon to the party. Brandon is the new kid, very mysterious and he seems to want to be left alone. Celeste starts finding him intriguing and then she starts hanging out with Brandon, Flirting a little here and there.

She starts comparing Brandon and Nash.

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They start meeting in secret and there little flirtatious acts turn into love. When Celeste ignores the psychic and kisses Brandon under the full moon she witnesses something him turn into something else. But Celeste tries to convince Brandon of what he really is. I have read a lot of mixed reviews about this book. But I loved it!

I have read her previous series: Magic of the Moonlight which comes out in December: That's the only reason I read this book. I mean, what's more romantic than a kiss under the full moon? And why would it change someone's life forever? It is hard to walk away from a fantasy book feeling that I have read something new and different, Jemisin accomplishes that.

See a Problem?

For the romance lovers, well there is no romance in this story. There are hints of sexual relationships and sexual longings, but nothing explicit. For those that love a fight between good and evil, well you will get that fight in this book except that good is not completely good and the bad is sometimes sympathetic. The story involves political intrigue, but not in a confusing or overly intricate way that will bore readers. The book is more about the corruption of power and how it infiltrates religion and authority figures.

Admittedly, yeah this is not a new theme but the way it is written and how the power is corrupted is very new. I have not read anything like this religious structure nor anything like the "power" that is weilded in this book. I do not want to be more explicit because it is important to slowly learn the world, I would hate to spoil it. I recommend this book to fantasy book fans and those that formerly loved fantasy but have given up because they thought they had read it all. I will definitely be looking out for 2 in this series!

Aug 26, Mike the Paladin rated it it was amazing Shelves: One of the things I say frequently is, "this was an interesting book". Well, this was an interesting book. The world according to the author has multiple influences There are influences from all over however and if you care to look you can see them. Actually however I'd suggest you just relax and enjoy the book. This is an exercise in detailed and skilled world building. Jemisin had to build the world, lay out the "magic system" and then build t One of the things I say frequently is, "this was an interesting book".

Jemisin had to build the world, lay out the "magic system" and then build the characters and plot within these, making and keeping it all coherent. All this is done with grace and style. The society in the city Gujaareh where the action mainly takes place is built around the worship of the Dream Goddess.

This is not the only place in this world where the Dream Goddess is worshiped, but it's the only place where the Narcomany magic from said goddess is still practiced. It has been outlawed everywhere else. You see in Gujaareh all know that to live there makes you subject to the Gatherers who gather tithes for the goddess. That means separating soul from body To make this a believable book and to get the reader to buy into said society is quite an order.

Jemisin does it, well. I must admit that I didn't get really involved with the characters though I did find myself beginning to understand both sides of the "disagreement" the conflict. The story is built with an eye to real human failings and the history of anything humans have gotten their hands into; showing among other things how often those supposed to be guarding and standing against corruption themselves become corrupt this is an excellent work. I'm very close to giving a 4 here but go 5. I didn't truly get as involved or as committed to the story as I would have liked to, I do have a few reservations, but shading the 4.

Some of the names are a bit similar and make following the story one where you'll probably occasionally go So, a very few, very small negatives here. This is an excellent book and I can recommend it to most anyone who likes fantasy. View all 8 comments. Aug 01, Gavin rated it it was ok Shelves: This turned out to be a bit of a bore. I had high expectations for The Killing Moon due to its non-typical fantasy setting, it was loosely based on ancient Egypt, but N. Jemisin's description of her fantasy world was so sparse that I only ever managed to form a vague picture of it.

I was not a great fan of Jemisin's writing in general. As well as the sparse descriptions of the settings this book was lacking in background information that would have made the world, characters, and plot easier to This turned out to be a bit of a bore. As well as the sparse descriptions of the settings this book was lacking in background information that would have made the world, characters, and plot easier to understand. I learned on the go, but it was hardly worth the effort.

The plot itself was mildly intriguing. The world and the magic were quite unique and the political intrigue and scheming of the various different factions was interesting. Jemisin raised a few interesting moral quandaries over the course of the story and seemed happy to let the reader make up their own mind about whether they agreed with the characters actions or not.

The characters were not all that likable, they did grow on me a bit towards the end, but the were complex. Overall I was a bit disappointed and will not be reading the sequel. My enjoyment of this book was not helped by Sarah Zimmerman. She had a fluent and pleasant voice, but made no effort to differentiate between dialogue and and the rest of the story. The result was the book was read in a monotone. View all 4 comments.

Sep 02, Stuart rated it it was amazing Shelves: A challenging and excellently-crafted work Originally posted at Fantasy Literature N.

Jemisin is my favorite fantasy author of this decade. What makes her so distinctive is her incredible world-building skills, strong and complex characters and themes, and insistence on avoiding the overused conventions The Killing Moon: What makes her so distinctive is her incredible world-building skills, strong and complex characters and themes, and insistence on avoiding the overused conventions of the genre. In the land of Gujaareh, power is divided between the priest class, the royalty, and the military. But the priest class is the most powerful thanks to its Gatherers, specially-trained priests who harvest dream blood from the sick, dying, and corrupt and use it for healing the sick and injured.

Gatherers take the suffering souls and escort them to the dream world of Ina-Karekh. It is a sacred duty and considered an honor to be sent to the next world. This extends even to the corrupt and criminals, for which it is considered an act of mercy. This theme of euthanasia, or death with dignity, is woven throughout the book.

So is the potentially corrupting influence of wielding power in the name of the greater good. The story centers on several main characters: The political struggle between the city-states of Gujaareh and Kisua is played out among individuals at various levels of society, and the motivations of both sides are complex and convincing.

It is a fully-developed and engrossing world, since the political involvement of the Hetawa priests is so pervasive in Gujaareh. When Ehiru and Nijiri begin to uncover corruption that points to the leaders of the Hetawa itself, they are forced to question the principles upon which their whole lives have been devoted to. We also are shown the political system of Kisua and its Protectors, who are opposed to the use of dream-gathering as they consider it dark and corrupting magic.

Many of the most astute social observations come from the diplomat Sunandi, whose role as a spy for her kingdom serves as convenient device to reveal details of the world organically as the story unfolds. There is certainly a flood of neologisms at the beginning of the book, which creates some confusion, so readers will likely be flipping to the glossary to get their bearings something audio listeners cannot do , and the author eschews exposition in favor of throwing readers into the story from the beginning, then letting us slowly piece together the world and characters she has created.

I actually prefer this approach, because it allows the reader to be rewarded with insights into the world without slowing the pace much. She also is quite subtle in describing the sexual dynamics of the characters - it is only by mid-story that we discover that same-sex relationships are part of the social fabric in some cases.

This becomes particularly poignant for two of the main characters, but I will say no more. There is also a lot of exploration of gender politics and the roles of women in the two societies, something I look forward to when reading her books because she refrains from stacking the deck to favor a given agenda. Instead, her characters are complex in their motivations, and there is a lack of cookie-cutter heroes of villains.

Our understanding of the main characters grows throughout the story, as they themselves evolve and struggle with thorny ethical and political struggles. Much of the pleasure of the book derives from the slow reveal of the social, religious, and political details of the two societies, so I will not spoil it any further. Suffice to say that Ms. Jemisin has clearly thought it out in great detail and could probably create many stories in this world. But The Killing Moon is self-contained and comes to a dramatic conclusion, though whether it is satisfying or not I will leave to the reader to decide.

There is a second book set several years after called The Shadowed Sun, which features some of the same characters but introduces new cultures and perspectives, and dives even further into gender politics and the role of women in this ancient imagined culture. At this point I plan to read everything Ms. Jemisin writes, as she has earned my respect and admiration with her challenging and excellently-crafted work. View all 7 comments.

Oct 03, Algernon rated it really liked it Shelves: Jemisin was already established for me as a very promising newcomer on the fantasy scene, with her Inheritance series. I was both intrigued and apprehensive about her decision to try something completely different for her second outing, thinking of some rock bands who put out an excellent debut album, only to follow with a lukewarm, rushed second, containing outtakes or failed experiments. But I like her courage to explore new subjects and not stick with one successful setting for an endless number of sequels.

The Killing Moon was a lot slower in winning me over than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms , probably because the learning curve is a lot steeper we are thrown literally into the middle of the story , this new project is more ambitious with three major characters and several secondary ones sharing a rotating point of view, the worldbuilding, the political situation, the magic system and the historical background all needed to be explained before I could get to the meat of the story.

The story itself reminded me of Daniel Abraham and his Long Price quartet, probably due to the lyrical prose and the careful characterization, the moral dillemas that are central to both epics. I found similarities also in the magic system, based on human psychic powers, in Jemisin case derived from the dream world.

The raw power of people's dreams can be collected either willingly by donations or forcefully as punishment for crimes committed or at the death bed as a final blessing from the gods. Gatherers are the most powerful practitioners of the art, and because magic that heals is not so different from the magic that kills, they are heavily regulated by laws and traditions, as well as restricted in number.

Ehiru is one of only four Gatherers in the city of Gujaareh, and his failure to perform an apparently routine task against a shady foreign merchant will mark the starting point of an investigation that would shake the very foundations of the world. Ehiru will be assisted on his quest by his apprentice Nijiri and by the Kisuati envoy Sunandi, a spy who can prove to be either an ally or an enemy. This duality is present in Ehiru himself, his actions being liable to interpretation as either assassinations or holy acts. My favorite moment of the book is the dialogue between Ehiru and an old lady with an incurrable disease on the theme of assisted suicide it's already quoted here on Goodreads The world is centered around the city state of Gujaareh, a metropolis modelled from the cities of ancient Egipt, where the desert is made livable by the bi-annual floods of the river, and where power is shared between the prince regent, the incarnation of the Moon Goddess Hananja as the executive power and the priests of Goddess as the spiritual leaders and the legislative power.

The neighbouring city state of Kisua is the original source of the Hananja cult, with the Gujaarati as a splintering sect who immigrated over disagreements about the use of dream magic. The Kisuati believed the dream magic too dangerous to be allowed, and had it replaced with a rigid form government by technocrats. The landscape is completed by various tribes of desert raiders and oversea barbarians.

Once the world and the characters have been established I began to greatly enjoy the story and the moral dillemas posed by the interactions between Ehiru and Nijiri on one hand and Ehiru and Sunandi on the other. I will not reveal here the nature of the adversaries, only leave a mention that it was a very powerful duo that had its motivations and background convincingly developed, although their decisions I found mostly abhorent. The emotional intensity of the novel reached levels similar to the ones from the Inheritance series, mixing the personal revelations of individuals to the larger conflict.

I wold go as far as saying I prefer the new book for the toning down of the romance elements and descriptive sexual passages, that seemed tacked on and slightly unnecessary in the author's debut novels. The Killing Moon has its share of sexual tension and heartburn, but I found it more subtly rendered and more credible, both for Sunandi in her contact with the Prince and for Nijiri in his infatuation with his mentor. Luckily for me, the second book in the duology is already out, so I can jump right in after this promising start. May 18, Traci rated it it was amazing Shelves: I'm really struggling with my rating here.

I loved this book. The whole time I was reading it I had that magical feeling going when we read a new favorite book, one of many and many, for the first time. But my conscious is questioning whether it deserves a full five score. For now I'm saying yes. But for any objectiveness you can bring it down to four and a half if you wish.

I'm definitely not going to try to explain the plot. But let's just say for w I'm really struggling with my rating here. But let's just say for world building alone Jemisin deserves a perfect score. For language and atmosphere, perfect score. When I read her books I feel as though I am reading a dream and so I found it fitting that this most recent one deals so heavily in the dream world.

I loved that there was no right or wrong. There are differing views in this book but never once are we the audience told to think. I love that the world is just familiar enough but never an exact copy. I love that Jemisin strays away from the tradition mode of European fantasy. And does so in a way that is completely different. This story could not have been told in any other fashion. Jemisin has a great talent at bringing life to unique fantasy cultures. Not to say it was perfect. I do think Jemisin needs some improvement with characterization.

Although this book did a better job of this than her previous works. She can definitely create awesome characters, they just could use more of a human touch. But more like this and I'll be a longtime fan. I know some readers found her first series a little heavy on romance but I can reassure any potential readers that this is high fantasy.

I recommend this to fans of Jemisin's first series, obviously. Fans of Jaqueline Carey. And, don't shoot me, George RR Martin. Honest, the political aspects of this book is much stronger than her others. I'm just sorry it wasn't longer. Even though there is at least one more book planned, this one does have an end. And seems as though it could be read as a standalone. Apr 15, Simona Stoica rated it it was amazing. Oct 07, Chelsea rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a fantastic book.

So far, it appears that there will only be two books, this volume and the next, titled The Shadowed Sun , which I'll be acquiring as soon as it comes out, which is thankfully on a payday for me. The growth in her writing is extremely evident. Her distinct authorial voice is still th Wow Her distinct authorial voice is still there, but sharpened and honed into the tool of a seasoned storyteller. The characters are well-wrought, especially Nijiri. I was first struck with the cover art, I have to admit.

It's gorgeous, and Orbit did a fantastic job with the printing. The glossary is extremely helpful. This is definitely one of those books where the reader is dropped into the world and expected to start picking up on things, though the fall isn't as jarring as with Gardens of the Moon. Factions, paths, bloodlines, and nations are referenced by their names right away, with none of the over-explanation I've grown to dislike in fantasy. One of the nice benefits of this is the ability of the storyteller to keep the story about the characters, and not about the world.

The scope of the story is told within two related countries, relieving us of the need for a map, and having to familiarize ourselves with endless nations, kings, cities, etc Don't get me wrong, I love a good map, but it's nice to just read something without trying to remember which king ruled which place or what god was in charge of which area blah blah blah blah. She offers bits and pieces of the history, mythology and law through the book which help familiarize the reader without ever veering into "Well, Bob The magic system is well-imagined and draws on many different ideas which might be familiar to readers already.

She combines the physical body, dreaming and sleeping, divine power and emotional power into one succinct system and ably demonstrates the good and bad sides of the magic. She explores the addictive nature of magic and power, which I found very compelling. She delivers the same deft exploration of two cultures, the Guajareen and Kisuati, which are just similar enough to be enemies. Jemisin's chops in this regard are one big reason I am a fan of hers. She really understands how a culture works, right down to the food, and how it shapes interactions between members of the culture and outsiders.

The only possible criticism I have is that there could have been more action. Though it's easy to view her as a Serious Author Writing Serious Things, she actually handles action scenes very well. I hungered for more after it ended. Add action to the list of things Jemisin writes very well, in addition to romance The Broken Kingdoms , culture shock, food, art, and tweets.

In short, highest possible recommendation for this book and this author! I look forward to the release of Shadowed Sun, and anything else she writes. Dec 12, Stefan Bach rated it liked it. They were steeped in its necessity, proud of its benefits, dismissive of its consequences. It was impossible to understand Gujaareh without understanding the source of its power.

A priest who grants peace of eternal dream to those who are corrupted by malice - but for the first time falters in his sacred duty and now has to deal with guilt. Do you demand more of yourself than you expect of them? That narrowness of purpose makes him the greatest of your brethren, but it also leaves him ill equipped to handle the schemes of the corrupt. This is why we think you strange—you do this and you see nothing wrong with it. As I said, worldbuilding is fascinating in its uniqueness with beautiful mythology and rich history.

Book is filled with little stories of world's conception like the story of a Sun chasing two Moons. It's a bit graphic for public description, so let's just say it has a happy ending. D My only complaint would be names. Or simply giving insufficient explanation of certain social, theological or any other concept, which can harm the book itself. And sadly that was exactly the case here. Yeah, sure, make your imagination vivid and running wild, and choose some other name instead of George for your main male character. Running through glossary on every second page certainly can distract you from enjoyment.

All in all this is a unique gem of this genre. Jemisin work did not disappoint. Nov 12, Donna rated it liked it Shelves: This was the first book in a two part series, but strangely enough, the way it ended, with everything tied up neatly, it felt like a standalone.

I read it after The Broken Earth Trilogy, even though this series came before that one. And I could not help comparing the two, with The Broken Earth books coming out the winners. I had thought those books grim, but this book was even more so since it lacked the abundant humor in that other series, which took the edge off the hopelessness of that world. As for the world depicted in this book, it is like an alternate version of ancient Egypt and the law of the land is peace at all cost, but sometimes the price is very high, even war.

There is a magic system in place which is facilitated by dreams. Gatherers are those who can both heal and destroy lives through the dreams they produce, depending upon whose lives they are dealing with and the range of their skill and control. But for those deemed corrupt, they are sentenced and given no choice in being terminated in such a manner. But what happens when those judging who are corrupt are corrupt themselves? And what happens when those doing the terminating allow their feelings to corrupt the process, turning dreams into nightmares?

The world-building in this story was good, but not nearly as detailed or fantastic as what the author did later with her Broken Earth series. But like that series, she had an interesting magic system and sympathetic, diverse characters. Though all of the main ones were male except for a pivotal female character who had little development and was somewhat unlikable.

How different this was from the female dominant books in The Broken Earth Trilogy who displayed grit and had me rooting for them. Instead, I await whatever the author writes next since she seems to be gaining strength a book at a time, as time goes on. View all 5 comments. It takes some time to get into the story, as it starts with a whole new creation myth for an exquisite world, new and unknown concepts. I heartly recommend reading the glossary at the end before starting the book, as it may considerably ease your immersion into the story.

I loved how each chapter begins with a quote from Hetawa's Law or Wisdom, helping you better understand the society and its system of beliefs. The characters are exceptionally well written, all complex and layered, with flawed a It takes some time to get into the story, as it starts with a whole new creation myth for an exquisite world, new and unknown concepts.

The characters are exceptionally well written, all complex and layered, with flawed and sometimes almost evilish heroes and villains with motives far from just evil. Even so, I couldn't completly relate to any of them, but, as I have a very high sense of justice, I was quite dissappointed of the lack of luck and the continuing challenges a certain character was subjected to. Jemisin manages to tackle a various number of topics, more or less sensitive: But who knows what I get instead, if I stay? Maybe time to see a new grandchild. Maybe a good joke that sets me laughing for days.

Maybe another handsome young fellow flirting with me. Ehiru steadies her with shaking hands. Until the very end. If these are all the memories I get for eternity, I want to take as many of them with me as I can. View all 6 comments. May 19, Arielle Walker rated it really liked it Shelves: Most lands can tolerate only a few, and those die young. Jemisin's universe is utterly immersive, her world building solid, and the details she gives us actually stay consistent - without info-dumps or hammer-over-head obviousness. It's heartbreaking to realise how few fantasy books there are available, still , with a POC as a main character.

It's heartbreaking to realise how few books there are available, still, that aren't utterly whitewashed, heteronormative, eurocentric - the fantasy genre just happens to be particularly at fault. But this book completely shatters all those hideous cliches, and proves wrong any possible excuse that could be made for why fantasy books "have to be" so Set in a world inspired by ancient Egypt, these characters are fully formed, culturally sound.

Race isn't explicitly made a point of, but simply accepted. There is some mention of how the few white Northerners in Gujaareh burn in the sun, and some surprise that a highborn Prince has lighter "lowercaste" skin note "light er ", not "light". There is no sense whatsoever of "ticking diversity boxes", as happens so often especially in Hollywood but that's a whole long rant in itself. On a similar note, how exciting that bi-sexuality is not only accepted, but utterly normal! The system of magic feels wonderfully new, even when it uses ideas that we have seen before - a brotherhood of "priests", dream magic etc.

