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Red Harvest Moon (The Wandering Knife Book One)

Miles Hurt (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 18 ratings · 12 reviews

THE TABLES FOR THE HARVEST FEAST ARE SET.
AND THE GHULS OF URIZAN ARE COMING, UNINVITED.

Led by the colossus Krond, the flesh-eating ghuls are ready to blaze and burn across the lands of Soren. The village of Puttle lies in their path, where they will bring fire and death.

The Black Feather is an outlaw, an outcast, a Wandering Knife. But he is the only hope the villagers hav ...more

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ebook, 239 pages

Published March 19th 2021 by Shuriken Press

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Mar 20, 2021 Raul Sanchez rated it it was amazing

Hands down my favorite book of Q1. Easiest read of the year. This book has a mix of camaraderie, heart, action, gore and even humor sprinkled here and there. I applaud the author for his attention to detail. This helped my imagination visualize the world that he created.

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Mar 30, 2021 James rated it really liked it

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) is one of my very favourite John Carpenter movies. I’d probably rank it slightly higher than Halloween (don’t @ me), mainly because I’m an action film fan. Made on a low budget, AoP13 packed a lot of thrills and set-pieces in its lean running time. It was set in a confined space and over a few hours. I loved the format and tightness of the screenplay (a feature of much of Carpenter’s early work), that still gave time for some decent character scenes.

All of which bri Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) is one of my very favourite John Carpenter movies. I’d probably rank it slightly higher than Halloween (don’t @ me), mainly because I’m an action film fan. Made on a low budget, AoP13 packed a lot of thrills and set-pieces in its lean running time. It was set in a confined space and over a few hours. I loved the format and tightness of the screenplay (a feature of much of Carpenter’s early work), that still gave time for some decent character scenes.

All of which brings me to the book I’m reviewing here. Red Harvest Moon is the opening volume of a debut epic fantasy series, The Wandering Knife, by author Miles Hurt. Heavily influenced by Japanese folklore, Hurt’s main character is Ren. He was once a Loyal Knife, swearing allegience to king and country, until a rash decision almost cost him his life, but which instead resulted in his exile. He became The Wandering Knife, travelling the length and breadth of the land, with his companion and friend Crimp, robbing people and villages to keep his head above water. He’s not about making friends; he’s more about staying alive.

The book begins with the pair of brigands coming up on two more men who they see as easy prey. It turns out that the men have barely survived an attack by a race of human-like creatures called ghuls. These monsters hail from far-off Urizan and are sworn enemies of the people of Soren. They have been quiet for a long time, but are now deep into Ren’s territory and are terrorising innocent villages. They are led by Krond, whose blood is a mix of human and ghul, and is practically unstoppable. Ren and Crimp eventually aid the two men in fighting off Krond and his ghuls, but one of the men is killed. The survivor, Drunn, pleads with Ren and Crimp to help him warn the villagers of Puttle that death is on its way. Krond is left maimed after Ren’s innate ability with the sword takes an eye–he swears revenge on our Wandering Knife.

All this happens in the first couple of chapters, and makes the remaining narrative compelling action-packed. Any fan of epic fantasy will be familiar with how the first book of any series will take its time to introduce characters, settings, and conflicts. Often there are chapters where nothing much happens at all; just a lot of travelling and talking, mainly. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this: my favourite fantasy series of all time, Stephen Donaldson’s The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, devotes whole sections of its ten volumes to characters walking and telling each other stories. But it’s a breath of fresh air that Miles Hurt doesn’t go down this route just yet. His judicious use of brief flashbacks and character dynamics more than set the scene in Red Harvest Moon.

Basically what we have here is a siege novel, which is what reminded me of Carpenter’s movie. The action takes plain primarily in Puttle and its surroundings, with Ren, Crimp, and Drunn trying to convince the villagers and its reeve that their lives are in danger if they don’t up sticks and desert their homes. Not everyone wants to leave: it’s Harvest time and the village are preparing a feast, and some don’t trust Ren and Crimp (Drunn has history with the village, so his support is also untrustworthy). The men have a job on their hands to keep themselves and the villagers alive. Ren and Crimp also debate whether or not they should cut and run. For a fantasy novel, the stakes are lowkey, concentrated as they are on the village and the people that live there. Over the course of this book, Miles Hurt introduces us to characters that, should they survive their encounter with evil, open up the land of Soren and beyond for future novels in the series.

The nomadic hero and his companions are features of Japanese folklore, bringing to mind the legends of the samurai. Here we have not seven, but three “samurai”. I look forward to seeing this team expand as the series goes on. Some will live; others won’t. It’s the nature of the Great Circle, as Ren learns from his father: “Though you are a Wandering Knife, you still walk within the Great Circle. Find purpose in that.” Purpose, indeed.

Bottom line: this is a great start to what I think will be a series to look out for, and Miles Hurt is definitely an author to follow. ...more

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Mar 16, 2021 D.A. Adam Smith rated it really liked it

Red Harvest Moon is a fantastic, exciting novel that sets the tone early on as a book that’ll appeal to fans of Japanese-styled stories – it isn’t afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve. What’s left is something that’s elegant, personal and a joy to read.
There’s a definite sense of theme and a strength of expectation set early on; Hurt melds inspiration from Japanese lore, culture and animation into the setting, the way the scenes are formed, poetic and deftly painted. From the way the gold Red Harvest Moon is a fantastic, exciting novel that sets the tone early on as a book that’ll appeal to fans of Japanese-styled stories – it isn’t afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve. What’s left is something that’s elegant, personal and a joy to read.
There’s a definite sense of theme and a strength of expectation set early on; Hurt melds inspiration from Japanese lore, culture and animation into the setting, the way the scenes are formed, poetic and deftly painted. From the way the golden leaves fall, to the overall colours and imagery that are on show, it’s a treat for the imagination. And as someone who has indulged themselves in that which influences this book, I found a lot to enjoy in it. There’s the stoic strong, yet – at first – unwilling hero. His sidekick and a number of characters leave an impression on the reader early on.
In short, the ghuls are attacking, a monstrous horde that eat humans and raze villages to the ground – they plan to leave nothing standing in their wake. And next on their list in the village of Puttle. Only, a reluctant swordsman, who was once a Loyal Knife but now a famous outlaw, will stand in their way. Along with a veritable assortment of villagers. The one thing I loved about the plot was how small in scope the stakes were. Usually in epic fantasy, we see the world at stake. Here it’s only a village; of course, there’s the promise that it’ll be much more if our heroes don’t step in. But the personal, small struggle is what makes this. It’s one villages stand against a monstrous onslaught. It’s rather quite refreshing.
The book was rather short and snappy, in which case meant we didn’t get too much focus on any one character as an arc. There was quite a few POVs that seemed to dance around the main one of Ren, and we see him grow, in a short space of time, and there’s a definite evolution. This is worked through nicely in flashbacks of Ren’s time as a Loyal Knife and the reason he isn’t such anymore. One thing that I struggled with was the deliberateness in the dialogue. Sometimes it felt like characters were saying things to move the plot, which got a bit unnatural. But often, it suited Ren and said a lot about his character, there was just not a lot of variation, but that’s from my point of view. It works for the story.
We were very briefly introduced to this world, an array of gods mentioned, the Adept, the ghuls, and those that Ren has in his past. There’s a lot that made this world feel very lived in and I hope that is explored at some point in the future. It’s a great starting point for what would make a very intriguing series and I hope Hurt continues to write the characters, or the world.
Overall, it’s a fantastic first in the series for fans of Japanese inspired novels, those who just want something shorter that doesn’t require you to invest time in a large series. ...more

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Apr 03, 2021 Steve rated it really liked it

I received a digital copy of this book from the author for an honest review. I also purchased a paper copy on my own to support the author.

Review on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGPF0...

What I Liked:

The characters were likable and fun. Their banter back and fourth was hilarious and genuine.
The environments are described very well. You always know where you are in a village or in a forest, you always feel as though you're in the world with the characters. The way the environments a I received a digital copy of this book from the author for an honest review. I also purchased a paper copy on my own to support the author.

Review on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGPF0...

What I Liked:

The characters were likable and fun. Their banter back and fourth was hilarious and genuine.
The environments are described very well. You always know where you are in a village or in a forest, you always feel as though you're in the world with the characters. The way the environments are described reminded me of walking through a village in an MMO or an RPG like Skyrim.
The villain's are great and the backstory was intriguing. I want to know more about them.
The action scenes are well done.
There are some flashbacks that are well timed and well done.
The is enough lore given to you for you to enjoy the story, but not so much that it's a ton of bricks and you are overwhelmed. That said, I'm looking forward to the rest of this series to learn more about this world.
Anticipation and that feeling of imminent doom is well done.

What I Didn't Like:

Being a reader that enjoys characters, I would have liked a little more character moments and back story.
A few times the characters say one thing but shortly thereafter do another.

Final Thoughts and Rating:

This is a great first entry for a fantasy series, and a debut for the author. It's long enough that you get a good story but not too long that it takes a lot of time to read. I feel invested in the characters, lore and world enough that I want to come back to this world and know what happens next. There are some hilarious moments between the characters. It does a good job of going from a heartfelt moment, to action and gore without feeling abrupt. Although I would have liked more character moments, with a book this long and the story I received it's not a huge problem. If you're into fantasy it's definitely a book to check into and keep an eye on this series.

Rating: 4 flicking eye flesh out of a spoon like a grape out of 5 ...more

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Mar 05, 2021 Hannah Sloane rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, quick-reads, series, high-fantasy

Ren and Crimp are bandits, thieving and hunting for survival in the forest, until they come upon two men fleeing a hoard of monsters and their cruel master. What ensues is a threat of war on a small village. Ren must choose to use the skills acquired in his past to save the villagers from slaughter or continue the life of a vagabond.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

The author wrote eloquently, providing descriptions which painted a clear picture of the setting and events, witho ...more

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Mar 04, 2021 Émi rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2021, adult, arc, ebook, fantasy, high-fantasy

First off, I'd like to thank the author for providing me with an e-arc of this novel, in exchange for a honest review.

Red Harvest Moon is an action-packed and fast-paced story about two bandits, who set out to save a village from invading monsters. The story is filled with humour that often breaks up the frequent fighting sequences. Although I have not read anything by Miles Hurt before, upon finishing the first chapter, I knew right away that this wasn't his first written piece of work. The sto ...more

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Apr 14, 2021 P.J. Wilson rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a throwback to the classic fantasy novels that captured my imagination with the genre so many years ago. Miles Hurt paints a picture of a rich and detailed setting, with some features familiar to fantasy readers but made the author's own with a unique perspective in this story filled with magic, monsters, old mysterious gods, and plenty of blood.

The plot focuses on the interactions of a diverse cast of characters over what is really only a period of a cou ...more

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Apr 15, 2021 Andrew rated it really liked it

A great read. There are elements that are a little 'Tolkienesque' (specifically in like to the past of the high fantasy setting) although the entire story is a bit of a sandbox, taking place in a very small part of a larger world. Some elements feel a little unpolished however there is a great deal of scope for this writer to expand on both his world and his characters. I feel a few elements were a little rushed but as I said as a first fantasy book there is a lot to work on. I'll eagerly pick u ...more

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Mar 11, 2021 Joshua Hicken rated it liked it

CAWPILE SCORE
C-5
A-7
W-7
P-7
I-6
L-7
E-6
TOTAL-6.43/10

This was a fun book to read centered around Ren and Crimp.
(view spoiler)
...more

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Apr 15, 2021 Robert Defrank rated it really liked it

The excitement doesn't let up in what seems to be a small but tantalizing episode in a broader story. It's a classic tale hearkening back to Seven Samurai, with a disgraced master swordsman finding redemption in protecting the innocent townspeople against some truly horrific threats. It's bloody fun and not to be missed! ...more

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