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Tales of the High Court #4
The Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon
For twenty years Myra has served the High King, so familiar, respected, and envied the rest of the palace calls him the High Secretary. For twenty years he has kept his secrets buried, and after so long he dares to believe he has left his past behind. But during the Festival of Harmony, tragedy strikes, and Myra's past is dragged into the present.
Once third in command of Fathoms Deep, Charlaine is used to shadows and secrets, but even he is shocked to learn what his best friend, and the man he secretly loves, has been hiding all these years. In the wake of a terrible tragedy, he doesn't know what to do—except whatever it takes to help his friends.
Though Jac is a member of the Three-headed Dragons and primary bodyguard to the High Consort, she is used to being overlooked and underestimated. But she didn't earn her spurs by backing down, and she's not about to do so now—even if she must defy the High Throne itself to save the man she's falling in love with.
Once third in command of Fathoms Deep, Charlaine is used to shadows and secrets, but even he is shocked to learn what his best friend, and the man he secretly loves, has been hiding all these years. In the wake of a terrible tragedy, he doesn't know what to do—except whatever it takes to help his friends.
Though Jac is a member of the Three-headed Dragons and primary bodyguard to the High Consort, she is used to being overlooked and underestimated. But she didn't earn her spurs by backing down, and she's not about to do so now—even if she must defy the High Throne itself to save the man she's falling in love with.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2018
59 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
About the author
Megan Derr
283 books2,937 followersMegan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 17, 2020
Another one-eyed guy gets a book? That seems a little excessive. I mean, there have been 4 books in the series so far and 2 of them have featured men who lost an eye. That makes half of the series one-eyed books. I feel like this disproportionately represents eye-loss in a typical society -even medieval fantasy society. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't heard anything about a giant eye-related problem back then that would have taken out half the eyes of the male species.
Oooooh. Now I get it. Medieval medicine. My bad.
So, okay, I dealt with the first one-eyed (oh fuck, I'm going to abbreviate that. I'm writing it too much. From now on when I write 1IF I means One-eyed Fellow, ok?), and I even could see a very slight appeal of him, but this second 1IF? He has one normal eye and one "milky" eye. And, we are supposed to find him sexy? Plus his name is Charlene? It's like this author is just fucking with me at this point!
I feel like I'm being fucked with...
Anyway, this book was about a polyamorous group of three. All three of them are side-characters that have been around for most of the series. But, the problem for me was that I've never felt a burning desire for these people to get their book. None of them are very compelling. It was like a story where Millhouse, Eeyore, and Mrs. Potts decided to get their freak on and hook up. Nobody wants to see that! Certainly don't give Mrs. Potts a strap-on for fuck's sake! And, why did you even think of it?
There are some things that none of us want to see.
So, I've noticed that so far the author has separated the couples for most of the books. I am hoping that won't be the case in the next one - whenever that comes out - because I am really looking forward to both of the next characters and I want to see them interact more.
Oooooh. Now I get it. Medieval medicine. My bad.
So, okay, I dealt with the first one-eyed (oh fuck, I'm going to abbreviate that. I'm writing it too much. From now on when I write 1IF I means One-eyed Fellow, ok?), and I even could see a very slight appeal of him, but this second 1IF? He has one normal eye and one "milky" eye. And, we are supposed to find him sexy? Plus his name is Charlene? It's like this author is just fucking with me at this point!
I feel like I'm being fucked with...
Anyway, this book was about a polyamorous group of three. All three of them are side-characters that have been around for most of the series. But, the problem for me was that I've never felt a burning desire for these people to get their book. None of them are very compelling. It was like a story where Millhouse, Eeyore, and Mrs. Potts decided to get their freak on and hook up. Nobody wants to see that! Certainly don't give Mrs. Potts a strap-on for fuck's sake! And, why did you even think of it?
There are some things that none of us want to see.
So, I've noticed that so far the author has separated the couples for most of the books. I am hoping that won't be the case in the next one - whenever that comes out - because I am really looking forward to both of the next characters and I want to see them interact more.
December 29, 2018
Rating: 3 stars
This book was extremely hard for me to finish. There was just so much detail. I think the book would have been better if it had been shorter. I found all the political stuff a bit boring. I did like the relationship between the MCs. The fact that all three didn’t get together until about 70% in didn’t bother me. I think it was because they all knew each other for a long time prior to the events in this story. It would have bothered me more had they just met.
Overall, I was somewhat disappointed in this story. It was okay, but way too long and a bit boring. I do find myself looking forward to the next one in the series. I can’t quite figure out how the author is going to redeem Chass, but am looking forward to finding out.
This book was extremely hard for me to finish. There was just so much detail. I think the book would have been better if it had been shorter. I found all the political stuff a bit boring. I did like the relationship between the MCs. The fact that all three didn’t get together until about 70% in didn’t bother me. I think it was because they all knew each other for a long time prior to the events in this story. It would have bothered me more had they just met.
Overall, I was somewhat disappointed in this story. It was okay, but way too long and a bit boring. I do find myself looking forward to the next one in the series. I can’t quite figure out how the author is going to redeem Chass, but am looking forward to finding out.
March 20, 2023
Well... One star. I was looking forward to this one, because I like the High Court and the bickering between the MC's. Insults and sarcasm are my kind of humor. And that didn't occur in this book.
The plus side of skimming: I noticed only two editing errors.
The plot was identical to the other three books: lovers get separated and travel through the countries. Lots of history and politics while waiting for the story to pick up.
You have to excuse me for rating a book which contains something I knew beforehand I do not like: female erotic scenes. It bothered me in book three a bit, when I was surprised one of the "he's" had female genitals. I should not have read this.
The plus side of skimming: I noticed only two editing errors.
The plot was identical to the other three books: lovers get separated and travel through the countries. Lots of history and politics while waiting for the story to pick up.
You have to excuse me for rating a book which contains something I knew beforehand I do not like: female erotic scenes. It bothered me in book three a bit, when I was surprised one of the "he's" had female genitals. I should not have read this.
April 10, 2025
Another wonderful addition to one of my favourite series!
Content warnings include: sex on-page, violence and death, misgendering and deadnaming, effects of colonialism, execution through staking/exposure, kidnapping, misogyny; mentions of patricide.
The Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon, fourth book in the Tales of the High Court series, gives much deserved loved to some well established characters from previous books: Jac, Myra and Charlaine. As a secretary and two bodyguards (for different reasons/people), they seem so entirely different and like there's barely any connection, but they fit wonderfully.
I loved all three of them, and especially Jac was a delight to read about. The book is casually diverse, with many characters, including the protagonists, being PoC. Myra is a trans man and Charlaine is explicitly demisexual.
The language used and the culture of Harken, the empire these three serve, is diverse and very inclusive of trans people in many ways, though not all countries in the world are the same, and one of the less inclusive ones features heavily in this book. These countries' views are treated as backwards and are always textually challenged.
I enjoyed the romance between the three protagonists. There was natural progression and it helped that all three were established and known characters from the previous books and already friends or friendly acquaintances. While it would be possible to read The Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon without knowing the other books of the series, I highly recommend reading the others first, if only to get the context of the various political machinations and countless side characters in the background.
The plot is centered around Myra's past clashing with the present. It's well done and was an enjoyable read for me, though in hindsight maybe not paced perfectly. Like in the previous books, the main characters actually spend a big part of it apart, but that didn't bother me.
While the book is frequently violent with high stakes involved and dramatic and heartbreaking pasts and presents being revealed, there were also several scenes that made me smile and laugh out loud. Seeing glimpses of the previous books' protagonists being happy was great, and the running jokes around Charlaine's excellent behind, Jac's comments and Charlaine's reactions to these, made me grin a lot.
There were also clear setups for the next book in the series, some of which already started in The Heart of the Lost Star. They mainly revolves around a secondary character who was introduced by name and horrific actions in book1. I got curious about him in book3 already, and book4 only made me more excited about book5, where he will be a protagonist. I'm a bit wary of the whole redemption-of-a-known-abuser thing, but there clearly was and is more going on behind the scenes than we know of yet, and I'm willing to let myself be surprised.
A topic that might not be in the foreground but is present much of the time is colonialism, or rather the effects of colonialism. Loss and criminalisation of traditions is very present, and the references to western white people forcing their ways on south-east-asian countries are not at all subtle.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, violence and death, misgendering and deadnaming, effects of colonialism, execution through staking/exposure, kidnapping, misogyny; mentions of patricide.
The Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon, fourth book in the Tales of the High Court series, gives much deserved loved to some well established characters from previous books: Jac, Myra and Charlaine. As a secretary and two bodyguards (for different reasons/people), they seem so entirely different and like there's barely any connection, but they fit wonderfully.
I loved all three of them, and especially Jac was a delight to read about. The book is casually diverse, with many characters, including the protagonists, being PoC. Myra is a trans man and Charlaine is explicitly demisexual.
The language used and the culture of Harken, the empire these three serve, is diverse and very inclusive of trans people in many ways, though not all countries in the world are the same, and one of the less inclusive ones features heavily in this book. These countries' views are treated as backwards and are always textually challenged.
I enjoyed the romance between the three protagonists. There was natural progression and it helped that all three were established and known characters from the previous books and already friends or friendly acquaintances. While it would be possible to read The Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon without knowing the other books of the series, I highly recommend reading the others first, if only to get the context of the various political machinations and countless side characters in the background.
The plot is centered around Myra's past clashing with the present. It's well done and was an enjoyable read for me, though in hindsight maybe not paced perfectly. Like in the previous books, the main characters actually spend a big part of it apart, but that didn't bother me.
While the book is frequently violent with high stakes involved and dramatic and heartbreaking pasts and presents being revealed, there were also several scenes that made me smile and laugh out loud. Seeing glimpses of the previous books' protagonists being happy was great, and the running jokes around Charlaine's excellent behind, Jac's comments and Charlaine's reactions to these, made me grin a lot.
There were also clear setups for the next book in the series, some of which already started in The Heart of the Lost Star. They mainly revolves around a secondary character who was introduced by name and horrific actions in book1. I got curious about him in book3 already, and book4 only made me more excited about book5, where he will be a protagonist. I'm a bit wary of the whole redemption-of-a-known-abuser thing, but there clearly was and is more going on behind the scenes than we know of yet, and I'm willing to let myself be surprised.
A topic that might not be in the foreground but is present much of the time is colonialism, or rather the effects of colonialism. Loss and criminalisation of traditions is very present, and the references to western white people forcing their ways on south-east-asian countries are not at all subtle.
April 23, 2022
Another great addition to The Tales of the High Court. I absolutely adore this world and Myra in this book sums up why I love it so much when he talks about Sarrica and his posse, I mean family =P It has heart, it has kindness and it has a lot of love for friends who have been chosen as family.
The three main characters had been side characters in the earlier books in this series so they're not completely strangers, except that now we get to get to know them better. Get to know their backstory and background. Charlaine and Myra have more interesting backstories than Jac, although that doesn't mean she's less interesting, I think she's still one of those characters who are always in the forefront even when she was a side character. Charlaine was more of a background shadow, but Myra..Myra really piqued my interest here. I wouldn't say he carried the story but his history was so fascinating and so different from his current role as High Secretary, although, don't call him that, he doesn't like it =P
It felt more focussed on Charlaine and Jac, only because it was up to them to move the story along. We did check back with Myra quite often but I felt he had a bit less "screen time" than the other two. I would have loved to have more of Shemal and Kamir in here, even Jader but alas, those characters were largely missed.
I've seen some reviews that have noted that the pacing was rather slow. For me, I rather liked it because each slow step along the way, we learned more about each character. Perhaps it's because I love seeing character progression and peeling layers off one at a time. Sure, it did not have as strong a story as the first book, but I don't know, I am oddly satisfied.
I'm now very, very intrigued about Chass' story though. Can't wait!!
The three main characters had been side characters in the earlier books in this series so they're not completely strangers, except that now we get to get to know them better. Get to know their backstory and background. Charlaine and Myra have more interesting backstories than Jac, although that doesn't mean she's less interesting, I think she's still one of those characters who are always in the forefront even when she was a side character. Charlaine was more of a background shadow, but Myra..Myra really piqued my interest here. I wouldn't say he carried the story but his history was so fascinating and so different from his current role as High Secretary, although, don't call him that, he doesn't like it =P
It felt more focussed on Charlaine and Jac, only because it was up to them to move the story along. We did check back with Myra quite often but I felt he had a bit less "screen time" than the other two. I would have loved to have more of Shemal and Kamir in here, even Jader but alas, those characters were largely missed.
I've seen some reviews that have noted that the pacing was rather slow. For me, I rather liked it because each slow step along the way, we learned more about each character. Perhaps it's because I love seeing character progression and peeling layers off one at a time. Sure, it did not have as strong a story as the first book, but I don't know, I am oddly satisfied.
I'm now very, very intrigued about Chass' story though. Can't wait!!
May 3, 2019
An alright read - Myra is a man of surprising talents - equally capable of keeping up with multiple tasks and schedules at once as High Secretary to Sarrica as he is in taking out another person without blinking with a small knife. He's also got a major secret that's about to blow up in his face right when the two most important people in his life are this close to declaring themselves ... The race is on to save Myra from a fate worse than death.
January 7, 2021
I liked it, but I didn't love it like the other books in this series. For me there was too much inner dialogue and too little actual communication between the MC's. The tone of the story felt slightly off to me, I can't really explain it. The middle part of the story dragged on and on. I also missed the presence of the former MCs and their interactions, luckily we did get to enjoy some Sarrica/Lesto.
Looking forward to the next one in this series.
Looking forward to the next one in this series.
November 23, 2018
I wanted to enjoy this book as I did the others in the series but this one followed the same trope as the other three. The characters are separated for over 30 to 40% of the book which impedes emotional relationship development and left me irritated and skimming.
It led to a power imbalance where Char and Jac have more solo development together than the three of them as a couple. Which if the relationship had been solidly established before Myra was captured would not have been as much of an issue.
It kept dragging on and on almost like the walking scenes in the hobbit. Each book does this. Love interest are separated for large swaths of the book which impedes emotional and romantic development of the characters instead of them growing through the plot on page together or being kidnapped and such later on in the book.
I am also very much not here for Allen's abusive brother Chass getting a redemption arc in his own book.
I wanted to like Char, Jac and Myra as a poly triad but overall due to three of them sharing less than quarter of the book together as a full triad there wasnt enough satisfying relationship development and it just left me feeling left wanting. Normally I really enjoy this authors books like Tournament of Losers or Harem Master being my favorites.
I also feel this one could have done with another round of editing as their were really weird spelling errors that would jump out or formatting errors.
It led to a power imbalance where Char and Jac have more solo development together than the three of them as a couple. Which if the relationship had been solidly established before Myra was captured would not have been as much of an issue.
It kept dragging on and on almost like the walking scenes in the hobbit. Each book does this. Love interest are separated for large swaths of the book which impedes emotional and romantic development of the characters instead of them growing through the plot on page together or being kidnapped and such later on in the book.
I am also very much not here for Allen's abusive brother Chass getting a redemption arc in his own book.
I wanted to like Char, Jac and Myra as a poly triad but overall due to three of them sharing less than quarter of the book together as a full triad there wasnt enough satisfying relationship development and it just left me feeling left wanting. Normally I really enjoy this authors books like Tournament of Losers or Harem Master being my favorites.
I also feel this one could have done with another round of editing as their were really weird spelling errors that would jump out or formatting errors.
November 23, 2018
This had been a long awaiting sequel for me. Since this is the book about Myra the head secretary of Sarrica.
I do like it overall. But the middle arc was slow. I am not sure if it was meant to reflect the characters’ experiences or not… It did felt like it and it was not an enjoyable read.
The romances felt believable, which help fleshed out the characters as well. The trios’ backgrounds were explored. Myra’s was the center piece as this book is about him and his past. Charlaine was a fun character to read and Jac was a delight in a different way. It certainly was fun
Since we spend a fair bit of time travelling to and traversing through new land, there were a lot of expositions. Sometimes they felt forced and kill the pacing a bit. But that happen occasionally.
Soltorin aesthetic was clearly derived from Japanese. This reflected in the clothes, buildings, and their traditional names.
There are some allegory that could be drawn from Bentan and the Triumvirate history There was also scenes of Deadnaming a trans person.
The climax of the book was not quite how I thought it would be. It certainly was not quite like the middle arc of the first book. Not sure if I liked how thing went but I could not think of a better ways, considering all the context and circumstances.
One big thing that happened in this book had a profound effect on the next book. I was thinking how would this character went and did the thing he would be doing in the fifth book. I was surprised and delighted that it was acknowledged and explained a bit.
I kinda skip the sex scenes as I am a gay man. But I can assure you that they are not numerous and they were appropriately placed in the story.
Over all, I felt that the book was a slightly longer than it should. Perhaps this book needed to be longer, because it’s a poly relationship. And there are more exposition to be made with the new locations and all. The part after the middle crisis felt slightly dragging. But it was there to build the necessary relationship. But it also did not move the main plot of the story. The pacing was off from time to time. The climax was not the conventional one. And it was not as tight a story as I would prefer.
However, if you like the previous book and wanted to read the continuation, it would scratched that itch. 3.5 stars round up.
I do like it overall. But the middle arc was slow. I am not sure if it was meant to reflect the characters’ experiences or not… It did felt like it and it was not an enjoyable read.
The romances felt believable, which help fleshed out the characters as well. The trios’ backgrounds were explored. Myra’s was the center piece as this book is about him and his past. Charlaine was a fun character to read and Jac was a delight in a different way. It certainly was fun
Since we spend a fair bit of time travelling to and traversing through new land, there were a lot of expositions. Sometimes they felt forced and kill the pacing a bit. But that happen occasionally.
Soltorin aesthetic was clearly derived from Japanese. This reflected in the clothes, buildings, and their traditional names.
There are some allegory that could be drawn from Bentan and the Triumvirate history There was also scenes of Deadnaming a trans person.
The climax of the book was not quite how I thought it would be. It certainly was not quite like the middle arc of the first book. Not sure if I liked how thing went but I could not think of a better ways, considering all the context and circumstances.
One big thing that happened in this book had a profound effect on the next book. I was thinking how would this character went and did the thing he would be doing in the fifth book. I was surprised and delighted that it was acknowledged and explained a bit.
I kinda skip the sex scenes as I am a gay man. But I can assure you that they are not numerous and they were appropriately placed in the story.
Over all, I felt that the book was a slightly longer than it should. Perhaps this book needed to be longer, because it’s a poly relationship. And there are more exposition to be made with the new locations and all. The part after the middle crisis felt slightly dragging. But it was there to build the necessary relationship. But it also did not move the main plot of the story. The pacing was off from time to time. The climax was not the conventional one. And it was not as tight a story as I would prefer.
However, if you like the previous book and wanted to read the continuation, it would scratched that itch. 3.5 stars round up.
March 15, 2019
I was so excited that we were finally getting Myra’s backstory, and I wanted to love this so badly- and while some parts I definitely did, it just seemed to drag on for the most part. However, I their relationship may be one of my favorites from the series, I felt like they really had enough time for it to naturally progress, unlike some of the others.
August 25, 2021
Another tough one to rate but I'm gonna go with 3.5 stars.
I knew going in this was not going to be as pleasant as the first 2 books. Knowing how a lot of men in this series are Trans has helped, but I'm really not a fan of 3somes. However I had to finish the series so I finally knuckled down and dove in.
Story wise this had everything I expected. Blood guts gore and language, sometimes confusing and other times thrilling. The main recurring cast were everything I remembered, Sarrica and Lesto I will never tire of seeing together. It was certainly a shock to read Myras back story, but for the most part I was happy with the way things played out.
But I also had a few problems. The time line was not as clear as it could of been, I also found myself struggling to believe some of the fight scenes. The trouble with having expert mercenaries fail is you question why if they were that expert did they fail. But like in films I managed to look past most moments that caused me to stop and question.
The hardest parts for me were predictably the sex scenes, and I also found the running joke of Charlaines ass tiring. I'm sorry but as much as I like Jac this would of better suited me if she was not involved.
Overall this was in keeping with the series but I doubt I'll be rereading this one
I knew going in this was not going to be as pleasant as the first 2 books. Knowing how a lot of men in this series are Trans has helped, but I'm really not a fan of 3somes. However I had to finish the series so I finally knuckled down and dove in.
Story wise this had everything I expected. Blood guts gore and language, sometimes confusing and other times thrilling. The main recurring cast were everything I remembered, Sarrica and Lesto I will never tire of seeing together. It was certainly a shock to read Myras back story, but for the most part I was happy with the way things played out.
But I also had a few problems. The time line was not as clear as it could of been, I also found myself struggling to believe some of the fight scenes. The trouble with having expert mercenaries fail is you question why if they were that expert did they fail. But like in films I managed to look past most moments that caused me to stop and question.
The hardest parts for me were predictably the sex scenes, and I also found the running joke of Charlaines ass tiring. I'm sorry but as much as I like Jac this would of better suited me if she was not involved.
Overall this was in keeping with the series but I doubt I'll be rereading this one
February 9, 2020
Its a great character-grounded romance as part of a larger geo-political thriller with war and revolt and assassinations and ninjas everywhere, but I really could have used a character map or index or some such to keep track of everyone. Also, as sweet as the main relationship was, during every sex scene I kept screaming at the page Do you really have time for this?! People are trying to kill you, like, right now!
Also, I found it interesting that while in the fantasy and sci-fi genres right now, there is a lot of themes of post colonialism and anti-imperialism... while here, the story is very pro-empire. You know, as long as its the good guys' empire, as there is an acknowledgement that other, bad, empires did damage with colonialism, but this empire does a good job in taking over the world.
I actually can see the case for a strong central government, be it federal or imperial - since apparently that is the only way in any time or place to get a descent roadway system built - but its an interesting aspect of more traditional thinking about governments set in a universe of such forward thinking when it comes to sexuality and gender.
July 5, 2024
This series continues to deliver a great blend of action, intrigue, betrayal, passion, and love. In this book, Myra, secretary to the high king, has secrets from long ago revealed in a startling way. No one really knows all of his past, but now it has been thrust to the light, with danger for all those around him.
Before all is known, his good friend Charlaine, realizes that he wishes their relationship was more. Charlaine hesitates approaching Myra when he finds out that Jac, a mercenary who guards the High Consort, is also interested in Myra. Before attractions can be sorted out, danger explodes.
This is a beautifully woven story where all of the parts blend together to perfectly balance triad love with a fight for survival. Many of the characters from other books in the series continue on in this story as their lives intersect. This book is highly recommended. I look forward to the next book in the series!
Before all is known, his good friend Charlaine, realizes that he wishes their relationship was more. Charlaine hesitates approaching Myra when he finds out that Jac, a mercenary who guards the High Consort, is also interested in Myra. Before attractions can be sorted out, danger explodes.
This is a beautifully woven story where all of the parts blend together to perfectly balance triad love with a fight for survival. Many of the characters from other books in the series continue on in this story as their lives intersect. This book is highly recommended. I look forward to the next book in the series!
February 13, 2023
The worldbuilding in this series continues to be impressive, as do the character arcs. Assassins attack a festival, murder many, then the man who escaped them two decades ago sacrifices himself to save his friends--who fight it, but lose. Then get very unexpected help mounting a rescue. It is just as fraught and violent as you'd expect, but the pair are funnier than I expected and the three of them are perfect, if now about to die. I did not find the violence as overt as it could've been, but for sure the body count is high. Given the setting, there wasn't a choice.
CW: dead-naming from bad guys, misogyny ditto, on-page violence.
On to the last book. Potentially even more violent, given that setting, and one of the MCs.
CW: dead-naming from bad guys, misogyny ditto, on-page violence.
On to the last book. Potentially even more violent, given that setting, and one of the MCs.
August 3, 2021
The plot didn't make much sense and I wasn't really interested in the characters tbh.
But the book accomplished one thing: it made me join the author's patreon to be able to read the final installment in the series (no ebook available yet). Chass is more intriguing than any other character in the series and the last book has the potential to be the best; at least I hope so.
But the book accomplished one thing: it made me join the author's patreon to be able to read the final installment in the series (no ebook available yet). Chass is more intriguing than any other character in the series and the last book has the potential to be the best; at least I hope so.
May 19, 2021
Just the fucking best
October 28, 2021
I found this installment to be a bit more boring than the previous ones and the relationship dynamics between the protagonists weren't as captivating to me as the ones in previous books either.
March 13, 2024
Ugh this series is just so damn precious. And all the characters are so dang endearing. Trans-ness is so completely integrated and seamless in this world and series and it is so lovely.
February 24, 2019
Review at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
ARC provided by Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.
May 17, 2019
I'm really enjoying this series as a whole. I wasn't sure what to make of this one going in as I didn't remember any of the characters that much other than Myra since it'd been awhile since I read the other books, but it didn't take me long after diving in before I was fully up to speed and on board. This was a strange trio in some ways and yet it worked beautifully. I could totally see this working as a menage and part of that is due to the uniqueness of this world. If there is one thing Megan Derr does beautifully it's develop her worlds!
I was cheering for these characters right from the beginning. I've really liked Myra in the other stories and loved that he was getting his book now. And boy what a book it was. His background, once discovered, was loads more interesting than anything I could have imagined. Charlaine and Jac were wonderful opposite sides of the soldier coin. Jac's youthful energy is balanced by Charlaine seasoned campaigner.
The adventure just drew me a long as I waited for our duo to save Myra from his past. It was alive and vivid in the descriptions and I truly enjoyed what was happening.
I was cheering for these characters right from the beginning. I've really liked Myra in the other stories and loved that he was getting his book now. And boy what a book it was. His background, once discovered, was loads more interesting than anything I could have imagined. Charlaine and Jac were wonderful opposite sides of the soldier coin. Jac's youthful energy is balanced by Charlaine seasoned campaigner.
The adventure just drew me a long as I waited for our duo to save Myra from his past. It was alive and vivid in the descriptions and I truly enjoyed what was happening.
June 29, 2024
A really fun end to a great series. These books are really fluffy and cliche aka everybody falls in love too quickly and everything always turns out happily ever after. You end up rolling your eyes quite a bit. But I will give the author credit to creating a really fun world. A lot of fantasy is based off of western concepts and especially are often set in a proto-medieval society. Readers often deal with all the not great sexism, racism, and non consensual shittyness that comes with that. These books, however, are fantasy where the world is way better in ways that gender identity, fluidity, sexuality, and polyamory is accepted and normalized. It’s honestly super refreshing.
April 25, 2023
-Edit 4/25- ohh I love these characters! I really enjoyed this reread.
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There was a lot going on in this fourth book from the series. Echoing a bit of what other reviews have said that there's a lot of plot going on in this book. I still really loved reading this book, and I absolutely cannot wait for the fifth book. I look forward to reading more about Chass, who was mentioned a lot more with more scenes with him in it. I think the next book is supposed to be the final one in the series, which I'm quite saddened about. I love the characters and the world.
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There was a lot going on in this fourth book from the series. Echoing a bit of what other reviews have said that there's a lot of plot going on in this book. I still really loved reading this book, and I absolutely cannot wait for the fifth book. I look forward to reading more about Chass, who was mentioned a lot more with more scenes with him in it. I think the next book is supposed to be the final one in the series, which I'm quite saddened about. I love the characters and the world.
January 13, 2021
TL;DR: This wasn't bad but it wasn't my favourite and I was more reminded how it's format was similar to Book 3 but somehow did a worse job at it. The characters were still likable and interesting but the story moving them along was bland. With many parts feeling as this is happening because the author wants it to happen and not because the story has happened in a way for this to happen naturally.
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I didn't dislike this book but it seemed to have similar issues to it like book 3. That the focus didn't lean more into the characters and their relationship as much as it could. The split narratives between characters is usually fine but it didn't feel to great here and parts got really bogged down with in world politics and exposition-y stuff for one of the protagonist (Myra).
At first it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed the dynamic between Myra, Jac, and Charlaine and how that was going to develop which could be seen a mile away. Once the group was split then the story felt too bogged down by imo mostly trying to justify the future relationships and get Jac and Charlaine to get to know each other better. While on Myra's end it was more backstory/exposition so not as interesting.
Once the 3 protagonist are able to group back up together some of their characterization seems to be gone? It's most noticable with Jac who
One additional thing, there are so many characters and I enjoy them all but, I wish there was a bit of a recap or summary of who's who and who's married to who. It felt like names were being thrown at me and the only characters I really remembered well from the series were Sarrica and Allen. Honestly a little, last time in Harken or something just a quick recap to put the characters back in place.
Overall I wish the book balanced the relationships and the political stuff better like was done in Books 1 and 2. This book, like book 3, didn't have good balance or focus and the romance/relationship parts seemed rushed or hollow.
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I didn't dislike this book but it seemed to have similar issues to it like book 3. That the focus didn't lean more into the characters and their relationship as much as it could. The split narratives between characters is usually fine but it didn't feel to great here and parts got really bogged down with in world politics and exposition-y stuff for one of the protagonist (Myra).
At first it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed the dynamic between Myra, Jac, and Charlaine and how that was going to develop which could be seen a mile away. Once the group was split then the story felt too bogged down by imo mostly trying to justify the future relationships and get Jac and Charlaine to get to know each other better. While on Myra's end it was more backstory/exposition so not as interesting.
Once the 3 protagonist are able to group back up together some of their characterization seems to be gone? It's most noticable with Jac who
One additional thing, there are so many characters and I enjoy them all but, I wish there was a bit of a recap or summary of who's who and who's married to who. It felt like names were being thrown at me and the only characters I really remembered well from the series were Sarrica and Allen. Honestly a little, last time in Harken or something just a quick recap to put the characters back in place.
Overall I wish the book balanced the relationships and the political stuff better like was done in Books 1 and 2. This book, like book 3, didn't have good balance or focus and the romance/relationship parts seemed rushed or hollow.
September 24, 2021
The final book (so far) in the Tales of the High Court series is yet another delightful read. There is politics, action, adventure, and romance… what’s not to love?