The author clearly knows more about her world than she lets on, meaning that it feels like a genuine place. We are never given too much information, but rather left to imagine a world that is both alien and familiar. She also explores some very interesting points about life, about the right to choose when to leave - and the right to choose when to stay.

Jemisin doesn't tell the reader what to think, only lays it out for us to decide - which for me is the entire point of the whole debate. Maybe another handsome young fellow flirting with me I want every moment of my life, pretty man, the painful and the sweet alike. At times I did feel my attention drift away and would have to put the book down for a while - but only to return again, eager to continue.

Jan 24, Lily rated it really liked it Shelves: I've liked fantasy, or at least the idea of it, pretty much since I could read. Some of my favorite and least favorite books fall under that category, and the latter caused me to steer clear of the genre for the last few years. I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it i I've liked fantasy, or at least the idea of it, pretty much since I could read. I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which 'Escape' is now so often used.

Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls? This book reminded me that there's no better escape than immersing yourself in an imagined world, yet it also proved that "escape" isn't synonymous with an easy way out. You might end up somewhere at least as complicated as wherever you're escaping from, and you can't rely on anyone being there to hold your hand as you figure out how the world works.

In The Killing Moon , the world of Gujaareh is revealed through a combination of vivid details and judicious gaps. Which is a decent approximation of how people interact with the real world. This review is going to be a bit of a cop-out because I barreled through this book in the wee hours of the morning before my dissertation was due which should give you some idea of how the book affected me , so here are a few of the components that made it stand out: Thank you, NK Jemisin, for restoring my faith in the worlds of high fantasy, and the characters who inhabit them.

I would ease this for you if I could, but I have no peace left to share. I still have love, though. As much as you need. This is a book I picked up hoping to love but it didn't quite work for me. I have read the Broken Earth trilogy by this author and loved that, but this series written before that one just felt a little lacking in some areas for my liking. We focus on a world where people who are known as Gatherers have the ability to 'Gather' people and send them along to their deity. They do this by entering the dreams of the person who needs to be 'Gathered' and then guiding their soul along the pathway to t This is a book I picked up hoping to love but it didn't quite work for me.

They do this by entering the dreams of the person who needs to be 'Gathered' and then guiding their soul along the pathway to their dream-goddess. They are supposedly an impartial form of punishment, they are not owned by the crown or powered by any but good and bad. They stand only for justice. We follow one of the gatherers who is well-known and well thought of because of his skill. He is a member of royalty who was taken in by the Gatherers when he was a young boy, and he has grown to believe in everything they stand for utterly.

When our main characters meet they do so in an awkward way, with one being sent to kill the other, but we follow their discussion and it leads up to believe there is a lot more than first meets the eye. Add in all the magic of the world and the influence of Egyptian culture, and you have what could be a wonderful start to a duology Sadly, the characterisation and world-building didn't go as far as I wanted in this series and I think N.

Jemisin's newer series shows massive progression in these areas. Personally, I just never felt like I felt for or really got to know and understand the characters, and I found myself a little cold about them. I would say the pacing of this one is good fun, it trots along at a steady pace and I enjoyed the unravelling of the story.

However, I did find the characters and world lacking, but more annoying still was the predictability of the story, which honestly just felt too good vs evil with nothing in the middle. I gave this a 2. View all 3 comments. Don't let my 2-star rating dissuade you from reading this book. The Killing Moon was not for me. There are aspects of the book I enjoyed such as the magic system and desert setting but the story didn't click with me. The Killing Moon follows 3 main characters. Sunandi is a Speaker a political office of sorts from the city-state of Kisua.

She gets involved with two Gatherers, servants of the goddess Hananja, who gather people's souls and help them move on to Ina-Karekh, the land of dreams where Don't let my 2-star rating dissuade you from reading this book. She gets involved with two Gatherers, servants of the goddess Hananja, who gather people's souls and help them move on to Ina-Karekh, the land of dreams where they dwell permanently, killing their bodies in the process. The story follows Sunandi, Ehiru, and Nijiri as they work to uncover the corrupt rulers of Gujaareh and their nefarious plans.

I liked the characters well enough and hated the ones the story wants you to hate. Sunandi is an empowered woman who was interesting to read about. The Gatherers Ehiru and Nijiri have a great relationship, not just as mentor-apprentice but they have a deep love and respect for one another. I also really liked the setting. It's so refreshing to read a story about people with dark skin in a quasi-Egyptian setting instead of a bunch of while people in basically Medieval Europe again.

The magic system was really cool but I wanted it to be explored more. Gatherers visit people who have been deemed corrupt by the Hetawa Hanajah's order while they are asleep, gather their dreamblood, and send their soul to dwell permanently in Ina-Karekh. Jemisin spend more time showing how this works.

She and Brandon Sanderson need to take cues off one another. Sanderson's shorter works need more character focus and Jemisin's story here needed more attention on the magic system. One thing that really bugged me: Jemisin is very vocal about her views, especially rape and misogyny, so the inclusion of a rape threat really rubbed me the wrong way. It disappointed me that someone so vocal about sexual assault would include that threat in her story. Overall, this book was not for me, which is okay.

It shouldn't stop anyone else from reading it. Jemisin's prose is not quite as beautiful as The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms but she still paints a vivid world worth exploring. Mar 11, Daniel Afloarei rated it it was amazing. Una dintre rarele serii in care ambele volume m-au fortat sa raman intre paginile lor. E asa fain sentimentul ala de melancolie dulce dupa ce le termini. Sep 04, Trike rated it really liked it Shelves: I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

It's pretty much got it all: It feels to me like Jemisin is taking Ancient Egypt as her jumping-off point, which is a nice change of pace from ten-billion-and-two versions of fantasy tales based on the European Middle Ages. So that alone gets it some coolness points. Taking that inspiration and creating a decidedly different and fully-realized worl I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Taking that inspiration and creating a decidedly different and fully-realized world is nothing to sneeze at. Apparently this is part of a series, although I don't know where the story might go after this. It feels complete, like a solid stand-alone story should, with all the loose threads tied up in a satisfying conclusion. So if you're looking for an interesting single book, I think this qualifies. This is the first thing I've read by her, but I'm definitely going to check out more.

It's always great to discover an author whose work you like, especially one with numerous books already extant. Apr 23, Nafiza rated it really liked it Shelves: Sometimes, if you are very lucky, books come along when you need them to. I am not one to usually read a book by the success of Sometimes, if you are very lucky, books come along when you need them to. I am not one to usually read a book by the success of the author blurbing a book but since Elliott herself is such an accomplished writer, I felt comfortable taking her word for it.

The point is, I had high expectations going in and fortunately, all those expectations were fulfilled. Actually, way more than fulfilled. Jemisin uses a large variety of literary techniques to tell her story. There are epigraphs that situate the chapter in the context of a greater narrative. There are multiple perspectives, the book itself is a frame narrative though I am not sure who the person doing the narrating is.

There are myths presents, Gods, Goddesses, a bit of romance, bildungsroman Nijiri and many others. There is also a foreword written by the author that is reminiscent of those found in historical novels. You would think that juggling a hotchpotch variety of techniques would make for a messy narrative but that could not be further from the truth. In the hands of a master, and no doubt that is what Jemisin is, the narrative falls neatly into place. In fact, I found The Killing Moon to be much stronger than her first trilogy.

The narrative and plot are stronger, tighter and more able, in my opinion, to properly convey the story. There are many, many characters in the novel and Jemisin infuses them all with a personality that never feels stilted or stereotyped. The depth of her research is reflected in the richness of her imagery and her creativity finds a wide canvas in the landscape she sets her story in. While she does borrow from history, it is kept to a minimum and integrated smoothly into the narrative. There is never a sense of her manipulating historical thoughts and events into a shape that fits her plot.

Her characters are complex, the core conflict is well thought out and the conclusion, when it is finally reached, is satisfactory.

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