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Moonchild Rising
Mara the Huntress resides in the sunny little town of Archangel, California, the location of the Gate of the Underworld—a fact unknown to the general populace. Most people don’t even know that vampires exist. As Huntress, Mara does know, and it is her job to kill those that dare venture forth to the Upperworld to prey on the humans living there. She is well-suited to this purpose, gifted with skills and talents far surpassing those of ordinary mortals. Though some vampires manage to evade her, she has so far managed to prevent the unleashing of a full-scale infestation. She has been at this job for a good portion of her not-quite twenty years, and it seems she has everything in hand. Then one day she gets a chill of foreboding, a feeling that things are about to change…
For she stands in the way of the master vampire’s plan for world domination, and, he fears, may be a key player in the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy foretelling his destruction. One dark night he sends the mighty Prince (his second in command) to put an end to this Huntress, this bane of vampires, once and for all. Mara confidently goes out to face him, but finds she has met her match at last. Just as all hope seems lost, this powerful vampire turns from the “dark side” to become Mara’s ally in the battle against his own kind.
For she stands in the way of the master vampire’s plan for world domination, and, he fears, may be a key player in the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy foretelling his destruction. One dark night he sends the mighty Prince (his second in command) to put an end to this Huntress, this bane of vampires, once and for all. Mara confidently goes out to face him, but finds she has met her match at last. Just as all hope seems lost, this powerful vampire turns from the “dark side” to become Mara’s ally in the battle against his own kind.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 9, 2020
This book was worth the risk. I have to admit I thought I was practically done with vampire novels. Between, print, TV, and film I thought there was not much new that could be done. The last ones I read were by Arthur Slade about a vampire librarian, Amber Fang: The Hunted. To date I have loved everything I have written from Full Quiver Publishing. I was very intrigued to read a Theology of the Body story featuring vampires. FQ states that they were formed to: “make fiction available that celebrated the Church’s teachings on sexuality and marriage.” from what I have read to date they do an amazing job of that. But back to this novel.
This story puts a new twist on the vampire or vampire hunter genre. In this story Mara is a Huntress, she resides in Archangel California, and at night she hunts vampires that try and get from the underworld into our world. We find out that huntresses are raised up by God in time of great needs. Niki Sperling is a Prince among Vampires, the right-hand wing man if you will. But during a battle between the two in a church, things change drastically. The Archangel Michael appears to the Prince, and a painting of Our Mother of Mercy transformed the vampire. Soon Mara did not know what to do with a Vampire who no had possession of his soul again.
Soon the master vampire is sending groups after both Mara and his escaped prince. The two are growing closer together. He has sworn to protect her, and they both know something big is coming. For the master vampire has plans for world domination and for walking in the light of day, but an ancient prophecy foretold his destruction. With the help of her confessor and parents Mara must battle through the traps set for them and seek to find God’s will.
This story very much has the YA feel to it. In fact, it was more romance than I typically read and if not for the strength or the story I would have set it aside. Some will call it a Christian or Catholic version of Twilight, and there are a few similarities, but that comparison if faulty from the onset. The story does have some beautiful imagery. The Battle between good and bad becomes more gray in this story. Most Young Adult literature that I read is really written in such a way that anyone can read and benefit from it. This one, the relationship part is a little juvenile and did not really appeal to me or hold my interest, but the action and where the story is heading is more than interesting enough, that I know I will pick up the next volume and see where the story goes next.
As a debut novel I am impressed. If you are a fan of the genre or good YA books, I am sure it will entertain. It will also leave you thinking about some serious questions, and about actions and consequences.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
This story puts a new twist on the vampire or vampire hunter genre. In this story Mara is a Huntress, she resides in Archangel California, and at night she hunts vampires that try and get from the underworld into our world. We find out that huntresses are raised up by God in time of great needs. Niki Sperling is a Prince among Vampires, the right-hand wing man if you will. But during a battle between the two in a church, things change drastically. The Archangel Michael appears to the Prince, and a painting of Our Mother of Mercy transformed the vampire. Soon Mara did not know what to do with a Vampire who no had possession of his soul again.
Soon the master vampire is sending groups after both Mara and his escaped prince. The two are growing closer together. He has sworn to protect her, and they both know something big is coming. For the master vampire has plans for world domination and for walking in the light of day, but an ancient prophecy foretold his destruction. With the help of her confessor and parents Mara must battle through the traps set for them and seek to find God’s will.
This story very much has the YA feel to it. In fact, it was more romance than I typically read and if not for the strength or the story I would have set it aside. Some will call it a Christian or Catholic version of Twilight, and there are a few similarities, but that comparison if faulty from the onset. The story does have some beautiful imagery. The Battle between good and bad becomes more gray in this story. Most Young Adult literature that I read is really written in such a way that anyone can read and benefit from it. This one, the relationship part is a little juvenile and did not really appeal to me or hold my interest, but the action and where the story is heading is more than interesting enough, that I know I will pick up the next volume and see where the story goes next.
As a debut novel I am impressed. If you are a fan of the genre or good YA books, I am sure it will entertain. It will also leave you thinking about some serious questions, and about actions and consequences.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
May 12, 2020
Moonchild Rising is a different kind of vampire story. No shimmery vampires that cause a girl to swoon and lose her head. This novel asks the penetrating question: Can a vampire’s soul be saved? And if so, what are the consequences?
With beautiful imagery, Mina Ambrose pairs a redeemed vampire and a skilled huntress battling both the undead and the desires of their hearts - in a thoughtful, sacrificial way, and that's what makes the difference here.
There's a bit of insta-love, which isn't my favorite thing, but actually has a basis in the story, making it more palatable to me.
There's also some beautiful imagery used, the kind you want to pause for a second or two and re-read.
I look forward to reading more in the series!
With beautiful imagery, Mina Ambrose pairs a redeemed vampire and a skilled huntress battling both the undead and the desires of their hearts - in a thoughtful, sacrificial way, and that's what makes the difference here.
There's a bit of insta-love, which isn't my favorite thing, but actually has a basis in the story, making it more palatable to me.
There's also some beautiful imagery used, the kind you want to pause for a second or two and re-read.
I look forward to reading more in the series!
June 15, 2020
Catholic vampire romance. Yes, you read that right: Who says there's nothing good to read? (Not me. Not ever me.)
So what was in store with Moonchild Rising, by Mina Ambrose, the first in what will be a series of Catholic vampire novels?
A lot, as it turns out. It was a story with promise, and solidly Catholic. It packed a lot of action and a lot of Church teaching. There was an exploration of love and sin and eternity. I found myself thinking and pondering: What is redemption? What does forgiveness really mean? How is mercy experienced?
And there are so many other things that come into consideration: What does it mean to live for 500 years? Or is it really living? And hunting vampires as a teenager?
When I read Dracula recently, I was struck with how much it held themes of redemption and evil. I was also struck by how Dracula was never ever anything but a monster. There was no sexy and appealing with him. He was evil, plain and simple.
That made the story of Moonchild even more challenging.
There’s a lot to explore in this book: There’s food for thought and plenty of room for discussion. Have a young person (probably a girl) who loves fiction? Read this with them, and talk about the hard points.
Because there are hard points. There is graphic description.
There are also a lot of tears. And some difficult dialogue. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s interesting in ways I wasn’t expecting.
Storytelling is an important way to share truths. In fact, it’s more effective. (Why do you think marketing is as much about storytelling as about convincing people to buy things?)
My hat’s off to Ellen Gable and Full Quiver Publishing for giving Mina Ambrose an opportunity to tell this story and explore this space.
So what was in store with Moonchild Rising, by Mina Ambrose, the first in what will be a series of Catholic vampire novels?
A lot, as it turns out. It was a story with promise, and solidly Catholic. It packed a lot of action and a lot of Church teaching. There was an exploration of love and sin and eternity. I found myself thinking and pondering: What is redemption? What does forgiveness really mean? How is mercy experienced?
And there are so many other things that come into consideration: What does it mean to live for 500 years? Or is it really living? And hunting vampires as a teenager?
When I read Dracula recently, I was struck with how much it held themes of redemption and evil. I was also struck by how Dracula was never ever anything but a monster. There was no sexy and appealing with him. He was evil, plain and simple.
That made the story of Moonchild even more challenging.
There’s a lot to explore in this book: There’s food for thought and plenty of room for discussion. Have a young person (probably a girl) who loves fiction? Read this with them, and talk about the hard points.
Because there are hard points. There is graphic description.
There are also a lot of tears. And some difficult dialogue. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s interesting in ways I wasn’t expecting.
Storytelling is an important way to share truths. In fact, it’s more effective. (Why do you think marketing is as much about storytelling as about convincing people to buy things?)
My hat’s off to Ellen Gable and Full Quiver Publishing for giving Mina Ambrose an opportunity to tell this story and explore this space.
June 27, 2024
This review contains spoilers.
Moonchild Rising was a very different book from what I usually read, so consider that as I review it. I want to get one (admittedly silly) thing out of the way and that’s a theological quibble with the vampire concept used in the book. The status of the soul of the Prince character is a little unclear, as it seems to suggest his soul is trapped in some kind of limbo but is (spoiler alert) restored to him by grace from God seemingly through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. Not every version of a vampire is soulless and perhaps the manner of describing is meant to be artful but it reads thusly:
“Only now, because of his humble admission and plea for help had it been released, and reunited to his body.”
This concept of the redemption of the vampiric protagonist is at odds with Aquinas’ assertion in Summa Theologiae, I.79.1 ad 1, that the intellect is a power of the soul. Without a soul, the vampire could not act rationally or act at all. Even if a demon possesses someone, that demon requires an integrated person to manipulate the person and create a facsimile of embodied human life. However, another reader might see this and consider it nonsensical to bemoan given this is a work of fiction starring a non-existent monster. But part of me felt the need to mention it.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way I can stop being ridiculous and review the book. In the great swath of fiction I’ve read, I would put Moonchild Rising right smack in the middle. It’s not a bad book by any means, though I cannot say I feel inclined to read any subsequent stories were it to become a series. However, I may consider reading something else by the author, Mina Ambrose. Her writing is easy to follow and holds your attention well, particularly if the subject matter is in your wheelhouse.
She seems to know the mind of a young person fairly well, and the internal monologues are very realistic. At times, I might say they are too realistic and don’t read that well, but if you’ve talked with high school and college students, you know this is pretty spot on. The author has several children and grandchildren and I suspect this has given her a fair amount of insight into how their minds work. This shows in her writing.
The plot of the story is very specifically a Catholic take on a romance between a vampire on the journey to redemption and a vampire hunter who finds herself falling for him. That said, the characters are better considered in the opposite order. I only mentioned the vampire first because of my earlier discussion. The huntress, Mara, is really the main event. She’s certainly not the fawning, quailing female archetype present in far too many of these sorts of romance stories. While she has the conflicting emotions of any young person, her outward confidence is refreshing, even when dealing with the object of her affection - the aforementioned vampire. She knows the dangers of what she feels drawn to, but she is neither terribly afraid of it nor is she so overcome with sudden love that she takes leave of her senses. Most readers, I think, will appreciate the balance.
Some of the side characters, I think, could have used a bit more development but if that’s sacrificed for a deeper exploration of the central conflict of the story, I can live with it. Long story short, if you’re into supernatural romance, I would recommend Moonchild Rising.
Moonchild Rising was a very different book from what I usually read, so consider that as I review it. I want to get one (admittedly silly) thing out of the way and that’s a theological quibble with the vampire concept used in the book. The status of the soul of the Prince character is a little unclear, as it seems to suggest his soul is trapped in some kind of limbo but is (spoiler alert) restored to him by grace from God seemingly through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. Not every version of a vampire is soulless and perhaps the manner of describing is meant to be artful but it reads thusly:
“Only now, because of his humble admission and plea for help had it been released, and reunited to his body.”
This concept of the redemption of the vampiric protagonist is at odds with Aquinas’ assertion in Summa Theologiae, I.79.1 ad 1, that the intellect is a power of the soul. Without a soul, the vampire could not act rationally or act at all. Even if a demon possesses someone, that demon requires an integrated person to manipulate the person and create a facsimile of embodied human life. However, another reader might see this and consider it nonsensical to bemoan given this is a work of fiction starring a non-existent monster. But part of me felt the need to mention it.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way I can stop being ridiculous and review the book. In the great swath of fiction I’ve read, I would put Moonchild Rising right smack in the middle. It’s not a bad book by any means, though I cannot say I feel inclined to read any subsequent stories were it to become a series. However, I may consider reading something else by the author, Mina Ambrose. Her writing is easy to follow and holds your attention well, particularly if the subject matter is in your wheelhouse.
She seems to know the mind of a young person fairly well, and the internal monologues are very realistic. At times, I might say they are too realistic and don’t read that well, but if you’ve talked with high school and college students, you know this is pretty spot on. The author has several children and grandchildren and I suspect this has given her a fair amount of insight into how their minds work. This shows in her writing.
The plot of the story is very specifically a Catholic take on a romance between a vampire on the journey to redemption and a vampire hunter who finds herself falling for him. That said, the characters are better considered in the opposite order. I only mentioned the vampire first because of my earlier discussion. The huntress, Mara, is really the main event. She’s certainly not the fawning, quailing female archetype present in far too many of these sorts of romance stories. While she has the conflicting emotions of any young person, her outward confidence is refreshing, even when dealing with the object of her affection - the aforementioned vampire. She knows the dangers of what she feels drawn to, but she is neither terribly afraid of it nor is she so overcome with sudden love that she takes leave of her senses. Most readers, I think, will appreciate the balance.
Some of the side characters, I think, could have used a bit more development but if that’s sacrificed for a deeper exploration of the central conflict of the story, I can live with it. Long story short, if you’re into supernatural romance, I would recommend Moonchild Rising.
March 10, 2021
When a good friend from my childhood posted on social media that her aunt had written a vampire novel, I had to read it. How could I resist curiosity? A first novel, about vampires, from a 70+ year old woman who lives in the small northern town in which I spent some of my formative years?
I didn't know what to expect. I especially didn't expect to be hooked by page 20!
I enjoyed it, devouring it in two sittings.
So, first, this is very much a Catholic vampire novel. This is an actual thing! I just learned that last year, and this'll be the fifth book I've read in the genre. It's a fine addition to the canon (if you'll parden my bad joke...) Because it is a Catholic novel, it won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's ok, but I want to stress that unlike a lot of fiction books put out by religious presses, this isn't a ham-fisted attempt to proselytize! There's nothing more frustrating than getting partway into a story and discovering that you've been bait-and-switched, that no, it's not actually a murder mystery, it's an attempt to convert me... This wasn't that.
So how is it Catholic, then? First, Catholic theology and culture permeate the story. The setting is straight up Catholic. Mara, the Buffy of the story, has Giles-like mentor in her parish priest. She goes to church. She talks to God. She invokes the aid of the Blessed Mother and St. Michael, and it's considered totally normal. Which, again, might be weird to some, but to me, look, if I was a vampire hunter, you better believe I'd be calling out for divine assistance!
The other thing is, it doesn't shy away from delving into theological and moral questions, and it manages to work the idea of the existence of vampires in a world with an omnipotent and omnipresent Creator. Which doesn't really happen. Usually, in stories with people versus the forces of evil, they never have any kind of back up, you know? There is just evil and us, and no good. No heaven to balance hell. Which I guess makes sense from a storytelling standpoint, makes the conflict feel more urgent and intense, or something, but I find it unsatisfying. So this was refreshing to me.
Ok, so, the other other thing. This was a romance novel. An insta-romance, specifically. And I usually hate that. A lot. It feels cheap. But here, while, yes, it was incredibly rushed, I kind of bought it? Love stories are never going to be my genre of choice, and I'm always going to be hypercritical of them, but I actually didn't mind this. Again, yeah, it was literally love at first sight, and again, I hate that, but it felt intentional and necessary to the plot.
The last thing, apart from some awkward dialogue, I think the writing style kind of worked, wavering between a sort of old-school Gothic and a more standard modern style.
I actually quite enjoyed this, and look forward to reading book 2.
I didn't know what to expect. I especially didn't expect to be hooked by page 20!
I enjoyed it, devouring it in two sittings.
So, first, this is very much a Catholic vampire novel. This is an actual thing! I just learned that last year, and this'll be the fifth book I've read in the genre. It's a fine addition to the canon (if you'll parden my bad joke...) Because it is a Catholic novel, it won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's ok, but I want to stress that unlike a lot of fiction books put out by religious presses, this isn't a ham-fisted attempt to proselytize! There's nothing more frustrating than getting partway into a story and discovering that you've been bait-and-switched, that no, it's not actually a murder mystery, it's an attempt to convert me... This wasn't that.
So how is it Catholic, then? First, Catholic theology and culture permeate the story. The setting is straight up Catholic. Mara, the Buffy of the story, has Giles-like mentor in her parish priest. She goes to church. She talks to God. She invokes the aid of the Blessed Mother and St. Michael, and it's considered totally normal. Which, again, might be weird to some, but to me, look, if I was a vampire hunter, you better believe I'd be calling out for divine assistance!
The other thing is, it doesn't shy away from delving into theological and moral questions, and it manages to work the idea of the existence of vampires in a world with an omnipotent and omnipresent Creator. Which doesn't really happen. Usually, in stories with people versus the forces of evil, they never have any kind of back up, you know? There is just evil and us, and no good. No heaven to balance hell. Which I guess makes sense from a storytelling standpoint, makes the conflict feel more urgent and intense, or something, but I find it unsatisfying. So this was refreshing to me.
Ok, so, the other other thing. This was a romance novel. An insta-romance, specifically. And I usually hate that. A lot. It feels cheap. But here, while, yes, it was incredibly rushed, I kind of bought it? Love stories are never going to be my genre of choice, and I'm always going to be hypercritical of them, but I actually didn't mind this. Again, yeah, it was literally love at first sight, and again, I hate that, but it felt intentional and necessary to the plot.
The last thing, apart from some awkward dialogue, I think the writing style kind of worked, wavering between a sort of old-school Gothic and a more standard modern style.
I actually quite enjoyed this, and look forward to reading book 2.
July 18, 2020
Love this book
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