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Return to Aramon - A New Moon
Critically acclaimed storyteller Ezra Ferguson returns to the world of epic narrative with an unforgettable, heart-rending tale of extraordinary men standing alone against a cosmic evil.
GOD'S HONOR.
A devout order of warrior monks had rid the world of demonic power. But when their oath-sworn prince rises to the throne, his folly threatens to undo everything. Voldigar, their aging champion, left bloodshed behind, living out his autumn years in bitter-sweet peace, caring only for the soil and the suffering woman he loves. Now, as the shadows of his past and an ancient evil loom over his dreams, he and his Brethren are all that stand against the end of days...
Return to Aramon - A New Moon is heroic fantasy written in the tradition of the classic epics, seeking that which is good, true, and beautiful. Return to Aramon explores love, loyalty, and sacrificial courage in brilliant contrast to the post-modern cynicism and nihilism so common to the stories of our day. In reverence for the beauty of language, Return to Aramon honors the foundations of high fantasy while speaking in the distinct voice of a generation who saw the end of an age.
GOD'S HONOR.
A devout order of warrior monks had rid the world of demonic power. But when their oath-sworn prince rises to the throne, his folly threatens to undo everything. Voldigar, their aging champion, left bloodshed behind, living out his autumn years in bitter-sweet peace, caring only for the soil and the suffering woman he loves. Now, as the shadows of his past and an ancient evil loom over his dreams, he and his Brethren are all that stand against the end of days...
Return to Aramon - A New Moon is heroic fantasy written in the tradition of the classic epics, seeking that which is good, true, and beautiful. Return to Aramon explores love, loyalty, and sacrificial courage in brilliant contrast to the post-modern cynicism and nihilism so common to the stories of our day. In reverence for the beauty of language, Return to Aramon honors the foundations of high fantasy while speaking in the distinct voice of a generation who saw the end of an age.
- GenresEpic Fantasy
518 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2025
2 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 2, 2025
Return to Aramon is a very solid introduction into the land of Aramon and the adventure that takes place in it. I was very impressed by the writing quality in the book and the storytelling ability of the author. This is a book that could be enjoyed by a younger audience just as well as readers on the older side.
The book starts off strong with an intriguing scene that lays out a mystery and then begins to introduce a fairly large cast. The character work in the story was probably my favorite part. Each person felt like they had a real personality, motivation, and part to play in the world. The main character (Voldigar) and his wife, especially, had a great dynamic and the story creates a very real dilemma around their relationship. The other characters (some of whom I would actually consider to be co-leads) had such a great arc that I was always just as excited to read the chapters from their point of view and see what was happening with them.
The conflict and villain in the story rolls out at a fantastic pace. The story moves along in a way that builds the stakes and adventure naturally. The author does a great job of unfolding mysteries at the right time and the pacing of the story in general is definitely one of his strengths. The story and tension built at a steady pace and were resolved multiple times, only to reveal that an even larger plot was being constructed. It was shocking to me to think back near the end of the book and realize how many layers there were and how much had actually happened in the story.
The action scenes were done well, it was always clear what was happening and they were exciting. The action scenes were also not overused. Overall, I was highly impressed with the quality of writing in this book, especially for what seems to be the author’s first novel.
There are also a few criticisms I have for the book. First, There are times that the author uses overly flowery or poetic language that doesn’t fit with the scene or can even be slightly confusing. This isn’t a common occurrence, which is likely why the few times it happened really stood out to me. Second, the size of the land seems a little strange when reading. When I realized what the distances are (I should have checked the scale of the map more closely), the travelling times made more sense but it also meant that the story takes place over a much smaller area than I had thought. Third, there are a few pieces of the world that lack explanation. The parts that stood out to me were the relationship of the Sun worshippers to the Brotherhood, the role of the Moon Cult, and the abilities/power levels of some of the characters. Most of the confusion didn't interfere with the main storyline, so I didn’t consider it a major issue. I just would have liked to understand the world a little better on these points.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story overall. The Brotherhood, especially, was incredibly interesting. It felt similar to something out of Star Wars and each member of the order had distinct personalities and powers. Some of the more minor characters from the Brotherhood ended up being my favorites in the book. The morality and ideals in Return to Aramon are very clear. It is definitely a good versus evil story, which I appreciated. It gave the story an epic, classic feel.
I would absolutely recommend Return to Aramon to anyone who likes the fantasy genre. It’s filled with characters to love, a fascinating, alive world, and a completely engrossing story. I can’t wait to read the next part of this story.
4.5/5 stars
The book starts off strong with an intriguing scene that lays out a mystery and then begins to introduce a fairly large cast. The character work in the story was probably my favorite part. Each person felt like they had a real personality, motivation, and part to play in the world. The main character (Voldigar) and his wife, especially, had a great dynamic and the story creates a very real dilemma around their relationship. The other characters (some of whom I would actually consider to be co-leads) had such a great arc that I was always just as excited to read the chapters from their point of view and see what was happening with them.
The conflict and villain in the story rolls out at a fantastic pace. The story moves along in a way that builds the stakes and adventure naturally. The author does a great job of unfolding mysteries at the right time and the pacing of the story in general is definitely one of his strengths. The story and tension built at a steady pace and were resolved multiple times, only to reveal that an even larger plot was being constructed. It was shocking to me to think back near the end of the book and realize how many layers there were and how much had actually happened in the story.
The action scenes were done well, it was always clear what was happening and they were exciting. The action scenes were also not overused. Overall, I was highly impressed with the quality of writing in this book, especially for what seems to be the author’s first novel.
There are also a few criticisms I have for the book. First, There are times that the author uses overly flowery or poetic language that doesn’t fit with the scene or can even be slightly confusing. This isn’t a common occurrence, which is likely why the few times it happened really stood out to me. Second, the size of the land seems a little strange when reading. When I realized what the distances are (I should have checked the scale of the map more closely), the travelling times made more sense but it also meant that the story takes place over a much smaller area than I had thought. Third, there are a few pieces of the world that lack explanation. The parts that stood out to me were the relationship of the Sun worshippers to the Brotherhood, the role of the Moon Cult, and the abilities/power levels of some of the characters. Most of the confusion didn't interfere with the main storyline, so I didn’t consider it a major issue. I just would have liked to understand the world a little better on these points.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story overall. The Brotherhood, especially, was incredibly interesting. It felt similar to something out of Star Wars and each member of the order had distinct personalities and powers. Some of the more minor characters from the Brotherhood ended up being my favorites in the book. The morality and ideals in Return to Aramon are very clear. It is definitely a good versus evil story, which I appreciated. It gave the story an epic, classic feel.
I would absolutely recommend Return to Aramon to anyone who likes the fantasy genre. It’s filled with characters to love, a fascinating, alive world, and a completely engrossing story. I can’t wait to read the next part of this story.
4.5/5 stars
May 29, 2025
4.5 stars
Reading Return to Aramon feels like I've been plopped down in the middle of an epic adventure. It was complex and blended nicely between being plot driven and driven by character choices. The characters were diverse in both age, gender, and had a cast of many fantasy races. The world building was phenomenal, helping the reader immerse themselves the world of Aramon.
Voldigar was by far my favorite character. My heart aches for Voldigar as he struggles with his desires to just live a simple life after giving so much in the past and his sense of duty to the Brotherhood he has dedicated his life to. He is constantly torn between letting go of his responsibility and staying for his ailing wife, who you can tell he adores. Man deserves a break after everything, but the punches keep coming and I am utterly heartbroken for him.
I was often frustrated with Tepic and the choices he made, but honestly, he had a lot thrown at him for a thirteen year old. Honestly, despite his many mistakes, he really does try his best and unlike Lusant, put his trust in his teachers. And yes, he's young and still learning, so I am looking forward to seeing more of his development as the story continues.
I had two struggles with this book. first being that the book feels and reads more like a second book in a series rather than the first. I kept getting this feeling that I was supposed to have this knowledge of what happened before with how the characters talked and I was missing information. I was able to glean enough to piece together previous events, but that feeling was very prevalent in the beginning of the story. It wasn't necessary for this story, but I think that knowing more of what happened to Voldigar and the Brotherhood before this would have made this much more impactful.
The other struggle was the timeline. Sometimes it was a little hard to understand when events where happening, especially when we switched between each characters pov. This was more an issue at the beginning and a little bit in the middle, but it works itself out.
Some content warnings:
Gore and death
Drug abuse
Difficult pregnancy and labor (off screen)
But I really liked the story and I want to know what happens next. How will they overcome their enemy and bring the world back into balance?
Reading Return to Aramon feels like I've been plopped down in the middle of an epic adventure. It was complex and blended nicely between being plot driven and driven by character choices. The characters were diverse in both age, gender, and had a cast of many fantasy races. The world building was phenomenal, helping the reader immerse themselves the world of Aramon.
Voldigar was by far my favorite character. My heart aches for Voldigar as he struggles with his desires to just live a simple life after giving so much in the past and his sense of duty to the Brotherhood he has dedicated his life to. He is constantly torn between letting go of his responsibility and staying for his ailing wife, who you can tell he adores. Man deserves a break after everything, but the punches keep coming and I am utterly heartbroken for him.
I was often frustrated with Tepic and the choices he made, but honestly, he had a lot thrown at him for a thirteen year old. Honestly, despite his many mistakes, he really does try his best and unlike Lusant, put his trust in his teachers. And yes, he's young and still learning, so I am looking forward to seeing more of his development as the story continues.
I had two struggles with this book. first being that the book feels and reads more like a second book in a series rather than the first. I kept getting this feeling that I was supposed to have this knowledge of what happened before with how the characters talked and I was missing information. I was able to glean enough to piece together previous events, but that feeling was very prevalent in the beginning of the story. It wasn't necessary for this story, but I think that knowing more of what happened to Voldigar and the Brotherhood before this would have made this much more impactful.
The other struggle was the timeline. Sometimes it was a little hard to understand when events where happening, especially when we switched between each characters pov. This was more an issue at the beginning and a little bit in the middle, but it works itself out.
Some content warnings:
Gore and death
Drug abuse
Difficult pregnancy and labor (off screen)
But I really liked the story and I want to know what happens next. How will they overcome their enemy and bring the world back into balance?
July 3, 2025
An intricate, beautifully written, and original fantasy packed with deeper themes that will keep you thinking long after you set the book down. If you are a fan of Tolkien-esque stories, this is a must-read. I was on the edge of my seat through all 497 pages, and I'm highly anticipating the sequel!
February 24, 2026
DNF at 17%. Partly the writing. A lot the arrogant way of the atuhor. Check out his Amazon description of the book that puts himself as better than all modern fantasy writers
(Spoiler: he isn't. Not if this book is anything to go by)
#eyeroll #movingon
(Spoiler: he isn't. Not if this book is anything to go by)
#eyeroll #movingon
February 4, 2026
In a genre that has splintered into serval different sub-genres, it is refreshing to experience a story that is fundamentally epic fantasy at its roots. Ezra Ferguson’s Return to Aramon: A New Moon encapsulates that feel of traditional fantasy.
While there are multiple points of view with several main and side characters, the main Character, Voldigar, was easy to side with. His triumphs felt like my triumphs, and his sorrows felt like my own. There were moments when I did not know what the story would force Voldigar to suffer through, and I felt genuine concern for him. I will say if you are someone who enjoys morally conflicted main characters or a lead who blurs the lines between reluctant hero or passive antagonist, this may not be the book for you. Voldigar represents everything honest, true, and right. If you are happy to join such an upright hero, then you won’t regret following Voldigar. There are a multitude of other persons in the book, each mostly representing a clear good or not good character. With a clear distinction between good and evil, those representing either side were well-written and enjoyable to read.
Though Return to Aramon is what I would consider a traditional fantasy in prose and themes, that’s not to say that Return to Aramon does not feel fresh. In fact, I was happy to experience a unique world and an imaginative story that felt original. I was pleased with some of the darker themes and scenes that Ezra placed into the book. Since the story makes a clear distinction between good and evil, I was happy to experience the extremes of both. Without giving anything specific away, this book presents both victories and defeats like one would expect to experience in reality.
I’m very happy I was able to experience Return to Aramon. The emotions that I felt from the characters and story have stuck with me, and I look forward to the next time I can Return to Aramon myself!
While there are multiple points of view with several main and side characters, the main Character, Voldigar, was easy to side with. His triumphs felt like my triumphs, and his sorrows felt like my own. There were moments when I did not know what the story would force Voldigar to suffer through, and I felt genuine concern for him. I will say if you are someone who enjoys morally conflicted main characters or a lead who blurs the lines between reluctant hero or passive antagonist, this may not be the book for you. Voldigar represents everything honest, true, and right. If you are happy to join such an upright hero, then you won’t regret following Voldigar. There are a multitude of other persons in the book, each mostly representing a clear good or not good character. With a clear distinction between good and evil, those representing either side were well-written and enjoyable to read.
Though Return to Aramon is what I would consider a traditional fantasy in prose and themes, that’s not to say that Return to Aramon does not feel fresh. In fact, I was happy to experience a unique world and an imaginative story that felt original. I was pleased with some of the darker themes and scenes that Ezra placed into the book. Since the story makes a clear distinction between good and evil, I was happy to experience the extremes of both. Without giving anything specific away, this book presents both victories and defeats like one would expect to experience in reality.
I’m very happy I was able to experience Return to Aramon. The emotions that I felt from the characters and story have stuck with me, and I look forward to the next time I can Return to Aramon myself!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews