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Legends of Elessia - Shadows Over Garm #1
A Silvery Moon
As magic returns to Elessia, so do the undead. A lone monster hunter rises to protect the weak. Continuing the hunt that consumed most of his adult life, monster-slayer Lucius travels to a quiet mountain town to consult with a fellow monk… only to find him dead. When the town’s rulers turn a deaf ear to his questioning, he and his newfound allies set out on their own quest for answers. Their path will take them into the mountain’s darkest depths, where ghastly foes stalk their every step. But what the forces of darkness don’t expect is that Lucius is not just any monster hunter — for he wields the power of the Silver Lady, primordial goddess of Elessia. No darkness shall remain unburned before her silvery light! And yet, a greater power still lies in wait, shielded by the mountain’s secrets…
- GenresFantasyHigh Fantasy
218 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2019
71 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Luís Falcão de Magalhães
17 books48 followersMy name is Luis, and I’m the black sheep of the family.
Born the scion of a household of magistrates and physicians, I was groomed from a young age to meet those expectations. I threw the chain of office away and became a bard instead.
I’ve since traveled the breadth of my homeland, picking up tales here and there. I’ve dined with aldermen and drank firewater with vagabonds; I’ve sung moonlit serenades to hussies and taken the daughters of wealthy merchants to grand balls. I’ve joined secret orders, learning their lore and passphrases; I’ve locked arms with tree-huggers and danced with them under the full moon.
But two things sing to my soul like nothing else. One, the roll of the dice, be it on the wood of the tabletop or within the shards of magical glass that are everywhere in our society. Two, the tales of daring, of heroism and valor, of wickedness and deceit, to be found among the dusty tomes of the world’s libraries.
To contribute to those, I have made my life’s work.
Stay a while, and listen…
Born the scion of a household of magistrates and physicians, I was groomed from a young age to meet those expectations. I threw the chain of office away and became a bard instead.
I’ve since traveled the breadth of my homeland, picking up tales here and there. I’ve dined with aldermen and drank firewater with vagabonds; I’ve sung moonlit serenades to hussies and taken the daughters of wealthy merchants to grand balls. I’ve joined secret orders, learning their lore and passphrases; I’ve locked arms with tree-huggers and danced with them under the full moon.
But two things sing to my soul like nothing else. One, the roll of the dice, be it on the wood of the tabletop or within the shards of magical glass that are everywhere in our society. Two, the tales of daring, of heroism and valor, of wickedness and deceit, to be found among the dusty tomes of the world’s libraries.
To contribute to those, I have made my life’s work.
Stay a while, and listen…
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 3, 2024
Great start!
Within the mines of darkness a malevolent presence dwells. A desperate town prays for deliverance. In these times are those who fearlessness will become legend.
Old school heroic fantasy! Reminiscent of what drew me into the genre originally. Exciting adventure!
Within the mines of darkness a malevolent presence dwells. A desperate town prays for deliverance. In these times are those who fearlessness will become legend.
Old school heroic fantasy! Reminiscent of what drew me into the genre originally. Exciting adventure!
January 15, 2023
Rcvd an advanced reader copy from BookSirens for giving my two cents. Not bad of a read. Took me a bit to get into tho. We meet Oskar, miner whose men have been slaughtered and nothing good is happening. He meets young Lucius, a man of cloth and the Lady. He is on a task, quest of sorts to find the evil that plagues this town her has entered. The former man of cloth was killed by smtg not of this world and he's determined to stop it. What he doesn't know is how thick the evil is entwined in this town. The Lord of the tiny town is acting strange and his wife has all but disappeared. With their new friend Donata they venture deeps into the mine shafts to find evil...and boy do they find evil in thr form of a master vampiress so loves nothing more than death and destruction. With the help of the majordomo they come up with a plan...but will it be enough? Can Lucius save the town or will it be the end of them all?
July 5, 2021
Classic Fantasy!
I noticed that some other reviews of ‘A Silvery Moon’ criticise it for being too much like ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Firstly, this is nonsense. ‘A Silvery Moon’ is its own unique, well-rounded tale, written in the true spirit of great fantasy. Yet, if you don’t want something slightly Tolkien-esque, don’t read fantasy!
In short, ‘A Silvery Moon’ is just what I want and expect from a fantasy novel.
Luís Falcão de Magalhães writes extremely well. I particularly enjoyed the dialect used by Oskar and Donata. However, there are copy and grammar issues, which I guess crept in during the translation from Portuguese. These problems include typos and minor issues with prepositions. But the most common issue relates to the punctuation concerned with dialogue. (Instead of writing, for example - “Hello,” said Lucius. - the incorrect form - “Hello.” Said Lucius. – is generally used.)
The above issues should certainly be addressed in a future edition of the book. Yet with all that being said, the strong story and style of ‘A Silvery Moon’ make it easy to overlook these technicalities, so as not to spoil what is otherwise a thoroughly entertaining read.
I greatly enjoyed ‘A Silvery Moon’ and can’t wait for book 2 in the series.
I noticed that some other reviews of ‘A Silvery Moon’ criticise it for being too much like ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Firstly, this is nonsense. ‘A Silvery Moon’ is its own unique, well-rounded tale, written in the true spirit of great fantasy. Yet, if you don’t want something slightly Tolkien-esque, don’t read fantasy!
In short, ‘A Silvery Moon’ is just what I want and expect from a fantasy novel.
Luís Falcão de Magalhães writes extremely well. I particularly enjoyed the dialect used by Oskar and Donata. However, there are copy and grammar issues, which I guess crept in during the translation from Portuguese. These problems include typos and minor issues with prepositions. But the most common issue relates to the punctuation concerned with dialogue. (Instead of writing, for example - “Hello,” said Lucius. - the incorrect form - “Hello.” Said Lucius. – is generally used.)
The above issues should certainly be addressed in a future edition of the book. Yet with all that being said, the strong story and style of ‘A Silvery Moon’ make it easy to overlook these technicalities, so as not to spoil what is otherwise a thoroughly entertaining read.
I greatly enjoyed ‘A Silvery Moon’ and can’t wait for book 2 in the series.
January 24, 2023
I loved this book, and it was just fun to read. When I jumped in, I immediately noticed that the story had a very good flow. I wasn't caught up on the fine details; it just read very smoothly. The author's characters each have their own voice and personality. Every character is so well drawn that you find yourself rooting for them, no matter what kind of trouble they get into.
Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. I do wish it were a little longer, but I would highly recommend this as a quick read.
Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. I do wish it were a little longer, but I would highly recommend this as a quick read.
January 16, 2022
This was a very fun read. A Silvery Moon is written in the same tenor and tone as the forgotten realms novels. The world is magical, but not overly done and the characters are endearing. Lucius is a priest of the goddess who while seemingly mild mannered is actually a hunter of creatures of darkness. The book is filled with adventure and excitement as the trio of heroes uncover and thwart the mysterious evil that is plaguing the baron. There is only a light flirting of romance between two character but the author delivers in a satisfactory way.
I will definitely read more of this series.
I will definitely read more of this series.
December 28, 2022
I struggled with part of this story: the words "girman" and "Garm," the tendency to tell rather than show, the fact that new companions are introduced as companions by having them rescue the others, and the fact that the author begins with an attack. It would have been better if we'd had a page or two of Oskar and Lucien being established as characters before they got slammed.
With all that criticism aside, I enjoyed the story, and I'd be willing to read the next book someday.
With all that criticism aside, I enjoyed the story, and I'd be willing to read the next book someday.
July 15, 2021
Heart pounding action!
Where to start? This book was so enjoyable from start to finish. I loved the main trios camaraderie. Great start to a hopefully enjoyable series. I want more!
Where to start? This book was so enjoyable from start to finish. I loved the main trios camaraderie. Great start to a hopefully enjoyable series. I want more!
