Of Sun & Moon

Midnight Guardian #1

by Bryna Butler

Teens are disappearing in a small river town in southern Ohio as Keira Ryan begins her freshman year. Kidnappings aside, her worries mount as she crushes on an older guy, her best friend starts dating a spoiled cheerleader, and the parents that abandoned her at birth arrive at her doorstep. And, oh yeah, she’s a tooth fairy destined to kick some butt and bring about the end of a royal line of vicious, blood-sucking tyrants. Over the years, humans have pieced together sightings and assumptions to create the myth of the tooth fairy. As it turns out, they were pretty much wrong.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Romance

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2011

About the author

She fangirls over books and sometimes writes them too.

Reviews

[Andie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Here's the thing, I want to like this book, it's a local artist, but I just can't. I can't even finish it. Which if you know me, then you know that is only something I've done two other times in my entire life.
I won't talk badly about this book, but it is poorly written and feels like I'm reading a rough draft of an idea of a book. I feel like the storyline (saying this without reading but half of it) could have potential, but it's so bad that it takes away from the story.
The book is written from both Colby and Keira's POV, yet there is no distinction. One sentence will be Colby speaking and the next is Keira. But wait, let's throw someone else's thinkings in there too randomly. There is no flow. We all know that I hate (with a passion) multiple storytellers, but this is atrocious. Half the time I have to stop and reread a paragraph to even figure out whose speaking.
Furthermore, the story is boring and jumpy and very disconnected. We, as readers, are not allowed to connect with the characters. We are given straight facts and story, no emotions or feeling. Without these, how can you bond and grow to love a character. I feel like a stranger is telling a story of something and I have no idea who any of the people that theyre talking about. you know the feeling.
Lastly, the story hinges on main events. An actual quote is "nothing happened for a few weeks". I mean, really? Nothing at all happened?

Ok and not lastly, but this bugs me. Is the setting rural or not? I feel confused, probably bc I know that this is set in my town. But we are told its a rural town, but then a chapter later someone has a butler. FYI, no one in any rural town has a butler. No one. It's just silly.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know those little fairies that steal into your room at night, take your tooth, and leave you a quarter richer? They’re cute, they’re tiny, they’re harmless, and they leave glitter by your window, right? Wrong. Everything you think you know is a lie. Growing up, Keira has always known she is special: she is a tooth fairy… and not the kind your parents told you about. Keeping her secret from her friends is the hardest thing she has ever had to do, and it leads to some serious complications.

The premise of this book is amazing. I haven’t even heard of a tooth fairy novel before, I’ve read about vampires, werewolves, fairies, mermaids, and angels … but not the tooth fairy. For me that means that the plotline of this story isn’t one that has been overwritten. It’s original and brings a fresh angle. I’m always looking for really good paranormal or fantasy books, and Of Sun and Moon really hit the mark on both counts. Throughout the story, I really see the characters develop. I see the relationships grow and change. Butler gives us a great look into the characters’ thoughts and personalities, not just by what they say, but also by the choices they make. Of Sun and Moon has a great balance between telling and showing.

Most of the high school aspects of this story are right on the mark, especially the relationships, and because of this, I feel really connected to Keira. I understand the whole high school emotional rollercoaster and, on top of that, she deals with being so different from everyone else. It’s inspiring. Some of the ‘plot twists’ weren’t very surprising to me, and I can’t tell if they are meant to be that way, to pull your attention away from the even bigger surprises, or if I just happened to figure them out.

The cover:

This cover is beautiful. The girl’s laid back, classic pose makes me feel like she’s really comfortable sitting there in that dress… I am NEVER that comfortable in a dress! Not fair. The red dress with the pale skin and black hair makes the girl look really striking. Not many covers match the actual story, but in this one, right now, I remember the exact scene Keira wore that dress and had her hair like that. It’s really cool, and it ties me into this book in a unique way because the recognition only comes from having read the story. So, go read it, so you too can feel that connection!

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars: Very Highly Recommended

for more of my reviews visit: www.epiloguereview.blogspot.com

[Marsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever felt as though you were starring in your own personal episode of The Twilight Zone where everyone likes a book but for the life of you, you cannot figure out why? Well, that is exactly what I felt trying to read "Of Sun & Moon." Normally, I read a book a day; however, I have been attempting to finish this book for two days now and finally after reading to the 74% mark, I just plain and simple give up!

The premise for "Of Sun and Moon" on the surface had great potential. A teenage girl, separated from her biological parents, has special abilities and is the tooth fairy. To make the plot more interesting, other teenagers are missing from this small town. Unfortunately, the plot was progressed slowly and without much intrigue or action. I found myself bored for most of it and to make matters worse, the story line was just too convoluted with myth piled on top of myth heading nowhere fast.

The writing was good and unlike many self-published books today, the editing was very well done. I just did not like the story. Ms. Butler please do not be offended by my comments. Different strokes for different folks. This one just did not do it for me. So, I've given up on trying to finish this book. I just cannot read another word. Please note, most of the reviews for this book were 3 to 5 stars; so, I advise other readers to pick it up and decide for yourselves.

[J.L. Dobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Sun and Moon (Midnight Guardian Series,Book1) by Bryna Butler

I'm not sure how much I can express that I loved this novel. It's a bit out of my usual genre, but it grabbed my interest right from the start. Keira Ryan and Colby Hayes have been friends for life. So this seems to start our like one of those romance novels where the reader gets the sense right away that though they each are pursuing someone else they are meant for each other. But this is more than a romance novel; it's a fractured fairytale.(Guardian story.)

Keira has a secret she's kept even from Colby all these years. As a reader we get the sense of this early on, but the big reveal doesn't come till much later. The first third of the novel is spent mostly trying to convince us that they have an otherwise normal teen life going here. Were about to find out how untrue that is.

While Keira pursues William and Colby pursues Brooke we slowly get the sense that Keira is having some conflicting feelings. Of course right away Keira has other issues such as her explosive reaction to people teaching myths that she feels are inaccurate at best. This stems from the fact that she's secretly a tooth fairy-guardian. There are also some mysterious disappearances which will later factor into the whole story. All the while Keira is training with Nana, the woman who has raised her in place of her parents. Keira calls it piano lessens but it's far from that.

There is one thing that is almost annoying about the novel and that's the almost too easy shifting of Point of View. Mostly it's between Keira and Colby, but they often seem like conjoined twins so it actually works for them. There is at least one case where it happens within the same paragraph so I'm pretty sure there are some people I know who will have a problem with this one. Let that stand as a warning to you who know who you are.

The plot gets rather twisted and convoluted at times and surprises abound and I'm pretty sure there will be more surprises as the series moves onward. The characters are well rounded and as I mentioned the only distraction I had was the hopping back and forth between Colby and Keira almost a bit too leisurely, but for my tastes it works just fine because I could always keep track of whose head I was in.

Because of the withheld information in the first half of the novel some things do not make sense until everything unfolds at the end, which I thought worked out nicely.

This is a well written with a great plot and excellent characters good for lovers of YA Romance and Paranormal Fans.

The Tooth Fairy-guardian- as you've never seen him or her.

J.L. Dobias

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story That’s Well Told

The story starts slowly as it develops the characters and builds a different world. The story is nicely consistent. When new truths are revealed, the past events make sense.

Keira makes for a realistic teenage girl who is coming to grips with her power, her destiny, and the worlds in which she lives. I enjoyed the story. It started a bit too slowly, but picked up the pace as it progressed.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took forever for me to get through this book only the last couple chapters was interesting the rest was kind of boring I will read the next book to see what happens but if it was like the first one I will probably skim the first half of the book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good, quick little read. I picked up the full series on Kindle Unlimited, but since you can buy the full collection for pretty cheap, I recommend it even if you don't have KU. The first book (Of Sun & Moon) is currently listed to download for free on a Kindle device, so check it out!

[Kati]

DNF page 89. This book is just not great. The characters are two dimensional, the writing is weak and I just don't see the point in finishing it.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It took me away I a place familiar and far from home!! Keep them coming Bryna Butler, you've got talent!!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite line from the book: God and our love created a child.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

Freshman Keira Ryan is a tooth fairy. No, not some pink, sparkly being that rewards children upon that great milestone of teeth lost. Instead, think more kick-butt action hero devoid of the wand and glittery tulle. Keira’s a guardian, a guardian of children whom the monsters of childhood nightmares seek to destroy. As the strange disappearances of her classmates begin to plague her small town, Keira must claim her birthright and fulfill her destiny to defeat the evil behind the kidnappings… all while trying to navigate the rough waters of romance and her high school’s social scene.


I started Of Sun & Moon excited about the premise. I mean, tooth fairies? No one that I’m aware of has done anything with that particular childhood tale, so I was naturally curious to see how Butler would build a story around such an original character. Let’s face it, if not done correctly, a serious tooth fairy story could quickly become … laughable? But the explanation Butler gives behind Keira’s duty and purpose was convincing and made sense in the world Butler created.


However, in spite of the original concept and the persuasive foundation Butler laid for what Keira is, the story fell apart for me. It ultimately comes back to the issue of showing versus telling. It’s not enough to simply tell a story. Instead, the reader needs to be actively engaged, participating in the story alongside the hero and heroine – to feel, see, hear, smell, taste everything they do. When an author tells me things rather than shows me what I need to know, I find that necessary connection to the story and characters lacking. I’m on the outside looking in, so to speak — not involved and not fully informed.


This issue has the greatest impact on characterization and relationship development. At first glance, Butler has created a diverse and interesting cast of characters – she has done a good job differentiating them, making them unique each from the other. However, because we’re mainly told rather than shown things about them, I never felt like I got to know them very well or invest in them like I hoped. As a result of not really knowing the characters well on an individual level, to me the relationship development between various people in the story lacked depth and authenticity, and character reactions were sometimes strange and unprecedented. It was disappointing, because, in my opinion, Butler sets up some interesting relationship dynamics, but the development isn’t quite there.


Other things that fell a little short: plot development and the mythology. Because plot development ties in so closely with the character and relationship development in this book, it unfortunately suffered too. However, the pacing did keep my attention and moved things along pretty well. Regarding the mythology that is woven throughout the story, while the concept and explanation of the tooth fairy are original and believable, the rest of the mythology and the rules behind Keira’s reality never seem clearly defined. It is hard to wrap my head around how her world is structured and how it runs, once again leaving me with that outside-looking-in feeling.


Overall, while Of Sun & Moon has an intriguing premise, boasts an original concept, and promises intriguing relationship dynamics, it’s a novel that would greatly benefit from further character and relationship development.

[MB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whenever I sit down to rate a book, I always have a hard time justifying giving it less than 3 stars. Authors work very hard to make their books everything that they want it to be, and for me to come in and reduce it to a rating like, "it's okay", is difficult.

Why did I give this book two stars?

The major reason that I rated this book so low is because the writing left a lot to be desired. The book goes from major event to major event with nothing in between. You, as the reader, are expected to accept everything that is told to you, with nothing to support what is being said. There is no glue to hold together the story, which makes for a disjointed and confusing read.
In all honesty, the book came across as the author's notes about the story. When I first started reading, I actually made the comment to my husband that I felt like I was reading notes instead of a book. It did not make for pleasant reading.

Everything felt rushed. Without any of the in-between times, it felt like a series of snapshots. Imagine flipping quickly through a photo album highlighting important aspects of a stranger's life. That's what reading this book felt like. It made it impossible to form any sort of connection to the characters; I honestly didn't care what happened to them.

I don't understand what the main conflict has to do with Keira's powers or abilities. There doesn't seem to be any real reason that she has to be a tooth fairy in order for the story to take place. In fact, her special Guardian-ness felt like a side plot that was unexplored. She actually said something along the lines of, "Well, I won't have to worry about doing anything with that for a while." ...What?! You're special because you're a Guardian, but you've done your duty for the next six years or so.
Maybe it's explained better in the other books in the series, or maybe it's just thrown in there to make Keira supernatural without using the more popular otherworldly beings.


With all of that being said, I think the plot really does have potential, but it definitely needs to be heavily edited.

[JennRenee · Rating 3 out of 5]

see more reviews http://jennreneeread.blogspot.com/


First I want to say the cover is gorgeous!
I found this book on Amazon and though I would give it try. It sounds different and original. The premise of the book is pretty interesting and it did keep me turning the pages. I think the idea was great. The myth behind the tooth fairies that the world hears is far from the truth. The so called tooth fairies in this book are not at all interested in the teeth as much as they are in saving the world, so to speak.

The book was easy to get in to and the characters were interesting. The main characters were well described and pretty well built. The secondary characters fell flat at times, but not enough to take away from the story. The relationship between the two main characters felt real and honest to me, which I really love in my stories.

I did have a hard time following the story at times. The writing was good but did not flow as well as it could in parts of the book. I felt confused at the beginning; it took me a while to really understand what was happening. When I first started reading the book it was hard to see where the story was heading and that was a little frustrating. The truth behind Keira came quick and rushed. The story of Keira was really hard to follow for me at first. After a few more chapters I began to finally grasp Keira but still failed to see how the missing kids were connected. In the end it did come together and I was able to say to myself “ah now I get it” and figured the confusion must be intentional.

I did enjoy the story and I will continue to read the series to see how it ends; however I feel that I would have enjoyed the book a little more if it didn’t feel rushed. I think more could have been included in the book and a slower pace would have done the story justice.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit it, I tend to be a little generous with self-pubs when it comes to ratings (and actually she was a student from my university) but I will say it was more like 2.5 because this really did need tightening up a bit.

Keira is a tooth fairy but they're a little more tough than we're used to. They get a child to guard, a special child and Keira has been awaiting her first assignment. In the meantime she's been living with Nana her grandmother, so we assume, and hanging out with her best friend, the brainy Colby. Ann and Jumper, also friends from school round out the group until Colby falls for the rich popular girl, Brooke and Keira feels rather abandoned until she meets William.

SO we have a lot of your typical teen stuff in this but in the background is Keira's job. After she gets her charge things start happening. To be fair, kids were going missing before that but now there is a real threat to her and her friends. Naturally it falls to her to stop it.

Here is where the tightening up and a good editor would have helped. This takes place over an entire year, maybe a little more and there are too many places where the action is kind of pushed to the side in order to work in the teen dating stuff. There doesn't seem to be much sustained tension until mid-way through the book which is a bit too long. While I like Keira, Ann and Jumper needed fleshing out more. Colby never struck me as smart which is a problem.

So it's not a bad read but you could see the missed potential in places.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought "Of Sun & Moon" was awesome! I loved how there were constantly new things to learn about the characters. And I feel there is still more to learn!! The twists of the story were unpredictable. I found myself entranced in reading this book because I needed to know more about Keira, Colby, Ann, William, and even Brooke. I loved how the book was well balanced between romance, story building, mystery and action! I'm so glad that I have the next book so I can begin reading it right after I finish this review. ***Spoiler alert*** favorite part: 'He brushed past her lips to her ear. breathlessly, he whispered, "When I'm not with you, I feel broken and all I can think about is the next time that I'll see you." "Sounds familiar," she said opening one eye. "Yeah, I heard that line before. It's a little cheesy but I'm thinking that cheese is probably a good way to sweep a mouse off her feet."' I actually laughed out loud and had to read it again! Such a great line! I'm smitten by these characters and must know what happens! I'm curious to see what or who the human gift is... Off to begin "Whispering Evil"!!!!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiera and Colby have been friends since they were born. And now the fun had begun. I was a bit disappointed in this story. I loved the story line, but I was never really engaged with Kiera or Colby. Neither character is delved into very much thoughtout the whole novel. We don't really understand why decisions are made or what the motivation behind anything is. I think it might have been better if this novel was written from one point of view. Then we would understand Kiera's life, or Colbys life. The jumping back and forth just served to keep the reader at a distance from the characters. Some authors are very adept at this kind of writing. Here I Believe the author was trying not to give everything away, but I caused the novel to jump around and left me in the dark too much for my liking. I'm not sure I would want to read others in this series. As I said, I love the idea and the base for the story, but so disappointed in the actually series of events and how we find out about Kiera and her close family.

[Laura Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He was a mogdoc. Mogdocs don't love. They plot. They manipulate. They lie."

Colby & Keira have been forever friends but things start coming between them freshman year in high school. This year Keira told Colby the truth about being a guardian. Brooke, the uber-wealthy girl in town has become Colby's girlfriend and the disappearance of two neighborhood kids has people struggling to find answers. When the mystery leads to some surprising facts Colby & Keira's friendship will be tested. Enter William, a boy Keira doesn't want to love, but their attraction is undeniable.

Of Sun & Moon has everything. Mystery. Betrayal. A life or death struggle. Even lost societies. There's a roller coaster scene and and kidnapping scene that will have you flipping pages faster than I eat jalepeño chips! Ms. Butler does an excellent job of keeping the tension high.

Secret rooms, assassins, shapeshifters. This book has it all!

[Jacquelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely something different. I am not entirely sure how I felt about this book once I finished it. I liked the idea but I kept getting confused because it would jump around between different characters points of view almost without a moments notice (or maybe it just seemed that way). I was extremely tired last night when I read this book (all in one sitting I might add) so that could have a role in my confusion. I might have to try reading the second one at a time when I am not so exhausted and see if it is any better. I love the idea of a bad-ass tooth-fairy though!

[Deanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. She's a local author. This book could have been written by someone in middle school. This story was too all-over-the-place, the characters had no depth, the plot was lackluster. I wish I had something positive to say.

[Lori Shafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished the first book is this series. It has been on my to read shelf for over a year.

I truly enjoyed the book. I was surprised when so many did not like the title. It is a nice easy read. I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Joelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice fluff about a supernatural being we never thought could be bad ass. Actually has a unique mythology and nothing to do with the common fable.

[Resa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a really good book.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on the tooth fairy story. I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I can't wait to read more and will be recommending this book.

[Trudi Jorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy read-- may have to continue! :)