Moons' Kiss

by Kimberly K. Comeau

They found him in the South Ofrann Desert, where everything evil lived. No one knew what he was. Most called him a demon. One leader thought this stranger-without-a past held the key to tribal peace and prosperity. That leader's enemies saw an opportunity to gain control of the nation.

Kindle Edition

First published March 14, 2012

About the author

I was sixteen or seventeen when I began a story set in the Ofrann Desert of Axxord. I never finished that story, but the setting and characters, Kayarra and Aya, stayed with me through graduation, marriage, the birth of a son, full-time employment, and part-time vocations. Twenty years passed. I completed the draft of a novel called Rainbow Gold. Then, while searching through notes and partially completed manuscripts, I located a handwritten copy of that early, unnamed manuscript. Many of the elements that had captured my imagination all those years ago captivated me again. I began writing. Not from where I'd left off, but from a new page one. In those intervening years, both the original story and I had matured. And for the next fifteen years, I wrote . . . first the draft, then a full rewrite. And during that time, I met and befriended other writers. I studied writing. I wrote short pieces. I was appointed director of an online writing workshop. I taught what I'd learned through experience and education. I joined a critique group, PC Quill. And finally, I finished Moons' Kiss, and wept as I wrote the final sentence.

Reviews

[Tarah Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are loads of different kinds of sci-fi to choose from--from hard sci-fi to far away alien cultures that stretch the imagination. But Moon's Kiss is one of those rare, mainstream science fiction novels that takes us into a reality not quite our own--but one that so easily could be ours.

Manerra, the young man who would choose almost any fate except that which is his: to rule. His brother Aya, another son of the gods, who knows his people stand on the brink of a change that even he can barely conceive of. And Kayarra, the "demon" who very well may decide the fate of an entire people, despite his efforts to the contrary.

I won't give away any spoilers as that would ruin the joy of reading this story, but I can say that from the tender moments of unfulfilled love to riots that threatened to topple a city, this book grips the reader and just doesn't let go.

[Tavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberly K. Comeau

I agreed to read & review Moons’ Kiss by Kimberly K. Comeau without really knowing much about it, aside from the fact that it was a fantasy story with an interesting premise. What I got in this 408 page novel more than made up for the time it took to read. Ms. Comeau’s tale slowly drew me in and by the end I found myself comparing it to another sci-fi book, Stranger In A Strange Land by a master of the genre, Robert Heinlein. (Coincidentally Heinlein was listed by the author as one of her literary influences along with other sci-fi greats like Andre Norton, Isaac Asimov and C.J. Cherryh.) This is a classic “fish out of water” story that I really enjoyed as the author took the time to create a world and characters so complex and real that you cared about them and wanted to learn more about them as a you continued to read.

This story takes place on the world of Axxord and follows what happens when Manerra, who is a shecaren (a child of the god Acrahh, one of the rulers of the Yatren people), rescues a being that while humanoid is clearly not Yatren. Manerra is already conflicted over the fact that he is on his way to take an oath that formally names him a leader of his people and the complication of the alien who is called Kayarra, “the lost one”, is one more thing he doesn’t want to be responsible for or to deal with. Manerra returns with Kayarra to his camp where his older half-brother, Aya, who is also the shon regis (the ruling shecaren) along with his janquer advisors, Denassa, Yutrenta and Shurna, are waiting for him.

Kayarra is badly injured and near death when he is rescued and is saved only by the help he received after his discovery. When he awakens he doesn’t know his name, what happened to him or why he is injured. He doesn’t understand or know the people around him and is terrified by the strangeness of it all. As Kayarra heals, we watch the struggle Manerra undergoes as he wishes that he had never saved Kayarra to begin with. Aya, on the other hand, seems to know instinctively that wishing Kayarra didn’t exist will not solve the problem he represents and he tries to make Kayarra a part of his world and culture. Aya understands that Kayarra is unlikely to be the only one of his kind and his goal seems to be to make Kayarra a member of Yatren society and possibly a bridge of understanding for the others that are sure to follow.

I found that the book really grabbed me as Kayarra grew more knowledgeable of his surroundings and learned to communicate with his rescuers. The world Ms. Comeau has created is so complex and detailed that you immediately empathize with Kayarra who stumbles along, trying to figure things out and becoming increasingly frustrated when he makes mistakes and is unable to make himself understood and Manerra who feels trapped by his future role and things that have happened to him as he grew to manhood as well as the problem that is Kayarra.

This story would never have been able to hold my attention had it not been for the obviously well thought out, detailed and truly believable world Ms. Comeau has crafted for us. The only part of the story I had a problem with came near the end and while I don’t want to give anything away, I will say that I found a certain point in the story to be a little too convenient but that’s no reason to avoid the book. There’s always something in any book you truly like that you might not agree with but that just means that the author has managed to suck you into their world and make you care about it. If you are a fan of this genre, I totally recommend Moons’ Kiss be added to your “To Be Read” shelf. In the meantime, I’m really looking forward to the follow up that Ms. Comeau is currently working on so I can return to Axxord and see how it has changed since my last visit.

[Misty Rios · Rating 3 out of 5]

The use of the "Yatren" language and definitions in this book made it difficult for me to really get into it at first. I felt like it required too much effort to learn the terms in order to be able to enjoy the story. I forced myself through the beginning chapters and as I approached chapter 17 I had decided to give up. There were too many descriptive passages that many times only described everyday tasks, and although that does help the reader to get a clearer picture of what "everyday life" was like, it is very easy for it to have an adverse effect and make the story a little boring. The following day I went back to the book since I am one of those people who just cannot leave a book half read...and I am glad I did. It did turn out to be an interesting story, and the characters were easy to sympathize with. The twist in the ending leaves you thinking about the story long after you have finished the book. This is definitely going to be a book I will remember.
Kimberly K. Comeau has an extraordinary imagination and unbelievable talent to come up with this very unique and complicated book. It was definitely not one of those ideas that just pops up into your head and you just write about it. The wording and structure of this type book requires a lot of research, technique and skill to put it together successfully.
I would not recommend this book for those looking for an easy read, but if you are looking for something different and are willing to learn a bit of vocabulary in order to submerge yourself more deeply into the world of this unique tribe, then this is the book for you!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kimberly K. Comeau's Moon's Kiss is Science Fiction that doesn't feel like Science Fiction, which works for me because I'm not a big Sci-Fi fan. The story follows Manerra, a young man in line to rule his country even though he has misgivings about accepting the responsibility, and Kayarra, the man thought to be a demon by most of the country.

While crossing the desert to return to his brother and ruler Aya's entourage, Manerra discovers a group of cannibals about to kill Kayarra. Bound by his duties to protect all people, Manerra saves Kayarra's live only to instantly regret it. It is clear just from looking at him that Kayarra is not of Manerra's people--his coloring is far too fair--so Manerra makes the same conclusion that most of his countrymen do: Kayarra is a demon that will plague the county. Aya and his entourage of advisers nurse Kayarra back to health, much to Manerra's chagrin, and teach him the ways of their people. As Kayarra travels with Aya and his entourage, the group is forced to deal with ensuring Kayarra's safety; most people he encounters react with fear or hatred, which in turn causes Kayarra to fear them. Will they ever achieve this goal or will Kayarra's presence put his protectors in as much danger has he finds himself?

Because the characters in the story are basically human, it was difficult to read this story as Sci-Fi. The bulk of the novel is about Kayarra's adjustment to living in a new way, finding out where he came from, and the political implications and ramifications of keeping Kayarra in the group during Aya's rule. As I mentioned, I'm not generally a Sci-Fi fan, so this format worked very well for me. I found the plot interesting and was surprised by the directions the story took. Because much of the story takes place on the desert, I found myself envisioning the setting as the Middle East. The humanity of the characters and that they are well developed also made the themes easy to relate to and compare to today's society. There is some very clear-cut Science Fiction action later in the story, so Sci-Fi buffs take heart. There are also a couple of romances sprinkled throughout which provides a nice distraction from all the political intrigue and plotting.

Be prepared to hunker down with this novel. Moon's Kiss is long at 408 pages. While the bulk of those pages are interesting, there were a few scenes that I felt could have been edited out, not due to poor writing just because I felt they gave nice insights to the culture but did not move the plot along.

I enjoyed reading Moon's Kiss. The story and characters are engaging overall, and anyone who is a Science Fiction fan should enjoy the story. Non-Sci-Fi fans looking for something different would enjoy Moon's Kiss' political focus, its romance, and underlying theme about what is really means to belong.

[Tee loves Kyle Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moons' Kiss is one of those rare books that creates a world that is like no other. It has it's on language Yatren and a dictionary of what the words are in the front of the book. I love when authors create a world different from the mundane worlds we see regularly. My hat goes of to Kimberly for pulling it off.

Moons' Kiss is about three brothers who have dreams of their own but when reality hits they each have to work through the path they want VS the path they will lead. One brother is easy going and wants a regular life instead he will be forced to lead a people he does not want to. Simple to him is better than politics. The other brother wants change for his people. He knows it is coming but he is not sure where it will lead and what will happen. The other brother will have to chose the fate of his people even though he does not want to.

They all want something different but the way the cards play out are not exactly how they want them. Sometimes life is easier said then done and these brothers are about to find out the greatest lesson in life and that is we never get what we want but we get what we need. Kimberly has done a STELLA job and I look forward to reading more from her.

[Stephanie Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Moon's Kiss' is a greatly intriguing science fiction adventure novel. It centers around a tribe who is trying to maintain peace with outsiders and the political standings within the tribe. Enter Kayarra, a "demon" and everything the tribe is working towards is put into jeopardy. Who exactly is this "demon" and what does he really want?

I found this novel to be full of action and adventure with some really great science fiction aspects. The history and detailed lifestyle of the tribe and it's people was really interesting and made the story feel realistic and believable. The mystery behind Kayarra - what he really is and what he wants - added an interesting flare to the narrative. All in all, I found this book to be a fast-paced science fiction adventure with a great storyline and interesting characters.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Evelyn Twilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never been a Sci-Fi fan; however, upon reading Moon's Kiss I became totally absorbed in a world I didn't know existed. So engrossed was I, that I felt I was a part of the book. It wraps itself around you and draws you in. Perhaps some day I'll read another Sci-Fi - if it is penned by Kimberly K. Comeau. -Evelyn Twilley