What do you think?
Rate this book
The Moonlight Blade
I promised my mother I would never come to Bato-Ko . . . and yet here I am.
Narra Jal is one of the cursed, cast aside her whole life, considered unlucky. But with her mother's life on the line, she will return to the city where she was born to face the a grueling, bloodthirsty series of challenges designed to weed out the weak, the greedy, and the foolish. Trials to select the next ruler of Tigang.
Narra has nothing. No weapons. No training. No magic. No real chance of leaving with her life. Just her fierce grit and a refusal to accept the destiny she's been handed. Even the intense, dark-eyed Guardian she feels a strangely electric connection with cannot help her. Narra is on her own. But she'll show everyone what the unlucky can do.
Let the bloodbath begin.
Narra Jal is one of the cursed, cast aside her whole life, considered unlucky. But with her mother's life on the line, she will return to the city where she was born to face the a grueling, bloodthirsty series of challenges designed to weed out the weak, the greedy, and the foolish. Trials to select the next ruler of Tigang.
Narra has nothing. No weapons. No training. No magic. No real chance of leaving with her life. Just her fierce grit and a refusal to accept the destiny she's been handed. Even the intense, dark-eyed Guardian she feels a strangely electric connection with cannot help her. Narra is on her own. But she'll show everyone what the unlucky can do.
Let the bloodbath begin.
Audible Audio
First published March 21, 2023
59 people are currently reading
14481 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
February 16, 2023
Interesting idea and concept. But couldn't connect with the writing.
Narra Jal thought the only way to save her mother was to enter this dangerous competition. She didn't need to win the trials. She only needed to survive long enough to find her mother and get out alive. What she didn't expect was how grueling the trials were.
I wanted to love this book, but the writing didn't work for me. It was very choppy at times. I had to reread some pages because I felt like I was missing something. A lot was going on but there wasn't enough reasoning or explanation behind them. Not to mention, the characters felt one-dimensional.
In the end, I couldn't connect with the story or characters. I ended up skimming through most of the novel.
***I would like to thank NetGalley, Teressa Barbosa, and Entangled Publishing, LLC for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**
Narra Jal thought the only way to save her mother was to enter this dangerous competition. She didn't need to win the trials. She only needed to survive long enough to find her mother and get out alive. What she didn't expect was how grueling the trials were.
I wanted to love this book, but the writing didn't work for me. It was very choppy at times. I had to reread some pages because I felt like I was missing something. A lot was going on but there wasn't enough reasoning or explanation behind them. Not to mention, the characters felt one-dimensional.
In the end, I couldn't connect with the story or characters. I ended up skimming through most of the novel.
***I would like to thank NetGalley, Teressa Barbosa, and Entangled Publishing, LLC for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**
March 22, 2023
3.5 stars★★★☆☆
**I was provided with an ARC from Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for an honest review**
✿ My review is also posted right here on my blog ✿
☞ Trigger warnings: **contains spoilers**
This book is out now!
This book is pitched like many other YA fantasy competition books. There is a girl who enters a competition and this time her motive is to save her mother from persecution. The main character is Narra Jal. She has no magic, no training in weapons or magic. Entering this competition has its dangers but her mothers life is worth whatever risk the competition can through at her. This is a Filipino fantasy book with interesting world-building and a unique magic system that requires sacrifices to wield. Its a diverse, own-voices novel featuring star-crossed lovers, dangerous gods and forgotten memories of past lives.
Narra enters the competition under her sisters name (and blood) Reshar Jal, and it is immediately understood how much of an underdog she is. She lacks of magical powers or knowledge of the institution that runs the country and the people in charge which puts her in a stark disadvantage that is potentially life threatening. Narra isn't interested in being the ruler of Tigang, just the fact the competition takes place where her mother is being held. Narra ignores her mothers warnings about coming to the city of Bato-Ko and decides that entering this competition is the answer to freeing her mother.
Unfortunately, the bulk of the story isn't actually about the competition which is the reason I picked up this book. Most of the story revolves around the mystery of Narra's past lives. Narra can feel the rattle of ghosts in her chest and experiences blinding visions of the past. Visions that feature a notable figure, Teloh, the tall, dark and mysterious Guardian that is an assassin for the most powerful figure in the country. Narra and Teloh's fates are intertwined, meeting each other in past lives again, and again. These visions are the key to questions about Narra's intense connection with Teloh, her mothers future and the future of the Tigang. Narra is caught up in a web of lies and to unravel the mystery and save the people she loves she must remember her past lives but to remember is far harder than it sounds.
"I wonder how much I've chosen and how much is fated. My family, Teloh, even Reshar. We are tied together by some horrible truth that keeps our destinies spinning together like dancers tied at the wrists."
This book delves into the discussion of fate vs. free will. I came here for a fast paced dangerous competition with a romance subplot thrown in for fun. This was not that. I am not a big fan of past lives and their influence in characters future decisions. It's kind of ironic as I am a fan of fated mates, and fated chosen ones. When this story explored fate and past lives, I mentally checked out. I was uninterested in the story aspect, and wanted Narra to express a desire to be known and loved as she is not as she was. It feels like a trap, holding these expectations, and judgements about Narra's past lives but foisting them on to Narra, an entirely different person who doesn't remember nor made the same decisions. It feels unfair and it was emotional whiplash every time Teloh was around. Past lives is a hard concept for me to like, and for me to believe is done well. I didn't like the use and wish the story focused on the competition.
The other discussion about prejudice in the allegory about the birthmark Narra has on her neck, that many think it signifies that she is cursed. This prejudice follows Narra around like a dark cloud, where it affects her interactions, how people treat her and how she sees herself. It is not easy to let go of years of mistreatment, trauma and believing that there is something inherently wrong with yourself. Narra fears there has to be something wrong with her, that she deserved to be cursed.
"All my life, I have been shunned, when my only crime is daring to exist"
The depictions of prejudice and how people treated Narra was exceptionally done. The fact that even her friend was wary of her was hard hitting in depicting that even the ones we love can still hold these dangerous ideologies. Narra's self worth was tied to her 'curse', and how everyone around her treated her differently because of it. Every person she met or town she entered, she was in danger. The curse was one of the more interesting things about Narra, and gave her character the much needed depth. Her decisions are quite questionable within this book and I wish her self-worth was more a intrinsic character development within the book rather it being something that she simply cast aside because of other things occupying her thoughts (the climax fight). It fell flat and unfinished that she simply didn't care people suddenly could see her birthmark because everyone had bigger things to worry about like war and death.
