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Lunula
The witch knows he will hunt her. If history repeats itself, as it always does, Wynn will have no choice but to cross paths with her feared counterpart, the warlock. If given the chance, he would kill Wynn, absorbing her aura and obtaining ultimate power. In a desperate attempt to outrun destiny, Wynn moves from place to place, hoping to stray from the map laid out by the Fates. But by chance, on an urgent errand for Queen Alexandria herself, Wynn finds she has fallen into the hands of the one man she so hopelessly fled from. Now his captive, Wynn must guard her secret and that of her kingdom, or risk bringing forth a dark age not seen in hundreds of years.
- GenresFantasy
286 pages, ebook
First published October 7, 2012
1 person is currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Auch
2 books16 followersAlyssa Auch was born and raised in Pennsylvania with loving parents and three hilarious younger siblings. Her imagination was sparked by the lush, green forests and bright colors of her home that often spoke of other worlds only found in the magic of writing. She brought that inspiration into the fantasy novels she so loves to create.
Currently, Alyssa is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Marriage and Family Relations with a minor in English. She is married to her High School sweetheart, and they have three beautiful children who keep them both very occupied. Although her novels are often written in the late hours of the night and during cherished naptime blocks, she devotes a very special part of herself to the power of words and love of storytelling.
Currently, Alyssa is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Marriage and Family Relations with a minor in English. She is married to her High School sweetheart, and they have three beautiful children who keep them both very occupied. Although her novels are often written in the late hours of the night and during cherished naptime blocks, she devotes a very special part of herself to the power of words and love of storytelling.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 18, 2013
I started off reading this book in dribs and drabs, when I was travelling or waiting for people to arrive places and whatnot. Its start was intriguing (and well written) enough to keep me reading, but not to hook me. The magic system isn't too complex in that there are really one two people who can use it, and it seems to work mainly off will rather than any real degree of learning. How could it, with 100 years between each appearance of witch and warlock? It's not like anyone's still going to be alive to teach them.
So I was kinda making bits and pieces of progress, reading a chapter here and there but not particularly attached to the story. Then it really hit its stride about a quarter of the way through, and it was the introduction of Gethin that did it for me. I love the interactions between him and Wynn, especially that she just doesn't lie down and go with it. She's defiant and sticks up for herself and what she wants. Not always incredibly successfully, but that's no bad thing.
Of course, the story is a little predictable and you can see most of it coming from miles away but I like that in a book sometimes. I spent a fair portion of the last few months reading Dickens and you really have to pay attention to him - it was nice to escape into a book which was easy.
That being said, it wasn't full of clichés and the story and writing was generally good. The descriptions in places were wonderful, but in other places were clumsily done and confused me rather than enlightening me about things. But this was the minority of the time, so it's not the end of the world.
But then the ending...I really didn't like the ending. I like happy endings, where everything works out. Not so in this case. On top of this, it was one of those 'blink and you miss it' endings - over in a matter of paragraphs. I prefer there to be a little more to them, and a little less ambiguity. It seems like there's going to be a sequel, but I can't see anything about one on Goodreads.
This book was so close to being 5*, but it just wasn't quite there. Still, overall it was a good book and one I'd easily recommend.
Full review now up on my blog :)
http://bookaholicsbookcase.blogspot.c...
So I was kinda making bits and pieces of progress, reading a chapter here and there but not particularly attached to the story. Then it really hit its stride about a quarter of the way through, and it was the introduction of Gethin that did it for me. I love the interactions between him and Wynn, especially that she just doesn't lie down and go with it. She's defiant and sticks up for herself and what she wants. Not always incredibly successfully, but that's no bad thing.
Of course, the story is a little predictable and you can see most of it coming from miles away but I like that in a book sometimes. I spent a fair portion of the last few months reading Dickens and you really have to pay attention to him - it was nice to escape into a book which was easy.
That being said, it wasn't full of clichés and the story and writing was generally good. The descriptions in places were wonderful, but in other places were clumsily done and confused me rather than enlightening me about things. But this was the minority of the time, so it's not the end of the world.
But then the ending...I really didn't like the ending. I like happy endings, where everything works out. Not so in this case. On top of this, it was one of those 'blink and you miss it' endings - over in a matter of paragraphs. I prefer there to be a little more to them, and a little less ambiguity. It seems like there's going to be a sequel, but I can't see anything about one on Goodreads.
This book was so close to being 5*, but it just wasn't quite there. Still, overall it was a good book and one I'd easily recommend.
Full review now up on my blog :)
http://bookaholicsbookcase.blogspot.c...
March 18, 2013
I started reading Lunula with the notion that it would be vastly different than what it turned out to be. Given the description, I expected it to be more of a face off between the witch and the warlock, one where she is training for magical combat of some kind. The thing is, the summary given for this really doesn't aptly explain it at all. What it explains is maybe the first 50 pages of the story, and then everything after that is grossly unrepresented. This worked out simply because the actual story was much better to me than the one that was described, and I was happily surprised to find this out.
Wynn, the witch, is kind of a pushover. I would figure that someone who has known her entire life that someone would be after her to steal her power would try and do something to at least protect herself. That's not the case at all. She never bothers to try and exercise her abilities and make them better, which irked me. Again, if her life is in danger, why not try and give herself as much of a fighting chance as possible? I can speculate about this, although I think that perhaps just because she's meant to be the cliché sensitive, caring, empathetic woman that she would never dream of doing something offensive. My personal character isn't like that, so it's a bit hard for me to grasp, but for her it does seem characteristic. I really enjoyed that she at least used her magic quite a bit, and was competent enough to handle numerous missions before the one Queen Alexandria entrusts to her. And she did serve to be quite useful to others, most notably Gethin and his army (even if it was just being a nurse and making them smell nice).
Gethin was actually the best character to me. I'm kind of tired of female protagonists always doing the martyr thing, it seems to be more and more common especially in YA. And usually the male protagonists are super duper sexy and studly and beautiful and the female cannot control herself around his ridiculous good looks. That isn't an issue in Lunula, and I absolutely loved it. Most of his descriptions surround him just being dark, which I liked and thought consistent. Dark eyes, dark hair, dark powers, etc. I wasn't constantly bombarded with ridiculously long passages about how gorgeous he was, so I found that I was actually able to focus more on his character. And I found that I liked him quite a bit. He was a bit stoic, but as described in the book he was most likely forced to be that way after having to shoulder so much responsibility at such a young age. He was good to his men, and to his brothers. I had hoped that a bit more brotherly interaction would be involved, but I was satisfied with what there was. It seems that good nature ran in that family, since Gavin and Erik were both enjoyable and I liked their scenes.
As for the elves, it was an interesting break from tradition. In most all stories having to do with elves, they are portrayed as wise and calm, not rash and arrogant. Lunula is just the opposite. They still have the same traits as in other stories, like longer life spans, better coordination and uniform beauty it seems. However, they think all humans are vile and idiotic and therefore treat them with very little respect. It seemed pretty bigoted to me, which again is so different than an elf's usual portrayal that I really enjoyed the change. It was refreshing.
One thing I want to comment on as well is the elf traitor. I won't give anything away, but I got annoyed with the book as I was reading because I felt the traitor was so obvious. I really hate in stories when something is so painfully obvious and none of the supposedly clever characters figure it out. Again, Lunula proved me wrong in this regard, because they do figure it out. I was so happy. SO HAPPY. You mean we're not going to dumb down the characters just to make the plot more dramatic? Can this be? Ah, so refreshing. I sat back and enjoyed that for a moment before I continued on with it. A protagonist actually deserved to be a protagonist by figuring out who the bad guy was. Such a feat.
The one thing that really brought me down though was the ending. I'm not a fan of abrupt endings, because I feel like after spending 250+ pages to explain the story, the ending should have some depth to it. I had to reread the last few pages several times to make sure I hadn't missed anything, and even still I'm not totally sure what happened in the epilogue. I'm tempted to email the author and ask her, actually. Yet in the span of five and a half pages on my Nook, it's over. It truly happened way too fast, and I sort of feel like my reading experience isn't complete. I'm missing something to put this novel to rest.
That being said, I really truly loved this story, enough that I would read it from start to finish again. Some descriptions were a bit confusing (the elf dress being the first that comes to mind) but overall I really loved the descriptions of the settings and people and things. The ice castle was extremely vivid in my mind, as was Gethin's camp that Wynn stumbles into. It was beautiful and I, someone that usually breezes through long descriptions, found myself rereading bits of it because I liked the way it was explained. I already mentioned that I loved the characters, and I would like to state it again. Gethin was by far my favorite, but I really enjoyed all the characters, especially his army men. Queen Alexandria was a strange and interesting person who I was fascinated with. The elf king (Lycus, I think?) was brash and impulsive, and I found him entertaining to read about as well.
Of course, the entire issue with the lunula (I didn't know what it was until I read the story, either) was clever. I liked that there was folklore created in this world to go along with the characters and devices, and that plays perfectly with the lunula and its power, as well as the witch and the warlock. The way it was explained to me as the reader was well done, too. A puppet show to explain how the warlock would kill the witch? Awesome. Super awesome.
4 stars. I give 4 instead of 5 because I really do want more explanation for the ending.
Wynn, the witch, is kind of a pushover. I would figure that someone who has known her entire life that someone would be after her to steal her power would try and do something to at least protect herself. That's not the case at all. She never bothers to try and exercise her abilities and make them better, which irked me. Again, if her life is in danger, why not try and give herself as much of a fighting chance as possible? I can speculate about this, although I think that perhaps just because she's meant to be the cliché sensitive, caring, empathetic woman that she would never dream of doing something offensive. My personal character isn't like that, so it's a bit hard for me to grasp, but for her it does seem characteristic. I really enjoyed that she at least used her magic quite a bit, and was competent enough to handle numerous missions before the one Queen Alexandria entrusts to her. And she did serve to be quite useful to others, most notably Gethin and his army (even if it was just being a nurse and making them smell nice).
Gethin was actually the best character to me. I'm kind of tired of female protagonists always doing the martyr thing, it seems to be more and more common especially in YA. And usually the male protagonists are super duper sexy and studly and beautiful and the female cannot control herself around his ridiculous good looks. That isn't an issue in Lunula, and I absolutely loved it. Most of his descriptions surround him just being dark, which I liked and thought consistent. Dark eyes, dark hair, dark powers, etc. I wasn't constantly bombarded with ridiculously long passages about how gorgeous he was, so I found that I was actually able to focus more on his character. And I found that I liked him quite a bit. He was a bit stoic, but as described in the book he was most likely forced to be that way after having to shoulder so much responsibility at such a young age. He was good to his men, and to his brothers. I had hoped that a bit more brotherly interaction would be involved, but I was satisfied with what there was. It seems that good nature ran in that family, since Gavin and Erik were both enjoyable and I liked their scenes.
As for the elves, it was an interesting break from tradition. In most all stories having to do with elves, they are portrayed as wise and calm, not rash and arrogant. Lunula is just the opposite. They still have the same traits as in other stories, like longer life spans, better coordination and uniform beauty it seems. However, they think all humans are vile and idiotic and therefore treat them with very little respect. It seemed pretty bigoted to me, which again is so different than an elf's usual portrayal that I really enjoyed the change. It was refreshing.
One thing I want to comment on as well is the elf traitor. I won't give anything away, but I got annoyed with the book as I was reading because I felt the traitor was so obvious. I really hate in stories when something is so painfully obvious and none of the supposedly clever characters figure it out. Again, Lunula proved me wrong in this regard, because they do figure it out. I was so happy. SO HAPPY. You mean we're not going to dumb down the characters just to make the plot more dramatic? Can this be? Ah, so refreshing. I sat back and enjoyed that for a moment before I continued on with it. A protagonist actually deserved to be a protagonist by figuring out who the bad guy was. Such a feat.
The one thing that really brought me down though was the ending. I'm not a fan of abrupt endings, because I feel like after spending 250+ pages to explain the story, the ending should have some depth to it. I had to reread the last few pages several times to make sure I hadn't missed anything, and even still I'm not totally sure what happened in the epilogue. I'm tempted to email the author and ask her, actually. Yet in the span of five and a half pages on my Nook, it's over. It truly happened way too fast, and I sort of feel like my reading experience isn't complete. I'm missing something to put this novel to rest.
That being said, I really truly loved this story, enough that I would read it from start to finish again. Some descriptions were a bit confusing (the elf dress being the first that comes to mind) but overall I really loved the descriptions of the settings and people and things. The ice castle was extremely vivid in my mind, as was Gethin's camp that Wynn stumbles into. It was beautiful and I, someone that usually breezes through long descriptions, found myself rereading bits of it because I liked the way it was explained. I already mentioned that I loved the characters, and I would like to state it again. Gethin was by far my favorite, but I really enjoyed all the characters, especially his army men. Queen Alexandria was a strange and interesting person who I was fascinated with. The elf king (Lycus, I think?) was brash and impulsive, and I found him entertaining to read about as well.
Of course, the entire issue with the lunula (I didn't know what it was until I read the story, either) was clever. I liked that there was folklore created in this world to go along with the characters and devices, and that plays perfectly with the lunula and its power, as well as the witch and the warlock. The way it was explained to me as the reader was well done, too. A puppet show to explain how the warlock would kill the witch? Awesome. Super awesome.
4 stars. I give 4 instead of 5 because I really do want more explanation for the ending.
May 20, 2013
Starting off slowly, the first quarter of the book is really giving some background and establishing worlds and lore: to the author’s credit these are done skilfully and provide a few interesting twists and unique elements. Once the story picked up steam and pacing and plotting became more immediate, the story became quite a fun read, with several pieces to appreciate and an ending that leaves room for more to come.
While perfectly capable of being placed into the YA genre, the character of Wynn is a strong, caring and self-confident young woman: all rather surprising considering the history. Her interactions with Gethin and their continual push and pull over his demands and her desires are cleverly written, and bring Wynn even closer to a fully realized being than she was before. She isn’t overly angsty, but her lack of ‘self-preservation’ and improving her skills was confusing for me – although she seemed to manage quite well with her limited abilities.
Her counterpart and the dark to her light, is the Warlock Gethin, dark in powers, in appearance and even in conversational style – he arrives solidly formed and we aren’t overly barraged with conversations or descriptions of his ‘sexiness’. That the story was, in many respects, foreshadowed and easy to know what would come next, there wasn’t a use of cliché’s and the writing kept it from being boring or dragging.
The elves were an interesting addition, rather judgmental, brash and arrogant with very large chips on their shoulders: while all other elf lore that is familiar was similar, this little change and the interaction changes because of it made a refreshing change. Not to mention the characters were able to see the duplicity and sort it all out: not common in most stories where clever characters are addled and unseeing.
I enjoyed this book, and found it an interesting debut with plenty of good points and very few issues that needed sorting. Consistency in characters and descriptions, clarity of detail and a bit more ‘realistic’ concern from Wynn considering her predicament would have made this good story a great one.
I received an eBook from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
While perfectly capable of being placed into the YA genre, the character of Wynn is a strong, caring and self-confident young woman: all rather surprising considering the history. Her interactions with Gethin and their continual push and pull over his demands and her desires are cleverly written, and bring Wynn even closer to a fully realized being than she was before. She isn’t overly angsty, but her lack of ‘self-preservation’ and improving her skills was confusing for me – although she seemed to manage quite well with her limited abilities.
Her counterpart and the dark to her light, is the Warlock Gethin, dark in powers, in appearance and even in conversational style – he arrives solidly formed and we aren’t overly barraged with conversations or descriptions of his ‘sexiness’. That the story was, in many respects, foreshadowed and easy to know what would come next, there wasn’t a use of cliché’s and the writing kept it from being boring or dragging.
The elves were an interesting addition, rather judgmental, brash and arrogant with very large chips on their shoulders: while all other elf lore that is familiar was similar, this little change and the interaction changes because of it made a refreshing change. Not to mention the characters were able to see the duplicity and sort it all out: not common in most stories where clever characters are addled and unseeing.
I enjoyed this book, and found it an interesting debut with plenty of good points and very few issues that needed sorting. Consistency in characters and descriptions, clarity of detail and a bit more ‘realistic’ concern from Wynn considering her predicament would have made this good story a great one.
I received an eBook from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
July 22, 2013
WOW!
What a wonderful story! Read along as Ms. Auch delivers an intriguing world where not much is as it seems. Meet the female lead character Wynn, the first white witch born in a century. She has hidden her talents her entire life, for fear that she will be found and killed by her counterpart, the Dark Warlock.
As she goes about her life as a "spy", she catches the attention of her queen and gets sent as a messenger to deliver a box that will hopefully stop an impending war with the elves to the north.
When she is captured while heading to the elven realm, she learns things that will rock her entire belief system and shake everything she thought she stood for.
A HIGHLY entertaining read that I could not put down. If you are tired of the same old fantasy books, this story is for you! I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!
Bravo, Ms Auch, for creating a world that sucks you in and makes you beg for more.
What a wonderful story! Read along as Ms. Auch delivers an intriguing world where not much is as it seems. Meet the female lead character Wynn, the first white witch born in a century. She has hidden her talents her entire life, for fear that she will be found and killed by her counterpart, the Dark Warlock.
As she goes about her life as a "spy", she catches the attention of her queen and gets sent as a messenger to deliver a box that will hopefully stop an impending war with the elves to the north.
When she is captured while heading to the elven realm, she learns things that will rock her entire belief system and shake everything she thought she stood for.
A HIGHLY entertaining read that I could not put down. If you are tired of the same old fantasy books, this story is for you! I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!
Bravo, Ms Auch, for creating a world that sucks you in and makes you beg for more.
September 14, 2013
Loved it! I'm not usually one to give perfect scores to people for anything, but I don't remember the last time a book sucked me in like Lunula.
The book was well written with witty remarks and likable characters. Her descriptions on the minute details of everything from scenery to clothing made the story play out without pausing to think of the character's surroundings. The book is written in first person, which I think really added to my anxiety towards the characters in difficult situations throughout the storyline.
The story itself is romantic, but has underlying themes of guilt, prejudice, and adventure. I read the book twice to pick up hints about the climax, and the author does wonderfully with sneaking in tidbits and ideas of what is to come.
This was an excellent book, and I am looking forward to the sequel coming out in a few months!
If you want a book that is thoroughly entertaining, read Lunula.
The book was well written with witty remarks and likable characters. Her descriptions on the minute details of everything from scenery to clothing made the story play out without pausing to think of the character's surroundings. The book is written in first person, which I think really added to my anxiety towards the characters in difficult situations throughout the storyline.
The story itself is romantic, but has underlying themes of guilt, prejudice, and adventure. I read the book twice to pick up hints about the climax, and the author does wonderfully with sneaking in tidbits and ideas of what is to come.
This was an excellent book, and I am looking forward to the sequel coming out in a few months!
If you want a book that is thoroughly entertaining, read Lunula.
May 31, 2014
Thank you to Goodreads First Reads for a free copy!
I thought this was going to be a really cheesy book that I wouldn't like. BOY WAS I WRONG! I stayed up until all hours of the night for two nights in a row trying to finish this book. And whenever I thought somebody was someone important, it switched up on me. I myself fell in love with Gethin and felt as if Wynn was my sister. I still haven't gotten over my lack of sleep, but it was well worth it! If I am ever in need of something to read I will definitely pick this book up again! I will also recommend it to many people when they are in need of something different from what they usually read. It was a nice refresher from what I usually read even though they are quite similar. I didn't realize that it was a series until now and was HIGHLY disappointed that is was over, but I see that there is another book at least. I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT! GIVE IT TO ME NOW PLEASE! Pretty please with a cherry on top?
I thought this was going to be a really cheesy book that I wouldn't like. BOY WAS I WRONG! I stayed up until all hours of the night for two nights in a row trying to finish this book. And whenever I thought somebody was someone important, it switched up on me. I myself fell in love with Gethin and felt as if Wynn was my sister. I still haven't gotten over my lack of sleep, but it was well worth it! If I am ever in need of something to read I will definitely pick this book up again! I will also recommend it to many people when they are in need of something different from what they usually read. It was a nice refresher from what I usually read even though they are quite similar. I didn't realize that it was a series until now and was HIGHLY disappointed that is was over, but I see that there is another book at least. I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT! GIVE IT TO ME NOW PLEASE! Pretty please with a cherry on top?
October 8, 2013
Wow!!!! This is a 5 star fantastic book.
I was won over many times in this book... starting in chapter one. When Wynn, a witch uses her magic in a way similar to the jedi mind tricks, I knew I was in for an enjoyable ride. By the third chapter I had lost all sense of myself and was fully engaged in the story with the characters.
From engaging characters, a well thought out interwoven plot, and an even balance between darkness and romance, this book delivers in the way of the traditional epic fantasy. While some parts seemed predictable, there were some great twists that took me by surprise, and kept me reaching for the next chapter instead of waiting.
If you're looking for a good, solid, rewarding fantasy, you will not be disappointed... and bonus, she's coming out with the sequel soon. Trust me, when yo finish the first book, you'll be anxious for the next.
I was won over many times in this book... starting in chapter one. When Wynn, a witch uses her magic in a way similar to the jedi mind tricks, I knew I was in for an enjoyable ride. By the third chapter I had lost all sense of myself and was fully engaged in the story with the characters.
From engaging characters, a well thought out interwoven plot, and an even balance between darkness and romance, this book delivers in the way of the traditional epic fantasy. While some parts seemed predictable, there were some great twists that took me by surprise, and kept me reaching for the next chapter instead of waiting.
If you're looking for a good, solid, rewarding fantasy, you will not be disappointed... and bonus, she's coming out with the sequel soon. Trust me, when yo finish the first book, you'll be anxious for the next.
October 2, 2013
Lunula has proved to be a wonderfully captivating story. I love how it holds to the traditional fantasy genre while Alyssa Auch gives her own spin on witches and warlocks and her own voice to the characters. Speaking of the characters, Wynn is a wonderful character to follow. With her strengths and independence as well as her realistic fears and believable reactions. Gethin is a wonderfully strong warlock and I absolutely LOVE how Auch wrote him.
The emotions, world building, characters... they are all well developed and powerfully presented. I got completely wrapped up in this book. It is definitely a book I will be recommending to my friends. I can't wait to start on the second book!!!
The emotions, world building, characters... they are all well developed and powerfully presented. I got completely wrapped up in this book. It is definitely a book I will be recommending to my friends. I can't wait to start on the second book!!!
December 26, 2013
4.5/5.0
If you love fantasy, this is one for the books!
Read full review in the 2013 Dec/Jan Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine.
If you love fantasy, this is one for the books!
Read full review in the 2013 Dec/Jan Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine.
July 4, 2019
I think I just found a new favorite book. After finishing, it is such a surprise for me that this book did not garner the attention it deserved at all. I gained interested in the synopsis years ago and failed to read this until now. As a personal rule, I do not buy ebooks. However, after days of debating, searching, and returning back to staring at my screen that posted the synopsis of a story that seemed so much up my alley, I caved in and downloaded kindle and bought the ebook. I have made few decisions that I am completely proud of in my life, and this was one of them. I loved Lunula. The characters are so charming and relationships are so sweet. Never once was I bored. I often found myself so engaged, laughing, sighing, and so on while reading. It has been so long since I gave a book five stars and meant all of those stars. I am mixed with emotions of feeling blessed to have read it and despair to have been done with the world. I finished Inito, the second book to this duology. And one word that closely describes what I feel is content. Do yourself a favor and search the world to get this same feeling.
(Also, if there is someone out there who finished reading this and would like to discuss and swoon about this book, PLEASE FOR FATES SAKE, CONTACT ME.)
(Also, if there is someone out there who finished reading this and would like to discuss and swoon about this book, PLEASE FOR FATES SAKE, CONTACT ME.)
February 6, 2022
Loved this story!
This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be the last. From the descriptive world building to the wonderful characters, this was a very enjoyable read. The story had many nice twists and turns throughout and I am very excited about reading the next book in this series. Well done!
This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be the last. From the descriptive world building to the wonderful characters, this was a very enjoyable read. The story had many nice twists and turns throughout and I am very excited about reading the next book in this series. Well done!
April 25, 2022
Could not put it down!
Overall, Lunula is a seductive and highly entertaining tale by Devon Atwood. The characters are complex, unique, and gifted. The plot is a riveting tale of twists, turns, passion, wrath, loyalty, and humor. And then you throw in supernatural abilities.
Overall, Lunula is a seductive and highly entertaining tale by Devon Atwood. The characters are complex, unique, and gifted. The plot is a riveting tale of twists, turns, passion, wrath, loyalty, and humor. And then you throw in supernatural abilities.
October 6, 2013
Wynn, a young witch (the Witch of the Light) in hiding—constantly running, trying to hide who she really is and what she can really do. Why? Because, if she does not, then the dreaded Warlock of the Dark will find her and kill her in order to obtain her power, thus making him the most powerful being in existence.
Wynn has made it her life's mission to flee her possible captor, because legend says that she cannot and will not survive the encounter. So, she opts to dedicate her time to becoming a spy. What other job would best suit a medieval young woman that is constantly on the run? Nothing.
But, is that really the case?
Wynn barely makes it out alive from her most current mission, and due to her “skills” is called back to see the Queen in order to receive recognition for her great work and yet another mission. The Queen commissions Wynn on yet another assignment. Take a box to the Elven King in order to ensure peace between the two lands.
The mission begins, and for the most part all is going well, until the unexpected happens. Wynn is caught and captured (for no apparent reason—as her captors don't know who she really is) and it is then that the series of event that unfolds begins to turn the story into an entirely different direction.
A man comes into her life. Gethin. He is handsome, charming—though demanding at times—caring, honest and sincere, the perfect chivalrous gentleman. What was there not to like? What female, no matter how much of a prisoner would not be wooed by the likes of him?
Though a prisoner, a streak of circumstances unfold that make Wynn chose between helping people or letting them die. Yet being who she is, she cannot help but help. It's in her nature. In all of this she is risking her life, by divulging who she really is, if someone should find out her true identity.
A group of incredible people come into Wynn's life and she has no choice but to grow fond of each and everyone of them, especially the all charming—and dangerous—Gethin.
A great story, with some interesting twists. Most, I unfortunately saw coming. I enjoyed this story, but if I had any critique, it would have been that I found it to be a little predictable. Also, at some points it felt, a little bit lacking. As if something was missing. This, of course is my own personal opinion.
I enjoyed it nonetheless!
I fell in love with the character of Gethin.
If I had a genie in a bottle, and had just 1 wish, I would wish for Gethin to be a real life man. I'd take him home to Mamma any day! He's just that charming!
I loved Wynn, and found her to be real too. She had true human emotions, and suffered of always feeling cold—something I can relate to all too well. Lol
I think that the culmination was a very compelling and ran true, as I find that there was certainly no other way to complete the story. I applaud the author for her execution therein.
All in all, “Lunula” was an enjoyable read and kept one interested the entire way through.
Wynn has made it her life's mission to flee her possible captor, because legend says that she cannot and will not survive the encounter. So, she opts to dedicate her time to becoming a spy. What other job would best suit a medieval young woman that is constantly on the run? Nothing.
But, is that really the case?
Wynn barely makes it out alive from her most current mission, and due to her “skills” is called back to see the Queen in order to receive recognition for her great work and yet another mission. The Queen commissions Wynn on yet another assignment. Take a box to the Elven King in order to ensure peace between the two lands.
The mission begins, and for the most part all is going well, until the unexpected happens. Wynn is caught and captured (for no apparent reason—as her captors don't know who she really is) and it is then that the series of event that unfolds begins to turn the story into an entirely different direction.
A man comes into her life. Gethin. He is handsome, charming—though demanding at times—caring, honest and sincere, the perfect chivalrous gentleman. What was there not to like? What female, no matter how much of a prisoner would not be wooed by the likes of him?
Though a prisoner, a streak of circumstances unfold that make Wynn chose between helping people or letting them die. Yet being who she is, she cannot help but help. It's in her nature. In all of this she is risking her life, by divulging who she really is, if someone should find out her true identity.
A group of incredible people come into Wynn's life and she has no choice but to grow fond of each and everyone of them, especially the all charming—and dangerous—Gethin.
A great story, with some interesting twists. Most, I unfortunately saw coming. I enjoyed this story, but if I had any critique, it would have been that I found it to be a little predictable. Also, at some points it felt, a little bit lacking. As if something was missing. This, of course is my own personal opinion.
I enjoyed it nonetheless!
I fell in love with the character of Gethin.
If I had a genie in a bottle, and had just 1 wish, I would wish for Gethin to be a real life man. I'd take him home to Mamma any day! He's just that charming!
I loved Wynn, and found her to be real too. She had true human emotions, and suffered of always feeling cold—something I can relate to all too well. Lol
I think that the culmination was a very compelling and ran true, as I find that there was certainly no other way to complete the story. I applaud the author for her execution therein.
All in all, “Lunula” was an enjoyable read and kept one interested the entire way through.
June 17, 2014
'Lunula' is a great fantasy novel but it was quite a slow read for me. I guess, for me, it is the same with all fantasy novels as the author has to spend a lot of time building the world and introducing it to us so the first half was definitely quite slow, still very enjoyable. I flew through the last half of the novel though as it was very eventful and the action and plot was fast-paced.
This story is about the character of Wynn who is a 'light-witch’; she is the current witch of the century. To balance out her existence, there is a 'warlock of darkness' so she lives in constant fear of finding him as the past has resulted in all witches being destroyed by their warlock counterparts. She is running an errand for the Queen when her world is flipped and she starts to question what she truly knows about herself and the Queen.
Wynn is a great heroine; she’s confident, caring and pretty self-sufficient. She has to be independent as she’s had a pretty tough life and we definitely saw that side of her at the beginning but we kind of lost that idea of independence and self-reliance after she met Gethin, the warlock and his army. Other than that I thought she was great and her use of magic was something I loved reading about. It was also interesting to find out she didn’t know the full extent of her magic and it will be exciting to see her learning more and more about what she is fully capable of.
Warlock Gethin was such a brilliant character and definitely not the cold and evil character the author was getting us ready for which was such a pleasant surprise. I think it was great that he didn’t turn into a cliché of a hero and that he also made some stupid mistakes too and wasn’t perfect. I thought he was a great King and I loved getting the very brief glimpses into the life in his land and his family too.
The secondary characters were such a mix of people. None of them were really ‘evil’ or ‘good’ as even with the people who were evil you instantly got the story behind why they would want to do something like that and you also could empathise with them therefore it was hard to hate all the villains. Also, there were quite a few so it was really great action.
I can’t wait to see what happens to the Irador and Dristolian kingdoms. If Gethin gets his equality or not. The Elven kingdom was a great addition and perhaps even more troubled than the other kingdoms.
The ending broke my heart and I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens because I don't even think it's possible to come back from that!
All in all, a great fantasy novel that is full of action. It is a bit slow at first but after the halfway mark you can fly through it, if not it is still worth the read!
*Thanks to the author who sent me a free copy in exchange of a review!*
This story is about the character of Wynn who is a 'light-witch’; she is the current witch of the century. To balance out her existence, there is a 'warlock of darkness' so she lives in constant fear of finding him as the past has resulted in all witches being destroyed by their warlock counterparts. She is running an errand for the Queen when her world is flipped and she starts to question what she truly knows about herself and the Queen.
Wynn is a great heroine; she’s confident, caring and pretty self-sufficient. She has to be independent as she’s had a pretty tough life and we definitely saw that side of her at the beginning but we kind of lost that idea of independence and self-reliance after she met Gethin, the warlock and his army. Other than that I thought she was great and her use of magic was something I loved reading about. It was also interesting to find out she didn’t know the full extent of her magic and it will be exciting to see her learning more and more about what she is fully capable of.
Warlock Gethin was such a brilliant character and definitely not the cold and evil character the author was getting us ready for which was such a pleasant surprise. I think it was great that he didn’t turn into a cliché of a hero and that he also made some stupid mistakes too and wasn’t perfect. I thought he was a great King and I loved getting the very brief glimpses into the life in his land and his family too.
The secondary characters were such a mix of people. None of them were really ‘evil’ or ‘good’ as even with the people who were evil you instantly got the story behind why they would want to do something like that and you also could empathise with them therefore it was hard to hate all the villains. Also, there were quite a few so it was really great action.
I can’t wait to see what happens to the Irador and Dristolian kingdoms. If Gethin gets his equality or not. The Elven kingdom was a great addition and perhaps even more troubled than the other kingdoms.
The ending broke my heart and I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens because I don't even think it's possible to come back from that!
All in all, a great fantasy novel that is full of action. It is a bit slow at first but after the halfway mark you can fly through it, if not it is still worth the read!
*Thanks to the author who sent me a free copy in exchange of a review!*
October 6, 2013
For the full review, check out The Review Board:
Disclaimer: Slight spoilers
With first glance, one would think this is the battle of good vs. evil. Why would this work stand out any more than others who have continuously visited this theme? For some, the struggle is tired and redundant, but I think the battle between good and evil is reflective of life: a mirror between good and bad times.
However, Lunula goes deeper than this battle.
Wynn the witch spends the first part of this work trying to prevent her foretold destiny, which is to be killed by the menacing warlock. Her search for information gets interrupted when Queen Alexandria sends her on this assignment, which appears to be a detour to her destination. Unfortunately, during the journey, she gets captured by the gentleman who turns out to be the very person she was trying to avoid, Gethin the warlock. Gethin the warlock is King of the Dristolians, who are enemies of the Irador where Alexandria is Queen.
It was conditioned in her and other Iradorians that Dristolians are evil brutes. During her imprisonment, she is witness to events that question what she's been told about the Dristolians. Once Wynn discovers the truth, she has to make the ultimate decision whether to stay loyal to the Queen or stand up for what is truly right.
Lunula was full of action, from the start of the work all the way to the end. In the spots where the action was slight or minimal, it was filled with interesting dialogue (the banter between Gethin and Wynn) as well as comical episodes (the men stopping by to get treatment from Wynn and the healer). There was a nice balance between the buildup of intensity and the dissipation as each individual conflict came to an end.
I highly recommend this for lovers of young adult fantasy, works of action, and romance novels that are realistically paced and laced with tender intrigue.
Disclaimer: Slight spoilers
With first glance, one would think this is the battle of good vs. evil. Why would this work stand out any more than others who have continuously visited this theme? For some, the struggle is tired and redundant, but I think the battle between good and evil is reflective of life: a mirror between good and bad times.
However, Lunula goes deeper than this battle.
Wynn the witch spends the first part of this work trying to prevent her foretold destiny, which is to be killed by the menacing warlock. Her search for information gets interrupted when Queen Alexandria sends her on this assignment, which appears to be a detour to her destination. Unfortunately, during the journey, she gets captured by the gentleman who turns out to be the very person she was trying to avoid, Gethin the warlock. Gethin the warlock is King of the Dristolians, who are enemies of the Irador where Alexandria is Queen.
It was conditioned in her and other Iradorians that Dristolians are evil brutes. During her imprisonment, she is witness to events that question what she's been told about the Dristolians. Once Wynn discovers the truth, she has to make the ultimate decision whether to stay loyal to the Queen or stand up for what is truly right.
Lunula was full of action, from the start of the work all the way to the end. In the spots where the action was slight or minimal, it was filled with interesting dialogue (the banter between Gethin and Wynn) as well as comical episodes (the men stopping by to get treatment from Wynn and the healer). There was a nice balance between the buildup of intensity and the dissipation as each individual conflict came to an end.
I highly recommend this for lovers of young adult fantasy, works of action, and romance novels that are realistically paced and laced with tender intrigue.
September 28, 2013
Book review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
Lunula started out a bit slow. Main character Wynn is stuck in a dungeon somewhere, but manages to escape using her abilities. Once she’s free again, we find out more about Wynn, and turns out she’s a witch. Not just a witch, because in her world, there’s only one witch and one warlock every one hundred years, and they’re sworn enemies. Wynn has spent her entire life trying to escape her destiny, but when she’s sent on an urgent errand for none other than the Queen, she finds out destiny is not that easily escaped.
I don’t want to give too much away, because the book was filled with pleasant, unexpected turns and twists that really kept things intriguing. Once you think you can predict what’ll happen next, something else happens, and then you’re lost again. Wynn was a lovely character to read about. She has plenty of flaws, the most prominent one being her stubbornness. I also liked her evil counterpart, Gethin. Whenever these two characters spoke to each other, there was so much underlying tension and so many snappy comments that it made for very enjoyable dialogues.
My primary pet peeve with the book however, was the beginning. It all started out rather slow, and the world building wasn’t all that original. It had some original elements, but not enough to completely convince me, hence the 4 instead of 5 star rating.
As far as the plot and characters were concerned though, the author did an amazing job. The writing itself was great as well, although sometimes there was telling instead of showing, but it didn’t happen all that often.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait for the sequel!
Lunula started out a bit slow. Main character Wynn is stuck in a dungeon somewhere, but manages to escape using her abilities. Once she’s free again, we find out more about Wynn, and turns out she’s a witch. Not just a witch, because in her world, there’s only one witch and one warlock every one hundred years, and they’re sworn enemies. Wynn has spent her entire life trying to escape her destiny, but when she’s sent on an urgent errand for none other than the Queen, she finds out destiny is not that easily escaped.
I don’t want to give too much away, because the book was filled with pleasant, unexpected turns and twists that really kept things intriguing. Once you think you can predict what’ll happen next, something else happens, and then you’re lost again. Wynn was a lovely character to read about. She has plenty of flaws, the most prominent one being her stubbornness. I also liked her evil counterpart, Gethin. Whenever these two characters spoke to each other, there was so much underlying tension and so many snappy comments that it made for very enjoyable dialogues.
My primary pet peeve with the book however, was the beginning. It all started out rather slow, and the world building wasn’t all that original. It had some original elements, but not enough to completely convince me, hence the 4 instead of 5 star rating.
As far as the plot and characters were concerned though, the author did an amazing job. The writing itself was great as well, although sometimes there was telling instead of showing, but it didn’t happen all that often.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait for the sequel!
January 10, 2015
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review**
Woah, what just happened, you know what I don't care whatever it was it was awesome. I'm not really sure how there is going to be a book 2 but I do look forward to reading it and finding out.
The main characters Wynn and Gethin are supposed to be enemies are drawn together after Wynn is sent on a mission to deliver a message to the Elvin king. The mission sends her in the direction of Gethin who makes her his prisoner, the couple start to develop feelings for each other, feelings Wynn knows she should not be having. Wynn is a kind and caring person who has been misled into believing the lies of her queen over the truths king Gethin offers her. Whereas Gethin is a strong king who is not used to having a woman so stubborn and unmoving towards his wishes.
The secondary characters add to the story perfectly allowing us to better get to know the characters and their motivation. The queen adds a layer of uncertainty as you are not entirely sure if she is good or bad until the very end. The Elvin king seems kind however he is desperate to get his son home safely, and the brothers of Gethin offer a chance for the two main characters to have something in common.
The pacing was great with a steady filter of things happening all the time and introducing a perfect build up to the climactic ending early on in the book.
The story line is fabulously original and was like nothing I have ever read before.
4 stars easily. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
Woah, what just happened, you know what I don't care whatever it was it was awesome. I'm not really sure how there is going to be a book 2 but I do look forward to reading it and finding out.
The main characters Wynn and Gethin are supposed to be enemies are drawn together after Wynn is sent on a mission to deliver a message to the Elvin king. The mission sends her in the direction of Gethin who makes her his prisoner, the couple start to develop feelings for each other, feelings Wynn knows she should not be having. Wynn is a kind and caring person who has been misled into believing the lies of her queen over the truths king Gethin offers her. Whereas Gethin is a strong king who is not used to having a woman so stubborn and unmoving towards his wishes.
The secondary characters add to the story perfectly allowing us to better get to know the characters and their motivation. The queen adds a layer of uncertainty as you are not entirely sure if she is good or bad until the very end. The Elvin king seems kind however he is desperate to get his son home safely, and the brothers of Gethin offer a chance for the two main characters to have something in common.
The pacing was great with a steady filter of things happening all the time and introducing a perfect build up to the climactic ending early on in the book.
The story line is fabulously original and was like nothing I have ever read before.
4 stars easily. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
August 7, 2013
Every 100 years a witch is born. Every 100 years a warlock is born. One has the power of the light, the other the dark. And every 100 years the witch is killed, her powers stolen. Every 100 years! History always repeats. Damn, that sucks!
Did I enjoy Lunula? You bet your sweet bippy I did! I loved that Wynn, the main character is not perfect. She makes mistakes. Which makes it easy to relate to her. I like her stubborn disposition, and yet, she is willing to question that which she has been taught her whole life. Gethin is the warlock that Wynn has spent her whole life hiding from. I enjoyed the interactions between these two characters, Alyssa Auch did a nice job with the dialogue.
This story is in the first person POV. This is not generally my preferred writing style, but I'll admit that once I settled in to the story, I didn't even think about it. I enjoyed the clever similes and metaphor's that Alyssa sprinkles throughout the story. Nicely done!
The descriptions of the scenery and action also well done! I could easily see the events play out in my minds eye.
The one thing that is a detractor for me, is the ease with which I guessed the outcome/plot. I'd have liked more mystery or a big fat gotcha!
The end of the book started to stress me out...until I read the epilogue! Hope reigns eternal! Yay! I believe a sequel is in the works, and I look forward to reading it.
So to sum it all up...would I recommend it? Sure would.
Did I enjoy Lunula? You bet your sweet bippy I did! I loved that Wynn, the main character is not perfect. She makes mistakes. Which makes it easy to relate to her. I like her stubborn disposition, and yet, she is willing to question that which she has been taught her whole life. Gethin is the warlock that Wynn has spent her whole life hiding from. I enjoyed the interactions between these two characters, Alyssa Auch did a nice job with the dialogue.
This story is in the first person POV. This is not generally my preferred writing style, but I'll admit that once I settled in to the story, I didn't even think about it. I enjoyed the clever similes and metaphor's that Alyssa sprinkles throughout the story. Nicely done!
The descriptions of the scenery and action also well done! I could easily see the events play out in my minds eye.
The one thing that is a detractor for me, is the ease with which I guessed the outcome/plot. I'd have liked more mystery or a big fat gotcha!
The end of the book started to stress me out...until I read the epilogue! Hope reigns eternal! Yay! I believe a sequel is in the works, and I look forward to reading it.
So to sum it all up...would I recommend it? Sure would.
June 14, 2014
Thanks Alyssa and goodreads new adult book club for allowing me to read this book.
It was worth the read as well as the 5 stars that I give it and if I could I would give it even more that's how much I loved it. The authors writing style along with the World building & Character development kept me hooked throughout the book.
Wynn the main character, a witch was such a lovable character who was vulnerable and strong in equal measure. The developing love story between Wynn and Gethan, the warlock was really lovely even though it was a forbidden love. But it made the ending even sadder though.
The story took Wynn to the Elven kingdom to get the Lunula a magical necklace which gives its owner ultimate power in order to take it back to her queen in exchange for the Elven Kings son who the queens kidnapped.
It was an interesting, intriguing and educational book as it showed you the cultures associated with each of the kingdoms in the world as well as how dangerous and all consuming magic both good and bad can be.
The Queen of the Kingdom Irador that Wyn was from was in fact the absolute antihesis of evil as well as being an emtionless individual where as Gethan the Dristilion King and Warlock who was supposed to be a wicked, cold hearted brut was in fact a gentle, kind and loving man who also had a dark side.
It was worth the read as well as the 5 stars that I give it and if I could I would give it even more that's how much I loved it. The authors writing style along with the World building & Character development kept me hooked throughout the book.
Wynn the main character, a witch was such a lovable character who was vulnerable and strong in equal measure. The developing love story between Wynn and Gethan, the warlock was really lovely even though it was a forbidden love. But it made the ending even sadder though.
The story took Wynn to the Elven kingdom to get the Lunula a magical necklace which gives its owner ultimate power in order to take it back to her queen in exchange for the Elven Kings son who the queens kidnapped.
It was an interesting, intriguing and educational book as it showed you the cultures associated with each of the kingdoms in the world as well as how dangerous and all consuming magic both good and bad can be.
The Queen of the Kingdom Irador that Wyn was from was in fact the absolute antihesis of evil as well as being an emtionless individual where as Gethan the Dristilion King and Warlock who was supposed to be a wicked, cold hearted brut was in fact a gentle, kind and loving man who also had a dark side.
May 30, 2014
I received this book in return for an honest review. The book was great. I’m not sure what I was expecting to be honest. I think maybe I was expecting more of a battle between good and evil and I got so much more. The characters were developed perfectly so that you got a glimpse of what it was like to be .. not human and yet too human, if that makes sense. Emotions awry and tragedy amuck it was adventurous, exciting, devastating, heart wrenching and even romantic at times. This book made you feel for each character, with every turn. It was written very well that it made you want to keep reading to find out how fate was going to intervene. I truly enjoyed the story and characters that I don’t want it to stop – I’m off to the second book and am already hoping for a third. Pick this up and you won’t be disappointed.
June 26, 2014
3.5 stars. I really didn’t know what to expect with this book, but I was very happily surprised. The story grabbed my attention right from the start.
At times the writing style seemed quite old fashioned, but I embraced it and by the end I wouldn’t have read it any other way. The narrative suited the period that the story was set in and suited both the characters and the plot.
I enjoyed the small instances where the characters could jest with each other, although I would have liked to see a lot more humour (but this is just a personal preference). The relationship between the two main characters was enticing and drove me to read on.
I did feel the ending was a little rushed and less grand than I was expecting, but overall I really enjoyed this as a different read.
I will definitely consider reading the second book.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
At times the writing style seemed quite old fashioned, but I embraced it and by the end I wouldn’t have read it any other way. The narrative suited the period that the story was set in and suited both the characters and the plot.
I enjoyed the small instances where the characters could jest with each other, although I would have liked to see a lot more humour (but this is just a personal preference). The relationship between the two main characters was enticing and drove me to read on.
I did feel the ending was a little rushed and less grand than I was expecting, but overall I really enjoyed this as a different read.
I will definitely consider reading the second book.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
February 1, 2014
Received this through First Reads Giveaways.
Couldn't really get into it. It started in a very, very slow place, and it didn't get much better. It wasn't the worst book that I've ever read, but it was nowhere near the best. It took me a very, very long time to get through it. A VERY long time. Because I kept giving up.
Couldn't really get into it. It started in a very, very slow place, and it didn't get much better. It wasn't the worst book that I've ever read, but it was nowhere near the best. It took me a very, very long time to get through it. A VERY long time. Because I kept giving up.
June 9, 2014
I will not bore you with giving a recap of what happens nor will I say anything to give away spoilers. Auch has an exceptional writing style, she creates characters and a world that you feel is real. Lunula sucks in, and you are left wanting more. This is definitely a book you want to pick up! Well done!!
October 15, 2013
Click the link for the full joint review placed on The Review Board:
Truth Unleashed Speaks on Lunula
Truth Unleashed Speaks on Lunula
November 24, 2014
*3 1/2 Stars*
Luluna was slow in the beginning, but after the first couple chapters I couldn't put it down.
Loved Gethin & Wynn.
Can't wait to read Inito :)
Luluna was slow in the beginning, but after the first couple chapters I couldn't put it down.
Loved Gethin & Wynn.
Can't wait to read Inito :)
May 23, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It was love and passion,fear and alone. But still good came from it. By the fates 5 stars all the way:)
May 28, 2014
beautifully original, well written perfection. I'm hooked
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