The Sun and Moon beneath the Stars

by K. Parr

After being orphaned and forced to work as a palace slave, fifteen-year-old Rasha decides to end her life, but when she plunges a knife into her chest, she doesn’t die. Instead, a strange, icy power possesses her. The last time it took over, someone got hurt, and Rasha can’t let that happen again.

But she’s got bigger problems. Her twin brother is alive, yet held captive by Solaris, a powerful sorcerer. When Rasha runs into Adriana, the selfish princess she once served, they discover Solaris is a common enemy since he destroyed the palace and kidnapped Adriana’s parents.

Together, Rasha and Adriana set out on a rescue mission. Personalities clash and tempers flare, but other feelings surface as well, feelings neither girl could have predicted.

And with the help of a ragtag group of companions, they might just be able to succeed on their quest…until an ancient evil emerges to wreak vengeance on their world.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer, Adventure, Magic

ebook

Published March 4, 2019

About the author

K is a writer of multiple genres, including young adult, romance, fantasy, paranormal, and humor, all of which star LGBT characters.

She received her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2017.​

In her spare time, K reads and writes fanfiction, keeps up with way too many TV shows, and dances wildly in her apartment.

She currently works as the head of youth services at a Rhode Island library.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars. This was a good YA fantasy novel. As I have mentioned 100 times YA fantasy is one of the few YA books I do like to read. Although, I have to admit this felt like a young YA novel. Many YA novels seem geared to adults, where this was one for most ages. I have to agree with Joc’s review, I think I would have loved this if I was a teenager. Instead being in my 30’s the characters felt a little young for me to completely connect to them. However, this is a book that I hope librarians take note of. It is nice to see a book with LGBTQ characters that would be great for probably age 13 on up.

I thought the writing was well done and I enjoyed the read. The story was easy to get into without a lot of info-dumping or a vast amount of new terms to remember. The plot was pretty straightforward. While there were parts similar to many fantasy books, there were some twists to the powers and magic that a character had that seemed pretty original to me.

There is a little bit of a lesfic romance but it is small. It is very G rated and sweet. The main plot overshadows the romance. I wished there was a little more time for this sweet romance, but it was fine.

I did think the pace slowed a little at times. It is kind of hard not to in fantasy books, so it is not a big complaint. For the most part the action was good and I kept turning the pages.

While I did find this book to feel a little young, it was still a solid fantasy read. It looks like this may be a debut for a full length book by Parr, if so she gets even more credit from me. If you are looking for a YA fantasy book with a lite and sweet lesfic romance, this book would be a good choice. I also recommend it to librarians looking for good books for younger readers.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.

[Joc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the just kind of book I would have loved as a teen/young adult and hopefully it will end up in school libraries. Rasha became a palace slave when she washed up on shore as a 7-year-old shipwreck survivor. At 15 escapes the palace in order to take her own life. The timing is fortuitous in a way because while she is away the palace comes under attack and one of the few people to survive is Princess Adriana who escapes through some secret tunnels. Rasha’s suicide attempt is thwarted when she is possessed by a cold and dark power. In the process she discovers that her twin brother is alive and possessed by the spirit of the god Solaris, who is also behind the attack on the palace. When Rasha and Adriana meet in the woods it makes sense for them to travel together because they’re both going to the same place but Adriana doesn’t realise that she is the cause of one of Rasha’s most painful experiences.

The story is told from both Rasha’s and Adriana’s points of view in a manner that is nicely simple which is a good thing because the plot is complex and layered. I found the events and the characters’ interactions engaging and quite different from most of the fantasy novels I’ve read. Rasha is a strong character who bears the visible and invisible scars of her past but needs to start seeing her own value. Adriana was raised with blinkers but is unafraid of learning. The motley bunch of characters they meet up with on the way add a great dimension to the story.

The descriptions give a strong sense of location of wherever the characters are at any point and they’re not only visual but you also get an idea of the smells and sounds. There is a really sweet thread of romance between Rasha and Adriana that runs through the story which ebbs and flows with the action. All in all, it’s a very enjoyable read which becomes more and more riveting the closer it gets to the end.

Book received from Netgalley and NineStar Press for an honest review.

[Farah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in my twenties when I read Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone, it belonged to one of my students and after reading up to when he started receiving letters from Hogwarts, I went to the bookstore and bought a copy of my own, Chamber Of Secrets and Prisoner Of Azkaban. One great reviewer wrote a convincing review on The Sun and Moon Beneath The Stars, I pre ordered it immediately after. Then another review made me second guessed my decision, but remembering the amazing time I had with the Harry Potter series, at that age until now, I decided to give TSAMBTS a chance.

First off, the hs were in their early teens so forget about the Winter / Brayden / Lintzski romance but the way Ms.Parr constructed that element, was just perfect and believable.

This was supposed to be a fantasy / action / adventure story, please correct me if I'm wrong. I got the fantasy part through the characters, the tale of The Legend Of The Sun and Moon and the good /dark magic. However, I struggled with the pacing of the story as the action got it's own U-haul while the adventure took the backseat.

As much as I struggled, dozed off too many times, I never skimmed as Ms.Parr excelled in the characterizations. I cared about each one of them, especially Rasha, appreciated their strong feelings of friendship, they were suspicious of one another but when facing obstacles, loyalty always kicked in.

Should this turned into a series, I might just get the next book.

[. (not active on this account stop adding me) · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★½

full review now on my blog!

ARC kindly provided by Nine Star Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rasha is an orphan who was sold to the palace and forced to work as a servant for the royals. As she's plunging a knife into her own chest, her mysterious, icy power stops the suicide attempt. Later, she discovers that her twin brother is still alive and being held captive by Solaris.

Solaris is a powerful sorcerer who has just taken over the palace, forcing Princess Adriana to flee, leaving behind her family. While on the run, she encounters her previous servant, Rasha, and doesn't remember their brief encounter a few years earlier. They're both apprehensive about the other before realising they have the same goal: save their loved ones from Solaris. They embark on a mission together, encountering companions on the way, and ignore the sparks that ignite between them.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this book since I hadn't heard of the author and there were no other ratings. However, I ended up loving the writing. There's definitely room for improvement, mainly in the pacing and length of the plot, but I was extremely satisfied with everything else. There were quirks and signs indicative of good fantasy writing, such as the subtle hints throughout the novel that came into fruition for the climax. The descriptions were lush and helped establish settings perfectly. Despite being written in the third person, I felt connected to each of the characters and their journeys. However, the plot dragged a lot and sometimes felt stagnant. It's definitely a tedious book to read.

"But no. She was whole, she was real, she was good, and she was strong."

I absolutely loved the character development, particularly Rasha's. When we're introduced to her, she's a timid girl, forced into peasantry and ready to die. The journey she goes through to accepting herself and appreciating life is commendable. Adriana's wasn't as significant, but it's still admirable. The princess is privileged and hateful towards Rasha's people. However, she's desperate to atone for her mistakes. That's the message that flows throughout this book: we all make mistakes, but it doesn't make us a terrible person.

"Rasha had never fooled herself into believing she was attractive, not as scarred and broken as she was, but Adriana somehow saw past that."

Rasha and Adriana's romance wasn't as present as I would've liked, but they were sweet. The slow-burn was executed perfectly. It didn't feel like their relationship was progressing too quickly; we get the subtle hints in the sparks that fly between them, their brief touches, and the subsequent cuddling. If you're someone who prefers fantasy books - especially those with sapphic characters - where the romance takes a backseat, this is definitely a book for you. I particularly loved how natural it seemed in this world. It's normal for people of the same gender to fall in love without judgement or ostracisation.

The Sun and Moon Beneath the Stars is a refreshing, original fantasy novel perfect for fans of Of Fire and Stars. The story is unique, the characters are fascinating, and the romance is adorable. The plot could drag at times, but it was an enjoyable book to read. I'd recommend if you're looking for more f/f fantasy stories.

[BadassCmd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was the June 2019's Sapphic Book Club read hosted by sapphicbookclub.

It took me a very, very long time to finish this book. Or at least it felt like it.
I DO like it, it IS a good fantasy story with magic and gods and a band of outsiders on the quest to save the world, which is nice. And it has a nice happy ending.

But still I was also frustrated quite a bit. For one, the story felt really dragged out. Especially the first 70% were too long for me - I would read and read and read and then be only a small part farther in progress. And by the time I reached the last third, the final confrontation, my concentration for the plot was already suffering.

The dynamic between the two main characters was really off in the beginning - and I mean besides the obvious reason. The way they talked to each other and especially the way Adriana is written in the first few chapters didn't feel very natural or likable to me.

And then there's the smal elephant in the room.
Their past is something that I feel wasn't supposed to be a very big subject for the story at hand. While it provided conflict and a basic dynamic they had to overcome, I feel like it's not supposed to be the thing people take away from the story.
But readers will always be concerned about the way concepts of slavery are handled, even in fantasy settings.

The whipping of a young girl because of rascism and slavery is mentioned, but i don't feel like they really work through it. They address that it happened and maybe even that it is wrong, but then they just go on and there is no talk about the whole system they live in being wrong. Adrianna never even blinks about the fact that a young orphan girl was sold to her family to work for them as slave. She doesn't share her views on Rashas people and where that comes from.

Adrianna had already forgotten about the incident. And it seemed like now she only feels bad because she happens to be in the presence of the slave girl in question, not because it is something that happened because of her or that happened in her own home.

I think the way their affection for each other develops slowly is well done, but it still feels weird at times because of the things that 'should' still be standing between them.

[Evie Drae · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re hunting a sweet, G-rate Young Adult lesfic with some beautiful and action-packed fantasy/adventure elements, then look no further. The Sun and Moon beneath the Stars, by K. Parr and released by NineStar Press, is a wonderful and easy read.

I’m going to beat the dead horse by reminding y’all that I’ve never been a YA reader, and fantasy isn’t at the top of my go-to list either. However, Ms. Parr does such a genuine job of depicting her characters and immersing the reader into the story without over-telling that I easily let those reservations go in the first few pages. I adored Rasha. She drew me in from the get-go and kept me wanting more. She felt like a real fifteen-year-old, and her reactions to all the new and exciting things happening around her were so incredibly real. My heart bled for her in many ways, but her strength despite the adversities she’d faced was awe-inspiring, to say the least.

I think one of the things I loved most about this read is Ms. Parr’s ability to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) her fantastical world. There weren’t a ton of overwhelming words to remember, or character names where I couldn’t even begin to guess at the pronunciation. It was exciting, and there were unique and fun twists to the magic and world itself, but it was easily relatable, and for a non-fantasy reader, I cannot thank her enough. I also loved how her characters felt true to their age. That is a huge gripe of mine with YA, and one of the reasons I don’t like reading it. I’m not a fan of delving into the heads of children when they act like adults. It borders on creepy for me. However, Ms. Parr’s representation of her motley crew of youngsters was true to their age, for the most part. Again, something I’m immensely grateful for.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure within the YA universe. I definitely feel like the action trumped the fantasy a bit, and the romance was so soft and gentle it plays no real part in the story. It’s there, but in a very minor way. (Which, when you consider the events happening around them and their age, that felt much more realistic than many of the YA I read where they fall into insta-love that we’re led to believe will last a lifetime. Not always the most believable.)

[Phoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was June's Sapphic Book Club read by @sapphicliterature.

So, firstly, I liked the writing style of this. It had a good balance of "easy to read quickly and comprehend" while not feeling too juvenile and pulling me out of the book much. The characters are mostly compelling, the main plot and its various threads and mysteries are interesting, and I really loved the theme of redemption and forgiveness and moving past our sins, no matter how atrocious. Overall, I really enjoyed this book... which raises the question of why I only gave it 2 stars.

The more mundane issue the book has is lore- specifically, it has a lot of it that goes completely unexplained, and while this story already has lots of lore explanations to serve the main plot, the actual setting and society and how it influences the characters feels sort of unfinished. Like you can tell reading it that the author probably has a deep intricate idea of all the races and their history and relationship to each other, but it's not really on the page. You know the trope where the characters explain commonplace knowledge in their world because the audience doesn't actually know it? This book is what happens when you write like people who actually just take those things for granted and as realistic as it is it's also frustrating.

This is specifically an issue with the real big problem I have with the book, which is the Fantasy Racism. Now, fantasy racism is iffy to begin with, but I will point out this isn't just elves and humans with some parallels to irl racism done poorly. Oh no, this is human races (in a world where non sentient humans are also a thing), one of which is light skinned and the other of which is dark skinned... and the dark skinned race is discriminated against by the pale race (the main character is a literal slave like this could not be more blatent). And I genuinely believe the author meant to make this a proper portrayal with how racism is bad and even when it's normalized the supposed reasons aren't actually right, but they sort of... don't do that. There's one conversation where a character mentions that the pale people stole the land from the darker people and the white blonde princess disputes that, saying they "won it fairly in a war"?! But the conversation is interrupted after this and they never mention this again. Also it's another pale person bringing this up, and none of the characters of color ever complain about or hold the white people accountable for the racism (the romance is between the previously mentioned slave, and the white princess who once had her whipped when they were both children, and this is only brought up in terms of the former slave worrying the princess will hate her, and the princess feeling sad when she finally remembers the horrible thing she did). For most of the book the races are referred to as being enemies, and the obvious oppressor/oppressed dynamic is never labeled or examined in any meaningful way. We get the sense we're missing either a piece of lore or history that "explains" the racism through some past misdeed on part of the oppressed group (this is problematic enough when done to justify racism against green skin, but in this context would be horrifying) or a lot of character development for the princess actually coming to terms with how wrong and harmful the society she was raised in is. At the end her and her lover plan to go together to rebuild the kingdom in which her lover was formerly a slave, and they both seem happy with this so you assume they must have talked about what changes they'll make to it, but we as the reader... never see any of this. Honestly I was originally going to give this book 3 stars because of how much I enjoyed the plot but actually thinking through the entirety of the race issues to write this review has made me drop it to 2.

[Jas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was read for Sapphic Book Club, hosted by sapphicliterature.

This was a… challenging read. And it really makes me so sad when these kind of books are difficult to read, because in general they’re pretty good. This wis pretty okay. It has a nice writing style, it's easy to follow – writing-wise. I really wanted to like this so much. But in the end, I had troubles with this since the beginning, till the end.

I will focus on the good stuff first. This has a nice plot, story. It doesn’t try to be bigger than it is, it’s just an adventure and that’s fine. Sometimes you really just want an adventure. I can see the author has had a clear idea what the story should be, and so went for it. I just wish it would’ve held the whole story.

Rasha as a character is quite interesting. When you begin with someone wanting to get rid off their life… you get a chance to have a lot of development. And yes I see Rasha changing (and not wanting to die in the end), it’s nice. But it’s just not enough. Because this is a quite short adventure, it doesn’t actually give much space for true development, and this applies to characters, world-building, everything. It all is kind of rushed. Personally, I like that readers are allowed to add things on their own, but sometimes the book should offer a teeny bit more flesh around the bones.

Anyway, so many things didn’t work for me. The pacing was off, and I was so mad about two PoVs that told the story. Don’t get me wrong, multiple PoVs can be done well, but in this, I was just frustrated. This is a quite short story, and it feels even shorter when you change a point of view inside a chapter. Sure, this change is logical in a way that it’s always Rasha who begins the chapter and then Adriana who ends it. But why the change? I could enjoy one chapter in Rasha’s point of view, another in Adriana’s, then Rasha’s and so on. Why in middle of a chapter? Especially in the beginning this was troubling, because as a reader who’s got no idea who these characters are or what this story is really about, it was horrifying when suddenly there was another scene going on. It made me feel like I wasn’t even supposed to read this book.

And then… the reasonings. I’m big on motivations and reasonings, but this book was pretty weak with them. The characters’ motivations felt quite weak and occasionally unbelievable, the world-building was a bit lazy, we didn’t get enough information for me to be satisfied and comfortable. The story was so short, and yet it had so much going on – way too much. Elements in this book fell a bit flat, because they didn’t have enough space to really grow.

In the end, I think this was a fine adventure, but it could have been done better. And that’s why it frustrated me so much. It could’ve been so good, yet fell short.

[Jamie Coudeville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by this book, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I really loved Rasha and Adriana. I needed some time before I started to like the boys, they popped up rather soon. But I really love how it ended. I recommend this book to people looking for a standalone high fantasy book with a f/f relationship.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars rating

I read this for the June book of the month for the Sapphic Book Club
@sapphicbookclub.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, no thinking necessary, non-stop action read. I agree with other reviewers, in that I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I had read this back in middle or high school. The plot read like a shorten heroes journey. The characters were enjoyable. The romance was on the back burner, while the mission was front and center.

The difficulty I have had when writing a review for this book is that I finished it feeling like I wanted more. And not in the “It was so good, I just want to spend more time in this universe” way. By the time I finished the book, I felt like I had very little understanding of their world or even some of the characters motivations. The magic system wasn't really explored and given that the book starts with the castle being destroyed, we never get a moment to see what mundane life was like. Or how the main characters were like when not on a mission. I think it comes down to pacing for me. This book felt like what I imagine The Belgariad would be if all five books were condensed into one book. The quick pace sacrificed the space needed for characters to breath, the world to be built for the readers, and for the readers to get to know the characters. This could be the side effect to being older and a more avid reader now, and wanting rich and complex worlds.

Despite wanting more, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to those wanting a quick adventure or a younger/newer reader in fantasy.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shoutout to Netgalley and Ninestar Press for the early review copy. I am getting this review up just in time for its publication on Monday, so keep your eyes peeled for this release.

First off, can we take a moment to appreciate that beautiful cover? Those colors are stunning!

Rasha knows she is sometimes possessed by the moon goodess, but she doesn’t know why. All she wants to do is to save her brother, who is possessed by the sun god. She’ll have to team up with a princess with whom she has a past, two young thieves, and a man she wronged in the past, also a lizard like creature whose people fight for the other side to beat the deities and rescue her brother.

It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I got the lay of the land, I feel in love with this band of misfits. It’s a classic quest tale with some good queer representation. The romance is sweet and age-appropriate. I also appreciated that it wasn’t the main focus of the story, but rather develops pretty naturally over the course of their journey, an enemies to love interests thing. There’s magic, which is always a good thing, and there’s some pretty cool lore/mythology along the way.

[Paul Goat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The debut novel from K. Parr (the pseudonymous Kelly Parlin) was a solid YA fantasy adventure powered by a sapphic relationship between the narrative’s two main characters, Adriana Ven Kerrick, a 16-year old princess; and Rasha, a palace slave with a horrific past. After the palace is attacked and effectively destroyed by the powerful mage Solaris, the two young women barely escape with their lives and fatefully reunite in the wilderness. Both characters—who have their own magical abilities—have motive to track down the sorcerer and destroy him. He has imprisoned Rasha’s twin brother Falcota and may also have Adriana’s parents. With a race of humanoid reptiles, a prophecy involving two vengeful deities, and an unforgiving landscape inhabited by mythical creatures between the two and their destination, they realize quickly that they only have each other…

This was an ambitious story that was constructed to work on multiple levels (the subtle imagery, for example, was incredibly well done) and there was a lot to love here. The dynamism between the two main characters was believable and endearing, the pacing was relentless, the action nonstop, and the conclusion was perfectly fitting, but there were flaws.

1. The beginning. The novel started at an ill-advised time in the narrative where the reader had no idea what was going on. Being thrown into the deep end without knowing the characters and particularly the backstory is risky but sometimes effective—and in this case it didn’t work. The beginning would’ve worked better (for me) to see, albeit quickly, Rasha is the role of servant and Adriana as spoiled royal. And also, even more importantly, to understand why the castle was being attacked. There was no real emotional hook in the beginning and it took me several chapters to become emotionally involved. Ideally, I’d want that connection as early as possible.

2. The relationship. While I understood these characters are young, I had a problem with the lack of desire throughout. Yes, the conclusion is fantastic (“…Adriana planted a searing kiss on Rasha’s lips…”) but I wanted more “chemistry” in the story. Instead of coming across as sweet, oftentimes it came across as simply platonic.

• “I’m not going to tell you to do anything. You do what you need to.” Adriana smiled, shy, then leaned forward and gave Rasha a peck on the cheek.

• “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Rasha whispered. She pressed her lips to Adriana’s head, and even though Adriana’s world was crashing down, she had Rasha to stabilize her.

Also, please take this particular criticism with a grain of salt as I am absolutely 100% jaded from reading and reviewing so much genre fiction erotica over the decades. Was this relationship sweet and endearing? Yes. But I wanted more magnetism, more passion percolating beneath the surface. That would’ve added a strong thread of tension throughout that would have complemented the other tension threads well.

3. The race thing. Okay, a big thing I look for when I review novels are writers embracing stereotypes. My obvious question here was “why make the ‘lesser’ race dark skinned? It’s so cliché. I understand the powerful anti-racist theme here—which is great—but it would’ve been so easy to make the royals dark-skinned and the Numenarkan light-skinned—and it wouldn’t have changed the story at all. It just seemed too easy to me—this is fantasy, right? You could’ve separated these two groups with any number of physical characteristics—height, size, hair color, etc. It’s obviously not a big thing but it’s these kinds of elements that bother me as a reviewer and really (in my mind) separates the great writers from the rest.

Bottom line: these flaws notwithstanding, an impressive debut. Parr’s writing style is fluid and effortlessly readable: an exciting new voice in YA LGBT fantasy.

[Reuben R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

"This book as read as part of the Sapphic Book Club hosted by @sapphicbookclub

This review is going to be even more incoherent than usual because I have a bunch of mixed feelings towards this book.

There were some great elements.The opening was incredibly dynamic and hooked me in.Plus ,the writing style had a lovely flow and was enjoyable to read.I also loved the general tone of this book.It reminded me a lot of fairytales and myths I grew up reading.I also liked the world building and thought it was the right mix of explanation and suspension of disbelief.

However there were parts of this book that make me extremely frustrated and made it difficult to enjoy.I felt like the dual povs stopped me from connecting to the characters and for the first few chapters it felt like two stories jammed together rather than the main characters journeys running parallel.As the book went on it felt more cohesive but personally I still couldn't enjoy the parts focusing on Adriana as much as the sequences from Rasha's POV.

Another criticism I have is that the character felt a bit flat and too sympathetic.Before the start of the book two of the main characters commit horrendous acts and it felt like that was glossed over and you were meant to condone them slightly.A third character also did something reprehensible before the start of the book but his motive was stronger (he killed his abusive father to save his younger brother).I love morally grey characters but it seemed like the full implications of what they did weren't explore enough.At the start of the novel Adriana is incredibly racist and it didn't seem like she fully realised how horrifying that is.I would have preferred the book to focus more on Rasha's journey or Adriana's character development but as it is the book tried to juggle too many elements at once.

[Colleen Corgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good YA book that I would recommend be bought by my library. It's not a darker fantasy that has been trending thanks to works by Sara J. Maas, which is fine. There's nothing like a good adventure fantasy with LGBT leads and a decent world to go with it. It doesn't bother with all the details of the world, but gave me enough information to understand what's going on and helped form character reactions and such. If anything I'd say that it moves a little slow for a novel that is about a chase, but there's only so much the author can cram into a day of teens running for their lives and trying to save the world.

At the heart of the story, though, is the relationship between Rasha, an exile who's possessed by a moon goddess, and Adriana, a princess on the run from invaders. They play off each other well, even when their biases (Rasha's people are, for reasons we're not told, looked down on Adriana's people) often getting in the way at the beginning. They're sweet young teen romance gets nods here and there, but there's just not a lot of time for them to explore their new feelings while saving the world from the gods.

Fans of fantasy will enjoy this one, and Young Adult readers will love it, too. It's not terribly heavy on the world building, but the setting is believable. I enjoyed some of the twists involving the magic system, and the set up for one of the big revelations was done really well. Its a light read with some heavier undertones, yet is still smart and hits all the beats that a good fantasy needs to be successful.

I received this ARC from NineStar Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Amber Lefevre · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Sun and Moon Beneath the Stars by K. Parr is a YA fantasy novel featuring a diverse cast and LGBTA+ themes. Rasha, a slave with magical abilities, must find her brother and take down the sorcerer who is keeping him captive. Adrianna, a 15 year old princess, joins with Rasha after the same sorcerer has destroyed her home and taken her parents. Joined by a diverse cast of misfits, this book promised to be filled with magic, romance, and adventure.

I'm really sorry to say that the book did not live up to expectations. I almost DNF'd this book multiple times, within the first few chapters. It has one very problematic feature: One of the black characters is a slave, another possessed, and the 3rd commits a heinous atrocity. Every other character is white or a lizard person.

I personally jumped on this book because of the cover and the LGBTA+ representation, but it's a pretty minor feature of the book and is definitely overshadowed by the negative representation of POC for me.

While racism is a driving factor in parts of the storyline, nothing is ever done to resolve that and instead efforts are made to make the colored characters redeemable, even though they are all much more likeable than the spoiled princess. It's full of tired tropes and a story that has been done many times before, and in better ways, so I can't recommend picking this book up, unfortunately.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My full review can be found on the Epilie Aspie Chick blog! 

Thank you to NineStar Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a real breath of fresh air to the fantasy genre. It took that typical fantasy world building, added adventure tale, and really found a way to spice it up with a feisty group of heroes who don't immediately see eye to eye. These people all come from totally different walks of life and have to learn to overcome their built in discriminations to work as a team. Underneath this surprisingly smile worthy story is a highly current story about the importance of seeing people for who they truly are. 

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bewitching ~ Sweet ~ Enchanting

tl;dr: Revolutions often start small

An orphan finds herself unexpectedly at the midst of a quest. This fantasy novel has the common theme of many recent releases: love and friendship can come from unlikely places. This book was not quite as epic as other recent fantasy novels, and I say that as a good thing. In some ways, this is an intimate story. The main character Rasha is a strong woman, though her character could have been better drawn. A sweet romance is at the center of this story, and the strongest part of the book. This book does feel familiar, not exactly like any other book, but similar enough to quest stories and fantasy novels.

3.5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.


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[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start to this but once you get into it a great read with strong female MC that you can empathise with and really relate to. I loved Rasha so much, this is a lovely book, I admit the cover drew me in a lot and the world building is wonderful you really get a sense of the culture she describes. Fantastic

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the June 2019 book as part of the Sapphic Book Club.

I really enjoyed the characterizations and world building in this story! I only wish a larger discussion on the racism in the princesses’ kingdom was dissected a bit more before the romance formed. Otherwise it was a sweet story with a mostly happy ending.

[Emma Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book.
When I started it I didn’t really know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.
I loved both Rasha and Adrianna.
I found the characters really interesting and engaging.
The plot was also amazing so complex and unique.
Overall I gave it 4 stars.

[XR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wowserz! So much responsibility on the shoulders of children... and they kicked arse!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of my new favourite books! While it is admittedly slow in parts I didn't mind as I loved the characters and it was their ragtag team that made this book so amazing. The cover had led me to believe it would be a romance with some fantasy elements but it is so much more than that, legend and magic combine to make a gripping read that I would highly recommend.

I received this title on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Best Lesfic Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Magic, possession by fallen Gods, Gods battling to get back their glory, strange creatures and two teenaged girls trying to save their families. This is an action-packed teen/YA fantasy.

Read the full review @https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...

[chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ARC was kindly provided by Netgalley.

3.5 stars

This story follows Rasha, a 15 year old girl, who was sold to the palace at a young age and forced to work as a servant. She attempts suicide, however, her powers prevent her from succeeding. She discovers her brother is alive, and on an attempt to free him, she meets Adriana and three other companions along the way.

After hearing that this book featured a sapphic couple, I just had to request it. The fact that this was a fantasy was just a bonus. I did enjoy it, more so the characters than the overall plot. This was my first novel by K. Parr, so I was unsure about whether or not I'd like the writing style or not. I did like it, although the pacing was quite slow and in some parts I did find myself getting a little bored. I find that I do tend to like books that write in third person a little less, since I don't find myself connecting to the characters as much.

Rasha was an interesting character throughout, her story was intriguing and empowering. She went from a girl ready to end her life, to a girl who accepts herself and allows help from the people around her. Adriana was equally interesting. She starts off as hateful towards Rasha, and ends up developing an understanding and wanting to make up for her mistakes. She really redeems herself.

For Adriana and Rasha's relationship - it was cute. I expected a little more from them, however the plot was more of the focus rather than their romance. You could see their relationship building up from the start, which was nice, but I would have preferred a little more build-up. I don't want to spoil anything, but the little scene between them at the end really made me fall in love with them.

If you're looking for more fantasy stories with sapphic main characters, this is the book for you. It's a bit slow, but it does pick up during the second half of the book and overall I enjoyed it.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant adventure fantasy for Young Adult readers, and older readers too.

Rasha and Adriana find themselves in a very unique situation, involving magic, and they set out to put right the wrongs that have occurred in the past when this event occurred before. They have be trusting but wary of those they meet on their journey, to determine if they will be of aide to them or not, and fight for Rasha’s freedom. Many questions are asked on them, morally leaving them with choices to make as they discover the world, and themselves. Within the genre, it really does tackle a lot of themes while building an exciting, and action packed adventure.

What I liked most was how easy this fantasy story was to follow, despite having a complex plot. Reading it had a nice pace, and I felt relaxed, understanding perfectly what was happening and why. It made it very easy to read and enjoy.

I hope maybe there will be more stories involving these characters, and their future, further exploring friendships, and relationships formed during their intense adventure. I highly recommend this book, as it will satisfy any cravings for fantasy, or if you have never read fantasy before and are interested in seeing what it has to offer, this would be a wonderful title to start with.

[Vivian Colucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really wholesome and action- packed fantasy story featuring an lgbt romance! I loved the suspense the author built up in the storyline as well as adding in the growth of a powerful relationship. Rasha and Adriana are total opposites, Rasha coming from servitude and Adriana being royalty. But the unlikely pair form such a close and captivating bond that really adds a lovely element to the story. The journey they endure together with friends they make along the way, in order to save their families, was very intense and suspenseful. The magical powers and strengths of the characters caused many pivotal moments throughout the book as well. I would definitely recommend giving this a read!

[Eshana Ranasinghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't for me but I see how others can love it. I didn't really connect with the writing or the characters. The world was interesting but the magic was soft and vague at times. This is a chosen one/destiny story which is 100% my issues with the book, because I personally don't like this set up.

A more detailed review on my blog
https://teatimebookreview.wordpress.c...

Received an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Liam]

DNF at 12% - too much racism.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but think a few things could have been improved. The world is amazing and I loved the mythology. I cared about most of the characters and wanted them to succeed, even if it seemed impossible.

Rasha has the most defined arc and she was my favorite from the beginning. She tries to end her life then discovers her twin brother is alive when she believed her entire family had died in an accident as they fled their home. Princess Adriana is woken in the middle of the night and told to flee because the castle is being attacked. When they run into each other, it turns out they have the same goal: get to Solaris and free their family members.

There are a few issues I believe could have been addressed better (or cut). I think the worldbuilding could have been improved by including an overview of the world. You meet a reptilian species early on, but there's no mention of other types of races so it seems like there are just humans and these reptiles. Later on you meet different species. It is a lot to include in one book and I would have loved if this was a duology to allow more information about the world and characters.

There are very minor spoilers ahead, most are revealed in the first 25 pages of the book.

First, there are several characters (pale skinned people) who hate the Numenarkan (dark skinned people) and this hate isn't really ever explained. There was a war but I'm not sure that fully explains the hate. The King especially hates them and I feel like this should have been excluded or explained. There are several mentions of this since Rasha is Numenarkan and Adriana, the king’s daughter, is not. Adriana didn't seem to inherit this hate (she's wary of Rasha at first but quickly trusts her). I feel like this hate between the two races could have been cut or explained in more detail instead of just popping up.

Second, it's stated the King and Queen both have magic. You learn about the Queen's magic but there is no explanation about the King's magic (what it was, how he had it, etc.) All magic was supposed to have disappeared so it's unclear how these two lines still had magic (until the end when you find out about the Queen's magic). I guess one could assume the magic existed in the bloodlines even if people couldn’t use/detect it, but I would have liked more information on what his magic was and how that affected Adriana, since she was told she has powerful magic on both sides of the family. Another character in Rasha and Adriana's party has magic, but again, how he got the magic isn't explained. I would have loved for this to be expanded upon (he uses a spell to activate his magic, which is different from the kind Adriana inherited).

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would love to read a sequel to see where life takes Rasha and Adriana after all they’ve learned and experienced.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens as Rasha, a teenage servant in the palace, escapes to the shoreline with a knife planning to kill herself. Her plan is foiled and instead she is consumed with magic inside her. Meanwhile, the palace itself is under attack and the queen ushers her teenage daughter, Adriana, out a secret exit, telling her to run to the forest and that she has magic within her.

The two meet in the forest, Rasha looking for her twin brother and Adriana searching for her parents who have been kidnapped. Along the way, they meet four others, and the entire group works together to defeat the sun god, Solaris, and his sister, Lunetta, the moon goddess.

Most of this book is about the journey to Solaris' mountaintop retreat while the group is being pursued by snake-like creatures. It's a bit like The Odyssey, with adventure after adventure that needs to be overcome. The last few chapters focus on the end of the quest.

The world building is strong and the characters interesting. The book was a bit long but it is engaging. All in all, a solid 4.