Moonburner

Moonburner Cycle #1

by Claire Luana

Kai is a Moonburner—a female sorceress reviled by her people and normally killed at birth. Except Kai's parents saved her by disguising her as a boy—a ruse they've kept up for almost seventeen years. But when her village is attacked, Kai’s secret is revealed and she’s sentenced to death.

Thankfully, the gods aren’t done with Kai. Despite the odds stacked against her, she escapes her fate, undertaking a harrowing journey to a land where Moonburners are revered and trained as warriors.

But her new home has dangers of its own—the ancient war against the male Sunburners has led the Moonburners down a dark path that could destroy all magic. And Kai, armed only with a secret from her past and a handsome but dangerous ally, may be the only one who can prevent the destruction of her people...

Mulan meets Sarah J Maas in this thrilling tale filled with celestial magic, death-defying adventure, and enduring friendships.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Fiction, Ebooks, Young Adult Fantasy, Romance

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Claire Luana grew up reading everything she could get her hands on and writing every chance she could. Eventually, adulthood won out, and she turned her writing talents to more scholarly pursuits, going to work as a commercial litigation attorney at a mid-sized law firm. While continuing to practice law, Claire decided to return to her roots and try her hand once again at creative writing.

She has written and published five series, the Moonburner Cycle, the Confectioner Chronicles, the Mythical Alliance, the Knights of Caerleon, with Jesikah Sundin, and the Faerie Race, with J.A. Armitage. She lives in Cle Elum, Washington with her husband and two dogs. In her (little) remaining spare time, she loves to hike, travel, binge-watch CW shows, and of course, fall into a good book.

Check her out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/claireluana/

Reviews

[Lucie V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is free on Amazon 🙂

🆗 World-building
🆗 Magic-system
❌ Plot
❌ Annoying main character
❌ Insta-trust
❌ High school drama (they're in a special magical school, but it feels the same)

1.5 stars

DNF at 25% (an unpopular opinion once again).

The first chapters of this book are good, but it lasted only until the fourth chapter. Everything after that just feels so rushed. The flow is bumpy, and the emotions of the characters are not well developed at all, they all felt flimsy.

It all begins when Kai is exposed as a moonburner and sentenced to death by being sent alone and naked in the desert. There she meets a talking fox, named Quitsu, who tells her he is her seishen, an extension of her power in animal form that only the most powerful moonburner have. Then Kai meets other moonburners, becomes friends with them in about 10 minutes and they agree to bring her to their queen. The way everything falls so conveniently into place for Kai bothered me a little honestly, everyone seems so gullible.

Things get more complicated as Kai is attacked by Sunburners looking for their imprisoned brothers. This is the part where I wanted to stop reading. The first man hit her a few times, she swears that she doesn’t know anything, and the second man believes her because of a weird instinct and decides not to kill her just like that. I mean, they are supposed to be mortal enemies and he just trusts everything that she says.

Kai then starts attending the special school for moonburner, never thinking about what might have happened to her family or asking for help to go get them. She is happy to fall into the life of a high school teenager with her new BFF Quitsu and to deal with girl drama. She really is a shallow character with no personality. Everyone tells her how very special she is because she has a seishen and survived so many things, and every time she seems surprised and asks why they call her special.

I have too many books on my TBR to be bothered to finish this one since it can’t seem to hold my attention, and the plot and the characters are seriously superficial and underdeveloped.


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[Sylvia Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book itself is an absolute classic example of the kind of Kickbutt Heroine Fantasy I love so much. Kai, the heroine, is the star of her story. Though often driven by circumstances beyond her control, she never loses power or agency along the way. She faces those circumstances head-on, she grows in strength and command, and fights her own battles. She's got plenty of maturing to do through the course of the story, and her journey of growth is entertaining and thrilling by turns.

Read the full review here!

[Sylvia Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man! There is so much to love about this amazing Girl Power book! I sat down and blazed through the second half of it this afternoon/evening. Could NOT put it down.

Seriously, if you loved Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (which I didn't) or First Year by Rachel E. Carter (which I did), THIS book is definitely the book for you.

You can read my full review here.

And don't forget--I'll be picking my Book of the Month at the end of March and giving away a PRINT COPY of that book to one lucky mailing list subscriber! So subscribe for a chance to win. I've been reading some great stories this month . . . and I still have one more to go!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Available today!

You need to know about this book.

I had the pleasure of reading this in its early drafts, and I've now also read it in its final form, so I can safely say I know the story well. And it's a great one.

I don't typically read Young Adult fantasy anymore, because so many books in that genre seem to be too much of the same thing. But this was a refreshing take on a saturated genre, and I'm happy to say you're in for a treat if you pick this up.

Kai, the young heroine, is both fierce and flawed. She's not afraid to make mistakes when she believes what she's doing is right. The story is action-packed and has heart - a winning combination. There's a unique magic system and an interesting gender dynamic. I won't give away too much, but if any of this piques your interest, well, you know what to do!

Thank you to the author & publisher for the free ARC.

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative, Action Packed, Believable, Refreshing & Engaging! An Amazing Read! I Loved It!

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonburner is the first book in the Moonburner Cycle series by Claire Luana. In this mythical fantasy book there is a bit of everything you could want, a lot of action, danger and mystery with a little romance thrown in as well.

Claire has woven great fantasy and created characters that are well developed and you feel as though you are going on this gripping journey with them in this magical world. The story is fast paced but you will not be able to read it fast enough because you keep wanting to know what will happen next.

Just when they thought they were free of war, they learn that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the hell that has been unleashed in their world. Will Moonburners and Sunburners be able to come together to fight the evil that is literally destroying their world? Will they find the key to saving everything and everyone they hold dear? Our heroine and her hero who will do anything to save their people.

I enjoyed these books and highly recommend the Moonburner Cycle novels that will keep you engaged right the way through.

[E.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonburner by Claire Luana is a fast past magically epic read that will have you not only wanting more but, have you wishing the story never ends.

I read this book in one sitting, and with my work schedule that's a hard thing to accomplish. Sneaking away to read made it all the more enjoyable. Kai is that strong heroine that you hope for in a YA fantasy. This book strays away from the normal YA setup, it's uniqueness not only extends to the plot but to the way the story and MC are developed. Kai's growth throughout this story is what had me hooked. Sure you can have a story with lots of action, magic and tragedy; but if the MC doesn't grow, mature and learn from their mistakes then the story is just, plain, generic and boring.

Moonburner is truly a one of kind read. These are the stories I search for, crave. These are the stories that make reading more then just a pass-time but an escape. The pure epicness of this story can hardly be put into words. I have a new favourite series and I can't wait to read the next beautiful creation that Claire Luana puts out.

This five star plus read will have you falling in love with YA again. So please take my high recommendation that this story will change the way you will forever perceive YA.

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Violet Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a few issues with this book. Overall it was well written and interesting. I enjoyed the politics but...

There seemed to me, a lack of focus. Kai starts out being thrown in the desert not knowing if her parents lived for hiding the secret of her birth, that she was a Moonburner.

She makes her way to the Moonburner citadel after coming in contact with her fox seishen, Quitsu. Seishen are almost like soulmates who are the companions of powerful burners, moon and sun alike.

From here she enters school and starts to learn. Its glossed over but she learns how to scry. If you don't know what scrying is, you can look into a body or bowl of liquid and "spy" on someone.

...

Instead of doing this to check on her parents (which she oddly doesn't think about much despite threatening the man who threw her out into the desert) she asks the queen for help.

Now the queen is up to something. She reeks evil and Kai slowly starts to unravel her secrets. The queen finds out for Kai if her parents live or not and Kai just takes her word for it. That's it. Personally, I would be putting a lot more effort into knowing for sure if my parents were alive or not. Like scrying.

Now at first Kai's moonburning abilities are blocked but when she does unblock there's not a lot going on so...

Anyways.

There are a few things that are not plainly said that you have to figure out. Only women are moonburners and only men are sunburners. They both can throw fireballs and lightning, and then randomly a shield near the end of the book.

There wasn't a lot of rules and limitations on their powers, besides the obvious sun and moon needing to be present or stored in a device. I would have liked more explanation there and clear understanding of their abilities.

Another thing that is prevelant in the book but never really touched on are the seishen. They almost feel forgotten as the book progresses even though they're mentioned. Why are there certain animals for certain people? What does it mean? They have no clear extra abilities besides being a helpful conduit for burning, it almost just makes them feel like a fancing charm that you can flex. "Look at me I'm a powerful burner because I have a seishen, respect me." I just wanted more.

There was another moment that stood out to me where Kai was a bit of an airhead and its when her sick friend needed medicine. She gets it fine but derails on her mission like a dog chasing a squirrel. His sickness was just a way to get Kai into the village when she could have just snuck out? It was an afterthought.

I also didn't like the romance. It was too fast. I expected a slow burn since it was starting to look like a forbidden love but neither of those things happened.

The ending was quick and far too clean.

Despite all of this I still thought the book was interesting. I did want to know why the queen hated men so much, not just sunburners but all men. She felt like the dark side of feminism.

I will probably go on to read the next book, out of curiosity. To see if the world is improved upon. I'm expecting a lot more politics and distrust as they try to bring the sun and moonburners together in peace.

[✶Rachelle✶]

DNF @52%

The Demogorgon can have this one. *sobs* Bobbbbbb why did you just stand there???????*weeps*

Honestly though, I just couldn't get into it. The writing felt very jerky at times and didn't flow very well. Kai's relationship with Quito (or whatever his name is) was an interesting aspect, but I felt no connection there. Basically, the author said that they were soul buddies so soul buddies they would be. All of Kai's emotions felt flakey, and I wasn't able to connect with her. This book has a great premise, but sadly the writing and lack of connection to the MC is making me need to DNF.

[☆Stephanie☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book free from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I am thrilled I gave this book a chance. The last several books I've received from NetGalley authors have been amazing. And Moonburner does not disappoint. Luana writes an intriguing story set in a fictional Japanese-like setting, with a main character that must hide that she is a Moonburner, a woman born with the power of the moon. Kai must pretend to be a boy to keep the façade that she is not dangerous to the opposing Sunburners in her village. Eventually, however, she is discovered and exiled to the desert to die. She makes her way to others like her and learns to distrust the Sunburners, as the Gods of Sun and Moon have been at war for hundreds of years. As Kai grows stronger in her abilities to harness the moonlight, a bewitching stranger on the other side makes her realize that maybe not all borne of the sun are bad. And she realized that the queen of the Moonburners might have a secret that could be an end to both Sunburners and Moonburners forever.
I'm used to the "special-character" formula in books. I tire of it usually, but Luana makes the heroine different. She is just trying to get by, forging friendships and admiring the beauty of nature. Kai is endearing without being a "Mary Sue" type personality, as some of my fellow reviewers like to say. She is tough but tender, brave but bullheaded. And though I believed this novel was going to be a stand-alone, I was presented with a cliffhanger for a sequel that is too good to pass up when it comes out. I'm a big fan of Luana and her first novel.
I know I've been giving a lot of them out lately, but this one deserves it:
★★★★★.
Definitely five stars. I'm drawn to this imaginative and up and coming author. I even plan to sign up for her mailing list so I can find out when the next installment, Sunburner comes out.
Thank you Luana. And NetGalley.
I'm glad this one was made available, and if you have a chance at reading it for a review, I would recommend this book to all my friends of YA fantasy. Or regular fantasy.

[Suzannah Rowntree]

This one has been on my TBR for a while, and I've finally got around to reading it!

There's a lot to like about MOONBURNER. The Japanese-inspired fantasy world with two races, matriarchalist moonburners and patriarchalist sunburners in an endless war, is original and allows for some fascinating themes to emerge. Thematically, I really liked the strong message about the complementary nature of the sexes and the fact that the book explores gender inequality primarily through a matriarchalist society, which prevents it from feeling on-the-nose. I also LOVED the fact that the book ultimately doesn't pit men against women, but the weak who want peace against the powerful who want war. Also, Claire Luana writes a very engaging plot here, that kept me turning pages through many twists and turns.

There were two areas where I felt this book didn't shine. I never quite clicked with the characters, who seemed a little underdeveloped, and the prose is a little staccato and bare. Finally, a personal preference, but a subplot concerns rape. There's nothing explicit, but it just seemed a bit too heavy and complicated a subject for a book of this scope to do it justice. However, overall the story kept me engaged and left me chewing over its themes.

[Michael Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows the trials of Kai, a young woman living a very difficult double life. Her parents, in an attempt to protect her, have kept the biggest secret they could. As you might be able to guess, that secret isn't going to last much longer. When it's finally out, Kai's world changes and the thing she always wanted finally comes to pass. But no dream comes true without sacrifice and what Kai thought she was getting turns out to be something quite different.
This is a young adult book and, as such, I did find a couple of the plot points somewhat predictable. Having said that, the universe was nicely constructed, the characters interesting and likeable, the story compelling and the humour a nice touch. In fact, Luana walks the line between modern-sounding young adult speak and more traditional fantasy very well, particularly in the relationship between Kai and her familiar.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. A fun read, with enough complexity and depth to keep you reading. Great stuff.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reads like it was written by a 14 year old who just discovered some facts about Japan and Japanese and decided it was the Coolest. Thing. Ever.

Names ("world building"?) are just Japanese words or parts of words for things that are wholly unimaginative. Some examples (after translation):

The sun god is named Sun. The moon goddess is named Moon. They were married but there's some uninspired he said she said DV creationist story.

Western country is called North. Eastern country is called South, but shortened and misspelled. Islands south of the continent are called the Island islands.

Bladed polearm (a naginata) is a "naganita."

Moonburners ride giant bats. MC walks up to one. Unprompted, side character very seriously informs her: "These are not bats, they are bats."

I could go on, but I have more important things to do like deleting this from my library and finding something better to read.

[Kat Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonburner is a delightful fantasy read, filled with awesome powers, richly described characters and settings, and a strong heroine. Kai is a unique protagonist, and I love how you discover more and more of her history as the novel progresses. Even the secondary characters are written very well, showing great characterization. Fantasy is sometimes difficult to read for me, mostly because there are so many difficult names and places to keep track of. This novel does have that element, but the story line was so engaging, and it was written in such a way that I hardly noticed it. Ms. Luana has created a powerful fantasy world with a set of interesting characters and a page-turning plot in this enjoyable debut. I received this book in exchange for an honest review, but I would totally purchase it! Pick up a copy, you won’t be disappointed.

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

**For more book stuff visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Kai has spent her whole life living as a boy and dying her hair so the silver of who she really is could be kept secret. In a world where female magic users, or Moonburners, are feared and killed at birth, Kai has never been given an opportunity to learn about the magic that should fill her. But when she exposes her secret to save an innocent, she condemns her parents to parents to death and herself to potential death in exile. Kai needs to find the strength to survive and conquer her magic to save not only herself but her people as well.

Ok, I will admit that I knew almost nothing about this book when I decided I needed to read it. All I knew was it has a gorgeous eye catching cover I needed (yes, I am a cover snob) and it was about magic. I was super happy with what I actually got in the story! This was an action packed Asian style world full of magic, conspiracies, hard truths, war and the best animals imaginable. Did I happen to mention I love animals? Well, a book where worthy magic users get an animal soul companion (seishen) they can speak to can't get much better than this.

My absolutely favorite thing about the story was Quitsu, the main character's seishen fox soulmate. He was mischievous, outgoing and so smart, the perfect foil to the quiet and thoughtful Kai who spent her whole life having to hide who she really was. While this story did have some dark and serious subject matter, once Quitsu was introduced he was able to lighten everything up for me, the break in dark I needed.

I actually did not realize this was a series until I finished the book and I looked up the author on Goodreads and saw there are more books to read. Based on the ending it technically could be a standalone with how all the big issues were wrapped up and the world seems to be mending for better, but I would love to read more set in this world. I have read a few Asian style mythology fiction stories recently and it made me realize that I love them and want more. The narrator did a great job bringing Kai to life and had so many different voices to make this an immersive experience for me. I really liked Moonburner and all the twists and surprised the author threw at me and I can't wait to jump into the next book.

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, I didn't get much past the second chapter.

It has an okay concept, but started way too early in the story to hold my interest, and there is far too much exposition for the little bit I managed to read. Data-dumping is not a YA problem but a fantasy writer problem. The writer's more invested in the worldbuilding than in holding an average reader's interest.

It's free, but too expensive in time, for me.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC❤

[krista ☽✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

" The moon cannot enslave the sun, nor make the day its mistress."

"Or victory shall spell defeat, a crimson sky its auspice. The sun and moon must shine as one, or all will be undone.

"moonburner " by Claire luana is a high fantasy book filled with amazing mytology & an amazing worldbuilding with a really unique and complex magic system , it has plenty of action yet it also has emotions in it and the main charracter really grows trough out the book and goes trough stuff witch maked it not flat at all but gave it a really deep vibe witch i personally always lovw with books , their are amazing friendships , an epic war & a great growing romance. this book to me just had it all , and all these great ellements where all blended perfectly well together.

the magic system & the worldbuilding -

the magic system and worldbuilding is seperated in the moon burners and the sun burners. moonburners are female sorcress reviled by their people and normally killed at birth in a normal village because the moon burners are sen as evil in the small citys with normal people in it and the sunburners are admired in there. but the moonbuerners still excist in another land where they are trained as warriors for the upcoming war with the sunburners. moonburners get their power from moonlight and can absorbe it & the sunburners do the samer but then with sunlight. i lovee the magic system and the worldbuilding it is all so perfecty blended and very intresting & well wroked out + it is really unique and all the magic scenes where so amazingly written in my opinion you could just really feel the magic yourself and just see it.

the plot

Kai is a moonburner living in a city ruled by sunburners and is normally killed at birth. but her parents pretendet her to be a boy without power and on her 18 bhirdday they would send her too the land of moonburners to become a moonburner and use her true powers. kai goes their earlier because of an attack from the moonburners on the sunburner ruled village and people discover who she is. she is left in the dessert to die but then her Seishen , a little silver fox named Quitsu appears and together they make it alive out of the dessert and arrive at the moonburner land. the rest of story is kai fuguring out the war between the moon & sun burners and trying to stop it. i loveed the plot is was really fast paced but not to fast :)

the charracters & relationships -

the main charracter in the book is Kai a female moonburner who livesi n a village then is ruled with sunburners she normally would be killed at birth but her parents pretendet her to be a boy without powers and when she would turn 18 years old they would send her to the land of moonburners. Kai really grows in this book and she develops witch i really loveed to see , i am really a sucker for charracter growth and development and hers was really great. she is a very kindhearted person who can at the same time kick your ass and be a total brave badass it was just perfectly ballanced to me. i really enjoyed her charracter and i am so curious to see her grow even more in the next book. i also loved her relation ship with the silver fox , quitsu. their relationship is a aspect of the book that i really lovee they have this really sassy yet caring relationship and would sacrefice everything for eachother. you see, moonburners and sun burners have kinda like in harry potter you have a patronus and here you have a seishen, and they are born like kinda out of your soul and they are a part of you there to protect you , only the most powerfull burners have them and this is also an aspect that i really lov eerd about this book. i also love Kai & Hiro ( a sunburner prince and her alley ) they have great chemistry and their romance is kinda of slowy paced witch i enjoy i am curious what will happen to their romance. their where also some other charracters but kai really was the most important and mostly workedo ut charracter in the book. it was totally fine by me because i really like her but if you dont i would get that this book could not be for you because she is very important in this book.

overall i reccoment this one to everyone who loves a great unique magic system , a fast paced plot , a great female charracters that is both really kind and a badass & great magic elements. full of action and war i cant wait to start book 2 " sunburner "

[Brianna Belbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a magic filled start to the Moonburner Cycle series! Kai was supposed to die when she was born for being a Moonburner, but instead her parents raised and disguised her as a boy. Seventeen years later, her secret is out and she’s sentenced to death, but her story is just beginning. Kai has a strong, loyal, and guarded personality with an open mind that allowed her to not believe everything people told her. I really enjoyed her bond with Quitsu, her seishen and their journey throughout the book. Seishens are like spirit guides for worthy burners and Quitsu was devoted, humorous, snarky, and protective of Kai. I loved learning about Moonburners and Sunburners- their magic, history, prophecy, and the war that is going on. I’ve only read one other book with Moonburners before, but even though their were some similarities, it still felt pretty unique. This book was filled with action, betrayal, friends and foes, magic, and many secrets waiting to be revealed.
Emma did a fantastic job with this narration! It was easy to tell when she was narrating dialogue and inner thoughts. I thought she voiced Kai and her emotions perfectly and she kept me hooked until the very end.
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Melinda Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a really good read! The plot was really interesting, I loved the main character Kai and the world building itself was well done. I really like the ending as well because there was left the possibility for another book in the series but I still felt that there was closure after this book; with the ending given I feel satisfied so that unless I really wanted to I wouldn't need to read the next book. This is a real accomplishment, in my opinion, as I often get annoyed at book that have endings that don't give closure whether it is because they have been poorly written or because the author is intending to write another book. This lack of a massive cliff-hanger left me feeling grateful. I also really liked the actual resolution of the plot itself; while some lives were lost and there was some bloodshed the war didn't totally annihilate everyone. The blend of action and magic within the book was superb and the writing captured me from the very first page.

I can't believe I've put off reading this book for so long in fear that it would be like a lot of the other YA fantasy books out there; mere replicas of each other with unoriginal and annoying characters. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I will consider reading the next book although I am satisfied with the ending presented here.

[Rosina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Protagonist: 4/5
Love Interest: 3/5
World Building: 3/5
Plot: 4/5

Overall score 14/20 which is 4 stars.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It's certainly not the best fantasy novel and aspects of the world building are kind of annoying (manga cats, really? And the Fox being called Quitsu which I'm pretty sure is pronounced Kitsu...) but it had it's fascinations.

I can't go into what was good without spoiling the plot but I liked a lot of the side characters. Quitsu and Master Vita were particular favourites. I also quite liked the twists that each country had made during the war and the dirty rhyme scene was clever and amusing.

There were slight issues with predictability and the way information was shared with the reader. Looking back I feel like there's lots of critical points but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment.

I might look out for the sequel and I would suggest that fantasy fans read this.

[Karen Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book today. It has been an audio book which I don't normally listen to but listened to provide feedback on the narration. I started this book way before November and my taking so long to complete is no reflection on the book itself only my own busy life!

So the story itself I found engaging and enjoyable. The main character grew throughout the book into a brave and Independent young woman with awesome magical moon burning abilities. The supporting characters were believable and added depth to the journey of our heroine. I would have liked more romance but that is purely a personal preference and it did not distract from the great story. There is very detailed world building and I don't know whether it's because I was listening rather than reading I found it to be a bit too in depth at times and occasionally lost concentration on it.

I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy fans of clean YA reads. There are some mature themes touched upon in the book but no cursing or steamy scenes. I would definitely encourage my daughter to read it.

[Wendi Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read book that really made me not want to put it down. While reading Moonburner, I got mad every time I had to stop reading and get back to real life. Then I spent much of my time thinking about what was happening in the book, what I thought would happen next, and strategizing for when I could get back to my Kindle. That's how great this story is!
The plot is fresh and original, he characters are well-written and relatable, and the writing is so smooth and effortless that I could envision everything that happened without having to go back and reread parts (which happened to me a lot when I read fantasy, particularly with newly-created words).
The pace is perfect and the dialogue is wonderful, particularly between our main character Kai and her seishen, Quitsu.
I give this book a very enthusiastic 5 stars, and I CAN NOT WAIT for the next book! Claire Luana is a very talented writer with a great career in her future!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for fans of all genres but especially fantasy. I was hesitant as this is not my go to genre but the quick pace of the plot and and the well thought out character development made for a great read. I can't wait to read more about Kai's adventures and am eagerly anticipating the next book in this series.

[Cassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the book it just didn't draw me in. I found myself skipping through it so that I could get to the end. I probably wont be reading the rest of the series. I do think Kia is a great character and her relationship with Hiro is sweet. The story just didn't capture my interest.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This is a brilliant fantasy story.
I cannot wait to see if there is a second book in the series.

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an unexpected and awesome read! I didn't think this would be a good book, but it turned out it was great!

The world in which these people live in is different and unique. As readers we encounter a whole new different world, with different cultures, creatures and human species

There are two types of groups that govern the world. Moonburners, who rely on the Moon's rays for their magic abilities, and Sunburners, as you may have guessed, rely on the Sun's rays for their magic abilities. But the burners have been enemies for hundreds of years and have been battling against each other since any of them can remember. And it is because of this hatred and prejudice that they have for one another that Kai has had to live in the shadows, hiding who she really is

Kai is a Moonburner, but she lives in a village where it is governed by the laws of the Sunburner king, and his law decrees that any female baby who is born a moonburner is to be taken and left in the desert as a sacrifice to the Sun god. But her parents defy the laws and hide her gender, pretending she is a boy for many years. And when her hair begins to change colour to silver, which is the markings of a Moonburner, they dye it.
For 17 years she has lived and acted as a boy, but her secrets are exposed and her life is in danger. But it is then that she finds herself saved by other Moonburners who help her with her magic abilities and she discovers who she is

But, she also encounters Sunburners, whose hair are blond, and mainly males, and she finds herself in their midst but she discovers that not all sunburners want to fight the moonburners. She may have found the key to finally finishing the war and establishing peace.
But it is not all easy, there are supernatural forces which she must defeat, and the place where she thinks is the safest place to be, may not be as safe or as good as she believes

I love this plot, it was so different and unique. We are introduced to complex and interesting characters. Some sweet and innocent, some stubborn and aggressive. But not everyone is who they say they are. Secrets are exploited and friends become enemies. In order to change history they must first change how they feel for one another

We are also introduced to Seishens, who are like spirit guide animals, only burners who are worthy to have one will receive them. Silver animals for moonburners and gold animals for sunburners. And Kai's seishen, Quitsu, a silver fox is the most funniest and sarcastic fox you'll ever meet! I loved his side and smart comments, but also his love and protectiveness over Kai! Loved that fox!

Overall, it was an awesome journey! Loved every second and I need to know more since that epilogue left me hanging with more questions than answers!
Definitely a must read for everyone!

[Mikayla Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. There's a lot to enjoy in Claire Luana's debut YA fantasy novel; the gender politics, the girl-power, the world building, the fantastic cast of characters. I was expecting to like the story, but I wasn't expecting to totally love it! I was lucky enough to see this story in its late-draft form, but the work that's gone into polishing it is clear to see. Moonburner is clearly a labour of love for the author, and it shows on every page.

And what pages they are! From the prologue that grabs hold of you and won't let go, right the way through to the final battle, Moonburner is a page turner from start to finish. The story is set in the lands of Kita and Miina, countries divided by magic and gender. In Miina, females with magic - drawn from the power of the moon - are revered as so-called Moonburners. In Kita, where Kai was unfortunately born, they are put to death by the male-dominated powers that be - males with magic drawn from the sun, aka Sunburners. After escaping her death sentence march into the desert that divides the two lands, Kai is taken in by the Moonburners and trained to embrace her powers. The world building is simple and easy to get into, which allows for a breathlessly taught opening act. From Kai's outing to her arrival in the Moonburner citadel, a school where young women are trained as warriors to harness their magic, there's barely a stray word that could have been cut in the edit to be found.

However the author takes a fairly simple story of two opposites, and turns the idea on its head. There are no good guys and bad guys here (well, there are, but I'll get to that later). What starts as a black and white world for Kai quickly begins to morph into a world of grey, where nothing's quite as clear-cut as either side of the impending war seem to think. There are a lot of Asian-inspired elements to the story, so the concept of yin and yang seems fitting. On the surface, the moon and sun burners are polar opposites. Female and male. Night and day. Darkness and light. What is initially present to Kai in the citadel's teachings is very much them and us, but the set up evolves into something more complicated as she gradually comes to realise that neither can exist without the other, and true victory lies in peace rather than destruction. Yes, this book features plenty of strong female characters, but it's not always the case that these are the good guys. It also features plenty of strong male characters, and it's not always the case that they are the bad guys. Claire Luana manages to walk the fine line between feminism and equality, without overbalancing into superiority on either side.

If the world building was outstanding, then the characters and dialogue in this story set it on fire! Kai is a utterly adorable protagonist, equal parts strong and vulnerable. Behind her Buffy-esque sass is a young girl raised to fear the world around her, and when the security blanket of her loving family is ripped away in brutal fashion, she's thrown out into that world to fend for herself. Well, not quite for herself. Powerful burners acquire a senshen, a sort of spirit animal, and Kai's is a take-no-shit fox named Quitsu. And he is awesome! Snarky and wise in equal measure, this guy is easily my favourite character. I would have liked to see him written a little more distinctly - it was sometimes hard to work out whether it was Kai or Quitsu that was talking because their dialogue and attitudes were so similar - but that's a minor quibble. Kai's new Moonburner friends were pretty good, if a little interchangeable with their silver hair and sass. Maaya was the best of the group, her soft-heartedness making her stand out a little more than the rest. I did love the ass-kicking trainer Nanase (aka Eclipse, because she killed so many Sunburners in the first war that the sun apparently went dark - seriously, what's not to love here!?), but the abundance of friends, antagonists and teachers at the citadel felt a bit cluttered.

And what can I say about Kai's 'love interest', Hiro? I say love interest in inverted commas because, to be honest, he barely features for most of the book. Seriously, he and Kai meet about three or four times. Their burgeoning relationship is pushed aside by the impending war - and the fact that their both standing on opposite sides of it - as it rightly should be. I have to applaud the author for being brave and going with this angle. The Romeo and Juliet thing is a pretty well trodden path in YA fantasy, and it would have been easy to play this up. But Claire Luana puts her protagonist front and centre, her journey and growth taking precedent over ticking a box or shoehorning in any swoony scenes. It's weird, because in a roundabout way, this totally works. Because both characters keep their head in the game, you buy into their romance even more. It's clearly not some fleeting obsession. Kai's obviously not falling to pieces over Hiro's abs or his sparkly eyes, so their connection feels more real, and I will take this a hundred times over magical bonds, instalove and/or a love triangle.

With such a fast-paced story, it was inevitable that the writing would feel a little flat at times. There's very little navel-gazing here, and no affected, artsy prose. And for the most part it's great because it makes for a more exciting story. But there were times when I'd have liked just a little bit more on how Kai and the other characters were feeling. There's a lot of she said this and he did that, but at lot of the time there's very little sense of how they're saying it and what they're thinking.

Much like Kai's gradual uncovering of the citadel's dark secrets, there's more to the story than meets the eye. I loved the suprisingly dark subplot with the Moonburner queen and her plot to destroy the Sunburners once and for all. There were a few almost too dark moments though, with a couple of allusions to and mentions of rape that felt out of place. There as nothing wrong with them per se, they just don't seem to fit in this book. The story itself though is solid, if a little cliche at times, but because it's all told through such colourful characters and in such a rich, vibrant world, it feels like something fresh. The gender politics bring a different angle to the usual 'good guys v bad guys' set up, and the message of coexistence and tolerance has rarely felt more timely.

The story wrapped up nicely, while still leaving room for a sequel (more on that below). One of my pet peeves is an ending that reads like the author stopped typing part way through a chapter, but this book has a solid beginning, middle, and end, as well as a hook for book two. Ending perfection! Moonburner is a fantastic debut from a very talented author, and a must-read for YA fantasy fans.

[Nala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting - it is that good.

The story follows Kai, a girl who has been forced to hide under a disguise of a boy for seventeen years. But when an attack on her village unravels her secret, she is thrown out into the desert to die and her parents who hid her true identity for her safety are condemned to terrible fates. But then, Kai survives with the help of her spirit animal, and eventually makes it to the land of her kind, the Moonburners. But there she discovers something is not quite as it seems and the place she might have thought as her refuge of freedom might be a more terrible prison for her.

The world-building is just absolutely phenomenal, and all the intricacies of the magic system of a good fantasy novel are there. The characters are very likable (save the villains) and I love the strong voice of the protagonist Kai. It is incredibly fast-paced and I loved it.

I also like the strong voice of the women throughout the book. There is just the right amount of romance that livens up the story (I would've loved for more, but it wouldn't have been right for the story...maybe in the sequel?).

Overall, a solid 4.5

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible! I need to start off saying that, I devoured it in a day and moved on to the 2nd one in a matter of minutes after finishing the 1st.

This novel is wonderfully fast paced and action packed! It features a strong badass female protagonist that is just wonderful.

Kai grew up under the guise of a boy for years because she would have been killed for being a girl with abilities. Without revealing any spoilers I will say you need to read the FREE (!) prequel available by signing up for the authors newsletter!

I cannot wait to read the next one in the series! I am always a bit wary of indie authors but you cannot go wrong with Luana!

*ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review*