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Cloak Games #1
Thief Trap
In 2013, a gate to another world opened, and Elves used their magic to conquer Earth, crushing all resistance before them.
Three hundred years after the Conquest, the exiled Elven High Queen rules an orderly but stagnant Earth, with humanity forced to fight in the High Queen’s war against the traitors on the Elven homeworld.
Nadia Moran doesn’t care about that. She doesn’t care about the High Queen, or the Rebels seeking to overthrow her. All she cares about is getting her baby brother the treatments he needs to recover from his potentially fatal disease…and those treatments have a steep price.
Fortunately, Nadia has magic of her own, and she’s a very, very good thief.
Unfortunately, the powerful Elven lord Morvilind has a hold on Nadia. If she doesn’t follow his commands, her brother is going to die.
Of course, given how dangerous Morvilind’s missions are, Nadia might not live long enough to see her brother’s death…
Three hundred years after the Conquest, the exiled Elven High Queen rules an orderly but stagnant Earth, with humanity forced to fight in the High Queen’s war against the traitors on the Elven homeworld.
Nadia Moran doesn’t care about that. She doesn’t care about the High Queen, or the Rebels seeking to overthrow her. All she cares about is getting her baby brother the treatments he needs to recover from his potentially fatal disease…and those treatments have a steep price.
Fortunately, Nadia has magic of her own, and she’s a very, very good thief.
Unfortunately, the powerful Elven lord Morvilind has a hold on Nadia. If she doesn’t follow his commands, her brother is going to die.
Of course, given how dangerous Morvilind’s missions are, Nadia might not live long enough to see her brother’s death…
129 pages, ebook
First published August 7, 2015
493 people are currently reading
1184 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Moeller
405 books669 followersStanding over six feet tall, USA Today bestselling author Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works. His books have sold over one million copies worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 3, 2020
5 stars - English Ebook - YA fantasy with Shadow hunters !!!🦋🦋🦋
The High Queen took over earth by letting the president and congres men and women comit suïcide.
***I don’t know how old I was. Five years old, proberbly. We had to watch the video where they commited suïcide. ****
**** Oh, God I kissed a shadow hunter! If I died in the next few minutes, They could inscribe “Nadia Moran, Idiot” on my tombstone. ***
*** They looked vaguely man-Shaped, tall and thin an skeleting. Ropy muscles moved beneath their glinstering gray hides, and some of them ran on two legs.***
Just some lines out of the book full of elvens, Humans slaves, shadow lands, Shadowhunters, frost decease and a sister obaing an elven lord to save her baby brother. I liked this first novel in the series. The leading caracter has spice. 🦋🦋🦋
The High Queen took over earth by letting the president and congres men and women comit suïcide.
***I don’t know how old I was. Five years old, proberbly. We had to watch the video where they commited suïcide. ****
**** Oh, God I kissed a shadow hunter! If I died in the next few minutes, They could inscribe “Nadia Moran, Idiot” on my tombstone. ***
*** They looked vaguely man-Shaped, tall and thin an skeleting. Ropy muscles moved beneath their glinstering gray hides, and some of them ran on two legs.***
Just some lines out of the book full of elvens, Humans slaves, shadow lands, Shadowhunters, frost decease and a sister obaing an elven lord to save her baby brother. I liked this first novel in the series. The leading caracter has spice. 🦋🦋🦋
March 11, 2019
This is a seemingly straight-forward Urban Fantasy story, but with some depth in both the characters and the world-building that makes it stand out. Nadia isn't a thief by choice, but she is highly motivated to be very good at her job. I liked her and enjoyed her story and I generally find hostage situations grating (which is what this amounts to).
From there, the story is a good one with a very fast pace and great build-up. I love how much of a heist story this is, even though she's working solo. And the world-building folded into that pace and heist situation pretty well, too. I even liked the crusader-like foil who hinders and helps her along the way. He's an interesting complication and I liked that they kept having to make/re-make terms of their cooperation as each revelation tested their tenuous peace. Plus, bonus, I was delighted when the central artifact/McGuffin turned out to be lightly re-skinned.
In the end, this has a very episodic feel as it revolved around a single task and not a lot of extraneous content beyond that (after the setup, that is). I find that I really wouldn't mind if this series is a string of such stories. Just as I wouldn't mind if a broader story arc manifests over time. In light of how engaged I was (staying up way too late), I'm going to go with all the stars. Very fun story, told with straight-forward craft.
A note about Chaste: There's really no time for shenanigans once the two leads are thrown together and frankly, the romantic vibes aren't strong at this point. So this isn't really a romance, but if it were, it would be a chaste one. So far.
From there, the story is a good one with a very fast pace and great build-up. I love how much of a heist story this is, even though she's working solo. And the world-building folded into that pace and heist situation pretty well, too. I even liked the crusader-like foil who hinders and helps her along the way. He's an interesting complication and I liked that they kept having to make/re-make terms of their cooperation as each revelation tested their tenuous peace. Plus, bonus, I was delighted when the central artifact/McGuffin turned out to be lightly re-skinned.
In the end, this has a very episodic feel as it revolved around a single task and not a lot of extraneous content beyond that (after the setup, that is). I find that I really wouldn't mind if this series is a string of such stories. Just as I wouldn't mind if a broader story arc manifests over time. In light of how engaged I was (staying up way too late), I'm going to go with all the stars. Very fun story, told with straight-forward craft.
A note about Chaste: There's really no time for shenanigans once the two leads are thrown together and frankly, the romantic vibes aren't strong at this point. So this isn't really a romance, but if it were, it would be a chaste one. So far.
November 13, 2025
3.75
Well this was a pretty fun KU find!
I was in the mood to read about something with Elves, and while they are present (they are kind of more the conquering overlords in this book) we did get some interesting magic and creatures.
So background--For some time the Elves have ruled Earth with an iron fist. After crossing the shadowlands they replaced the ruling class, taught humans some magic, and conscripted them into their army to fight against their enemies. (Well the men at least) The women and orphaned children were sometimes sold into slavery, or left alone to ensure the next generation.
Our h, Nadia, has grown up in this regime-but when her parents die of Frost Fever when she is 5, she is left to watch over her baby brother as he is set to perish of the same disease. This is when she meets an Elf lord named Morvilind who notices that she has the spark, and tells her that he will slowly heal her sibling in return for her becoming his agent.
After years of training Nadia is set to be his thief- stealing for him and avoiding detection at any cost until her "master" eventually kills her or finally heals her younger brother. But on this latest job things are not looking good from the start.
The Elven Lord has given her less than a month to steal a tablet from a wealthy and connected businessman who has some dark secrets of his own. But determined not to fail Nadia pushes past her limits to achieve her goal. In doing so she runs across a mysterious man who has also wormed his way into the businessman's home by the name of Corvus.
Can these two get what they came to the mansion for before they are discovered...or worse yet killed before they can complete their missions?
Well this was a pretty fun KU find!
I was in the mood to read about something with Elves, and while they are present (they are kind of more the conquering overlords in this book) we did get some interesting magic and creatures.
So background--For some time the Elves have ruled Earth with an iron fist. After crossing the shadowlands they replaced the ruling class, taught humans some magic, and conscripted them into their army to fight against their enemies. (Well the men at least) The women and orphaned children were sometimes sold into slavery, or left alone to ensure the next generation.
Our h, Nadia, has grown up in this regime-but when her parents die of Frost Fever when she is 5, she is left to watch over her baby brother as he is set to perish of the same disease. This is when she meets an Elf lord named Morvilind who notices that she has the spark, and tells her that he will slowly heal her sibling in return for her becoming his agent.
After years of training Nadia is set to be his thief- stealing for him and avoiding detection at any cost until her "master" eventually kills her or finally heals her younger brother. But on this latest job things are not looking good from the start.
The Elven Lord has given her less than a month to steal a tablet from a wealthy and connected businessman who has some dark secrets of his own. But determined not to fail Nadia pushes past her limits to achieve her goal. In doing so she runs across a mysterious man who has also wormed his way into the businessman's home by the name of Corvus.
Can these two get what they came to the mansion for before they are discovered...or worse yet killed before they can complete their missions?
July 12, 2018
To me, much of modern fantasy seems hit-or-miss proposition. Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files novels are by far my favorites with Devon Monk’s Broken Magic series a distant second. I’m not particularly intrigued by vampire novels set in the modern world whether Anne Rice’s classics or Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Jonathan Moeller’s Thief Trap is the first in his “Cloak Games” series. In something of a hybrid between Butcher’s Elves and the science-fiction trope of alien invasion and domination, Moeller has managed to create an intriguing, but relatively undesirable, near-future society where mere humans are beholden to magic-wielding elves.
The story is told in first-person from the point-of-view of a human female, a thief if you will, named Nadia Moran. Nadia is an unwilling human minion who serves as a “thief on demand” to procure the mysterious artifacts for her “lord,” an elven noble to whom she has been conscripted into vassal servitude. At times, matters are all too predictable such as when she meets Corvus, an apparent antagonist seeking the artifact she needs. One knows immediately that their paths and purposes are going to cross, and one knows immediately that there is more to Corvus’ power than initially evident. Corvus just keeps crossing paths with Nadia until there must be some resolution. In addition, one senses that all of the clever plans and risk management for the job will be negated by some unforeseen situation—faster than some plan by The A-Team can “come together.”
But Corvus isn’t Nadia’s main antagonist. Her target is another “mere human” who has vast wealth at his disposal as a result of his family’s stranglehold on a certain potted meat product. If you are one of those people who are relatively squeamish of eating potted meat from the cans on your store shelves, perhaps a result of reading either Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle or the ingredients on the can’s label at an impressionable age, Thief Trap isn’t going to help you get over your distaste for “meat products.”
In addition, Nadia uses the intrigue of a Mission: Impossible episode (the absurd but interesting television show as opposed to the absurdly boring movies of recent vintage) to infiltrate her target area with just a bit of deus ex magica when things get dicey. And, in a classic trope, she even gets the antagonist “monologuing” toward the climax. Nadia challenges him by stating, “There is only one God, and you have turned away from him to worship monsters.” To which he replies, “The superstitions of ignorant rabble, believed by fools for millenia. The Dark Ones are real and they grant gifts of real power.” (p. 102)
Nadia’s life is complicated by two intriguing premises. First, no “mere human” is supposed to be practicing any kind of magic, upon penalty of death. Yet, Nadia is forced to use magic to assure her success in her thieving missions. Second, in an intriguing twist on the loved one held hostage trope, she has to succeed at her missions in order to guarantee that her younger brother receives the annual magical treatments necessary to keep him from dying of a terrible disease. The set-up is cruel and unusual—making the story rather more interesting.
Despite a certain amount of predictability and a puppet master of an elven noble who is far too two-dimensional for my taste, Thief Trap is a respectable opening to a series. As a result, the “Cloak Games” series may well bear watching as its author matures.
The story is told in first-person from the point-of-view of a human female, a thief if you will, named Nadia Moran. Nadia is an unwilling human minion who serves as a “thief on demand” to procure the mysterious artifacts for her “lord,” an elven noble to whom she has been conscripted into vassal servitude. At times, matters are all too predictable such as when she meets Corvus, an apparent antagonist seeking the artifact she needs. One knows immediately that their paths and purposes are going to cross, and one knows immediately that there is more to Corvus’ power than initially evident. Corvus just keeps crossing paths with Nadia until there must be some resolution. In addition, one senses that all of the clever plans and risk management for the job will be negated by some unforeseen situation—faster than some plan by The A-Team can “come together.”
But Corvus isn’t Nadia’s main antagonist. Her target is another “mere human” who has vast wealth at his disposal as a result of his family’s stranglehold on a certain potted meat product. If you are one of those people who are relatively squeamish of eating potted meat from the cans on your store shelves, perhaps a result of reading either Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle or the ingredients on the can’s label at an impressionable age, Thief Trap isn’t going to help you get over your distaste for “meat products.”
In addition, Nadia uses the intrigue of a Mission: Impossible episode (the absurd but interesting television show as opposed to the absurdly boring movies of recent vintage) to infiltrate her target area with just a bit of deus ex magica when things get dicey. And, in a classic trope, she even gets the antagonist “monologuing” toward the climax. Nadia challenges him by stating, “There is only one God, and you have turned away from him to worship monsters.” To which he replies, “The superstitions of ignorant rabble, believed by fools for millenia. The Dark Ones are real and they grant gifts of real power.” (p. 102)
Nadia’s life is complicated by two intriguing premises. First, no “mere human” is supposed to be practicing any kind of magic, upon penalty of death. Yet, Nadia is forced to use magic to assure her success in her thieving missions. Second, in an intriguing twist on the loved one held hostage trope, she has to succeed at her missions in order to guarantee that her younger brother receives the annual magical treatments necessary to keep him from dying of a terrible disease. The set-up is cruel and unusual—making the story rather more interesting.
Despite a certain amount of predictability and a puppet master of an elven noble who is far too two-dimensional for my taste, Thief Trap is a respectable opening to a series. As a result, the “Cloak Games” series may well bear watching as its author matures.
August 11, 2015
First thing first, the beginning of this book just hooks you right in, and you just can't put it down. This was completely a impulsive buy I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and saw a post from Jonathan Moeller, advertising that he was publishing a new book and that the beginning was free on his website. So I check it out the book on his website then the next day I had downloaded this book! I haven't regretted this snap decision as I have enjoyed this book greatly. As I have mentioned the beginning of this book is great, the first sentence just set it all off with:
"One of the earliest things I remember is watching the entire United States
Congress commit suicide on National television."
I mean wow, what a way to start a book! This book just goes from one 'surprise' moment to the next. This is a fast paced book and full of action. I liked that as well as surprises we also have a mystery surrounding Lord Morvilind, and Mr Corvus and there is mystery sounding the tablet as well! I also enjoyed that there was a promise of romance in this book and the ending definitely left it open to that possibility.
I love the main character she has (as is pointed out) a smart mouth and she is a total kick ass. I also like the different way which she interacts with the different people, I enjoyed her interactions with James the most, he seems like the only person she can half confide in even if she can't tell him the whole truth.
There are only two things I didn't really like about this book:
1) The cover - I know that urban fantasy book's often have this kind of cover, but I don't think it represented the book well and the only black dress I can remember is a cocktail dress which I didn't imagine like the outfit on the cover.
2) The book was quite short (less than 200 pages). However Jonathan Moeller is a fast writer so the next book I am sure won't be too far away.
"One of the earliest things I remember is watching the entire United States
Congress commit suicide on National television."
I mean wow, what a way to start a book! This book just goes from one 'surprise' moment to the next. This is a fast paced book and full of action. I liked that as well as surprises we also have a mystery surrounding Lord Morvilind, and Mr Corvus and there is mystery sounding the tablet as well! I also enjoyed that there was a promise of romance in this book and the ending definitely left it open to that possibility.
I love the main character she has (as is pointed out) a smart mouth and she is a total kick ass. I also like the different way which she interacts with the different people, I enjoyed her interactions with James the most, he seems like the only person she can half confide in even if she can't tell him the whole truth.
There are only two things I didn't really like about this book:
1) The cover - I know that urban fantasy book's often have this kind of cover, but I don't think it represented the book well and the only black dress I can remember is a cocktail dress which I didn't imagine like the outfit on the cover.
2) The book was quite short (less than 200 pages). However Jonathan Moeller is a fast writer so the next book I am sure won't be too far away.
May 28, 2022
5 stars - English ebook
Ya fantasy with shadowhunters!
Ouote: I don't know how old I was. Five years old proberly. We had to watch the video where they commit suïcide.
Quote: Oh, God, I kissed a shadowhunter! If I died in the next few minutes, they could inscribe "Nadia Morgan, Idiot". On my tombstone.
Quote: They looked vaguely man-shaped, tall and thin and skeleting. Ropy muscles moved beneath their glinstering gray hides, and some of them ran on two legs.
The high Queen took over the earth by letting the president and the congress men and wonen commit suïcide.
Nadia Morgan attempt to save the day.
Ya books are easy to read I think.
Enjoyed it.
Ya fantasy with shadowhunters!
Ouote: I don't know how old I was. Five years old proberly. We had to watch the video where they commit suïcide.
Quote: Oh, God, I kissed a shadowhunter! If I died in the next few minutes, they could inscribe "Nadia Morgan, Idiot". On my tombstone.
Quote: They looked vaguely man-shaped, tall and thin and skeleting. Ropy muscles moved beneath their glinstering gray hides, and some of them ran on two legs.
The high Queen took over the earth by letting the president and the congress men and wonen commit suïcide.
Nadia Morgan attempt to save the day.
Ya books are easy to read I think.
Enjoyed it.
January 31, 2024
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring by more than 0.50 of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
4.5*
I liked the world-building, the characters and the plot.
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
4.5*
I liked the world-building, the characters and the plot.
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
August 16, 2018
An interesting start to a series
Cloak Games by Jonathan Moeller came across in a newsletter that said it would appeal to readers of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series. I tried it and an totally invested enough to try the next one in the series. I'm a little worried about Nadia the main character. So far I am not sure how believable it is that she continues to work under coercion but is doing very little to research magic or prepare more to take on her boss.
Cloak Games by Jonathan Moeller came across in a newsletter that said it would appeal to readers of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series. I tried it and an totally invested enough to try the next one in the series. I'm a little worried about Nadia the main character. So far I am not sure how believable it is that she continues to work under coercion but is doing very little to research magic or prepare more to take on her boss.
May 8, 2020
Audio book. Paranormal fantasy. Interesting story and good characters. I look forward to Book 2
December 24, 2023
A quick, short (132 pages) read. It introduces the main characters with a lot of action involved.
January 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this fast paced fantasy! I liked Nadia, with the smart mouth that gets her in trouble!
1
1
April 17, 2020
FREE DOWNLOAD FROM CHIRP
Firstly, I'm reviewing this as listening to it so this will be full of spoilers and very in depth.
Personal preference: Meghan Kelly read the audio book and I personally do not like her voice for this book. Corvis had a country accent and I was not feeling it.
Firstly, I'm reviewing this as listening to it so this will be full of spoilers and very in depth.
Personal preference: Meghan Kelly read the audio book and I personally do not like her voice for this book. Corvis had a country accent and I was not feeling it.
May 25, 2017
I don't know why, but out of those I've read, Jonathan Moeller's books with female main protagonists (this, the Ghosts series) seem to be consistently better than those with male main protagonists (Tower of Endless Worlds, Frostborn). It's not that they're better specifically because they have female leads (although there's an element of that) - they also seem to be generally better written and more imaginative.
This one interestingly inverts the premise of Tower of Endless Worlds - instead of Generic Fantasyville getting conquered by a bad guy who imports guns from Earth, it has an Earth that has been conquered by magic-wielding elves. Rather than unimaginatively using this to present a cartoonishly hellish world as a lesser author might have done, Moeller presents a moderately dystopian future Earth where technology is stagnant and a form of neo-feudalism reigns with the Elves at the top using humans as sword/spell fodder in their war to retake their homeworld.
The feel is similar to some sci-fi/fantasy mashup settings like the RPG Shadowrun, and indeed the plot could be that of a Shadowrun session (maybe the one where the two player characters first meet), starting out as a one-woman "caper" and turning into a monster-zapping fantasy adventure. Like Moeller's other better books, this isn't particularly revolutionary or innovative, but the characters and the execution of the setting are good enough to keep it enjoyable.
This one interestingly inverts the premise of Tower of Endless Worlds - instead of Generic Fantasyville getting conquered by a bad guy who imports guns from Earth, it has an Earth that has been conquered by magic-wielding elves. Rather than unimaginatively using this to present a cartoonishly hellish world as a lesser author might have done, Moeller presents a moderately dystopian future Earth where technology is stagnant and a form of neo-feudalism reigns with the Elves at the top using humans as sword/spell fodder in their war to retake their homeworld.
The feel is similar to some sci-fi/fantasy mashup settings like the RPG Shadowrun, and indeed the plot could be that of a Shadowrun session (maybe the one where the two player characters first meet), starting out as a one-woman "caper" and turning into a monster-zapping fantasy adventure. Like Moeller's other better books, this isn't particularly revolutionary or innovative, but the characters and the execution of the setting are good enough to keep it enjoyable.
January 22, 2021
Received this audio book free from Chrip and I got what I paid for.
The story itself is promising. Good premise.
The writing is poor. Whole phrases are repeated multiple times. Four times the hero tells us about the one time she got close to someone and then hints at a tragic, heartbreaking conclusion, four times in using exactly the same words.
Meghan Kelly is the reader. Her performance matches the writing. She makes the heroine sound whiny and bitchy and I just wanted to leave her to her fate. The male lead is performed in a flat, dead voice.
Romance between the two protagonists? Well, the heroine was mentally half undressed at their first chance meeting and reiterates how hot this mysterious man is about three times every encounter. This is hardly a smoldering romance. I imagine this is a product of a man trying to write from the point of view of a twenty year old young woman. He appears to have recalled his emotions as a young man and just decided women probably feel the same way.
The story itself is promising. Good premise.
The writing is poor. Whole phrases are repeated multiple times. Four times the hero tells us about the one time she got close to someone and then hints at a tragic, heartbreaking conclusion, four times in using exactly the same words.
Meghan Kelly is the reader. Her performance matches the writing. She makes the heroine sound whiny and bitchy and I just wanted to leave her to her fate. The male lead is performed in a flat, dead voice.
Romance between the two protagonists? Well, the heroine was mentally half undressed at their first chance meeting and reiterates how hot this mysterious man is about three times every encounter. This is hardly a smoldering romance. I imagine this is a product of a man trying to write from the point of view of a twenty year old young woman. He appears to have recalled his emotions as a young man and just decided women probably feel the same way.
August 28, 2019
An alternate-history urban fantasy --
A few centuries in our future, after the Elf Queen took over the Earth (which is why it's very like the current day in some respects), Nadia's parents died of frost fever, Her baby brother was dying too, when an elf noble made her an offer to work for him, in return for saving him.
It came with some nasty conditions. Including the teaching her human-forbidden magic, and telling her after. Putting her to work as a thief. And this is the tale of one of jobs she had to do for him. One of the more dangerous ones, and one that's going to have -- ripple effects.
It involves a private party that reminds Nadia of some propaganda, her brother's foster father making some deductions, slavery and its rules, a strange wolf-like creature, a forged invitation, an animated shadow, and more.
A few centuries in our future, after the Elf Queen took over the Earth (which is why it's very like the current day in some respects), Nadia's parents died of frost fever, Her baby brother was dying too, when an elf noble made her an offer to work for him, in return for saving him.
It came with some nasty conditions. Including the teaching her human-forbidden magic, and telling her after. Putting her to work as a thief. And this is the tale of one of jobs she had to do for him. One of the more dangerous ones, and one that's going to have -- ripple effects.
It involves a private party that reminds Nadia of some propaganda, her brother's foster father making some deductions, slavery and its rules, a strange wolf-like creature, a forged invitation, an animated shadow, and more.
April 11, 2021
I listened to the audiobook. I’m not convinced the author or the narrator have ever heard real humans speak. The dialogue was awkward and the narrator seemingly doesn’t understand how conversations work. Her voice was weirdly robotic, nasal, and almost whimpering at times. Very odd and didn’t match the character. The author has no idea how to write dialogue. I almost screamed after I heard the 1000th “, Corvus said.” I’m only giving three stars because the world is interesting, but the writing and reading is definitely only two stars.
August 19, 2019
A decent start to a series, one which I'll consider continuing.
While Nadia hasn't become my favorite character, I don't find her unbearable. (In fact, she's better than other female leads in UF written by females, so kudos to the author.) Readers can tell that Nadia is tough without being told so, and never in the story would I consider her a damsel-in-distress. However, there were moments where I cringed a bit over Nadia's personality, mainly her "smart mouth." I was surprised to see that her tutors didn't "train" that out of her, and how little she cares about provoking people with her "smart mouth." But eh, Nadia could be worse, I guess. At least she didn't drool over Corvus! Though she was attracted to him, she didn't let that muddle her brain.
Corvus was a pretty cool dude. I don't know why I expected him to be flirty, slick, and charming in a sleazy way (my fault for already assuming his personality before he even showed up in the novel, LOL), so it was interesting to find out that he's a bit uptight, formal, and very controlled. I'm curious as to see how their "romance" will go, and I'm also very glad to see that it's not a case of insta-love and that it'll take more than a few novels to develop.
I was kinda disappointed by the interactions between Nadia and Corvus. Their first meeting and the ballroom scene was possibly the best parts of the novel, and I thought there would be more bantering. After all, both of them have their own agendas, and Nadia is especially suspicious of Corvus, who could ruin her mission. As the story continued, the bantering was changed to... spilling secrets and sharing information, which struck me as odd. Both Nadia and Corvus don't seem like very trusting people, so I was squinting at my Kindle, wondering why the heck they were telling each other so much information. While their conversations served as world-building for readers, it really bothered me how they were doing it so freely and openly. Like Nadia, why the heck are you explaining details (which are classified since no human should know them) about the Shadowlands to Corvus? Just do your thing without explaining to him! Why are you spending precious minutes to talk when you're in the middle of a freaking danger zone???
Anyway, that aside... I did like the action scenes. I especially liked how Nadia, who has little to no combat ability, was still able to stand toe to toe with Corvus by using her wits.
I think this novel suffered a bit from its length. Even though the pace was well-done, I think the interactions between Nadia and Corvus could have been improved if there was more page time.
Still, I think this series has a lot of potential, so I won't be dropping it.
---
Before reading:
Female lead in UF written by a male author, and potential love-interest (who is shady as hell) but no romance yet?
I'm really looking forward to this.
(If I had one more thing to say... that's a really terrible cover. Idk how she's gonna fight in a mini-skirt. I'm going to wince at the possibly of horribly scraped knees and ripped fishnet stockings.)
While Nadia hasn't become my favorite character, I don't find her unbearable. (In fact, she's better than other female leads in UF written by females, so kudos to the author.) Readers can tell that Nadia is tough without being told so, and never in the story would I consider her a damsel-in-distress. However, there were moments where I cringed a bit over Nadia's personality, mainly her "smart mouth." I was surprised to see that her tutors didn't "train" that out of her, and how little she cares about provoking people with her "smart mouth." But eh, Nadia could be worse, I guess. At least she didn't drool over Corvus! Though she was attracted to him, she didn't let that muddle her brain.
Corvus was a pretty cool dude. I don't know why I expected him to be flirty, slick, and charming in a sleazy way (my fault for already assuming his personality before he even showed up in the novel, LOL), so it was interesting to find out that he's a bit uptight, formal, and very controlled. I'm curious as to see how their "romance" will go, and I'm also very glad to see that it's not a case of insta-love and that it'll take more than a few novels to develop.
I was kinda disappointed by the interactions between Nadia and Corvus. Their first meeting and the ballroom scene was possibly the best parts of the novel, and I thought there would be more bantering. After all, both of them have their own agendas, and Nadia is especially suspicious of Corvus, who could ruin her mission. As the story continued, the bantering was changed to... spilling secrets and sharing information, which struck me as odd. Both Nadia and Corvus don't seem like very trusting people, so I was squinting at my Kindle, wondering why the heck they were telling each other so much information. While their conversations served as world-building for readers, it really bothered me how they were doing it so freely and openly. Like Nadia, why the heck are you explaining details (which are classified since no human should know them) about the Shadowlands to Corvus? Just do your thing without explaining to him! Why are you spending precious minutes to talk when you're in the middle of a freaking danger zone???
Anyway, that aside... I did like the action scenes. I especially liked how Nadia, who has little to no combat ability, was still able to stand toe to toe with Corvus by using her wits.
I think this novel suffered a bit from its length. Even though the pace was well-done, I think the interactions between Nadia and Corvus could have been improved if there was more page time.
Still, I think this series has a lot of potential, so I won't be dropping it.
---
Before reading:
Female lead in UF written by a male author, and potential love-interest (who is shady as hell) but no romance yet?
I'm really looking forward to this.
(If I had one more thing to say... that's a really terrible cover. Idk how she's gonna fight in a mini-skirt. I'm going to wince at the possibly of horribly scraped knees and ripped fishnet stockings.)
January 28, 2018
Jonathan Moeller, pulp writer. That's the heading of the author website and it resume perfectly his body of work and my new found love of his work. What is a pulp writer today, in the aged of kindle free independent publishing, if not someone who is prolific (one book per month), writes in many style (high fantasy, science-fiction, urban fantasy, sword and sorcery etc.) and offer great escapist adventures to the masses. The reason why I talk about Mr. Moeller pedigree is to demonstrate his relentless devotion to producing many different stories, and that some of them are bound to find a public. My first exposure to Mr. Moeller's work was the Demonsouled series, I found the first book to be only okay (evendo I'm a huge sword and sorcery fan), and started the second book only to stop around the 30% mark. Much later I learn that he started a space opera series (one of my favorite style), so I decided to revisite his books. Eventually I ended up reading Thief Trap and totally loved it. I dare anyone to read the first phrase and not read the entire book. A mix of high fantasy and dystopian science-fiction that works splendidly. The writing style of Mr. Moeller as nothing to do with the pulp style of the golden age (evocative, flowery, archaic etc), but everything to do with most of the new recent independent release (clean, simple and easy to read). The strenght is not in the literacy of the writing, but in the pure fun and imagination of the story. Being a talented (an prolific) storyteller with an astounding imagination is where Mr. Moeller really reminds me of the pulp writers of old. So in Thief Trap we get pure escapist fun, imaginative storytelling - and the best first sentence/hook of all time - great pacing, a writing style that does not bog down the plot and most of all an interesting world full of fun characters and great adventures. Jonathan Moeller, pulp writer indeed!
March 25, 2021
Review of Thief Trap – Book # 1 of the Cloak Games series by Jonathan Moeller
My rating: 4 stars.
Reading Time: 1 day.
Now this is my kind of Urban Fantasy! Tough lead female, plenty of action, plus the lead and potential love interest do not immediately throw themselves at each other and start ripping off clothes. If that sounds up your alley, I will definitely recommend you give this series a crack!
Plot Overview: Earth was conquered by Elves in the year 2013. Fast-forward 300 years and our main character Nadia Moran is in the servitude of a powerful elf noble in exchange for keeping her baby brother from succumbing to a disease that was introduced to the human race when the elves took control of Earth.
A big thumbs up from me to author Jonathon Moeller for being able to write about a female lead without the need to describe breast size, whether or not she is considered a beauty and having a realistic understanding/expectation of the difficulty in doing any sort of combat or athleticism in high heeled shoes. Story is well-written and interesting. There are enough side characters to add depth without creating confusion and each appears to have a purpose rather than simply serving as page filler. Background and world building sufficient without getting too bogged down and becoming dull which can often occur in the first book of a series.
I look forward to reading book #2 and anticipate it will continue in the same calibre as this one. Worth the read.
Review posted to #GoodReads #Reedsy & #Facebook
Jonathan Moeller
My rating: 4 stars.
Reading Time: 1 day.
Now this is my kind of Urban Fantasy! Tough lead female, plenty of action, plus the lead and potential love interest do not immediately throw themselves at each other and start ripping off clothes. If that sounds up your alley, I will definitely recommend you give this series a crack!
Plot Overview: Earth was conquered by Elves in the year 2013. Fast-forward 300 years and our main character Nadia Moran is in the servitude of a powerful elf noble in exchange for keeping her baby brother from succumbing to a disease that was introduced to the human race when the elves took control of Earth.
A big thumbs up from me to author Jonathon Moeller for being able to write about a female lead without the need to describe breast size, whether or not she is considered a beauty and having a realistic understanding/expectation of the difficulty in doing any sort of combat or athleticism in high heeled shoes. Story is well-written and interesting. There are enough side characters to add depth without creating confusion and each appears to have a purpose rather than simply serving as page filler. Background and world building sufficient without getting too bogged down and becoming dull which can often occur in the first book of a series.
I look forward to reading book #2 and anticipate it will continue in the same calibre as this one. Worth the read.
Review posted to #GoodReads #Reedsy & #Facebook
Jonathan Moeller
August 24, 2024
Totally surprising and surprisingly good
OK, so I download numerous books that are offered for free on any given day, using a newsletter from freebooksy.com. The result is I have at least a couple of thousand books that I will eventually get around to reading but most of which I have no clue about. This was one of those. Now Moeller Has recently completed a second series in this universe, the first of which was recently offered for free and so I picked it up. When I realized that it was a sequel series I did a bit of research and lo and behold I already owned the entire first series, of which this review is about.
Since I began reading at the age of three and am rapidly approaching the age of 60, I have read several thousand fantasy novels. To say that I am a bit “Jade” is an understatement. I had zero expectations of this book. Well, that’s not true… I fully expected to not like it, and I fully expected to be bored. But I had to wait three days for one of my “favorite” author’s latest book to come out, And I figured one couldn’t lose anything by reading a “junk” series for two or three days.
So color me tickled pink and excited beyond belief to discover that Moeller Has an extraordinary talent not only in wordsmithing and world building, but he really knows how to tell a story as well. It’s a quick, but exceptionally clever read. I finished it in only a few hours. But, then again I read Incredibly quickly and the book, itself, is rather short.
I’m going in this year, because I wanna get into the next book. Have a great time, and enjoy!
OK, so I download numerous books that are offered for free on any given day, using a newsletter from freebooksy.com. The result is I have at least a couple of thousand books that I will eventually get around to reading but most of which I have no clue about. This was one of those. Now Moeller Has recently completed a second series in this universe, the first of which was recently offered for free and so I picked it up. When I realized that it was a sequel series I did a bit of research and lo and behold I already owned the entire first series, of which this review is about.
Since I began reading at the age of three and am rapidly approaching the age of 60, I have read several thousand fantasy novels. To say that I am a bit “Jade” is an understatement. I had zero expectations of this book. Well, that’s not true… I fully expected to not like it, and I fully expected to be bored. But I had to wait three days for one of my “favorite” author’s latest book to come out, And I figured one couldn’t lose anything by reading a “junk” series for two or three days.
So color me tickled pink and excited beyond belief to discover that Moeller Has an extraordinary talent not only in wordsmithing and world building, but he really knows how to tell a story as well. It’s a quick, but exceptionally clever read. I finished it in only a few hours. But, then again I read Incredibly quickly and the book, itself, is rather short.
I’m going in this year, because I wanna get into the next book. Have a great time, and enjoy!
September 20, 2020
This is the second series i have started by Jonathan Moeller and one thing i can truly appreciate about his writing is he does not over complicate or waste any words. This series is going to be fun i can already tell.The premise is very interesting in 2013 the queen of the elves comes to earth with her followers fleeing a enemy called Arkon in the elven homeworld. Subsequently the queen enslaves humanity forcing humans to fight the enemy on a in between world called the shadowland. Enter Nadia Moran a trained thief who works for a elven lord to steal ancient artifacts. The gist of the story is why she is doing this. Which is to save her young brothers Russell life.In this opening book she is tasked with retrieving a particular item which brings her in contact with Corvus a member of the shadowhunters. Once these two meet the story really takes off. By the end of the story you come to realize just how evil lord Morvilind the elf who Nadia works for is as well as just how much potential danger herself and her younger brother are in.
February 20, 2019
I'm very excited to start a new-to-me series written by this author. The first two books are shorter than my usual reads but the plot makes up for that.
Poor Nadia is between a rock and a hard place as she is being blackmailed by an Elven archmage. This first book commences as she becomes an orphan at five years of age. Said archmage (for some unknown reason*) decides to have her trained to excel in various, mostly illicit, skills. He teaches her various spells that are not permissible for humans to know/use and could result in her execution if discovered.
Nadia is expected to steal treasures for this elf and Thief Trap covers one of her most dangerous missions to date. She also meets a shadow hunter, a member of a select group. They team up to fight members of a dark cult.
*Why he is having her trained is known but why she was selected is a mystery.
Edit: Discovered the answer in Frost Fever.
Poor Nadia is between a rock and a hard place as she is being blackmailed by an Elven archmage. This first book commences as she becomes an orphan at five years of age. Said archmage (for some unknown reason*) decides to have her trained to excel in various, mostly illicit, skills. He teaches her various spells that are not permissible for humans to know/use and could result in her execution if discovered.
Nadia is expected to steal treasures for this elf and Thief Trap covers one of her most dangerous missions to date. She also meets a shadow hunter, a member of a select group. They team up to fight members of a dark cult.
*Why he is having her trained is known but why she was selected is a mystery.
Edit: Discovered the answer in Frost Fever.
May 2, 2020
Not a bad start to an urban fantasy series. A short quick read. Interesting concepts and world-building. Still not sure where the true evil lies in this universe. The meek subjugation and enslavement of humanity to the Elvin race seems unlikely, unnatural, and contrary to human nature, but conceivable. I purchased this audiobook on sale through Chirp and listened to the audio version, so the value was decent. As to continuing the series, paying ~$10 or more for a 5-6 hour sequel, makes the decision to purchase much more difficult and possibly no longer worth the investment. I will read the next book but I am uncertain how far in the series I will pursue.
September 27, 2022
A bite-sized story told well. In an era of endlessly recycled serial plots that drag on for dozens of books, it was nice to encounter a novel with a beginning, middle, and end. I would note however, that author Jonathan Moeller makes a common mistake when describing the reloading of firearms. A "clip" and a "magazine" are two different things, and the terms are not interchangeable. There is a particular passage where the word "clip" is used repeatedly, and it kept knocking me out of the story. Other than this pretty minor rough spot, the book was fun overall and I look forward to reading another in the series.
February 27, 2023
This was the perfect pizza-series for me
Overall review of the entire series (no spoilers):
Well, this was the perfect series for me to relax and enjoy a good day. It had the necessary plot to keep me engaged and want to go on to the next book (and the next, and the next).
The characters were enjoyable, they made the experience worthwhile. True, they weren't too complex, and there was nothing too deep, but I really enjoyed and liked them. It was exactly what I needed at the time.
So, if you're looking for a long series, something to keep you engaged, with a lot of action and really cool characters, this series is definitely worth a try!
Overall review of the entire series (no spoilers):
Well, this was the perfect series for me to relax and enjoy a good day. It had the necessary plot to keep me engaged and want to go on to the next book (and the next, and the next).
The characters were enjoyable, they made the experience worthwhile. True, they weren't too complex, and there was nothing too deep, but I really enjoyed and liked them. It was exactly what I needed at the time.
So, if you're looking for a long series, something to keep you engaged, with a lot of action and really cool characters, this series is definitely worth a try!
November 21, 2023
Five-year-old Nadia has Hobson's choice: become a slave to malevolent Elven Mage Morvilind and have him heal her dying brother; or have her brother die and become orphaned as the only remaining member of her family.
Nadio saves her brother's life and begins arduous training as a thief for the mage. He sends her to get magical and historic artifacts for his collection. Her failure would mean her brother dies, as well as herself.
Then comes the greatest challenge of all--stealing a magical tablet from a billionaire. What's worse, there's another mysterious agent prowling around as well. And he has no shadow.
Nadio saves her brother's life and begins arduous training as a thief for the mage. He sends her to get magical and historic artifacts for his collection. Her failure would mean her brother dies, as well as herself.
Then comes the greatest challenge of all--stealing a magical tablet from a billionaire. What's worse, there's another mysterious agent prowling around as well. And he has no shadow.
May 13, 2018
Cloak Games: Thief Trap Review
Dear Jonathan, I am starting to read your Cloak Games series and am very pleased to see that you have written another entertaining and wonderful story. I am really looking forward to reading this series and plan to read each book in the series one after the other. Your imagination and creativity is astonishing and your characters are outstanding. Once begun I am unable to put down the book. I highly recommend reading your stories to anyone interested in reading excellent stories. Thanks for the entertainment.
Dear Jonathan, I am starting to read your Cloak Games series and am very pleased to see that you have written another entertaining and wonderful story. I am really looking forward to reading this series and plan to read each book in the series one after the other. Your imagination and creativity is astonishing and your characters are outstanding. Once begun I am unable to put down the book. I highly recommend reading your stories to anyone interested in reading excellent stories. Thanks for the entertainment.
January 11, 2020
Interesting
This is the first book I've read by this author, and was pleasantly surprised. It has elements of Alias' Agent Sydney Bristow, and a female Indiana Jones all rolled into one. A fantasy set in a dystopian world, where everything is similar, yet different. Due to an event in the past, our heroine lives in a world where humans are little better than slaves, and brainwashed into acceptance. The magic is difficult and intriguing, but still believable. A sassy, flawed woman, that reminds of the characters I enjoy.
This is the first book I've read by this author, and was pleasantly surprised. It has elements of Alias' Agent Sydney Bristow, and a female Indiana Jones all rolled into one. A fantasy set in a dystopian world, where everything is similar, yet different. Due to an event in the past, our heroine lives in a world where humans are little better than slaves, and brainwashed into acceptance. The magic is difficult and intriguing, but still believable. A sassy, flawed woman, that reminds of the characters I enjoy.
November 7, 2021
My buying of this book is a bit of a mystery. I found it advertised in Facebook and used the link to look at it only to be told I had bought this book in January, very odd that I didn't recollect it at all, that the book wasn't in my library when I checked but then appeared in my unread file. Some sort of Amazon cock up or master plan?? So I read it anyway and I had not read it before. That said its a good book with a capable if vulnerable heroine, with a different take on the supernatural world. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and will carry on with book two.
July 12, 2017
So here's the thing. I thought the primary characters were all interesting, but a lot of them descended into stereotype and predictability. I loved the premise and the long central section about planning and calculating. The ending felt like a genre shift to me, and didn't really grab me.
Some extremely good bits, but not enough to elevate the whole story.
And a professional editor might have helped reduce the very noticeable amount of repetition.
Might read another one - might not.
Some extremely good bits, but not enough to elevate the whole story.
And a professional editor might have helped reduce the very noticeable amount of repetition.
Might read another one - might not.
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