July 17, 2025
I loved this book whereby we get to meet a priest called Lucius who turns up in town and finds the previous priest killed, so has no one to welcome him, but he meets Oskar, a merchant whose mine had been closed down because of the miners who had been dying mysteriously inside this mine, and Donata, a huntress, who was ready to do battle even on her own if need be to save her family and friends from the evil threatening all their lives. These three join up together to face the vampires who were on the rise, with Lucius being the most knowledgable about how to kill these monsters, and also the one wanting to bring the people back to his faith. This is a great start to the series Legends of Elessia, and I would love to go on reading as I found this book to be very exciting. I love our simple but very heroic characters. I loved this book whereby we get to meet a priest cum monster slayer called Lucius who turns up in town and finds the previous priest killed, so has no one to welcome him, but he meets Oskar, a merchant whose mine had been closed down because of the miners who had been dying mysteriously inside this mine, and Donata, a huntress, who was ready to do battle even on her own if need be to save her family and friends from the evil threatening all their lives. These three join up together to face the vampires who were on the rise, with Lucius being the most knowledgable about how to kill these monsters, and also the one wanting to bring the people back to his faith. This is a great start to the series Legends of Elessia, and I would love to go on reading as I found this book to be very exciting. I love our simple but very heroic characters, with their rising powers of magic which is returning to Elessia.
Read
April 23, 2024The Shadows over Garm series was recommend to me after being introduced to one of their main characters, Lucius, in The Assassin of The Ice. I was not disappointed. Even though I could tell A Silvery Moon was an earlier work by the writing - it was a lot simpler and single focused compared, the author did an excellent job of keeping events straight. The character stayed true to what was already established for me. When it came to Lucius, I like how tortured yet capable he was. His flaws gave him layers that made him interesting, in my opinion. The characters brought in around him complimented him as well. Sceptical Oskar, and eager Donata. Even the villain, who I will not say for the sake of spoilers. They did well balancing their talents in the search for the evil plaguing Glonsclim. I really enjoyed the dynamic between them.
I would say A Silvery Moon is a plot driven, fast paced mystery adventure with great characters. Some grim, dark aspects that lend well to the dire circumstances the antagonists find themsemves in. I found it to be a fun read. I would say its a excellent choice for anyone that also enjoyed Game of Thrones.
I was given a free ARC to read through BookSirens, but also read this a second time by borrowing through Prime. This review was left of my own accord.
I would say A Silvery Moon is a plot driven, fast paced mystery adventure with great characters. Some grim, dark aspects that lend well to the dire circumstances the antagonists find themsemves in. I found it to be a fun read. I would say its a excellent choice for anyone that also enjoyed Game of Thrones.
I was given a free ARC to read through BookSirens, but also read this a second time by borrowing through Prime. This review was left of my own accord.
July 3, 2023
‘Some treasures, you bury again’
And again and again until they stay buried.
The author did an awesome job with characterization. The dialogues were rife with dialects and such. Each personality shone with quirky phrasing and witty banter. One of my faves was when one guy asked another to ‘do him a solid’.
Readers get schooled on life while traipsing along with this bunch:
Bless your weapons.
‘Man needs his hobbies’
Know when you have enough.
Listen to the voices in your head.
Live unparalyzed by fear of the Final Sleep
Carelessness kills ‘more men than beasts and disease combined’
Regardless of the danger, we should all ask ourselves the below question – every day:
‘After you’ve seen real evil … and you realize you can do something about it, how can you not?’
May we do what it takes to eradicate the evil in our world.
Next in series are ‘Mask of the Eternal Moon’ and ‘A Sundered Moon’. I also have an anthology ‘The Rose and the Knight’ and I will continue the Elessia-Age of Rekindling series with an ARC of ‘The Champion of The Ice’ (expected 20 July).
And again and again until they stay buried.
The author did an awesome job with characterization. The dialogues were rife with dialects and such. Each personality shone with quirky phrasing and witty banter. One of my faves was when one guy asked another to ‘do him a solid’.
Readers get schooled on life while traipsing along with this bunch:
Bless your weapons.
‘Man needs his hobbies’
Know when you have enough.
Listen to the voices in your head.
Live unparalyzed by fear of the Final Sleep
Carelessness kills ‘more men than beasts and disease combined’
Regardless of the danger, we should all ask ourselves the below question – every day:
‘After you’ve seen real evil … and you realize you can do something about it, how can you not?’
May we do what it takes to eradicate the evil in our world.
Next in series are ‘Mask of the Eternal Moon’ and ‘A Sundered Moon’. I also have an anthology ‘The Rose and the Knight’ and I will continue the Elessia-Age of Rekindling series with an ARC of ‘The Champion of The Ice’ (expected 20 July).
January 2, 2024
A Silvery Moon is the first of a fantasy trilogy where the MCs team up against undead monsters. The world building here is interesting is somewhat generic. My only complaint here is that the made up names are awkward (and simplistic) and tend to slow down my reading speed (so called it average). The characters are interesting, with a quick plot and storyline that inhibits much in the way of character development (so this is more along the lines of a novella or even a short story style). Over all … the decent enough story to bing the entire trilogy.
The MC are a priest/undead hunter wandering to where ever the goddess needs him. He has a few miracle/magical tricks that help along the way. His sidekick is a cranky old guy with a clockworks crossbow and a heavy accent. A local huntress rounds out the party as they investigate the strange goings on at a remote village … and of course … go up against a scheming and ancient evil undead. Lots of quick moving action helps keep you in the story as to rapidly moves to its predictable ending.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#ASilveryMoon #BookSirens
The MC are a priest/undead hunter wandering to where ever the goddess needs him. He has a few miracle/magical tricks that help along the way. His sidekick is a cranky old guy with a clockworks crossbow and a heavy accent. A local huntress rounds out the party as they investigate the strange goings on at a remote village … and of course … go up against a scheming and ancient evil undead. Lots of quick moving action helps keep you in the story as to rapidly moves to its predictable ending.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#ASilveryMoon #BookSirens
February 16, 2024
A classic fantasy adventure of a priest fighting against the undead.
It doesn't have a rich history background, neither a complex kingdoms relationships network.
And it doesn't linger on detailed descriptions of landscapes and characters' personalities.
But it has enough of each to filter an impresion of what is happening in the whole picture.
The main characters have got more detail and the action has not pauses.
Though the resolution is a bit naif sometimes, as a whole it's thrilling enough.
It's not probably going to get a lot of awards, but it's entertaining.
There are a lot of questions without answers, but that's what series are for.
Perfect for young readers. Just enjoy it without asking too much.
It doesn't have a rich history background, neither a complex kingdoms relationships network.
And it doesn't linger on detailed descriptions of landscapes and characters' personalities.
But it has enough of each to filter an impresion of what is happening in the whole picture.
The main characters have got more detail and the action has not pauses.
Though the resolution is a bit naif sometimes, as a whole it's thrilling enough.
It's not probably going to get a lot of awards, but it's entertaining.
There are a lot of questions without answers, but that's what series are for.
Perfect for young readers. Just enjoy it without asking too much.
October 27, 2022
epic
High fantasy full of excitement. i’m interested in exploring more of this world, because there is so much complication woven throughout the plot that it leaves me hungry for more. Moving onto the next book now.
High fantasy full of excitement. i’m interested in exploring more of this world, because there is so much complication woven throughout the plot that it leaves me hungry for more. Moving onto the next book now.
December 5, 2022
Creative fantasy with enjoyable characters.
This was like a tasty morsel of a fantasy. Short, but well crafted and enjoyable. More backstory and world building could have been done to flush out the characters more, but I imagine this is coming in future parts of this series.
This was like a tasty morsel of a fantasy. Short, but well crafted and enjoyable. More backstory and world building could have been done to flush out the characters more, but I imagine this is coming in future parts of this series.
January 2, 2026
A delightful read.
A battle with undead and expansion of the light. The characters are well thought out and believable. The hero uses wit and wisdom, and the right amount of muscle and magic. While this is book one of a trilogy it feels like it can easily expand to much more.
A battle with undead and expansion of the light. The characters are well thought out and believable. The hero uses wit and wisdom, and the right amount of muscle and magic. While this is book one of a trilogy it feels like it can easily expand to much more.
March 27, 2023
This was a well written novella. Began with an action scene that set the pacing for the story. I liked all three main characters and how they supported each other. I'd say the author did a good job of mixing the plot with worldbuilding details as needed.
It was darker than I'm comfortable with though, especially in the second half. Had to skip/skim gory scenes.
It was darker than I'm comfortable with though, especially in the second half. Had to skip/skim gory scenes.
May 31, 2023
3.5 Stars
For the full review, check out: https://medium.com/@essentialreadings...
What's the story about: A Silvery Moon is a short, barely 100+ page story of a monster hunter on a mission to save a town from an evil that plagues them. It follows three main POVs with a singular plot that reads like a much more simplistic and straightforward Witcher tale.
A Silvery Moon is so much better than its cover may have you believe! The world's introduction is intentionally kept small and the plot is focused, but has the potential to expand and grow with the next installments. In this introductory tale, the author uses each page purposefully for the story at hand rather than meandering or providing useless information. The characters, while not fully fleshed out, do grow on you and are fun to learn about and journey with. The strongest aspect in this novella is the well-executed action and smart storytelling that is exciting and full of adventure and intrigue. I fully believe that Luis Falcao de Magalhaes will improve upon his writing after this installment and I look forward to seeing how the story continues in the sequel!
For the full review, check out: https://medium.com/@essentialreadings...
What's the story about: A Silvery Moon is a short, barely 100+ page story of a monster hunter on a mission to save a town from an evil that plagues them. It follows three main POVs with a singular plot that reads like a much more simplistic and straightforward Witcher tale.
A Silvery Moon is so much better than its cover may have you believe! The world's introduction is intentionally kept small and the plot is focused, but has the potential to expand and grow with the next installments. In this introductory tale, the author uses each page purposefully for the story at hand rather than meandering or providing useless information. The characters, while not fully fleshed out, do grow on you and are fun to learn about and journey with. The strongest aspect in this novella is the well-executed action and smart storytelling that is exciting and full of adventure and intrigue. I fully believe that Luis Falcao de Magalhaes will improve upon his writing after this installment and I look forward to seeing how the story continues in the sequel!
January 16, 2024
A SILVERY MOON is the first book in the Legends of Elessia series and it took me back to the Forgotten Realms and the Dragonlance Chronicles. I only mean this as a compliment as I loved those books.
Lucius is a monster-hunting priest and befriends a mine owner as he travels to Galm to speak with the priest there. Unfortunately, that priest is dead and Lucius is afraid the rest of the town will soon follow.
This was a wonderful old-style fantasy that kept me turning the pages as I got lost in their adventures. The characters are all easily identifiable and have their own quirks and foibles. The pacing kept the story moving along whilst not rushing, giving me a chance to savour what was unfolding before me.
A great start to the series, I look forward to continuing this story and have no hesitation in recommending it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 6, 2023
Lucius is a monster-hunting priest and befriends a mine owner as he travels to Galm to speak with the priest there. Unfortunately, that priest is dead and Lucius is afraid the rest of the town will soon follow.
This was a wonderful old-style fantasy that kept me turning the pages as I got lost in their adventures. The characters are all easily identifiable and have their own quirks and foibles. The pacing kept the story moving along whilst not rushing, giving me a chance to savour what was unfolding before me.
A great start to the series, I look forward to continuing this story and have no hesitation in recommending it.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 6, 2023
December 30, 2025
This story was wonderful. It follows Lucius, a disfigured priest. If you're like me, you instantly realize from the description there is more to Lucius than meets the eye.
This is the first story I've read where we started with a POV who wasn't the main character, but it still worked for me. I think it worked well because the priest is shown as the hero in the intro, but also it allowed the reader to see the priest before getting into his mind, to see right away that he's more than a typical priest.
After that, we are faced with what I would consider a straight-forward action plot.
The story is under 160 pages but is packaged with a teaser of the next book as well as a short story from earlier in Lucius's life. The short story was complete and satisfying, too.
I'm giving this book four-stars rather than five because, while it has fine story craft and is fast-paced and entertaining, it didn't leave me feeling impacted. This was a solid read that I believe will be someone's favorite story. I plan to read more from this author.
This is the first story I've read where we started with a POV who wasn't the main character, but it still worked for me. I think it worked well because the priest is shown as the hero in the intro, but also it allowed the reader to see the priest before getting into his mind, to see right away that he's more than a typical priest.
After that, we are faced with what I would consider a straight-forward action plot.
The story is under 160 pages but is packaged with a teaser of the next book as well as a short story from earlier in Lucius's life. The short story was complete and satisfying, too.
I'm giving this book four-stars rather than five because, while it has fine story craft and is fast-paced and entertaining, it didn't leave me feeling impacted. This was a solid read that I believe will be someone's favorite story. I plan to read more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews