A Shattered Moon

Portals of Ayden #1

by Kim Stokely

“The question you must answer is, who do you want to become?” Andrew pushed himself up from the ground. “Decide that, Ally Foster, and the rest will be simple.” Ally Foster thinks her biggest problem is her spiteful history teacher. Then a comatose man wakes long enough to call out her name. When the teenager takes his hand, she’s transported to another world. One she’s heard about but never believed existed—Eden. Ayden, as the inhabitants call it, is no longer a paradise but a place of supernatural monsters, magic, and danger. Now her greatest threat is Braedon, the Lord Regent and Mystic, who’s been waiting with a not-so-warm welcome for someone from Ally’s world to arrive. Desperate to get home before Braedon finds her, Ally seeks help from his enemies. But the Elders, a race of people descended from angels, have their own plans for her. Caught in a centuries-old battle between Elders and Mystics, Ally must either spend the rest of her life hiding or join the fight.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic

290 pages, Paperback

Published January 19, 2017

About the author

Born and raised in Connecticut, Kim has found herself transplanted to the geographic center of the country, Nebraska. She still wonders how it happened.

She's worked at everything from Microfiche photographer (look it up, it was before computers) to Assisted Living Recreation Assistant. She's grateful to be working from home now and writing!

Her favorite color is green and she loves all things chocolate (except for chocolate covered garlic peanut butter cups. Some things should never be mixed.)

Reviews

[Syeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall it was a good read

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I am grateful. I loved the story and how things were slowly unfolded. The story was very interesting and I really like the descriptions of the place. I really liked the main character and how she presented herself throughout the story despite being thrown in a new world she knows nothing about. My favorite character was Teagan though. I wish there were more scenes of some of the characters introduced. Hopefully in the next book.
Even though the beginning was a little slow, it picks up pretty fast and the suspense kept me going to the point that I couldn’t stop reading. It ended too quickly, leaving me craving for more. I can’t wait to read the sequel.
I am giving it a 4 star because even though it was a great book, it was not amazing. Some parts were boring, but the flow of the story and hoping to read more about the characters that I liked kept me interested.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this very much. I personally think it is boring.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was soooooooo good. Once I started this I could not put it down. I loved everything from the characters to the story to the way it was written. 10/10!!!!!

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The characters and the world are so cool. The author did a really good job of unfolding the world easily as you read it. I can’t wait for third book!

[Arezu Forouzandeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t my favorite book but it did a decent job of storytelling and incorporating fantasy elements. The ending got a bit weird honestly and there were a lot of frustrating moments in the book. Like, we get it you have a lot of trust issues… There were a few too many pop culture moments referenced in the book for comedic effect which didn’t always land well and seemed a bit like the author incorporated her own stream of consciousness into it. It kind of brought you back into a reality that “oh yeah, she’s actually not from this world”. Also did not realize how biblical the book kinda was until there was more background given to the people in the book (still not sure if i really actually understand it or not). It reminded me a lot of Nora Robert’s’ Dragon Heart Legacy series with the world switching and finding out you’re actually a VIP in this new place. All in all, an interesting read and I will likely try and find the next book in the series.

[Nataly Luevanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, although the first 20 pages were a little slow. The mortal world isn't nearly as interesting as Ayden, but once the story started to pick up, I couldn't put the book down.

World building within these types of books is either hit or miss and I think that this book does a really good job of it. It isn't thrown at the readers all at once. I liked that we learned the lays of the land along with the main character and I loved the fact that Ally questioned everything. That curiosity made it seem more believable. It also really helped build the world of Ayden. It wasn't super complex. It was easy to follow. I also thought it was smart to introduce characters multiple times to remind readers and Ally who they were.

I both love and hate the ambiguity of these characters, mostly because I want definite answers to who's good and who's bad, but this ambiguity makes everything so much more interesting. I love the fact that the readers and Ally don't know who's trustworthy. At this point, the bad guys could be anyone if not everyone. To an extent, everyone has their faults and it isn't clear as to who is more at fault and who is the ultimate manipulator. We've seen different sides to each character and I look forward to finding out more as the plot progresses.

I thought the whole normal-teenager-turns-out-to-be-royalty was a little cliche, but I think the author did the story justice. I think Ally is such a relatable character. She's your typical sassy sixteen year old who rebels against the norm. I saw a bit of myself in her from the sassy remarks to the stubbornness and I was reminded of all those cringe-worthy moments I went through as a teenager.

I also loved the fact that the plot didn't revolve around romantic relationships. Sure it was included, but it wasn't the central point. Ally is an independent character. She exceeds expectations and she's underestimated a lot of the time.

All in all, I really enjoyed it and I can't wait until the next book comes out!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of fantasy, and the description of this book made it sound right up my alley. And it was! I very much enjoyed it, and am glad that the sequel is already on my shelves waiting to be read! The book left me wanting to see what happens to Ally next.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book that held me captive.

[Sheila G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it a law that all license pictures look like mug shots? Haha, but for real.

So, a quarter in, I thought there was already a love triangle blossoming, and a kiss that seems way too presumptuous. To my relief, it didn't happen. (Yay!)

The story follows a loose interpretation of the Creation and Fall story found within the Holy Bible. Figurative actions such as washing each other's feet, and the overwhelming presence of the importance of wine laced throughout only point towards these references further. It seems as though the Elders follow the path of "angels" and the mystics, "demons," as they worship different deities, obviously referring to God and the devil.

I also had a sense that the Blackguard were similar (in purpose) to the Nazgul in Lord of the Rings.

The story is a combination of many popular themes found in fantasy books, i.e., portal to another world/dimension, new world vs. old world society, magic, normal "everyday girl," who finds out she's a heroine and rightful ruler of the other world, life is not as it seems, along with some others. However, I wasn't disinterested by these aspects of the story. I can't say this book has touched upon undiscovered terrain, but I still thought the plot was interesting. The beginning (and a few chapters towards the end) are slightly tedious, especially the several day trek near the beginning of the story.

All-in-all, I think this story was a solid 3 stars. As I already stated, it wasn't mind-blowing, but I still found the plot interesting. I'm curious to see how the sequel will be.

Vulgarity: some
Gore: moderate

This review can also be viewed at my blog: She's Going Book Crazy

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a teenager is unexpectedly thrust into an unknown world, as in Kim Stokely's A Shattered Moon, odd things are bound to happen that will change their perspective on the(ir) world.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

Ally Foster has just turned sixteen and thinks that the biggest challenges in her life will "normal" things, such as battling with her history teacher or taking a decent picture for her driver's license. Little does she know that her life is about to drastically change when she touches the hand of a comatose patient of her mother's and gets transported to another world. In Ayden, where Ally finds herself, there are supernatural beings, magic, and a disheveled monarchic rule. As she travels through Ayden to find safe haven from the Lord Regent, Braedon, who seeks the traveler who came through the portal, Ally comes to understand the differences that dominate in Ayden and learns about her rather blank family history (in conventional terms).

Entertaining and relatively engaging, the story builds and explores cultural differences demonstrated through the clashing ideals of Ally's upbringing and her experience of the new customs of Ayden. The narrative did comment on its self-awareness of the existing literature that it borrows from in crafting the world of Ayden and the story as a whole; so while not original in the building of the world and story, the references to it's inspiring sources tempered sour attitudes toward recycling familiar, cliché ideas. Ally's inquisitive and independent nature made for a good, relatable protagonist; however, by jumping too quickly into a romantic something between Ally and Tegan I found it difficult to believe the dynamic between them as genuine because it seemed as if their relationship shifted as if a switch were flipped.

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out to 5 stars.

[Clipinchick]

I this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my
review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.