Overall, my general feelings about this book was confusion. I feel like I was confused the entire time. It's not necessarily a bad thing to be confused but it became annoying when I was confused the entire time. It doesn’t mean I was have a bad time. On the contrary, I have lived most of my life confused, and it’s basically a default setting for me but reading is meant to make me not remember I’m constantly confused. I’m meant to escape it and find solace in the pages of books that don’t confuse me but intrigue me and leave me excited, reading stories unknown and trying to work out the plans of fictional characters. This story was interesting and detailed with an insane amount of lore. Ultimately, I felt the undercurrent of confusion through out, even during the big revelations.
I wish it was more clear in many aspects, the most obvious being the need for a map and a diagram of the power structure of the government. In other aspects, it needed clarity in the influence of the first families, the continent and the other countries within it, and if this is a standalone or not. Also the title of the book didn't even come into play until the last 90% of the book which is weird.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes.
I recommend it for people who like competition fantasy books, interesting mythology and reincarnation.
If you liked Of Cages and Crowns (my arc review here) or A Forest of Stars then you might like The Moonlight Blade.
Will I re-read this book/series?
I won't be re-reading this book in the future. Once was enough.
If this is not a standalone, I will respectfully decline from continuing
Blog ✿ Goodreads ✿ Twitter ✿ Instagram ✿ Pinterest ✿ StoryGraph ✿ Discovery ✿
Read
January 24, 2023Final thoughts to follow.
_
A Filipino fantasy that combines the grit of The Witcher with the voice of Rin Chupeco? Plus the gorgeous cover reveal?
I'm beyond hyped!!!!!!!!!!!!
🌻🍃 More bookish content on Shut up, Shealea 🍃🌻
instagram • pinterest • twitter • ko-fi
_
A Filipino fantasy that combines the grit of The Witcher with the voice of Rin Chupeco? Plus the gorgeous cover reveal?
I'm beyond hyped!!!!!!!!!!!!
🌻🍃 More bookish content on Shut up, Shealea 🍃🌻
instagram • pinterest • twitter • ko-fi
February 16, 2023
Review coming soon.
Read
February 15, 2023Wondering just how much research went into this because I couldn’t take the story seriously due to the names. Land of Tigang = Land of Horny. Friendly reminder to google things, people.
March 26, 2024
If I could describe this book in one word it would be meh I found it kinda boring and I was never really interested in it.
February 8, 2025
I read this like 2 years ago so I don't remember much but I do remember I loved the romance
March 6, 2023
3.5/5
"That's the thing about living, you just keep going. There are no real endings - only moments where it might be nice to pause."
This book was a breath of fresh air. It was a bit hard to get into the story at first, but I think that's because there is a cultural difference between the author and I. This may present a problem for other international readers, but after the 25% mark everything becomes more clear and the story gets a pleasant pacing and flow.
My favorite aspect of this book is definitely the characters. They're so well worked and contrasting. It was so nice to be with characters that are cool-headed and rational for once. The relationships between the characters, from family to friendships, are so intricate and the way the author plays with the concept of humanity is so interesting. Adding to that, the romance in this book is so subtle but so powerful all at once. I really liked the dialogs between Narra and Teloh.
On the other hand there are some things that need work, such as the world-building and the magic system. By the end I still didn't quite grasp the government/religion concept. I also found that the past lives weren't well explained. Do some people just remember their past lives and live with it? Is that supposed to happen at all? Referring to the magic system, the only thing I know about it is that they wrote spells on something, spat on them and it did something. Lastly, another thing that should've been better in my opinion was the final battle. It all happened too fast and too conveniently, which made it feel anticlimactic.
Overall this was an interesting book, perhaps better recommended to people who like character-driven stories.
"That's the thing about living, you just keep going. There are no real endings - only moments where it might be nice to pause."
This book was a breath of fresh air. It was a bit hard to get into the story at first, but I think that's because there is a cultural difference between the author and I. This may present a problem for other international readers, but after the 25% mark everything becomes more clear and the story gets a pleasant pacing and flow.
My favorite aspect of this book is definitely the characters. They're so well worked and contrasting. It was so nice to be with characters that are cool-headed and rational for once. The relationships between the characters, from family to friendships, are so intricate and the way the author plays with the concept of humanity is so interesting. Adding to that, the romance in this book is so subtle but so powerful all at once. I really liked the dialogs between Narra and Teloh.
On the other hand there are some things that need work, such as the world-building and the magic system. By the end I still didn't quite grasp the government/religion concept. I also found that the past lives weren't well explained. Do some people just remember their past lives and live with it? Is that supposed to happen at all? Referring to the magic system, the only thing I know about it is that they wrote spells on something, spat on them and it did something. Lastly, another thing that should've been better in my opinion was the final battle. It all happened too fast and too conveniently, which made it feel anticlimactic.
Overall this was an interesting book, perhaps better recommended to people who like character-driven stories.
April 5, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS
This is a YA fantasy with ties to Filipino mythology.
Synopsis:
Narra is a cursed girl who returns to her birth city and illegally enters a competition to become the next ruler. She has no experience with magic, but finds a strange connection with one of the guards that turns into something no one expected.
I really enjoyed this one! A book about a dangerous competition with magic involved hooks me every time. I enjoyed the mythology references and action scenes. It was fast paced and kept me reading. It goes back in time at some parts and I found the different names of the same people to be a little confusing, but you can get the gist of it. Sometimes there would not be page breaks to let you know that a scene was changing or it would end abruptly and I had to go back and reread a few times to make sure that I didn’t miss anything if I was reading fast.
Overall, this is a great debut YA fantasy and I would love to read her sophomore novel.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the gifted copy! 🖤
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRcQCafT/
4/5 STARS
This is a YA fantasy with ties to Filipino mythology.
Synopsis:
Narra is a cursed girl who returns to her birth city and illegally enters a competition to become the next ruler. She has no experience with magic, but finds a strange connection with one of the guards that turns into something no one expected.
I really enjoyed this one! A book about a dangerous competition with magic involved hooks me every time. I enjoyed the mythology references and action scenes. It was fast paced and kept me reading. It goes back in time at some parts and I found the different names of the same people to be a little confusing, but you can get the gist of it. Sometimes there would not be page breaks to let you know that a scene was changing or it would end abruptly and I had to go back and reread a few times to make sure that I didn’t miss anything if I was reading fast.
Overall, this is a great debut YA fantasy and I would love to read her sophomore novel.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the gifted copy! 🖤
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRcQCafT/
July 5, 2023
While THE MOONLIGHT BLADE does incorporate some familiar YA fantasy plot and character tropes and also happens to have a rather slow paced start, it did end up being pretty engaging. Things definitely picked up in the latter 2/3 of the story, and while I could guess at some of the directions it would take, I still found myself interested to see where things would go. I do wish I had felt more deeply connected to our characters; I definitely think that would have worked in the book’s favor. I did enjoy the bite of Filipino culture woven into it, and I did also think the writing was pretty solid overall.
January 31, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.
I guess I'm going to be the first person to rate this less than three stars. In all honesty, the main reason I'm doing this is because I'm about halfway through the book and I still have very little grasp of what's going on or what the world is like. I feel like a lot is happening and I keep re-reading bits thinking I missed something. The book doesn't give much time to let characters (or the reader) stop to catch their breaths before the next thing happens.
A very good example of this happens at the very start of the book. Navarra and her sister are in town with the sister's boyfriend(?) and he decides to announce at that moment he's leaving. Supposedly this is the sister's first love and she barely reacts to this. He was also I guess a childhood friend of Navarra and she barely reacts to it as well. It's only a few paragraphs later that the sisters are back to business as usual. Unless he shows up again in the latter half of the book, the boyfriend character seems completely pointless. Either this needed to be removed entirely or the impact of him leaving needed to be heavier, and the length of time it took before the girls moved on needed to be longer. Because otherwise, it just feels like a thing the author wrote with intention of expansion, but just never got around to it.
There's also this thing about past lives. This could be an interesting concept, but for me the problem is that it's introduced on top of so many other things. And the bits of past I read didn't feel that interesting. It didn't tell me much about who the characters were in their past lives, and how/if those past lives affected the current life. The concept of a past life could be its own book; it didn't need to be here when there were other plots and ideas going on. I think it was supposed to be selling us on a past romance between Navarra and Teloh, but I didn't read any past scenes of them in a relationship. And even then, their current selves hadn't interacted much when I stopped reading-- yet already Navarra was upset that Teloh was talking negatively about her.
If I'm being especially harsh, I also just don't really care that much about any of the characters. I don't know Navarra's mother at all so it's hard to care about Navarra's goal to free her from prison. I do feel bad about the sister being ditched and her identity stolen, but again unless she shows up in the latter half, she seems almost pointless to the story. I don't know much about the other contestants except one is from a poor family and the other I couldn't stop thinking of as Vala from Horizon Zero Dawn. The last test they took didn't make sense why they all failed. Two of them were trying to be self-sacrificing and they failed because they didn't try to think of solutions that would save both. Why wouldn't you give points for a willingness to sacrifice yourself for another?
I don't want to be too harsh on this book. It will find an audience, I'm sure. I just personally found it difficult to follow what was going on between all the world-building that didn't feel fleshed out, characters who seemed pointless, and added plot-beats that threw too much into what could have been a simple story of a girl trying to save her mother. I do think this author has potential, but I think she needs to let her story slow down a little for the characters to breathe and take in situations.
I guess I'm going to be the first person to rate this less than three stars. In all honesty, the main reason I'm doing this is because I'm about halfway through the book and I still have very little grasp of what's going on or what the world is like. I feel like a lot is happening and I keep re-reading bits thinking I missed something. The book doesn't give much time to let characters (or the reader) stop to catch their breaths before the next thing happens.
A very good example of this happens at the very start of the book. Navarra and her sister are in town with the sister's boyfriend(?) and he decides to announce at that moment he's leaving. Supposedly this is the sister's first love and she barely reacts to this. He was also I guess a childhood friend of Navarra and she barely reacts to it as well. It's only a few paragraphs later that the sisters are back to business as usual. Unless he shows up again in the latter half of the book, the boyfriend character seems completely pointless. Either this needed to be removed entirely or the impact of him leaving needed to be heavier, and the length of time it took before the girls moved on needed to be longer. Because otherwise, it just feels like a thing the author wrote with intention of expansion, but just never got around to it.
There's also this thing about past lives. This could be an interesting concept, but for me the problem is that it's introduced on top of so many other things. And the bits of past I read didn't feel that interesting. It didn't tell me much about who the characters were in their past lives, and how/if those past lives affected the current life. The concept of a past life could be its own book; it didn't need to be here when there were other plots and ideas going on. I think it was supposed to be selling us on a past romance between Navarra and Teloh, but I didn't read any past scenes of them in a relationship. And even then, their current selves hadn't interacted much when I stopped reading-- yet already Navarra was upset that Teloh was talking negatively about her.
If I'm being especially harsh, I also just don't really care that much about any of the characters. I don't know Navarra's mother at all so it's hard to care about Navarra's goal to free her from prison. I do feel bad about the sister being ditched and her identity stolen, but again unless she shows up in the latter half, she seems almost pointless to the story. I don't know much about the other contestants except one is from a poor family and the other I couldn't stop thinking of as Vala from Horizon Zero Dawn. The last test they took didn't make sense why they all failed. Two of them were trying to be self-sacrificing and they failed because they didn't try to think of solutions that would save both. Why wouldn't you give points for a willingness to sacrifice yourself for another?
I don't want to be too harsh on this book. It will find an audience, I'm sure. I just personally found it difficult to follow what was going on between all the world-building that didn't feel fleshed out, characters who seemed pointless, and added plot-beats that threw too much into what could have been a simple story of a girl trying to save her mother. I do think this author has potential, but I think she needs to let her story slow down a little for the characters to breathe and take in situations.
January 15, 2024
The Moonlight Blade by Tessa Barbosa was my most highly anticipated read for March and I'm pretty disappointed because it didn’t live up to the hype at all. It was also the first arc I ever received and so I am so sad that I just had a terrible time reading this. Thank you NetGalley, Tessa Barbosa, and Entangled Teen Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
Let me start off with the good. I very much enjoyed reading another book by a Filipino author. I loved seeing Filipino words and Filipino culture reflected in the pages of a book. I also think the premise sounded interesting- I love stories that involve strong FMCs proving themselves as well as competition-trope stories.
That was it. I'm not trying to completely bring the book down- because if anything I would love for everyone to read more books by Filipino authors that are rich in my culture. But I do have to be true and honest with regards to my own thoughts and experiences.
The biggest issue I think the novel has is the lack of outline in terms of world building. I feel like the author wanted to do everything without realizing that readers aren't 1) Filipino and 2) don't live inside her head and therefore cannot understand the context of words, and names, in the same way that the author does.
Formulating an outline on how the world should unfold, as well as defining terms in the way that relates to the story would've helped clear up the majority of the confusion that even I, as someone who knows much about Filipino culture, ended up feeling. I do believe that a book, especially a YA book needs to stand on its own as a cohesive entity without a glossary and map and this book did not.
In addition to this I felt very detached from all the characters and the lack of emotional connection made for my first arc experience seem like work. There were so many characters, so many new names and terms that didn’t seem to be linked together that in the end I was just skimming and not really absorbing much of anything. I read a lot of Adult SciFi and Fantasy so I do not think this lack of understanding is my own fault as a reader.
Finally, the syntax and structure of the writing left a lot to be desired. It felt extremely unrefined and I felt that the author tried very hard to make sure all her ideas were coming across that instead, it came across as unpolished. I feel like words were repeated far too often in close proximity, there were just far too many conjunctions that made sentences confusing, and there were so many word choices that that made sentence structure feel very clunky.
I am no author and will never be one. But one of my favorite authors has said that beyond artistic integrity, a writer needs to be able to edit and narrow down their work, rewriting over and over again even if that means barely 20% of it matches what it was originally.
If you do want to read a book with a lot of Filipino culture in it, please pick this one up. I think Tessa Barbosa does have a lot of potential but overall I feel like this book would've worked so much better with an intense outline and a very a firm editorial hand.
Let me start off with the good. I very much enjoyed reading another book by a Filipino author. I loved seeing Filipino words and Filipino culture reflected in the pages of a book. I also think the premise sounded interesting- I love stories that involve strong FMCs proving themselves as well as competition-trope stories.
That was it. I'm not trying to completely bring the book down- because if anything I would love for everyone to read more books by Filipino authors that are rich in my culture. But I do have to be true and honest with regards to my own thoughts and experiences.
The biggest issue I think the novel has is the lack of outline in terms of world building. I feel like the author wanted to do everything without realizing that readers aren't 1) Filipino and 2) don't live inside her head and therefore cannot understand the context of words, and names, in the same way that the author does.
Formulating an outline on how the world should unfold, as well as defining terms in the way that relates to the story would've helped clear up the majority of the confusion that even I, as someone who knows much about Filipino culture, ended up feeling. I do believe that a book, especially a YA book needs to stand on its own as a cohesive entity without a glossary and map and this book did not.
In addition to this I felt very detached from all the characters and the lack of emotional connection made for my first arc experience seem like work. There were so many characters, so many new names and terms that didn’t seem to be linked together that in the end I was just skimming and not really absorbing much of anything. I read a lot of Adult SciFi and Fantasy so I do not think this lack of understanding is my own fault as a reader.
Finally, the syntax and structure of the writing left a lot to be desired. It felt extremely unrefined and I felt that the author tried very hard to make sure all her ideas were coming across that instead, it came across as unpolished. I feel like words were repeated far too often in close proximity, there were just far too many conjunctions that made sentences confusing, and there were so many word choices that that made sentence structure feel very clunky.
I am no author and will never be one. But one of my favorite authors has said that beyond artistic integrity, a writer needs to be able to edit and narrow down their work, rewriting over and over again even if that means barely 20% of it matches what it was originally.
If you do want to read a book with a lot of Filipino culture in it, please pick this one up. I think Tessa Barbosa does have a lot of potential but overall I feel like this book would've worked so much better with an intense outline and a very a firm editorial hand.
April 2, 2023
I was drawn in by the cover and synopsis, sadly though the writing style of the book just wasn’t for me, I struggled through but I could not adjust to it and it affected my enjoyment. I also struggled with the quality of the world building
Sadly not for me although I’m it might be for others
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sadly not for me although I’m it might be for others
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to read
December 29, 2022"a girl cursed by the sins of her past lives enters a deadly competition in a desperate attempt to save her imprisoned mother, only to come face to face with her immortal enemy who is tasked with destroying her once and for all"
okay i'm intrigued
okay i'm intrigued
February 9, 2023
DNF. I really tried to read this but I could not get into it. I was very confused and wished I could give it more of a try but just couldn’t. I hope to try reading it again in the future, but as of right now, it isn’t for me.
March 26, 2024
I struggled with this one. Maybe it was me, but the worldbuilding felt lacking and I wasn't quite sure what the point of some things were. Also, the main character's actions didn't always make sense and the past lives were jumpy and not always coherent.
March 17, 2023
Thank you to Hear Our Voices Tours and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC and finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
You can see my stop for the HOV Tour here, which includes some of my favorite quotes from this book!
This fantasy adventure follows Narra Jal, a cursed girl who must enter high-stakes competition to save her mother. There’s magic, plot twists, and world building, with a steady cast of characters who complement each other with their contrasts. The romance is subtle, as to not overpower the story, but still definitely there! If you’re looking for something fast paced, this one is for you. There’s always something going on, right from the very first page. Although I’m not typically a fantasy reader, I was so excited to see a YA book rooted in Filipino culture…and I was not disappointed. The Moonlight Blade is unapologetically Filipino; it’s been so long since I’ve seen Filipino food so casually mentioned in the pages of a book so this was refreshing to see!
You can see my stop for the HOV Tour here, which includes some of my favorite quotes from this book!
This fantasy adventure follows Narra Jal, a cursed girl who must enter high-stakes competition to save her mother. There’s magic, plot twists, and world building, with a steady cast of characters who complement each other with their contrasts. The romance is subtle, as to not overpower the story, but still definitely there! If you’re looking for something fast paced, this one is for you. There’s always something going on, right from the very first page. Although I’m not typically a fantasy reader, I was so excited to see a YA book rooted in Filipino culture…and I was not disappointed. The Moonlight Blade is unapologetically Filipino; it’s been so long since I’ve seen Filipino food so casually mentioned in the pages of a book so this was refreshing to see!
February 4, 2023
I’ll start by saying I truly did want to like this book, the concept was incredibly interesting and I am grateful I had the opportunity to give it a chance. I would say my biggest positive was the environment this was set in. I did enjoy the kind of spin on a hunger games with an element of mysticism as well as some of the beautiful spots in the fortress for the competition. I also enjoyed the creation folklore we got snippets of that were new to me personally.
That being said, I feel like I got halfway through the book and still had made no emotional connection with any of the characters and was still struggling to understand a lot of the world that was kind of thrown at you with zero explanation. The “mystery” surrounding almost every person even mentioned was so heavy it was hard to really care what was happening to them because you had no idea who they were or why you should feel anything. There was a lot of unnecessary bullying amongst more characters that had little to nothing to do with the plot and the romance element was confusing at best. This one just wasn’t for me.
That being said, I feel like I got halfway through the book and still had made no emotional connection with any of the characters and was still struggling to understand a lot of the world that was kind of thrown at you with zero explanation. The “mystery” surrounding almost every person even mentioned was so heavy it was hard to really care what was happening to them because you had no idea who they were or why you should feel anything. There was a lot of unnecessary bullying amongst more characters that had little to nothing to do with the plot and the romance element was confusing at best. This one just wasn’t for me.
April 20, 2023
This book was so interesting and unique! It's my first Filipino fantasy and I have to say I loved the amount of culture and language incorporated. I'm a little familiar with some of the terms, though I still felt like a glossary would've been useful since I found myself flipping back a few times. Nevertheless, this book started playing like a movie in my head and I really enjoyed it!
So many elements in this book kept me engrossed and turning pages - the trials and competition, the high stakes, the monster roaming at night 😨, the mystery that is Teloh! I really loved the world and magic and I also really enjoyed how the author weaved in the political/religious aspects into the intrigue.
That being said, I do wish we got a few more answers as to how the magic system and visions work but this book was surprisingly complex for a YA and I enjoyed the multiple layers to it. We also learn about the world as we go versus having chunks of world building. I feel like this allowed the story to still be somewhat fast paced, considering the complexity. In fact, I even felt like the ending was almost too fast and would've liked a couple more chapters to really flesh it out.
I'm not sure if this book is a standalone but I would read a sequel if one came out!
Content warnings: violence, blood & gore depiction, injury description, bullying, buried alive, burns, captivity & confinement, classism, discrimination, cults, murder and death, death of a parent, drugging, flogging, grief & loss, hazing, mind control & possession, physical abuse, physical assault, poisoning.
A huge thanks to Entangled Teen, Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC for review. All opinions are my own.
So many elements in this book kept me engrossed and turning pages - the trials and competition, the high stakes, the monster roaming at night 😨, the mystery that is Teloh! I really loved the world and magic and I also really enjoyed how the author weaved in the political/religious aspects into the intrigue.
That being said, I do wish we got a few more answers as to how the magic system and visions work but this book was surprisingly complex for a YA and I enjoyed the multiple layers to it. We also learn about the world as we go versus having chunks of world building. I feel like this allowed the story to still be somewhat fast paced, considering the complexity. In fact, I even felt like the ending was almost too fast and would've liked a couple more chapters to really flesh it out.
I'm not sure if this book is a standalone but I would read a sequel if one came out!
Content warnings: violence, blood & gore depiction, injury description, bullying, buried alive, burns, captivity & confinement, classism, discrimination, cults, murder and death, death of a parent, drugging, flogging, grief & loss, hazing, mind control & possession, physical abuse, physical assault, poisoning.
A huge thanks to Entangled Teen, Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC for review. All opinions are my own.
unfinished
May 7, 2023DNF'd around chapter 10, so no star rating. If I were to rate what I managed to read though, I would probably choose 2 stars, and I'd think that's being generous.
This feels like a first draft. The prose, the world-building, the characterization, the unfolding of the plot all feel underbaked. There is no tension, no reason to care about the protagonist. The thing is, I really wanted to give it a chance. I'm so starved for Filipino fantasy, that I really tried to push through the first few chapters, thinking that maybe this author just had a rough start. But nothing improved. And if this were not inspired by Filipino culture, I really would have dropped it halfway through the first chapter given the vague, lack-lustre prose and surface-level characterization. I was being more gracious with it than I normally would. And it frustrates me that people looking for representation have to lower their standards, because I believe that we deserve high-quality writing as much as anyone else.
The thing is, as a Filipino reader, I am coming into this book with expectations. When a book is marketed as based on Filipino culture, you have certain notions going into it. And I don't want to box what it means to be Filipino or what kind of experiences you can have as a Filipino, but almost everything at the outset of this novel jarred me. Talks of snow and winter coats and weather turning to ice. It's clear it's a secondary fantasy world, but it was extremely vague what aspects of Filipino culture are even transplanted into this setting. It's extremely vague what this setting even is, as there's hardly any description of anything.
At a half-hearted attempt at world-building, the author had a character randomly spout facts whenever he's anxious: "Did you know that the Baylan were once only women and asog? That change when we founded Tigang."
The author also employs a trope popular in Filipino media that I personally find really damaging, which is using foreign physical features to highlight why someone is good-looking. "Tanu is attractive by most standards. His foreign Brelish-blue eyes are immediately striking against his dark Tigangi skin." Because, of course, the more typical Austronesian/Southeast-Asian features are never going to be attractive enough by themselves; a person has to have that mestizo look to be considered beautiful. Hey, at least this is one aspect of Filipino culture that was crystal clear in the setting.
The prose and dialogue were awkward and clunky. This is Narra's mother making her farewell in the prologue: "Maybe I've been a terrible mother, because I've never stopped you from forming your own opinions or talking back to me. That is my fault, but I am still your mother, and you will listen to me now. Everything I have done is so that you could have a better life than you would in the city. Don't throw it away." Please, please tell me I'm not the only one cringing at the way this was worded!!
And let's talk about the plot. Narra's mother was arrested, and this is what Narra asks first, "What must I do to ensure her release? May I advocate on her behalf? How can I find out what she was arrested for?" This is all backwards. It makes more sense to me that she ask about what her mother's crime is first, and then figure out whether it's even possible to release her. If her mother got arrested for murder, does it really make sense to ensure her release?? This quotation is a microcosm of the plot in the first few chapters that I've read. Everything is put together in a slapdash manner, with very little to anchor the reader as to what is actually going on. The way Narra goes about solving problems makes little sense, and these two issues make for a very frustrating introduction into the book.
I'm not saying all this to put the author down. I too am a Filipino-Canadian writer aspiring to write epic Filipino fantasy (which is why I get really excited when I find books I can read that can hopefully show me how it's done), and I have no intention of employing crab mentality. The author has good ideas, I just wish the publisher had hired a better developmental editor and line editor for her, because this was extremely subpar compared to the other books lining the shelves right now.
This feels like a first draft. The prose, the world-building, the characterization, the unfolding of the plot all feel underbaked. There is no tension, no reason to care about the protagonist. The thing is, I really wanted to give it a chance. I'm so starved for Filipino fantasy, that I really tried to push through the first few chapters, thinking that maybe this author just had a rough start. But nothing improved. And if this were not inspired by Filipino culture, I really would have dropped it halfway through the first chapter given the vague, lack-lustre prose and surface-level characterization. I was being more gracious with it than I normally would. And it frustrates me that people looking for representation have to lower their standards, because I believe that we deserve high-quality writing as much as anyone else.
The thing is, as a Filipino reader, I am coming into this book with expectations. When a book is marketed as based on Filipino culture, you have certain notions going into it. And I don't want to box what it means to be Filipino or what kind of experiences you can have as a Filipino, but almost everything at the outset of this novel jarred me. Talks of snow and winter coats and weather turning to ice. It's clear it's a secondary fantasy world, but it was extremely vague what aspects of Filipino culture are even transplanted into this setting. It's extremely vague what this setting even is, as there's hardly any description of anything.
At a half-hearted attempt at world-building, the author had a character randomly spout facts whenever he's anxious: "Did you know that the Baylan were once only women and asog? That change when we founded Tigang."
The author also employs a trope popular in Filipino media that I personally find really damaging, which is using foreign physical features to highlight why someone is good-looking. "Tanu is attractive by most standards. His foreign Brelish-blue eyes are immediately striking against his dark Tigangi skin." Because, of course, the more typical Austronesian/Southeast-Asian features are never going to be attractive enough by themselves; a person has to have that mestizo look to be considered beautiful. Hey, at least this is one aspect of Filipino culture that was crystal clear in the setting.
The prose and dialogue were awkward and clunky. This is Narra's mother making her farewell in the prologue: "Maybe I've been a terrible mother, because I've never stopped you from forming your own opinions or talking back to me. That is my fault, but I am still your mother, and you will listen to me now. Everything I have done is so that you could have a better life than you would in the city. Don't throw it away." Please, please tell me I'm not the only one cringing at the way this was worded!!
And let's talk about the plot. Narra's mother was arrested, and this is what Narra asks first, "What must I do to ensure her release? May I advocate on her behalf? How can I find out what she was arrested for?" This is all backwards. It makes more sense to me that she ask about what her mother's crime is first, and then figure out whether it's even possible to release her. If her mother got arrested for murder, does it really make sense to ensure her release?? This quotation is a microcosm of the plot in the first few chapters that I've read. Everything is put together in a slapdash manner, with very little to anchor the reader as to what is actually going on. The way Narra goes about solving problems makes little sense, and these two issues make for a very frustrating introduction into the book.
I'm not saying all this to put the author down. I too am a Filipino-Canadian writer aspiring to write epic Filipino fantasy (which is why I get really excited when I find books I can read that can hopefully show me how it's done), and I have no intention of employing crab mentality. The author has good ideas, I just wish the publisher had hired a better developmental editor and line editor for her, because this was extremely subpar compared to the other books lining the shelves right now.
March 10, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
The Moonlight Blade was just not for me. I had trouble connecting with both the writing and the characters, and the plot wasn’t what I was expecting.
The writing is very disjointed in places, which left a lot of things in the plot and world unexplained and, at times, confusing. I still don’t understand why Narra’s plan to save her mother involved entering the trials. And partway through the book it gets revealed out of nowhere that everyone believes in reincarnation and past lives. The characters are also all very one-dimensional and I didn’t really care about any of them.
Had I known reincarnation was going to be a main plot point in this book, I wouldn’t have picked it up. I’ve yet to read a book where I’ve actually enjoyed how it was done, and I generally find it very predictable. I can get past an age gap between an immortal (fae, vampires) and their mortal love interest, but something about the relationship between a reincarnated person who doesn’t have the memories from their past lives and the love interest who remembers everything just really rubs me the wrong way. It also robbed me of any actual romance in this book? I honestly couldn’t tell you why the love interests like each other. They barely interact and their entire relationship is built on a past that we barely get to see.
The trials were also a huge let down for me. They were hyped up to be really dangerous and exciting, but the most dangerous things that happened were actually not even supposed to happen. This would’ve been fine if the trials were supposed to be calm and everything went off the rails, but I found myself wondering multiple times why these trials had such a dangerous reputation.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Moonlight Blade was just not for me. I had trouble connecting with both the writing and the characters, and the plot wasn’t what I was expecting.
The writing is very disjointed in places, which left a lot of things in the plot and world unexplained and, at times, confusing. I still don’t understand why Narra’s plan to save her mother involved entering the trials. And partway through the book it gets revealed out of nowhere that everyone believes in reincarnation and past lives. The characters are also all very one-dimensional and I didn’t really care about any of them.
Had I known reincarnation was going to be a main plot point in this book, I wouldn’t have picked it up. I’ve yet to read a book where I’ve actually enjoyed how it was done, and I generally find it very predictable. I can get past an age gap between an immortal (fae, vampires) and their mortal love interest, but something about the relationship between a reincarnated person who doesn’t have the memories from their past lives and the love interest who remembers everything just really rubs me the wrong way. It also robbed me of any actual romance in this book? I honestly couldn’t tell you why the love interests like each other. They barely interact and their entire relationship is built on a past that we barely get to see.
The trials were also a huge let down for me. They were hyped up to be really dangerous and exciting, but the most dangerous things that happened were actually not even supposed to happen. This would’ve been fine if the trials were supposed to be calm and everything went off the rails, but I found myself wondering multiple times why these trials had such a dangerous reputation.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2023
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥
This book had me at Filipino fantasy.
The odds to survive the trials are against Narra Jal. With nothing in her arsenal but the motivation of saving her mother to see her through, she goes into the competition anyway. A serious underdog, she is the last bet to win the throne of Tigang.
Visions plague her mind, but these mysterious messages soon become important to her success at the trials. These visions also link her to an enigmatic Guardian named Teloh. Can Narra use her visions to survive the competition?
The world-building in this read stole the show for me. Tessa Barbosa fed us wonderfully intricate details that made the struggle of the trials too real. She also nicely contrasts that with the imagery of Narra's visions.
I also love the little Easter egg references to Filipino culture. Representation certainly matters, and it was refreshing to see my culture represented in a fantasy romance.
I knocked off a star for three reasons:
- The romance was incredibly subtle in this read; I had wished so hard that they developed it better.
- Pacing in the beginning was rather slow. I promise it does pick up at around the 30-40% mark.
- The ending was too abrupt. The world-building and storytelling were incredibly rich, so it was disappointing to have the ending and final battle not be as equally decadent.
That said, those three took little away from an enjoyable read. If you like mysterious fantasies with fantastic world-building, this standalone read is a great pick-up.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Tessa Barbosa, Entanged Publishing, and Netgalley for providing an ARC. **
SPICE: 🔥
This book had me at Filipino fantasy.
The odds to survive the trials are against Narra Jal. With nothing in her arsenal but the motivation of saving her mother to see her through, she goes into the competition anyway. A serious underdog, she is the last bet to win the throne of Tigang.
Visions plague her mind, but these mysterious messages soon become important to her success at the trials. These visions also link her to an enigmatic Guardian named Teloh. Can Narra use her visions to survive the competition?
The world-building in this read stole the show for me. Tessa Barbosa fed us wonderfully intricate details that made the struggle of the trials too real. She also nicely contrasts that with the imagery of Narra's visions.
I also love the little Easter egg references to Filipino culture. Representation certainly matters, and it was refreshing to see my culture represented in a fantasy romance.
I knocked off a star for three reasons:
- The romance was incredibly subtle in this read; I had wished so hard that they developed it better.
- Pacing in the beginning was rather slow. I promise it does pick up at around the 30-40% mark.
- The ending was too abrupt. The world-building and storytelling were incredibly rich, so it was disappointing to have the ending and final battle not be as equally decadent.
That said, those three took little away from an enjoyable read. If you like mysterious fantasies with fantastic world-building, this standalone read is a great pick-up.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Tessa Barbosa, Entanged Publishing, and Netgalley for providing an ARC. **
March 22, 2023
Narra has been considered cursed her entire life. When her mother’s life is on the line, she puts aside the danger and enters a competition for the next ruler of Tigang, purely to save her mother.
The competition is the reason I picked up this book. It felt like it would have a Hunger Games feel with teens competing for a leadership position. However, this was not the case. The book focused mostly on Narra’s past lives. Reincarnation and past lives is not a subject I come across often and I can’t say that it interests me. If past lives are going to have a large part of the story, I need that previous story and not just pieces of it.
The romance felt forced (past lives coming in again) and I never quite understood their relationship. I would have enjoyed more details into the politics and how that played into the competition. I assumed that was what I was getting; a book about politics, a competition revolving around these politics and a romance on the side. However, I found myself confused multiple times with what I’ll call “scene holes.” These are not necessarily plot holes, but scenes that jumped from one end of the room to the other without explanation, or people were present then all of a sudden not present in multiple scenes.
While the story has potential, the need for better flow and detailed explanations left me wanting more. “Big” moments needed more time and fanfare, and less side characters would have held my attention more.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy!
The book releases March 21, 2023.
https://www.theopenbooks.net/2023/03/...
The competition is the reason I picked up this book. It felt like it would have a Hunger Games feel with teens competing for a leadership position. However, this was not the case. The book focused mostly on Narra’s past lives. Reincarnation and past lives is not a subject I come across often and I can’t say that it interests me. If past lives are going to have a large part of the story, I need that previous story and not just pieces of it.
The romance felt forced (past lives coming in again) and I never quite understood their relationship. I would have enjoyed more details into the politics and how that played into the competition. I assumed that was what I was getting; a book about politics, a competition revolving around these politics and a romance on the side. However, I found myself confused multiple times with what I’ll call “scene holes.” These are not necessarily plot holes, but scenes that jumped from one end of the room to the other without explanation, or people were present then all of a sudden not present in multiple scenes.
While the story has potential, the need for better flow and detailed explanations left me wanting more. “Big” moments needed more time and fanfare, and less side characters would have held my attention more.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy!
The book releases March 21, 2023.
https://www.theopenbooks.net/2023/03/...
February 9, 2023
thank you to netgalley and entangled publishing for a review copy of the moonlight blade
I thought this book had a great world and magic system, I had never read a book like it!! The characters were amazing and writing was beautiful and the plot was great, I do think it got a bit repetitive in the middle but I would definitely read more books in this world.
*I am going to post my review on instagram closer to the release, I will then add the link to this review
I thought this book had a great world and magic system, I had never read a book like it!! The characters were amazing and writing was beautiful and the plot was great, I do think it got a bit repetitive in the middle but I would definitely read more books in this world.
*I am going to post my review on instagram closer to the release, I will then add the link to this review
March 9, 2023
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Really good story! It was complex, and at times a little hard to follow, but I enjoyed it overall. The writing style was difficult to get into at first, but once you sink in you’re stuck.
Really good story! It was complex, and at times a little hard to follow, but I enjoyed it overall. The writing style was difficult to get into at first, but once you sink in you’re stuck.
March 18, 2023
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As Filipino myself, I am always trying to find books by Filipino authors that really immerse you in the culture. The Moonlight Blade certainly does just that by being rooted in Filipino mythology and using traditions that you will still see today from food to mannerisms.
This novel starts out with a bang and we never slow down from there. I found myself absolutely devouring the pages. What I loved about this book is that there was not a lot of slow world building, which I tend to usually get bored during. In this novel, we learn about the world as the story goes on. Yes, that can be confusing but I love that Barbosa trusts us to put the pieces into place and doesn’t treat her readers like they have no intelligence.
The only reason this did not get a full five stars from me is because of the ending. There was so much going on and it moved so quickly I felt like I had whiplash. I had to go back and reread passages to make sure I fully understood what was happening. But wow it was worth it! I could definitely use more of Narra and her world.
As Filipino myself, I am always trying to find books by Filipino authors that really immerse you in the culture. The Moonlight Blade certainly does just that by being rooted in Filipino mythology and using traditions that you will still see today from food to mannerisms.
This novel starts out with a bang and we never slow down from there. I found myself absolutely devouring the pages. What I loved about this book is that there was not a lot of slow world building, which I tend to usually get bored during. In this novel, we learn about the world as the story goes on. Yes, that can be confusing but I love that Barbosa trusts us to put the pieces into place and doesn’t treat her readers like they have no intelligence.
The only reason this did not get a full five stars from me is because of the ending. There was so much going on and it moved so quickly I felt like I had whiplash. I had to go back and reread passages to make sure I fully understood what was happening. But wow it was worth it! I could definitely use more of Narra and her world.
April 26, 2023
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
The Moonlight Blade is the debut fantasy novel by author Tessa Barbosa. The novel has a richly developed world inspired by the precolonial Philippines and Filipino culture. A young cursed girl enters a competition to become the new ruler of Tigang and, while unraveling her past, falls for an assassin. Narra Jal is cursed. Birthmarks declare her damned, and her penance for the sins from a past life is a touch that spreads bad luck like poison.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
The Moonlight Blade is the debut fantasy novel by author Tessa Barbosa. The novel has a richly developed world inspired by the precolonial Philippines and Filipino culture. A young cursed girl enters a competition to become the new ruler of Tigang and, while unraveling her past, falls for an assassin. Narra Jal is cursed. Birthmarks declare her damned, and her penance for the sins from a past life is a touch that spreads bad luck like poison.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
March 28, 2023
I want to start this review by thanking NetGalley, Tessa Barbosa, and Entangled Teen Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!
All thoughts are my own!!
***
I really really wanted to love this book, and I tried SO HARD. I thought the idea behind everything was super interesting, and I’m always a sucker for a pretty cover. I had a hard time understanding the magic system and world building that are the baseline of this novel.
I found myself skipping most of the long endless paragraphs for the dialogue, only to entirely not understand the dialogue so I had to go back and read the paragraphs anyways haha. I understand that things are out of my control and this book was definitely out of my usual little fantasy zone - but the plot of this confused me to the point I felt like I was drowning.
There were things that I either had too much information for as well as no information at all. I was lost and confused but I know that this book was easy and loved by others - so I’ll let it be that way.
I will say the way that Tessa writes scenery and flashback scenes is amazing, those were the parts of the novel that I really enjoyed and think back on when I think about the book. Tessa is a good writer but this story just didn’t feel fully fleshed out.
All thoughts are my own!!
***
I really really wanted to love this book, and I tried SO HARD. I thought the idea behind everything was super interesting, and I’m always a sucker for a pretty cover. I had a hard time understanding the magic system and world building that are the baseline of this novel.
I found myself skipping most of the long endless paragraphs for the dialogue, only to entirely not understand the dialogue so I had to go back and read the paragraphs anyways haha. I understand that things are out of my control and this book was definitely out of my usual little fantasy zone - but the plot of this confused me to the point I felt like I was drowning.
There were things that I either had too much information for as well as no information at all. I was lost and confused but I know that this book was easy and loved by others - so I’ll let it be that way.
I will say the way that Tessa writes scenery and flashback scenes is amazing, those were the parts of the novel that I really enjoyed and think back on when I think about the book. Tessa is a good writer but this story just didn’t feel fully fleshed out.
Read
March 22, 2023Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
February 10, 2023
The Moonlight Blade tells the story of Narra Jal, a girl who is considered cursed by those around her, as she embarks on a quest to save her mother. In order to do that, she must enter the Sundo, which is a grueling, bloodthirsty series of challenges designed to weed out the weak, the greedy, and the foolish in order to select the next ruler of Tigang. Along the way, she feels an intense connection with a Guardian that will confuse her and leave her seeking answers. Narra is not prepared and does not have the training needed to survive the Sundo. Will she make it out alive?
This book did a good job of world building in the beginning. The author introduced concepts in a vague way that kept you interested and then found an effortless way to explain those concepts. The author also did a good job of portraying the love Narra has for her sister. I really felt their connection through the author's descriptions.
In this story, there are multiple mysteries happening at once, which keeps the reader invested because just when you think you are about to figure out one mystery, clues to solving another mystery pop up and lead you in a different direction.
This story also explores many kinds of relationships from relationships with Narra's mother/parents, friends, siblings, grandparents to her relationship with her ancestors and lovers. The love story in this book is surrounded by so much tension, mystery and buildup.
There is also a lot of action in this story. At times, the description of action scenes felt a bit rushed. There were many times where the author quickly jumped from one scene to the next without much transition which led to some confusion. If the book had been a bit longer, I think this issue could have been solved.
While a lot of the concepts described in regards to the magic and answer to the mysteries are initially vague, the author does a good job of wrapping everything up in the last few chapters and the revelation of what it all means took me by surprise!
Overall, this is a fun read that involves magic, love and sacrifice and I would be interested in reading more about Narra and the world she lives in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book did a good job of world building in the beginning. The author introduced concepts in a vague way that kept you interested and then found an effortless way to explain those concepts. The author also did a good job of portraying the love Narra has for her sister. I really felt their connection through the author's descriptions.
In this story, there are multiple mysteries happening at once, which keeps the reader invested because just when you think you are about to figure out one mystery, clues to solving another mystery pop up and lead you in a different direction.
This story also explores many kinds of relationships from relationships with Narra's mother/parents, friends, siblings, grandparents to her relationship with her ancestors and lovers. The love story in this book is surrounded by so much tension, mystery and buildup.
There is also a lot of action in this story. At times, the description of action scenes felt a bit rushed. There were many times where the author quickly jumped from one scene to the next without much transition which led to some confusion. If the book had been a bit longer, I think this issue could have been solved.
While a lot of the concepts described in regards to the magic and answer to the mysteries are initially vague, the author does a good job of wrapping everything up in the last few chapters and the revelation of what it all means took me by surprise!
Overall, this is a fun read that involves magic, love and sacrifice and I would be interested in reading more about Narra and the world she lives in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews