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Fallen Peaks
Breeze Felt at Moonrise
Not yet published
Expected 9 Mar 27Win a free print copy of this book!
9 days and 12:31:39
10 copies available
U.S. only
Deep in the desert, Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise is keeping a secret: she can grow crystalline armor from her own body, a gleaming second skin as beautiful as it is forbidden
Darkly whimsical, this gorgeous epic fantasy combines the political leanings of The Goblin Emperor and the intricate magic system of Warbreaker
Long before Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise was born, her people staged a coup. They tried to murder their queen. They failed.
Twenty years later, Breeze lives in banishment with the rest of her people in the Aureate Desert, all having sworn an oath to never again use the power that led to their downfall. But as she grows older, it becomes impossible for Breeze to conceal her secret: thanks to a symbol her mother inked on her body, Breeze possesses the forsaken, forbidden magic of the Skinmakers. She can grow a layer of crystalline armor from her very flesh, sparkling, beautiful, powerful—and dangerous.
Setting out to find a way to destroy the crystals budding from her body in the hopes of proving she deserves a place among her people, Breeze tangles with taciturn linguists, world-weary historians, and steely-eyed generals with histories as complicated and traumatic as her own. On her journey, she struggles to reconcile the role of power unwillingly forced upon its bearer; a nuance that grows all the more pertinent as—despite Breeze’s best efforts—her people once more become embroiled in the politics and wars of the land they once betrayed.
Epic and intricate, nuanced and gorgeously written, Breeze Felt at Moonrise is a sumptuous dark fantasy perfect for fans of Katherine Addison and Lois McMaster Bujold.
Darkly whimsical, this gorgeous epic fantasy combines the political leanings of The Goblin Emperor and the intricate magic system of Warbreaker
Long before Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise was born, her people staged a coup. They tried to murder their queen. They failed.
Twenty years later, Breeze lives in banishment with the rest of her people in the Aureate Desert, all having sworn an oath to never again use the power that led to their downfall. But as she grows older, it becomes impossible for Breeze to conceal her secret: thanks to a symbol her mother inked on her body, Breeze possesses the forsaken, forbidden magic of the Skinmakers. She can grow a layer of crystalline armor from her very flesh, sparkling, beautiful, powerful—and dangerous.
Setting out to find a way to destroy the crystals budding from her body in the hopes of proving she deserves a place among her people, Breeze tangles with taciturn linguists, world-weary historians, and steely-eyed generals with histories as complicated and traumatic as her own. On her journey, she struggles to reconcile the role of power unwillingly forced upon its bearer; a nuance that grows all the more pertinent as—despite Breeze’s best efforts—her people once more become embroiled in the politics and wars of the land they once betrayed.
Epic and intricate, nuanced and gorgeously written, Breeze Felt at Moonrise is a sumptuous dark fantasy perfect for fans of Katherine Addison and Lois McMaster Bujold.
- GenresFantasyAdultHigh Fantasy
624 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 9, 2027
About the author
Lynn Buchanan
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was a bit concerned seeing the page count, especially from an author without much experience writing epic fantasy, but I liked Dollmakers and this one was Read Now on Netgalley, so thought, why not.
Sadly, my worries weren't unfounded. The pacing is slow, the worldbuilding introduced in an overly detailed, infodumpy manner, there's too much backstory and internal monologue while the plot halts to a standstill. It's very self-indulgent as if the author couldn't part ways with any darlings and also loved to nerd out at length about gemstones. While Dollmakers drew me in with a memorable, but polarizing heroine, this one felt very much a typical reluctant chosen one on a hero's journey. I do like classic-style fantasy narratives, but I don't like books where it feels like the author spent so much time on creating worldbuilding they're gonna tell the reader everything about it, whether we want it, or not, whether it serves the story or is necessary for anything. This book had potential, but it needed a stricter editor. I wonder whether the change of publishers between this author's two books contributed to this one feeling rougher, and it's especially odd as both take place in the same world and even share a certain omnipresent character.
I would recommend it to readers who prefer slower paced epic fantasy with a classic old school vibe and exploring worldbuilding in detail.
Sadly, my worries weren't unfounded. The pacing is slow, the worldbuilding introduced in an overly detailed, infodumpy manner, there's too much backstory and internal monologue while the plot halts to a standstill. It's very self-indulgent as if the author couldn't part ways with any darlings and also loved to nerd out at length about gemstones. While Dollmakers drew me in with a memorable, but polarizing heroine, this one felt very much a typical reluctant chosen one on a hero's journey. I do like classic-style fantasy narratives, but I don't like books where it feels like the author spent so much time on creating worldbuilding they're gonna tell the reader everything about it, whether we want it, or not, whether it serves the story or is necessary for anything. This book had potential, but it needed a stricter editor. I wonder whether the change of publishers between this author's two books contributed to this one feeling rougher, and it's especially odd as both take place in the same world and even share a certain omnipresent character.
I would recommend it to readers who prefer slower paced epic fantasy with a classic old school vibe and exploring worldbuilding in detail.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Breeze Felt at Moonrise is a sweeping, tragic story set in a well-developed world. I wouldn’t quite call it epic fantasy; there is certainly a journey that is central to the plot but the journey isn’t the real story. The story is told from multiple perspectives that all flesh out the different sides of a political conflict that has devastated the main character’s people (the eponymous Breeze-Felt-atMoonrise is the FMC). There is conflict, emotional heartbreak, a little romance, and lots of philosophical pondering about the role of violence and power in society.
Pros
I really enjoyed the world that this book is set in. There are strands that feel Dune-like with Breeze being a protagonist of limited resources but also great power fighting with few allies in a region
that was already at the boiling point politically before she was born. The magic system of Marks is very interesting especially when there is only one character that really understands how to use them (and that there are more than a few of them to be used in the first place). It would have been nice to bring in a few other rulers from the other regions to build out the conflict more, but at over 600 pages I can see why Buchanan ultimately limited the central struggle to two regions’ rulers.
The character development is brilliant. Breeze did frustrate me at time, but her immaturity is supported by her backstory and her ultimate storyline satisfies the reader that she is capable of growth. Roque is also fantastic as a character. I think it is really difficult to do long-lived characters well without them basically being gods in the story and this novel grapples with that common pitfall in books very well. One of the reasons Roque and Breeze’s relationship is so interesting is because she is so quick to treat him as a regular person even when there are signs very early on that he is more powerful that anyone she has ever conceived of existing.
Probably the most interesting part of this book is getting perspectives from essentially every side of the conflict, or at least characters that sympathize with each faction. It’s not even the grey area
of morality, it’s how people make choices when the chips are down and how they grapple with the consequences. Roque and Blossom are probably the most interesting characters’ POVs to read; Roque because of his single-mindedness for his goals balanced with the perspective of a long life and Blossom because her actions are condemnable but also understandable given the
path she chose very early on in life for survival.
Cons
The pacing will probably lose some readers. The book starts out slow with a lot of narrative set up. Once it starts going though, the proverbial foot never lets up from the gas. The plot starts
slow and ends fast, so it probably could have used some variation later in the book. This is pitfall I see in fantasy (and romantasy even more so), Buchanan is far from the only author to floor it in
the last 100 pages and not give the reader a moment to breathe.
I think there is somewhat of a structural issue, but it purely in play because of the number of POVs and the POV choices. There is a POV from an antagonist that makes essentially two thirds of the
book an experiment in dramatic irony. You know the shoe is going to drop eventually, but rather than building tension it takes away from it a bit because you already know the conclusion before the protagonist does. The solution probably would have been to split this book in two, end it when Breeze reaches her primary destination and then introduce the antagonist POV in the
second book. That way there is tension in the first book and the second book introduces a new conflict while also delivering a hard-hitting emotional revelation that doesn’t simmer for too long to lose its punch.
Conclusion
Fantasy lovers should absolutely read this book. If you like epic fantasy, you will probably like this even if it misses the mark of the genre a bit. If you like unique magic systems, you will love this.
The idea of the Skin Mark, how it works, and how it influences power in the world of the book is such a cool concept. I am looking forward to seeing the final version of the book with all the art.
Breeze Felt at Moonrise is a sweeping, tragic story set in a well-developed world. I wouldn’t quite call it epic fantasy; there is certainly a journey that is central to the plot but the journey isn’t the real story. The story is told from multiple perspectives that all flesh out the different sides of a political conflict that has devastated the main character’s people (the eponymous Breeze-Felt-atMoonrise is the FMC). There is conflict, emotional heartbreak, a little romance, and lots of philosophical pondering about the role of violence and power in society.
Pros
I really enjoyed the world that this book is set in. There are strands that feel Dune-like with Breeze being a protagonist of limited resources but also great power fighting with few allies in a region
that was already at the boiling point politically before she was born. The magic system of Marks is very interesting especially when there is only one character that really understands how to use them (and that there are more than a few of them to be used in the first place). It would have been nice to bring in a few other rulers from the other regions to build out the conflict more, but at over 600 pages I can see why Buchanan ultimately limited the central struggle to two regions’ rulers.
The character development is brilliant. Breeze did frustrate me at time, but her immaturity is supported by her backstory and her ultimate storyline satisfies the reader that she is capable of growth. Roque is also fantastic as a character. I think it is really difficult to do long-lived characters well without them basically being gods in the story and this novel grapples with that common pitfall in books very well. One of the reasons Roque and Breeze’s relationship is so interesting is because she is so quick to treat him as a regular person even when there are signs very early on that he is more powerful that anyone she has ever conceived of existing.
Probably the most interesting part of this book is getting perspectives from essentially every side of the conflict, or at least characters that sympathize with each faction. It’s not even the grey area
of morality, it’s how people make choices when the chips are down and how they grapple with the consequences. Roque and Blossom are probably the most interesting characters’ POVs to read; Roque because of his single-mindedness for his goals balanced with the perspective of a long life and Blossom because her actions are condemnable but also understandable given the
path she chose very early on in life for survival.
Cons
The pacing will probably lose some readers. The book starts out slow with a lot of narrative set up. Once it starts going though, the proverbial foot never lets up from the gas. The plot starts
slow and ends fast, so it probably could have used some variation later in the book. This is pitfall I see in fantasy (and romantasy even more so), Buchanan is far from the only author to floor it in
the last 100 pages and not give the reader a moment to breathe.
I think there is somewhat of a structural issue, but it purely in play because of the number of POVs and the POV choices. There is a POV from an antagonist that makes essentially two thirds of the
book an experiment in dramatic irony. You know the shoe is going to drop eventually, but rather than building tension it takes away from it a bit because you already know the conclusion before the protagonist does. The solution probably would have been to split this book in two, end it when Breeze reaches her primary destination and then introduce the antagonist POV in the
second book. That way there is tension in the first book and the second book introduces a new conflict while also delivering a hard-hitting emotional revelation that doesn’t simmer for too long to lose its punch.
Conclusion
Fantasy lovers should absolutely read this book. If you like epic fantasy, you will probably like this even if it misses the mark of the genre a bit. If you like unique magic systems, you will love this.
The idea of the Skin Mark, how it works, and how it influences power in the world of the book is such a cool concept. I am looking forward to seeing the final version of the book with all the art.
August 14, 2026
Pre-read:
This cover is so pretty! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Publishing date: 9 March 2027
This cover is so pretty! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Publishing date: 9 March 2027
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you for NetGalley for granting me this ARC
So I read about 100 pages of this book and I unfortunately had to DNF it. There is a couple of reasons for that, I didn't really like the writing style and the way some things were explained like I felt that the supposed "culture" of a specific group like the skinmakers wasn't really written or explained well I felt like everything wasn't detailed enough and was overlooked like it was just vibes and not really deep honestly.it felt like it was written like the early repetitive fantasy books that were kind of the same trope and didn't really have a plot though that's only my opinion on about the first 100 pages I can't really speak of the rest because I didn't find this book intriguing enough to finish honestly like I felt that Breeze's character was the basic don't want to accept my destiny but have to anyway FMC and I am speculating that Roque is the MMC and yeah 100 years old MMC🫠 I don't like that. And they're on a quest, FMC's life is about to change and so on. I didn't find any depth in the writing style and the book in general. I had higher expectations for this book that weren't met unfortunately.
So I read about 100 pages of this book and I unfortunately had to DNF it. There is a couple of reasons for that, I didn't really like the writing style and the way some things were explained like I felt that the supposed "culture" of a specific group like the skinmakers wasn't really written or explained well I felt like everything wasn't detailed enough and was overlooked like it was just vibes and not really deep honestly.it felt like it was written like the early repetitive fantasy books that were kind of the same trope and didn't really have a plot though that's only my opinion on about the first 100 pages I can't really speak of the rest because I didn't find this book intriguing enough to finish honestly like I felt that Breeze's character was the basic don't want to accept my destiny but have to anyway FMC and I am speculating that Roque is the MMC and yeah 100 years old MMC🫠 I don't like that. And they're on a quest, FMC's life is about to change and so on. I didn't find any depth in the writing style and the book in general. I had higher expectations for this book that weren't met unfortunately.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF 25% of the way through. Very slow pacing in this book, to the point where I was skipping paragraphs just to see if something, anything would happen. Also, narrators have a tendency to reflect on their past while in the middle of a scene, which helps worldbuilding but absolutely KILLS momentum. A quarter of the way in and the FMC, Breeze, has barely left her home? There's focus on other narrators too, and they have their own opinions and backstories as well, but the pacing...I just couldn't care about them. If you're patient, it's for you. The worldbuilding and premise are quite interesting! I wanted to know more, but not at the expense of my mental sanity of reading 10 full chapters and a grand total of two (2) major things happening. The start in particular is VERY info dumpy! I just couldn't.
Details are exquisite. If you like rocks or gems, I think you'll appreciate it. Bonus points for this desert setting also! I liked the lore itself lingering in the background but felt it was very forceful in its setup.
Details are exquisite. If you like rocks or gems, I think you'll appreciate it. Bonus points for this desert setting also! I liked the lore itself lingering in the background but felt it was very forceful in its setup.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
I love the cover artwork, it truly was beautiful.
The premise caught my eye, however this ended up being a dnf for me.
The writing was good, it felt well thought out, like a true epic fantasy just getting warmed up, but I only got to about 30% in and I have had to dnf for now. The pacing is too slow and the world building is very much information overload. I also got exceptionally bored very quickly with the long names. I can see their cultural significance, and the beauty in them, but on one page alone, during a meeting, there were about 6 different names thrown around that were all ‘breeze felt at moonrise’. It was too much. At that point I had put it down, and I came back and started again but unfortunately I just cannot get into it
.
I feel like the way this was written, with its epic fantasy feel and clearly beautifully planned world, would really suit someone who enjoys a slower-paced read where you can take your time and become truly immersed in the world building.
I love the cover artwork, it truly was beautiful.
The premise caught my eye, however this ended up being a dnf for me.
The writing was good, it felt well thought out, like a true epic fantasy just getting warmed up, but I only got to about 30% in and I have had to dnf for now. The pacing is too slow and the world building is very much information overload. I also got exceptionally bored very quickly with the long names. I can see their cultural significance, and the beauty in them, but on one page alone, during a meeting, there were about 6 different names thrown around that were all ‘breeze felt at moonrise’. It was too much. At that point I had put it down, and I came back and started again but unfortunately I just cannot get into it
.
I feel like the way this was written, with its epic fantasy feel and clearly beautifully planned world, would really suit someone who enjoys a slower-paced read where you can take your time and become truly immersed in the world building.
Did Not Finish
September 7, 2026The good: Sanderson-style deep worldbuilding that's central to the premise and plot.
The less good: dark and tragic backstory, though with the potential to turn.
The annoying: commas after adjectives of quantity and number, which are never coordinate and should not be treated as such. Also, fortunate and unfortunate coincidence as plot drivers, though there may be an in-world explanation for why things are so conveniently or (from the viewpoint of some of the characters) inconveniently timed.
The balance: I stopped reading at 20% because it was just too dark for my taste. I even looked at the end to see if it was ultimately completely tragic, and even though it wasn't, I decided I'm not in the mood for consequences of greed and revenge visited on the hapless next generation.
I enjoyed The Goblin Emperor despite the fact it was slow-moving and had a dark backdrop, but this isn't as masterfully written; I love Lois McMaster Bujold (though not so much her recent stuff) partly because it's fast-moving and not this dark, so I'm not sure what that comparison is about.
The less good: dark and tragic backstory, though with the potential to turn.
The annoying: commas after adjectives of quantity and number, which are never coordinate and should not be treated as such. Also, fortunate and unfortunate coincidence as plot drivers, though there may be an in-world explanation for why things are so conveniently or (from the viewpoint of some of the characters) inconveniently timed.
The balance: I stopped reading at 20% because it was just too dark for my taste. I even looked at the end to see if it was ultimately completely tragic, and even though it wasn't, I decided I'm not in the mood for consequences of greed and revenge visited on the hapless next generation.
I enjoyed The Goblin Emperor despite the fact it was slow-moving and had a dark backdrop, but this isn't as masterfully written; I love Lois McMaster Bujold (though not so much her recent stuff) partly because it's fast-moving and not this dark, so I'm not sure what that comparison is about.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴀᴡ ꜰᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴠɪᴀ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ. ᴀʟʟ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Deep in the desert, Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise is keeping a secret: she can grow crystalline armor from her own body, a gleaming second skin as beautiful as it is forbidden
DNFed at 2.6% | This was a READ NOW on NetGalley and I was able to snag this ARC.
🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅾🅾🅳:
- The cover design. I'm someone who loves requesting books based on the cover design and then the story description.
- A story with a desert setting.
🆃🅷🅴 🅱🅰🅳:
- Extremely slow start.
- I felt like the first chapter was too big and it was hindering my attention span. That made me DNF on page 17. I kept waiting for something to happen soon, but nothing did.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ ·
This story wasn't meant for me.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Deep in the desert, Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise is keeping a secret: she can grow crystalline armor from her own body, a gleaming second skin as beautiful as it is forbidden
DNFed at 2.6% | This was a READ NOW on NetGalley and I was able to snag this ARC.
🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅾🅾🅳:
- The cover design. I'm someone who loves requesting books based on the cover design and then the story description.
- A story with a desert setting.
🆃🅷🅴 🅱🅰🅳:
- Extremely slow start.
- I felt like the first chapter was too big and it was hindering my attention span. That made me DNF on page 17. I kept waiting for something to happen soon, but nothing did.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ ·
This story wasn't meant for me.
Did Not Finish
November 2, 2026Arc Provided through Netgalley, thank you so much. All opinions are my own.
The cover and synopsis were promising so I was glad when I got selected ✨I really wanted to enjoy this one.
My take is simple : this book is for people who like slow-paced, environment-rich high fantasy.
Unfortunately, that’s not me.
I liked the setting of the Skinmakers, and that made Breeze stand out, but while promising, I couldn’t be bothered to really get into it. The long names were tiresome and confusing too, so they didn’t let me truly enjoy the story.
All in all, it felt too slow for me, so it’s a DNF.
Thank you 🙏
The cover and synopsis were promising so I was glad when I got selected ✨I really wanted to enjoy this one.
My take is simple : this book is for people who like slow-paced, environment-rich high fantasy.
Unfortunately, that’s not me.
I liked the setting of the Skinmakers, and that made Breeze stand out, but while promising, I couldn’t be bothered to really get into it. The long names were tiresome and confusing too, so they didn’t let me truly enjoy the story.
All in all, it felt too slow for me, so it’s a DNF.
Thank you 🙏
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
Lynn does it again! This book was heavy, sad, complex, challenging, and utterly beautiful.
What does it mean to protect your own? How can we use powerful resources responsibly? Where do you go when you have nothing left?
Breeze Felt At Moonrise is full of deeply human characters grappling with their place in an imperfect world. There are no cartoon villains and no shining heroes, only people, questions, and meaning.
This one is going to stick with me for a long, long time.
Lynn does it again! This book was heavy, sad, complex, challenging, and utterly beautiful.
What does it mean to protect your own? How can we use powerful resources responsibly? Where do you go when you have nothing left?
Breeze Felt At Moonrise is full of deeply human characters grappling with their place in an imperfect world. There are no cartoon villains and no shining heroes, only people, questions, and meaning.
This one is going to stick with me for a long, long time.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Engaging and very well written. I was advanced copy reader. Great magic system and intriguing characters and world development. Lynn’s writing flows almost lyrically like a song composition. Just so enjoyable to read and engage in. Love how it ties to her first book, The Dollmakers, through a key character from that book being key character in this book as well. Read it. You will love it.
physical-tbr-and-ebooks
August 27, 2026Thank you so much to NetGalley and publishers for this amazing ARC!!
Pre-read ✨
I have the ARC!!! But I think I’ll have to read the first two, even though they’re both standalones? Though it seems all the standalones in this ‘series’ are based in the same world and have the same magic system.. ah well, let’s go to the first book..
Expected release date: 9.03.2027
Pre-read ✨
I have the ARC!!! But I think I’ll have to read the first two, even though they’re both standalones? Though it seems all the standalones in this ‘series’ are based in the same world and have the same magic system.. ah well, let’s go to the first book..
Expected release date: 9.03.2027
Want to Read
August 18, 2026OMG!!!! Can't wait to read this!!
Read
August 19, 2026RTC
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews