Dust & Dire

by Emily Moon

Magic didn’t die with the last of the mages, it only went into hiding.

Bram treats the district jail as his second home, the first one being the pub. Plagued by voices that get him into trouble, he finds out it’s worse than being mad—he’s a mage. But knowing that doesn’t stop the voices and the one that gets him in hot water the most might be his own.

Cesa spends her days studying magic and the fog-like dire it flows through. She mourns a world where magic prospered and fears the loss of even more. When she has the chance to save a fellow mage, she starts to believe she will never find the world she dreams of from the safety of her room.

They will have to decide whether there is more to be gained together, and how much they are willing to give up to find out.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2023

About the author

Emily Moon was born in Australia and grew up in the United States and England. A homebody by nature, she settled in rural Massachusetts with her husband, kids, and menagerie. With a background in criminal justice, she’s now an accidental librarian policing the stacks. Her interests include playing and making video games, fiber arts, arguing with animals and losing, and, obviously, writing.

In her stories, Emily loves to explore the contradictory: the light and dark, the funny and serious, and the irreverent and sincere, with true-to-life characters in fanciful settings and outlandish situations.

Reviews

[Nick Burgoyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant find this was! Dust & Dire follows two POVs, brought together when Cesa realises Bram, a petty street-thief, is a mage, but he doesn't realise it. In order to help, she offers him a place to stay in order to teach him about his skills.

This book is all about the relationship between these two characters, and for me, they contrast and compliment each other perfectly. Both have a lot to learn from each other, from their different stations in society, and the way the two develop together made for engaging, fleshed-out characters. I wasn't at all convinced by their fledging romance, but I was fully invested in their story together. I also like the magic system, which uses a fog-like substance called dire (which drifts around like dust) as its medium.

My only real reservation is that it wasn't clear why mages are persecuted, and I wish it was explored more to really anchor the world, instead of merely being a plot device.

Still, I very much enjoyed this story. For those after a thoughtful, character-driven fantasy, I found Dust & Dire a satisfying read. I will certainly try out the sequels.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great first book in a new fantasy romance series! Great characters, a sweet romance, and an interesting story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me this one. I nearly DNF’d it a few times. A book where the idea is outstanding, but the execution of the storytelling is lacking. I just found this dull, dragging, and unimaginative, and there was no chemistry at all with any of the characters.
I finished it though.