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The Realmers #3
Moonlight War: Act II
Brooke has learned who engineered the war between werewolves and vampires in London, and if she and Arantay can’t stop it, not only will the city be destroyed, but everyone will know the Moonlight races exist.
Jed has discovered why Venators are being kidnapped from Veneseron, but now he’s trapped inside the captor’s lair himself, perhaps never to return.
Evan has set off on his own first mission, where he must travel through multiple bizarre worlds, attempting to stop a demonic cult. Unfortunately, two of Evan’s companions are two of his biggest rivals. His mission is thrown into further jeopardy when Evan learns he is being hunted by a force more powerful than anything he’s faced before.
Jed suffers a grisly injury. An enemy discovers Brooke’s biggest secret. Evan is marked by a wound magic can never heal, and not everyone survives.
Due to Moonlight War growing so long, it was split into two acts. As such, this novel continues directly from where Act I finished.
Jed has discovered why Venators are being kidnapped from Veneseron, but now he’s trapped inside the captor’s lair himself, perhaps never to return.
Evan has set off on his own first mission, where he must travel through multiple bizarre worlds, attempting to stop a demonic cult. Unfortunately, two of Evan’s companions are two of his biggest rivals. His mission is thrown into further jeopardy when Evan learns he is being hunted by a force more powerful than anything he’s faced before.
Jed suffers a grisly injury. An enemy discovers Brooke’s biggest secret. Evan is marked by a wound magic can never heal, and not everyone survives.
Due to Moonlight War growing so long, it was split into two acts. As such, this novel continues directly from where Act I finished.
- GenresFantasy
555 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2017
8 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 22, 2017
This is the third book in the Realmers series by British author, William Collins. ‘Moonlight War Act II’ follows on directly from the end of the second book. As I read the previous book some months ago, a brief résumé and a glossary of terms at the beginning was very helpful.
The structure remains faithful to the previous books, with individual threads as we catch up with Brooke and Arantay in London and Evan undertaking his first mission with Emi and their more experienced colleagues, Bane and Sintian. We quickly note the tension between the Venators, which could prove as much of a threat to Evan’s survival as the monsters he’s fighting.
We meet a multitude of new creatures who are necessary to move the plot along but it is difficult to keep track of such a large cast. We also reconnect with established characters; Jed, Joelle and Alijah, who are facing a battle for freedom against the evil Mr Sengel and his daughter Cera.
We watch as the attractions and jealousies continue to play out, with the most significant being the bitter-sweet dynamic between Brooke and Arantay.
I was keen to see if Collins could maintain the standard of the previous books and think his vivid and colourful imagination has again enabled him to produce a solid piece of fiction. He has employed the same writing techniques as previously, showing himself to be an able wordsmith.
However, I think there is a danger of over-dependence on increasingly grizzly scenes which aren’t strictly necessary because the underlying story is sufficiently entertaining. This time, I felt Collins didn’t quite get the balance right.
A swift edit in the first half of the book would have taken nothing from the plot. I found the second half more engaging. However, I suspect many of his target audience will disagree with me and fans who feel an affiliation with Evan and Brooke will be gripped by the perilous situations in which they find themselves.
If you enjoy fantasy, this book won’t disappoint but you do need to read the other books in the series first.
Collins has again delivered an exciting, fast moving fantasy adventure with a lot of innovations. Somehow though, this story didn’t grip me quite as much as his earlier work as I became increasingly desensitised to the violent bits and accordingly, I award ‘Moonlight War Act II’ four stars.
Reviewed by Julie on www.whisperingstories.com
The structure remains faithful to the previous books, with individual threads as we catch up with Brooke and Arantay in London and Evan undertaking his first mission with Emi and their more experienced colleagues, Bane and Sintian. We quickly note the tension between the Venators, which could prove as much of a threat to Evan’s survival as the monsters he’s fighting.
We meet a multitude of new creatures who are necessary to move the plot along but it is difficult to keep track of such a large cast. We also reconnect with established characters; Jed, Joelle and Alijah, who are facing a battle for freedom against the evil Mr Sengel and his daughter Cera.
We watch as the attractions and jealousies continue to play out, with the most significant being the bitter-sweet dynamic between Brooke and Arantay.
I was keen to see if Collins could maintain the standard of the previous books and think his vivid and colourful imagination has again enabled him to produce a solid piece of fiction. He has employed the same writing techniques as previously, showing himself to be an able wordsmith.
However, I think there is a danger of over-dependence on increasingly grizzly scenes which aren’t strictly necessary because the underlying story is sufficiently entertaining. This time, I felt Collins didn’t quite get the balance right.
A swift edit in the first half of the book would have taken nothing from the plot. I found the second half more engaging. However, I suspect many of his target audience will disagree with me and fans who feel an affiliation with Evan and Brooke will be gripped by the perilous situations in which they find themselves.
If you enjoy fantasy, this book won’t disappoint but you do need to read the other books in the series first.
Collins has again delivered an exciting, fast moving fantasy adventure with a lot of innovations. Somehow though, this story didn’t grip me quite as much as his earlier work as I became increasingly desensitised to the violent bits and accordingly, I award ‘Moonlight War Act II’ four stars.
Reviewed by Julie on www.whisperingstories.com
June 14, 2018
The war continues, neither side with any clear victories as our heroes are caught up in one perilous situation after another, not all coming from the dark Venators. The war between the vampires and the werewolves is running acid hot and Brooke may have uncovered who is responsible. At this point, it is ending the war that is paramount before all of London becomes a bloody battlefield of the paranormal.
Petty jealousies, deceit and secrets, who can be trusted and who cannot, no matter what side they stand on? As a crazed madman feverishly works on his own twisted magic, far from Earth on Veneseron, Venators go missing and become part of his twisted dreams to achieve the impossible.
Finally on his very first mission, Evan will find he is in over his head, so why was he chosen to go? Are his comrades truly his allies or is their agenda far darker, more sinister? He and Brooke fight to keep their secrets buried with potions, but what if they are discovered?
Heroes will die, be hurt and unnerved, even as the forces of evil also suffer losses. Before the final battle can be waged, the tentative truce among the races will be tested, knowing that united they stand a chance for victory, but divided they will surely fall and darkness will reign.
William Collins’s MOONLIGHT WAR – ACT II takes the baton from Act I and races ahead in a frenzied, chaotic sprint where anything is possible, concurrent events create a collage of action and the end of the war cannot be predicted with certainty.
Once again, William Collins relies on dialogue as much as detailed descriptions to flesh out his tale and give us front row seats to both events and the emotions of each of the huge cast of characters. Feel the turmoil, the tension and let it come alive through the players, as their dynamic relationships affect each scene. Start to finish, this is non-stop and clearly epic! Let go of reality and hang on tight!
I received a complimentary Copy from William Collins!
Series: The Realmers - Part II - Book 3
Publication Date: February 15, 2017
Publisher: William Collins
Genre: YA/Children's Science Fiction/Fantasy
Print Length: 550 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Petty jealousies, deceit and secrets, who can be trusted and who cannot, no matter what side they stand on? As a crazed madman feverishly works on his own twisted magic, far from Earth on Veneseron, Venators go missing and become part of his twisted dreams to achieve the impossible.
Finally on his very first mission, Evan will find he is in over his head, so why was he chosen to go? Are his comrades truly his allies or is their agenda far darker, more sinister? He and Brooke fight to keep their secrets buried with potions, but what if they are discovered?
Heroes will die, be hurt and unnerved, even as the forces of evil also suffer losses. Before the final battle can be waged, the tentative truce among the races will be tested, knowing that united they stand a chance for victory, but divided they will surely fall and darkness will reign.
William Collins’s MOONLIGHT WAR – ACT II takes the baton from Act I and races ahead in a frenzied, chaotic sprint where anything is possible, concurrent events create a collage of action and the end of the war cannot be predicted with certainty.
Once again, William Collins relies on dialogue as much as detailed descriptions to flesh out his tale and give us front row seats to both events and the emotions of each of the huge cast of characters. Feel the turmoil, the tension and let it come alive through the players, as their dynamic relationships affect each scene. Start to finish, this is non-stop and clearly epic! Let go of reality and hang on tight!
I received a complimentary Copy from William Collins!
Series: The Realmers - Part II - Book 3
Publication Date: February 15, 2017
Publisher: William Collins
Genre: YA/Children's Science Fiction/Fantasy
Print Length: 550 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
June 7, 2019
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way, and the thoughts expressed are my own.
I enjoyed the first two books and was intrigued to see how the third would compare. Following directly after the Moonlight War: Part I, we follow Brooke and Arantay as they try to prevent a war between the vampires and shifters of London. Meanwhile, Evan is on his first mission with Emi, Bane and Sintain. Both must continue to hide their demonic sorcery even as things become increasingly dangerous.
Evan’s mission involved a great deal of realm hopping, which allowed us to see the real variety of worlds, cultures and creatures. Bane and Sintain were aggravating, as always, and I pitied Evan that his very first mission had him stuck with those two jerks. Luckily, Emi was there to provide some friendship, and much needed humanity, though I’ve never understood why everyone gives her a hard time and calls her stupid.
Brooke and Arantay continue to have a complicated relationship. I understand that love is painful, especially when there are such strong reasons not to be together, but I found their ‘want to be with but I can’t because I am bad for you’ tiresome. We’ve had two books of this will they/won't they and wished they would decide one way or another (I have never been a fan of this angst). Meanwhile, Lok continues to attempt to seduce Brooke, and a part of both Arantay and Brooke want her to be with Lok or another Venator, anyone other than Arantay
We had some intriguing twists and turns on both missions, including the appearance of some past characters. It was interesting to find out the fate of the characters who’s terrible fates had been inferred throughout the book.
This book did feel like it had been published too soon with many instances of ‘telling’ instead of showing, many characters over explaining or dialogue that felt quite scripted. Some elements made no sense, the biggest being that when a character’s throat is slit, it appears to be a minor irritation rather than the terminal injury it would be. This book also seemed to be quite long, which made the action-packed instalment feel much slower than usual. My enjoyment of the series made these mistakes even more disappointing, though I did still enjoy this book.
There was a shocking twist at the end which made for a serious cliff hanger. I give it 3/5.
I enjoyed the first two books and was intrigued to see how the third would compare. Following directly after the Moonlight War: Part I, we follow Brooke and Arantay as they try to prevent a war between the vampires and shifters of London. Meanwhile, Evan is on his first mission with Emi, Bane and Sintain. Both must continue to hide their demonic sorcery even as things become increasingly dangerous.
Evan’s mission involved a great deal of realm hopping, which allowed us to see the real variety of worlds, cultures and creatures. Bane and Sintain were aggravating, as always, and I pitied Evan that his very first mission had him stuck with those two jerks. Luckily, Emi was there to provide some friendship, and much needed humanity, though I’ve never understood why everyone gives her a hard time and calls her stupid.
Brooke and Arantay continue to have a complicated relationship. I understand that love is painful, especially when there are such strong reasons not to be together, but I found their ‘want to be with but I can’t because I am bad for you’ tiresome. We’ve had two books of this will they/won't they and wished they would decide one way or another (I have never been a fan of this angst). Meanwhile, Lok continues to attempt to seduce Brooke, and a part of both Arantay and Brooke want her to be with Lok or another Venator, anyone other than Arantay
We had some intriguing twists and turns on both missions, including the appearance of some past characters. It was interesting to find out the fate of the characters who’s terrible fates had been inferred throughout the book.
This book did feel like it had been published too soon with many instances of ‘telling’ instead of showing, many characters over explaining or dialogue that felt quite scripted. Some elements made no sense, the biggest being that when a character’s throat is slit, it appears to be a minor irritation rather than the terminal injury it would be. This book also seemed to be quite long, which made the action-packed instalment feel much slower than usual. My enjoyment of the series made these mistakes even more disappointing, though I did still enjoy this book.
There was a shocking twist at the end which made for a serious cliff hanger. I give it 3/5.
August 6, 2017
The book was given to me by my friend and author, Will Collins, in exchange for an honest review. Really. Every time his new book comes out he never failed to contact me for a book review and I'm happy to oblige every single time.
“What is life if we can’t risk it now and again?”
Moonlight War - Act II started off with a brief memory of what happened in the Act I and I must say that it was such a great opening because I got into the book right there and then. I just took me a long time to finish the book.
As I have said on my review of the Act I, there are so many things going on with the story and there are so many characters that I need to focus on and sometimes it’s just so complicated, you know? The book is very detailed and somehow it bores me down because it can be eliminated at some point. But ironically, it is what I love with the writing of Will Collins—the details. I’ve got a lot of knowledge about the characters and everything around them because of the detailed storytelling. I enjoyed those details actually but as I said, some of them should be eliminated. The Moonlight War can be compressed into one book I guess, but that’s only my opinion.
There are minor errors in the spelling and choice of words but other than that, it’s perfect.
“No one’s life is worth making yours better.”
Enough of the technical side.
I just love how the story makes my heart beat faster because of the intensity of it. I love how my imagination runs wild while reading the book. I can feel my adrenaline being worked up and my breathing uncontrolled because of all the fighting and running of the characters. I specially loved those scene of Evan, Jed and Joelle among the others while rescuing Taija in the asylum. That scene’s so intense and amazing!
It was an amazing reading experience!
“What is life if we can’t risk it now and again?”
Moonlight War - Act II started off with a brief memory of what happened in the Act I and I must say that it was such a great opening because I got into the book right there and then. I just took me a long time to finish the book.
As I have said on my review of the Act I, there are so many things going on with the story and there are so many characters that I need to focus on and sometimes it’s just so complicated, you know? The book is very detailed and somehow it bores me down because it can be eliminated at some point. But ironically, it is what I love with the writing of Will Collins—the details. I’ve got a lot of knowledge about the characters and everything around them because of the detailed storytelling. I enjoyed those details actually but as I said, some of them should be eliminated. The Moonlight War can be compressed into one book I guess, but that’s only my opinion.
There are minor errors in the spelling and choice of words but other than that, it’s perfect.
“No one’s life is worth making yours better.”
Enough of the technical side.
I just love how the story makes my heart beat faster because of the intensity of it. I love how my imagination runs wild while reading the book. I can feel my adrenaline being worked up and my breathing uncontrolled because of all the fighting and running of the characters. I specially loved those scene of Evan, Jed and Joelle among the others while rescuing Taija in the asylum. That scene’s so intense and amazing!
It was an amazing reading experience!
July 17, 2018
Moonlight War is one wild ride! When I had time to read I didn't want to stop. There is so much action and suspense throughout. It picks up where Act 1 left off and is exciting from beginning to end.
This one continues to follow our favorite realmers. Evan is on a mission with two of his not so favorite people. They must travel through multilpe realms to try and stop a demonic cult. Meanwhile Brooke and Arantay are sent on a mission to London. They are there to stop a war between the vampires and werewolves. Then there is Jed and some of their other friends who are trapped inside of a painting with some wild, crazy and evil characters.
Brooke still has feelings for Arantay and she is pretty certain he feels the same way. But he is on a mission to not only end the war between the vampires and werewolves but to also find and destroy his brother once and for all. Evan has his own issues and just wants to survive his mission and head back to Veneseron. Just like on any mission, everything does not go as planned. There are many obstacles that the Venators will face along the way. There are many twists and turns but there is some real shocking moments towards the end of the book.
I have really enjoyed reading this series so far and I am looking forward to what is to come next. If you love fantasy and lots of action you will enjoy this series!
This one continues to follow our favorite realmers. Evan is on a mission with two of his not so favorite people. They must travel through multilpe realms to try and stop a demonic cult. Meanwhile Brooke and Arantay are sent on a mission to London. They are there to stop a war between the vampires and werewolves. Then there is Jed and some of their other friends who are trapped inside of a painting with some wild, crazy and evil characters.
Brooke still has feelings for Arantay and she is pretty certain he feels the same way. But he is on a mission to not only end the war between the vampires and werewolves but to also find and destroy his brother once and for all. Evan has his own issues and just wants to survive his mission and head back to Veneseron. Just like on any mission, everything does not go as planned. There are many obstacles that the Venators will face along the way. There are many twists and turns but there is some real shocking moments towards the end of the book.
I have really enjoyed reading this series so far and I am looking forward to what is to come next. If you love fantasy and lots of action you will enjoy this series!
June 10, 2017
This is the 3rd book in the Realmer series. Once again another exciting well written story. Evan and Brooke, the Demon Spawn, continue with their first missions as Venators. Trying to keep their demon magic hidden and blocked since they are both scared of it and afraid of what everyone else will think of them. Their first missions are supposed to be relatively low risk but that certainly isn’t what they turn out to be. Dark Realmers, those who have turned to working with Demons, continue to work against the Venators in stirring up trouble. Their missions turn very very dangerous and some Venators do not survive. Evan, Brook and their friends all are in very serious danger. Their friends are trying to save others who have been kidnapped for nefarious purposes and have their own dangerous adventure. Demons, Vampires, Were-animals, Dark Venators, personal attractions all make for a very captivating story that once again is hard to put down as you need to know what happens next. The characters are all very well developed with their own stories and interactions. I’m at the point again where I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
July 4, 2017
If you like fantasy/scifi then you will love these books! I have read all 3 and I went thru them as fast as I had time to read. I love the different characters and all of the descriptive species of good and bad that are in these books. As I said before I would love to see a movie of this as I think it would be a mixture of Avatar, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. As you read you can see all the different things described and I think it would just be wonderful to see it brought to a screen. I thoroughly look forward to the next book!
June 19, 2018
The second act, and the third book for the Realmer's story. In this book, Evan is sent to stop a demonic cult, Brooke and Arantay had to stop a war between vampires and werevolves, Jed is still where is he was since the last book ( I think?)
Starting from where Act 1 ended, Moonlight War is back to back action with a lot of fighting and deliberation. You do have to start from the first Realmer's book to follow the story enough.
Starting from where Act 1 ended, Moonlight War is back to back action with a lot of fighting and deliberation. You do have to start from the first Realmer's book to follow the story enough.
May 24, 2017
I reviewed this book on behalf of the Whispering Stories team. Please follow the link below.
http://whisperingstories.com/moonligh...
I awarded this novel four stars.
http://whisperingstories.com/moonligh...
I awarded this novel four stars.
July 6, 2021
Good book
I was going to give it 4 stars but by the end it really grabbed my attention and I had to finish reading it. So I would recommend it and will continue the series.
I was going to give it 4 stars but by the end it really grabbed my attention and I had to finish reading it. So I would recommend it and will continue the series.
April 19, 2024
so good
So so good. They just keep getting better and more intriguing. Lots of action, plot twists and traitors. On to the next
So so good. They just keep getting better and more intriguing. Lots of action, plot twists and traitors. On to the next
March 21, 2017
Exciting
Exciting stuff. Eagerly waiting for the next book. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exciting stuff. Eagerly waiting for the next book. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2, 2018
I was excited to read the next book in the Realmers series after enjoying the previous ones.
‘Moonlight War-Act 2’ picks up we’re act one finished. Brooke and Arantay are still in London on a mission to kill a mad werewolf. Evan is completing his first mission trying to recover a stone with Emi, Bane and Sintian. Jed, Joelle and Elijah have found themselves stuck in a enchanted painting when trying to rescue kidnapped Venators. As the story goes on there is lot of action with the characters find themselves having to tackle new creatures and monsters.
I enjoyed this but what stopped me giving it more stars was that I felt there was too much description and detail. The length of the chapters were also a bit too much for me this time.
Yes, I still read on and found that there was even one or two surprises that were interesting.
The main characters were pretty much the same. Except maybe Brooke and Arantay relationship which I found a bit annoying this time but that’s just me. I liked the introduction of the Hallia who I found interesting and her vampire coven. Taija, I felt sorry for because she had, had such a bad life up to now. The Dark-Venators, I still find intriguing and I’m still curious about Velkarath, though it doesn’t sound like a nice place.
I give this book three and half stars overall.
3.5/5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the author. My review is honest and are my own opinions.
‘Moonlight War-Act 2’ picks up we’re act one finished. Brooke and Arantay are still in London on a mission to kill a mad werewolf. Evan is completing his first mission trying to recover a stone with Emi, Bane and Sintian. Jed, Joelle and Elijah have found themselves stuck in a enchanted painting when trying to rescue kidnapped Venators. As the story goes on there is lot of action with the characters find themselves having to tackle new creatures and monsters.
I enjoyed this but what stopped me giving it more stars was that I felt there was too much description and detail. The length of the chapters were also a bit too much for me this time.
Yes, I still read on and found that there was even one or two surprises that were interesting.
The main characters were pretty much the same. Except maybe Brooke and Arantay relationship which I found a bit annoying this time but that’s just me. I liked the introduction of the Hallia who I found interesting and her vampire coven. Taija, I felt sorry for because she had, had such a bad life up to now. The Dark-Venators, I still find intriguing and I’m still curious about Velkarath, though it doesn’t sound like a nice place.
I give this book three and half stars overall.
3.5/5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the author. My review is honest and are my own opinions.
April 1, 2017
Moonlight War – Act II, picks up immediately after Act I, and I mean that literally. I had to go back and go over the last chapter of Act I to make sure I was all caught up and wasn’t mixing things up in my head. After that was all handled though, I was able to dive right back in the world of the Realmers Series, and I had forgotten how entertaining (and realistic) these characters were.
In Act II, we have Evan and Brooke on their first missions, which both take a turn for the worst, and Jed Joelle and Elijah are stuck in an enchanted painting with a demented Venator kidnapper. In each of these branching journeys, you can’t help but wonder if everyone will make it out alive. Whether they’re fighting monsters in a painting, demons or Dread Lords or Disciples, or the many variations of Moonlight Races (vamps, were-people and shifters) you never know how things will turn out. The suspense is masterfully done, the character interactions top-notch and the drama heart-wrenching. You’ll be flipping page after page to see what happens next, and sometimes, you’ll be floored by a twist you didn’t see coming! I had a blast reading this one.
One caveat: the errors throughout the book are a bit distracting, more so than the last entry in the series. I think Act II could have benefited from another round of editing. But, other than that, great read.
In Act II, we have Evan and Brooke on their first missions, which both take a turn for the worst, and Jed Joelle and Elijah are stuck in an enchanted painting with a demented Venator kidnapper. In each of these branching journeys, you can’t help but wonder if everyone will make it out alive. Whether they’re fighting monsters in a painting, demons or Dread Lords or Disciples, or the many variations of Moonlight Races (vamps, were-people and shifters) you never know how things will turn out. The suspense is masterfully done, the character interactions top-notch and the drama heart-wrenching. You’ll be flipping page after page to see what happens next, and sometimes, you’ll be floored by a twist you didn’t see coming! I had a blast reading this one.
One caveat: the errors throughout the book are a bit distracting, more so than the last entry in the series. I think Act II could have benefited from another round of editing. But, other than that, great read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews