Moonfall: Tales from the Levant

by Vanessa Morton

When sixteen-year-old Rachav drinks the Moon Temple's forbidden wine, she hardly expects it to result in the death of a priestess. But when King Nur orders Rachav to serve the Queen of the Night—the kingdom's powerful goddess—as restitution, Rachav's identical twin, Zaron, has her own reasons for joining the priesthood and offers to take her twin's place.

But choices have consequences.

Now Rachav's family is in danger. As she uncovers the shocking reason why, she finds an ally in Salma, a brooding nomad who wields an ancient force powerful enough to destroy the entire kingdom. While the epic showdown rages above the city, Rachav plays a dangerous game of her own. Can she rescue her sister and right the wrongs of that fateful choice? Or will the king succeed and trap her in the doomed city?

Genres: Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy

241 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2013

About the author

Vanessa Morton, a two-time semi-finalist in the prestigious Genesis Writing contest, earned a BA in History and studied writing at UCLA. Exploring and volunteering at archaeological sites on three continents inspired her to write epic YA adventure.

Her debut novel, Moonfall: Tales from the Levant, was released May 1st.
Vanessa Morton lives at her family's vineyard in East Texas.

Reviews

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

A uniquely intriguing tale which brings to vivid vibrancy life in the ancient Middle East, MOONFALL, the debut novel of.Vanessa Morton, is deeply researched and historically accurate. Yet it's not dry and dusty, it's realistic, vibrant, and compelling. I raced through it, feeling as if I were an on-site observer, not just a reader. Even readers not usually drawn to historical fiction ought to love MOONFALL. I anticipate more from this author.

[a_tiffyfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come. Tour! (P.S. You should stop by my blog on Saturday for the giveaway associated with this tour! hint hint!)

This book was NOTHING like I had imagined. The blurb is dead-on in description, but the historical world I was whipped away to was amazing.

It takes a well-known story (not of the girls directly, but of the animosity between opposing factions) and delivers it in a well-woven way with a healthy dose of supernatural mysticism. Rachav sneaks a sip of ceremonial temple wine during a festival and it sets off a chain of events for her family that brings about devastation.

When Rachav sets off to find her friend (and intended!) Nuvi before he can sell his goats, she is lost in a sandstorm and found by Salma, a nomad. For nearly a year, she suffers from amnesia. When she begins to remember in a rush, she hurries back to Yericho to save her family.

While there is much going on between an evil despot who is obsessed with adding to his pile of riches and his harem, animosity between opposing factions, etc., the core of this story is family. I was outraged and annoyed at Rachav's family, from her selfish twin to her b*tchy sister in law to her disgusting brother. Admittedly, I approached her situation with a thoroughly modern mindset. When I thought about familial roles at that time etc., I was still outraged on her behalf, but understood completely that there is really very little choice. When she returns from her amnesia-laden journey, she is not welcome with open arms. Her brother is truly despicable and continues to be so even though Rachav has proven herself over and over.

I admired Rachav's desire to save her family, no matter the cost, and how dedicated she was to the cause and adamant that no one is left behind. This book was richly descriptive, well-written, and held my attention throughout. I liked every aspect of it including the highlights of showing monotheistic beliefs versus polytheistic and the clash of different cultures all in one hotspot of a cultural center.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of my reviews can be read on my blog Reviews For The Living And The Undead . Feel free to follow me. I love when people follow my blog.

Netgalley gave me this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Moonfall by Vanessa Morton is about two identical twins who live in Yericho. One of the twins is sophisticated and supposed to marry a well off man while another one is much more concerned about the family. However when Rachav is chosen to work in the temple, she and her identical twin sister take places. Rachav hopes that will help things work out for her but then she finds out some horrible is happening to her little sister.

This novel did have a very good concept. I’m afraid that I am not familiar with the bible story, but it does sound like it would be an interesting one. The twins were also pretty realistic for twins. They weren’t super close and were instead like many siblings. They had problems that normal ones did such as rivalry between the two of them. They still loved each other despite this and there many differences.

However, I found that this novel was very confusing at times. I also started getting bored at the end and had problems finishing it. I also found some grammar mistakes as it went on. Nothing to major though.

Overall I would give this book three out of five. I think other people might like it more than I did.

[Katrina Southern · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm actually involved in the Blog Tour for this book and originally planned to wait until tomorrow before doing any kind of reviewing. But I couldn't not say anything because I enjoyed this book. 'Moonfall' tells the story of Rachav, who drinks the Temple's forbidden wine and is ordered by the King to join the priesthood and serve the Temple Of The Night. In a desperate attempt to avoid her punishment, Rachav switches places with her twin sister Zaron. But she soon learns that her actions may have even more consequences, and it is up to Rachav to protect her family. There were so many good points to this book. The plot was well-written, the world-building phenomenal (seriously, the amount of work that has gone into this book is just breathtaking), and I was hooked from start to finish. There was a hint of romance in there too and I was absolutely desperate to read more of the couple in question. I loved the pairing! The main focus of the book was family though and I really enjoyed that aspect of it too. I felt a little thrown into the story at first, and after reading the book I wondered why Rachav actually drank the wine in the first place (it felt very out of character). That's a pretty minor niggle though that I'm willing to forgive because I enjoyed it so much! I loved the touch of fantasy found within this pretty recognisable Biblical story, they fell together very well. Well worth a read, I would highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more!

For a full review, see here: http://chasedbymyimagination.blogspot...

[Crystal Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

Sixteen year old Rachav drinks the Moon Temple's forbidden wine, only to learn that decisions made in haste can have dire consequences when a priestess dies as a result. Her punishment for her transgression is an order by King Nur to serve the Queen of the Night, the Kingdom's powerful goddess by being a priestess herself. To Rachav this punishment is just short of a death sentence to her, however her identical twin Zaron is more than eager to switch places with her in order to become a priestess.

Rachav in a storm is lost and is found by Salma, a nomad that wields an ancient force powerful enough to destroy the entire kingdom. Rachav befriends Salma and in result he promises to help her return to her family, only to find that things are not as she left them and that her new identity as Zaron is not welcomed home with open arms.

This is not a typical book style that I would pick for myself, however it really was an enjoyable read. The way the story deplicted the conflicts that Rachav faced was truly young adult, however it could easily be enjoyed in the adult reading section as well. The powerful images have almost a biblical sort of feel waging faith and family as the forefront of the story. I was suprised by the depth at which myself as the reader got to understand Rachav.

I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very different than my normal books. It wasn't just fantasy, but had a mix of religion and archaic beliefs/theories. Normally, this along with names that were hard for me to remember and a world with very little intro, I would not like the book.

But this one was strangely fascinating. I found myself flipping the pages, wondering what price Rachav would pay (or her family and twin) for drinking the wine.

The prophecies, the shuffle, the royal extortion and all the lies and secrecy. It was a really fun adventure to read.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moonfall: Tales from the Levant by Vanessa Morton

3 stars

Rachav drinks wine from the Moon Temple’s forbidden wine. She doesn’t think anything of it, but it slowly destroys her family and brings everything crashing down. The King orders Rachav to serve at the temple, but she refuses the life. Her twin, Zaron, longs to serve the temple and she decides that they should swap places. Rachav ends up in a different position then what she planned and finds solace with Salma. Everything comes crashing down and the very city Rachav calls home could be destroyed. I’m very conflicted about Moonfall. It’s a strong novel. The writing is good, but there is one huge thing that bogs this novel down. It’s an infodump. There’s nothing but mentions of people, places, and religion. It’s too much! I like that this novel is different from most YA, but this novel isn’t too different from novels that think that the more information it shows the better it’ll be. I wanted a story like the one promised in the summary, but the actual story is nothing like that. AT ALL! Not even close. It’s not a bad thing that the summary is misleading, but the story is very different from what it is hinted at.

The main female character is Rachav. I kind of like Rachav. She shows good qualities, but she doesn’t seem like a person. Rachav seemed like a cutout of a person at times. There was a lot of showing of her actions and no thought as to why. It bothered me.

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5.5

The main male character is Salma. Salma has his own POV, which I wasn’t expecting at all. I do like Salma, but his POV was slumped with political talks and nothings in his daily life. The only interesting part of his POV was the war that took place.

Swoon Worthy Scale: 5

The Villain- I honestly don’t know who is supposed to be the problem in this story. It could be every single one of these characters. There was no exact problem.

Villain Scale: 5

I honestly didn’t like any of Rachav’s family. All of her family were distant and jerks. I did like her father and mother and little sister, but besides that everyone in this family was off. They didn’t seem like a close family or even a family. They felt like people who associated with each other because they had to.

Character Scale: 2

While the characters aren’t strong this novel offers good historical insight. It has wars and I’m sure all readers appreciate wars that have good meanings and just aren’t done for the hell of a fight. The historical aspects are strong and this novel is good for that. I highly recommend this to fans of historical and history novels. It will definitely prove satisfying for them.

Cover Thoughts: Rachav and Zaron are girls with darkish, red hair. Not only that but they live in Jordan, so I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be blonde and that pale.

Thank you, Netgalley and WEbook Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Loraine Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachav is a sixteen year old girl who, during a celebration of the spring equinox with her twin sister, drinks the forbidden moon temple wine. An eclipse occurs that night that is blamed on her drinking the forbidden wine. A priestess dies, and Rachav is ordered to serve in the Moon Temple for the rest of her life. Her twin sister, Zaron, offers to switch places, but drags off their younger sister to serve as a blood sacrifice for the Queen of the Night. Rachav attempts to save her younger sister, but is unable to. She rushes off to get help, but gets lost in the desert and almost dies. She is found by Salma who takes her in and nurses her back to health and helps her recover her memory. After she remembers who she is, she returns to her family's inn, but her family is not the same as she left it. Many bad things have come about which are blamed on her leaving. Rachav tries to bring the family together during an attack on their city.
Vanessa Morton has seamlessly incorporated vast historical research into a YA (and adult) fiction in the biblical era. Her characters are strong and compelling as is her plot. She brought scriptures (I'm not telling which ones) to life and even though she used artistic license to create a fictional story inspired by the scriptures, Christian morals and themes were adhered to. A strong thumbs up!

[Ashley Reads YA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a unique book I loved every minute of it.

Rachav is a sixteen year old girl living in Yericho her family owns an inn and she haves a twin sister named Zaron everything is fine an well until Rachav drinks the forbidden moon temple wine which results in the death of a priestess and the king orders her to serve the queen of night. Rachav does not want to go so she switches identities with her twin sister Zaron. When Zaron goes to the temple she brings along young Pudu and is using her as a blood sacrifice for the queen of night Ravchav tries to save her but she can't. She gets lost and is half dead when found by Salma who takes her into his care trying to help her remember who she is and how to get her home.

Opinions: I really enjoyed this it was so different and unique from other books. It was action packed and thrilling. I also loved Rachav never give up attitude and her values of family.

Overall: I give this book 4 stars out of 5 a great read for fans of biblical times and people who like independent women as the main character.

You can get Moonfall at: http://www.amazon.com/Moonfall-Tales-...

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonfall is well-written, rich in historical detail, and spiced with a supernatural ingredient. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy a story containing struggles between peoples with differing socio-economic circumstances or belief systems and appreciate a strong female as the main character. I had trouble with some of the foreign, ancient names of characters and keeping track whether they are male or female when I stopped reading for a while and then restarted (I always read a few books simultaneously in the same week), but that's my personal shortcoming and probably doesn't reflect the ability of most readers to follow them easily.

[Shannon M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it very interesting and really liked that it was a new and fresh idea, different than a lot of the other books that are out. I loved that it was about twins they're struggle to find their place in their society and I really enjoyed reading Rachev's journey. I loved that it was tied to the Exodus and that it had links to the Old Testament. I am a history teacher and I always find this particular period to be fascinating so it was neat to see its tie in with the Old Testament and historical references. I truly cannot wait to read the next book. Sad that it will be a while but totally understand that the writing process takes time!

[Lisa Godfrees · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. It's historical biblical fiction that reads like fantasy. The writing is wonderful and the story is rich. It diverges slightly from the Bible story on which it's based (I'm intentionally not telling you which one), by the fact that the in this story, the biblical character is twins.

I wish the story had gone on a bit longer at the end. There was a romantic thread that I would have liked to seen tied in a bow, but we all know how the story ends. :)

[CassandraG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doing something forbidden always comes with a price and Rachav was about to learn the consequences of her actions. There were interesting, good, quirky and domineering characters you like and some you even despised just a little. It was a very likeable story that held your attention from the beginning. Check it out. You might not be sure about it, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by it.

[Janet Sweet]

Fascinating story

I couldn't put it down! I started reading it historically, but soon was caught up in the story. I can't wait for this author's next book! Beautifully written, very descriptive, thoroughly engaging!

[Tom Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read all the way to the end. Enjoyed the conflicts and seeing how they worked out.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I thought I wasn't going to like the book but after reading about ten chapters it was getting interesting. Surprisingly I really liked the book the only reason I gave a 4 is that it wasn't grabbing my attention at first.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book, through NetGalley, in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I found this book to be a really good, interesting read. I hadn't realised on reading the blurb that it was a historical book set in Biblical times, so I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that it included the Israelites.

Rachev was a character who was easy to like. I felt she was really well-developed and I liked the relationship she formed with Salma.

I really liked Salma as a character, too, and I would have liked to see more of the relationship that was formed between him and Rachev. It was also interesting to see Rachev's relationship with the rest of her family.

I was a bit confused when Rachev appeared in the camp the first time. I felt that the story jumped a bit too far ahead then and was somewhat disjointed.

I really liked the differences between the religion of Rachev's people and the religion of Salma's. I felt it came across as really realistic - and the sense of peace I personally associate with God came across really well, in particular with the blessing and wishing of peace upon other people.

I really liked the ending of the book, but I felt that there was a lot of the story that could have been told. It was a really good way of fleshing out the people from the Bible.

I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author in the future. I read it really fast and really enjoyed the book. It's one I would definitely read again in the future.

[Roxanne Kade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this story but the second I started reading it this book wrapped itself around my mind and took me on a great historical, fantasy ride.

It was obvious that Morton drew inspiration from historical/Biblical facts and events, but her beautiful world building and descriptive prose brought this story alive and took it far beyond. It was well paced, filled with plenty of adventure, characters who stole my heart and an exciting plot that kept me riveted to the end.

There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from this story. For me, it was, to have faith, to not dismiss the idea that those you thought were your enemy, could truly be your salvation, and of course, that too much greed and power will most certainly end in one's downfall.

I really loved the strength each character possessed, willing to fight to the end, although a few more reluctant than others. Rachav was the true hero of this story. She'd been through so much, battled many demons and her selflessness was as beautiful thing to experience.

This book was superbly written and I enjoyed every second of it. A stunning debut!

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a unique book I loved every minute of it.

Rachav is a sixteen year old girl living in Yericho her family owns an inn and she haves a twin sister named Zaron everything is fine an well until Rachav drinks the forbidden moon temple wine which results in the death of a priestess and the king orders her to serve the queen of night. Rachav does not want to go so she switches identities with her twin sister Zaron. When Zaron goes to the temple she brings along young Pudu and is using her as a blood sacrifice for the queen of night Ravchav tries to save her but she can't. She gets lost and is half dead when found by Salma who takes her into his care trying to help her remember who she is and how to get her home.

Opinions: I really enjoyed this it was so different and unique from other books. It was action packed and thrilling. I also loved Rachav never give up attitude and her values of family.

Overall: I give this book 4 stars out of 5 a great read for fans of biblical times and people who like independent women as the main character.

[Trista Siegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a good book but not really my type. It’s a historical kind of novel and I’m not a huge fan of those. I won’t let that get in the way of the review though. What I will let get in the way is how confusing most of it was. Either things weren’t explained enough or I just didn’t get it. Things just didn’t seem to fit together or build up to anything. I was kind of bored and no one likes a being bored when they are reading. There were interesting parts not enough to keep me interested. I don’t know whether it’s the style of the book or just the writing so I can’t just dismiss this one as bad because of that.

Read full review here: http://tristasiegel.blogspot.com/2014...

[Beth Steury · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her debut novel, Vanessa Morton takes her readers deep into the well-known story of the fall of Jericho. This fictional account of the events from the book of Joshua is infused with the rich details of this period in history. She brings to life the exotic culture of the ancient near east and illuminates the characters in a way that very much compliments the Bible’s rendition of this great happening.

Lovers of history will devour the intricate “world-building” in this mash-up of adventure/fantasy, based on historical and Biblical history. Biblical fiction enthusiasts will appreciate delving deeply into the hearts and minds of the players engaged in this history-altering event. Those who enjoy intricate tales rich with layers of detail will be keen on the story’s depth.

[Meralean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was *very* interesting because I'd heard of this all my life, and Moonfall put me back in that time of how it could have been. I hope the author writes more of these kind of stories. The characters came to life and the setting was so descriptive, I felt like I was right there in the story.

[Tj Akers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. You don't find a lot of historical romance with a good bases in Semitic history and culture. Of course this is fiction, but Ms. Morton creates a strong female lead without making the character a feminist caricature.

[Cassandra Lemoine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this book it lacked the "hook" to keep me interested. I deleted it from my tab 31

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique story line. However, I believe the buildup was not as good as it could have been- I felt my eyes glazing over near the end

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all the historical detail that Vanessa Morton placed in the setting of a recognizable Biblical story yet it was purely fiction as to the particular story line. Excellent debut novel!

[Kelesea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review and many others can be found on my blog: literatureobsessed.blogspot.com.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://youngadultbookmadness.wordpres...