Once again, this book could have easily been read in one session. It was slightly slower paced than the other books in the series, but once again was a pleasure to read. General Plot: Myra and Charlaine have been friends for years, secretly pining after each other the whole time. Jac has also been admiring Myra from a distance. When Myra’s dark secret of being an assassin comes to light, he manages to foil an attempt on the High King again. But in doing so, he is captured by his old clan who take him back to his village for execution. Jac and Charlaine immediately give chase, determined to save Myra from a horrible fate.
We meet old characters who we have come to love over the course of the series, each of whom have had their moment in the spotlight in their own book. But this book centres on characters who occupied supporting roles in the previous books. It’s cleverly done: the reader already knows these ‘new’ characters. And there is the added bonus of getting a little more of a slice of life from old characters like Sarrica and Allen (who I adore!)
The politics in this book is a little confusing. There is some world building but it is not excessive, which results in characters talking about a multitude of countries and political alliances that don’t always make complete sense. The reader is left scrabbling for answers and making up their own minds as to what it all means. At least, that’s my take on it.
We are exposed more to gender means in this world, and it feels so natural to read about, I hope one day our real world is this forward thinking. We are also shown more about languages and cultures of key players within the world, which (as a linguist) was very cool and exciting.
Bits of the book aren’t well explained either. We are told in the first book that Prince Chase brutally beat his brother Allen, and that Allen wants nothing to do with his brothers. But in this book we are told Chase is fiercely loyal to Allen and would do anything to see him happy. The book almost emphasises that fact that it will not be explaining this little mystery which is very frustrating.
Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon was not my favourite book in the series (that honour will always belong to the first book), but it was thoroughly enjoyable. This book was not M/M. It was M/M/F, which isn’t really my thing, and that is the only reason why I have given it a rating four stars. If not for the pairing it would have earned the full five stars, because the plot and the story and the writing was simply excellent.
Once again, this book could have easily been read in one session. It was slightly slower paced than the other books in the series, but once again was a pleasure to read. General Plot: Myra and Charlaine have been friends for years, secretly pining after each other the whole time. Jac has also been admiring Myra from a distance. When Myra’s dark secret of being an assassin comes to light, he manages to foil an attempt on the High King again. But in doing so, he is captured by his old clan who take him back to his village for execution. Jac and Charlaine immediately give chase, determined to save Myra from a horrible fate.
We meet old characters who we have come to love over the course of the series, each of whom have had their moment in the spotlight in their own book. But this book centres on characters who occupied supporting roles in the previous books. It’s cleverly done: the reader already knows these ‘new’ characters. And there is the added bonus of getting a little more of a slice of life from old characters like Sarrica and Allen (who I adore!)
The politics in this book is a little confusing. There is some world building but it is not excessive, which results in characters talking about a multitude of countries and political alliances that don’t always make complete sense. The reader is left scrabbling for answers and making up their own minds as to what it all means. At least, that’s my take on it.
We are exposed more to gender means in this world, and it feels so natural to read about, I hope one day our real world is this forward thinking. We are also shown more about languages and cultures of key players within the world, which (as a linguist) was very cool and exciting.
Bits of the book aren’t well explained either. We are told in the first book that Prince Chase brutally beat his brother Allen, and that Allen wants nothing to do with his brothers. But in this book we are told Chase is fiercely loyal to Allen and would do anything to see him happy. The book almost emphasises that fact that it will not be explaining this little mystery which is very frustrating.
Mercenaries of the Stolen Moon was not my favourite book in the series (that honour will always belong to the first book), but it was thoroughly enjoyable. This book was not M/M. It was M/M/F, which isn’t really my thing, and that is the only reason why I have given it a rating four stars. If not for the pairing it would have earned the full five stars, because the plot and the story and the writing was simply excellent.
November 14, 2018
I think, if the worst a person can say is that there is too much plot, then it's still a very good book. This book had too much plot. The downside of that, of course, is that I felt as though it just didn't have enough character progression.
Perhaps that was my own personal biases. I had heard that this was a polyamorous read, and I wanted to really get into knowing the three personalities involved.
We know all of them, of course, from previous books in the series. I think Myra is probably the one I remember most, though, as High King Sarrica's secretary. Oh! Actually, also Charlaine as the body guard to Kamir in The Heart of the Lost Star. Jac was a wonderful surprise.
Myra is in the middle of trying to decide his feelings for Jac and Charlaine, both of whom have recently come out of the woodwork as being interested in him romantically, when he is kidnapped by family members he would much rather have forgotten. This leads Jac and Charlaine on a quest to find and then rescue him. In the process they connect independently of Myra and come to the realisation that, if Myra is willing, he doesn't need to choose one or the other of them but can have both.
Looking back, and now that I have read the whole series, I think that too much plot and not enough of a feeling of character connection is what I felt way back when I read
Perhaps that was my own personal biases. I had heard that this was a polyamorous read, and I wanted to really get into knowing the three personalities involved.
We know all of them, of course, from previous books in the series. I think Myra is probably the one I remember most, though, as High King Sarrica's secretary. Oh! Actually, also Charlaine as the body guard to Kamir in The Heart of the Lost Star. Jac was a wonderful surprise.
Myra is in the middle of trying to decide his feelings for Jac and Charlaine, both of whom have recently come out of the woodwork as being interested in him romantically, when he is kidnapped by family members he would much rather have forgotten. This leads Jac and Charlaine on a quest to find and then rescue him. In the process they connect independently of Myra and come to the realisation that, if Myra is willing, he doesn't need to choose one or the other of them but can have both.
Looking back, and now that I have read the whole series, I think that too much plot and not enough of a feeling of character connection is what I felt way back when I read
November 16, 2021
Remember when I said the third book was the hardest for me to go through? Yeah never mind, this one dethroned it.
This book, unlike the previous ones, is told from three POVs, which is not that big a number, god knows I've read books with more POVs than that, however this series got me accustomed to something then pulled a switcharoo on me. It is of course my fault for expecting everything to be the same.
Don't let my whining fool you, even though it took me quite a bit to really get into this book, once I did I flew through it.
This was a very interesting read about past mistakes and new beginnings and how said mistakes can come and bite you in the ass (almost literally) even if you do everything right, because life is a bitch and it's not like if you do only good bad things would never happen to you. (Can you tell I'm cranky and bitter? Yeah it's been a rough week at work XD)
Although the politics weren't as prominent as they were in the previous books (the third included) it was still very intriguing, especially since we only exchanged the lack of court politics with a goddamn assassins cult!
I wish we got to see more of the cult dynamic and how it functions but even what we got was enough to get me hooked!
The characters were very enjoyable, especially Charlaine. Something about the one-eyed grumpy Lieutenant with an ass that has the entire court betting on it, is apparently my cup of tea!
I also really enjoyed the little bits and pieces of Chass we managed to get in this book (there was a very interesting scene with him in the last book too but I forgot to mention it) and it got me really pumped to get a book about the cruel infamous captain of Pennance Gate that suddenly turned crown prince.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read and I cannot wait for the final book.
This book, unlike the previous ones, is told from three POVs, which is not that big a number, god knows I've read books with more POVs than that, however this series got me accustomed to something then pulled a switcharoo on me. It is of course my fault for expecting everything to be the same.
Don't let my whining fool you, even though it took me quite a bit to really get into this book, once I did I flew through it.
This was a very interesting read about past mistakes and new beginnings and how said mistakes can come and bite you in the ass (almost literally) even if you do everything right, because life is a bitch and it's not like if you do only good bad things would never happen to you. (Can you tell I'm cranky and bitter? Yeah it's been a rough week at work XD)
Although the politics weren't as prominent as they were in the previous books (the third included) it was still very intriguing, especially since we only exchanged the lack of court politics with a goddamn assassins cult!
I wish we got to see more of the cult dynamic and how it functions but even what we got was enough to get me hooked!
The characters were very enjoyable, especially Charlaine. Something about the one-eyed grumpy Lieutenant with an ass that has the entire court betting on it, is apparently my cup of tea!
I also really enjoyed the little bits and pieces of Chass we managed to get in this book (there was a very interesting scene with him in the last book too but I forgot to mention it) and it got me really pumped to get a book about the cruel infamous captain of Pennance Gate that suddenly turned crown prince.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read and I cannot wait for the final book.
December 2, 2018
Mit diesem Band geht die Reise nun noch tiefer in das High-Court-Universum.
Inzwischen habe ich mich auch leidlich an den Umgang mit den Geschlechterrollen in Sacricas Reich gewöhnt und stolpere nicht mehr ständig darüber wenn sich eine Figur plötzlich als anderes Geschlecht entpuppt.
Im Mittelpunkt steht Myra, der Sekretär des High King und zwei weitere Figuren die im Universum schon fest verankert sind.
Charlaine den wir als Bodyguard von Lord Kamir im Band 3 kennengelernt haben und Jac, die schon seit Alans unglücklicher Eskapade mit den Three-headed Dragons ein fester Bestandteil des Universums ist.
Nun lernen wir die drei besser kennen. Wenn man diese Geschichte zur Hand nimmt, sollte man sich klar sein, dass es sich hier weniger um eine "richtige" Liebesgeschichte handelt, denn das ist sie eher nicht, finde ich, sonder eher eine Quest-Geschichte. Dafür fehlt es irgendwie an Interaktion zwischen den Dreien, schließlich müssen Jac und Charlaine, Myra retten und ihm hinterhereilen wobei sie eine neue ihnen völlig fremde Kultur kennen- und verachten lernen.
Es werden neue Feinde des Reiches eingeführt und die Vorstellung dieser Feinde samt ihrer "altmodischen" Betrachtung der Geschlechterrollen nimmt viel, viel Platz ein in dieser Erzählung.
Wie gesagt ich bin mit dem Universum inzwischen vertraut genug, um das als wichtigen Punkt der Geschichte zu verstehen.
Es gehört halt zu Megan Derrs Geschichten, dass sie eben LGBT denkt und nicht Gay-Romance und das macht auch ihren Reiz für mich aus.
Gestört hat mich, dass aus den anderen Bänden immer noch Erzählstränge offen bleiben und dass Blutbad im ersten Viertel ist mir auch zu heftig.
Bin dennoch gespannt auf den kommenden Band, weil ich gerne in dem Universum unterwegs bin
Inzwischen habe ich mich auch leidlich an den Umgang mit den Geschlechterrollen in Sacricas Reich gewöhnt und stolpere nicht mehr ständig darüber wenn sich eine Figur plötzlich als anderes Geschlecht entpuppt.
Im Mittelpunkt steht Myra, der Sekretär des High King und zwei weitere Figuren die im Universum schon fest verankert sind.
Charlaine den wir als Bodyguard von Lord Kamir im Band 3 kennengelernt haben und Jac, die schon seit Alans unglücklicher Eskapade mit den Three-headed Dragons ein fester Bestandteil des Universums ist.
Nun lernen wir die drei besser kennen. Wenn man diese Geschichte zur Hand nimmt, sollte man sich klar sein, dass es sich hier weniger um eine "richtige" Liebesgeschichte handelt, denn das ist sie eher nicht, finde ich, sonder eher eine Quest-Geschichte. Dafür fehlt es irgendwie an Interaktion zwischen den Dreien, schließlich müssen Jac und Charlaine, Myra retten und ihm hinterhereilen wobei sie eine neue ihnen völlig fremde Kultur kennen- und verachten lernen.
Es werden neue Feinde des Reiches eingeführt und die Vorstellung dieser Feinde samt ihrer "altmodischen" Betrachtung der Geschlechterrollen nimmt viel, viel Platz ein in dieser Erzählung.
Wie gesagt ich bin mit dem Universum inzwischen vertraut genug, um das als wichtigen Punkt der Geschichte zu verstehen.
Es gehört halt zu Megan Derrs Geschichten, dass sie eben LGBT denkt und nicht Gay-Romance und das macht auch ihren Reiz für mich aus.
Gestört hat mich, dass aus den anderen Bänden immer noch Erzählstränge offen bleiben und dass Blutbad im ersten Viertel ist mir auch zu heftig.
Bin dennoch gespannt auf den kommenden Band, weil ich gerne in dem Universum unterwegs bin
August 5, 2022
I really loved the first 3 books of this series and I was really bored by this book. I gave 3 stars because of how much I enjoyed the previous books.
I was trying to figure out why I didn’t like this book and at first I thought it was because it was a traveling book, and I tend to find them boring. “First we went to this town, then we went here and met this guy” blah blah blah. As I was thinking about that it came to me - spoilers ahead - the reason I didn’t like the book was because these assassins suck. They are supposed to be so great, but their plan makes no sense. Step 1 - put the emperor on high alert by attacking the consort’s bodyguard in a frontal assault where the bodyguard’s skills are better. Why not poison blow dart? Or an arrow or any distance weapon. Or better yet lie low and wait to take out the main target. The whole story pivots on the assassins and what they do. We are told that they are they are really great, but their plan is really stupid. Case in point - the assassins could put a knife and a note on the door of the high secretary in the middle of the palace - after an attack on the emperor and the whole palace was on high alert, but they did not go into the room, hide under the bed and kill him there? Or poison him or slightly poison him so that he could be kidnapped. What they do instead is once again a full frontal assault. It makes NO SENSE! The entire set up of the book is weak and it soured the entire story for me.
I was trying to figure out why I didn’t like this book and at first I thought it was because it was a traveling book, and I tend to find them boring. “First we went to this town, then we went here and met this guy” blah blah blah. As I was thinking about that it came to me - spoilers ahead - the reason I didn’t like the book was because these assassins suck. They are supposed to be so great, but their plan makes no sense. Step 1 - put the emperor on high alert by attacking the consort’s bodyguard in a frontal assault where the bodyguard’s skills are better. Why not poison blow dart? Or an arrow or any distance weapon. Or better yet lie low and wait to take out the main target. The whole story pivots on the assassins and what they do. We are told that they are they are really great, but their plan is really stupid. Case in point - the assassins could put a knife and a note on the door of the high secretary in the middle of the palace - after an attack on the emperor and the whole palace was on high alert, but they did not go into the room, hide under the bed and kill him there? Or poison him or slightly poison him so that he could be kidnapped. What they do instead is once again a full frontal assault. It makes NO SENSE! The entire set up of the book is weak and it soured the entire story for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2025
I’m afraid I did not enjoy this one at all… it felt like it really dragged. Where I loved the first two and enjoyed the third enough, this one makes me question if I want to read the next.
There was a lot of just travelling, sitting and waiting (captivity) and one character obsessively fantasizing about pegging the other—the ass jokes got to be a bit much, surely there’s more to love than just his pretty ass? I just wanted it to be over.
The relationship building was minimal, with Charlaine and Jac into Myra right from the start and then Myra missing for a good chunk of the book.
I didn’t care enough about Jac/Charlaine and they’re the only line of the love triangle that really saw development—from rivals to lovers—and even then it felt very superficial.
The plot wasn’t really satisfying, the romance was very unsatisfying and every appearance by Chass made me angry.
What on earth do you mean ‘he’s always been unfailingly loyal to Allen’—the brother he mercilessly beat for years? Even if Chass has presumably changed and is ashamed of the man he used to be, he still did those things and Allen, his victim, in this very book still does not want to be in Chass’s presence but gathers his courage to endure it because the situation necessitates. If you’re going to write about abuse and try to redeem the abuser, you need to be a lot more careful with how you go about it…
There was a lot of just travelling, sitting and waiting (captivity) and one character obsessively fantasizing about pegging the other—the ass jokes got to be a bit much, surely there’s more to love than just his pretty ass? I just wanted it to be over.
The relationship building was minimal, with Charlaine and Jac into Myra right from the start and then Myra missing for a good chunk of the book.
I didn’t care enough about Jac/Charlaine and they’re the only line of the love triangle that really saw development—from rivals to lovers—and even then it felt very superficial.
The plot wasn’t really satisfying, the romance was very unsatisfying and every appearance by Chass made me angry.
What on earth do you mean ‘he’s always been unfailingly loyal to Allen’—the brother he mercilessly beat for years? Even if Chass has presumably changed and is ashamed of the man he used to be, he still did those things and Allen, his victim, in this very book still does not want to be in Chass’s presence but gathers his courage to endure it because the situation necessitates. If you’re going to write about abuse and try to redeem the abuser, you need to be a lot more careful with how you go about it…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2018
I liked books 1 &3 in this series but was bored by 2 & 4.
This is also the second Derr book I have read that featured a poly relationship. Neither really worked for me as a romance. No fire or passion in the romances.
I am also not a fan of the I'm not good enough. He deserves better than me internal obstacle and here we have three main characters whining about it.
I don't remember Jac being so giggly and young. And while I appreciate a woman with a strap-on, here, each mention of Jac using one felt belabored.
I absolutely loved Char in the previous book, whereas this go-round, I was fed up with him pretty quick. I don't believe he really loves Myra. I think he loves being a love martyr. I don't care how he feels about Jac.
Myra had a really interesting backstory regarding how he came to court. There is some serious betrayal and death here. I felt like it was glossed over and it also made it harder for me to understand Myra's place in court. I think the High King is crazy to have Myra as his chief secretary.
I love how there is no homophobia in Derr's fantasy worlds. I wish she did the same with transphobia.
This is also the second Derr book I have read that featured a poly relationship. Neither really worked for me as a romance. No fire or passion in the romances.
I am also not a fan of the I'm not good enough. He deserves better than me internal obstacle and here we have three main characters whining about it.
I don't remember Jac being so giggly and young. And while I appreciate a woman with a strap-on, here, each mention of Jac using one felt belabored.
I absolutely loved Char in the previous book, whereas this go-round, I was fed up with him pretty quick. I don't believe he really loves Myra. I think he loves being a love martyr. I don't care how he feels about Jac.
Myra had a really interesting backstory regarding how he came to court. There is some serious betrayal and death here. I felt like it was glossed over and it also made it harder for me to understand Myra's place in court. I think the High King is crazy to have Myra as his chief secretary.
I love how there is no homophobia in Derr's fantasy worlds. I wish she did the same with transphobia.
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