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Star Children Saga #1
Moon Deeds
It’s 2090: the last outpost of freedom is the moon, the best defense against technology is magic, and the only hope for humankind rests in the hands of the Star Children.
Twins Cassidy and Torr must save Earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. Moon Deeds launches the siblings’ journey across the galaxy, where they must learn their power as the Star Children, claim their shamanic heritage, and battle dark forces that threaten humankind.
The Star Children Saga follows Cassidy and Torr as they slowly awaken to their destiny as the twin Star Children, born every millennium to reconnect with the source of all life. They come to discover the sheer enormity of their task: to find our ancestors on a lost planet across the galaxy and save humanity from a spiraling descent into darkness. The powers they must wield to accomplish this task are truly frightening and put at risk everything they love.
Come along with 20-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr, who inherited deeds to land parcels on the moon. They want to use their moon deeds to get off Earth and escape a brutal dictatorship, but first they must unlock their shaman powers.
A rollicking yet poignant adventure in the not too distant future, when we have colonized the moon and nearly lost Earth to an alien-backed army. Only the shamans remain free, plus the lucky ones who escaped to the moon.
Join the adventure! An addictive space opera, science-fantasy series.
Twins Cassidy and Torr must save Earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. Moon Deeds launches the siblings’ journey across the galaxy, where they must learn their power as the Star Children, claim their shamanic heritage, and battle dark forces that threaten humankind.
The Star Children Saga follows Cassidy and Torr as they slowly awaken to their destiny as the twin Star Children, born every millennium to reconnect with the source of all life. They come to discover the sheer enormity of their task: to find our ancestors on a lost planet across the galaxy and save humanity from a spiraling descent into darkness. The powers they must wield to accomplish this task are truly frightening and put at risk everything they love.
Come along with 20-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr, who inherited deeds to land parcels on the moon. They want to use their moon deeds to get off Earth and escape a brutal dictatorship, but first they must unlock their shaman powers.
A rollicking yet poignant adventure in the not too distant future, when we have colonized the moon and nearly lost Earth to an alien-backed army. Only the shamans remain free, plus the lucky ones who escaped to the moon.
Join the adventure! An addictive space opera, science-fantasy series.
600 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2019
39 people are currently reading
7195 people want to read
About the author
Palmer Pickering
5 books171 followersPalmer has been writing fiction since she was eight. She received her BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University, with concentrations in Religion and Race Relations.
She currently works in Silicon Valley in the gaming industry and high tech. In addition, Palmer holds a certificate in Chinese Acupressure, is a certified solar panel installer, and studied Tibetan Buddhism with the 14th Dalai Lama.
She lives and writes in the magical redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.
She currently works in Silicon Valley in the gaming industry and high tech. In addition, Palmer holds a certificate in Chinese Acupressure, is a certified solar panel installer, and studied Tibetan Buddhism with the 14th Dalai Lama.
She lives and writes in the magical redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
March 17, 2022
*Thanks to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Honestly, I didn't know what half of the words meant in the first few pages. But as I went through the pages, I was able to see the world that was being created so perfectly and so flawlessly.
So, I kept going.
And by the time I was done with it, all I could think about was the fabulous characters. All of them were just SPLENDID!!! I cannot but mention this one character, Ridge. I am not sure if I've seen a character with this much depth before!
A huge part of the book consisted of backstories. And I wasn't the least bit bored. Because it's not everyday that you read a book and wanna write the review about the characters even though the plot was pretty interesting in itself.....
There's only one more thing that I need from this author:
MORE BOOKS!
P.S. I am dying for more!!!! I have never loved an unfinished series this much!!
Honestly, I didn't know what half of the words meant in the first few pages. But as I went through the pages, I was able to see the world that was being created so perfectly and so flawlessly.
So, I kept going.
And by the time I was done with it, all I could think about was the fabulous characters. All of them were just SPLENDID!!! I cannot but mention this one character, Ridge. I am not sure if I've seen a character with this much depth before!
A huge part of the book consisted of backstories. And I wasn't the least bit bored. Because it's not everyday that you read a book and wanna write the review about the characters even though the plot was pretty interesting in itself.....
There's only one more thing that I need from this author:
MORE BOOKS!
P.S. I am dying for more!!!! I have never loved an unfinished series this much!!
May 24, 2020
Many thanks to Palmer Pickering for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
So, what’s this book about?
Twins Cassidy and Torr must save Earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. Moon Deeds launches the siblings' journey across the galaxy, where they must learn their power as the Star Children, claim their shamanic heritage, and battle dark forces that threaten humankind
Where to start…
Let me begin by saying, I didn’t not love this book but it wasn’t 100% my cup of tea. I really want to stress that, in this case, that is my opinion and preference. I have found that hard science fiction and fantasy tend to be a little too convoluted for my brain, which struggles to even pay attention to normal (by normal I mean >400 pages) books.
That said, there were so many aspects that were enjoyable! I loved the characters, specifically Torr. This book hit the nail on the head. It is a perfect fantasy/space opera. The only reason it got a 3.5 vs. a four or five is simply because I wasn’t the intended audience.
What I want you to leave this review with is this book is a good book. I just didn’t enjoy it. I was not suited for this book and this book was not suited for me.
Overall, even though I didn’t end up loving it, this novel was well written and brilliantly executed. Fans George M. M. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss will fall head over heels in love with this series!
Bottom Line:
3.5 Stars
Age Rating: [ PG-13 ]
Content Screening (Spoilers) - Educational Value (2/5) - [Space, the moon] ~ Positive Messages (3/5) - [Team work, familial love] ~ Violence (4/5) - [World wide war, battles, injuries, murder] ~ Sex (1/5) - [Kissing] ~ Langauge (4/5) - [F**k, sh*t, b*tch] ~ Drinking/Drugs (2/5) - [Mythological/Fantastic drugs, remedies and elixirs]
Cover: 3/5 ~ Characters: 4/5 ~ Plot: 4/5
Publication Date: March 7th, 2019
Publisher: Mythology Press
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
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3.5 stars
whew, my brain hurts! i feel like i just worked out... in my mind... review to come!
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oh my god. I am so grateful for all the swag. And a starbucks giftcard? I can't even. Thank you so much, Palmer!!!
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July 12, 2019
"The sister who sees, leads the way
The brother who dreams, slays the beasts
The friend who travels, opens doors
The Star Children of the twenty-ninth age
Twins with unbroken lineage
Shall be found on the moon of crystal sand
Of the blue planet and white star."
I could not put this book down. It was a wonderful adventure story, but the underlying themes of love and loss in the face of everything we think we know is poignant and emblazoned throughout this story.
The year is 2090, and twenty-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr are living in San Jose, California. Torr is fighting for their freedom in the Gaia United Army. An evil faction, known as the Tegs have been taking over the earth, sending men to fight in their army, and women to work camps. Freedom is elusive. Cassidy stays home with their mother and father, assisting their mother in the garden and with her Shamanic practice. The twins are special, they have no idea how special.
When all else fails, Cassidy and Torr dig out their Lunar Deeds, (Moon Deeds) left to them by a wise and powerful great aunt, along with some indispensable items, and buy themselves a one way passage to the Moon, which has now been colonized and proven fit for human habitation.
This is an amazing odyssey that should be read with complete abandon. Palmer Pickering chose her subjects well, and has written with poise and erudite execution. It deserves the utmost praise.
Thank you to Palmer Pickering and Mythology Press with providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own, and are unbiased.
The brother who dreams, slays the beasts
The friend who travels, opens doors
The Star Children of the twenty-ninth age
Twins with unbroken lineage
Shall be found on the moon of crystal sand
Of the blue planet and white star."
I could not put this book down. It was a wonderful adventure story, but the underlying themes of love and loss in the face of everything we think we know is poignant and emblazoned throughout this story.
The year is 2090, and twenty-year-old twins Cassidy and Torr are living in San Jose, California. Torr is fighting for their freedom in the Gaia United Army. An evil faction, known as the Tegs have been taking over the earth, sending men to fight in their army, and women to work camps. Freedom is elusive. Cassidy stays home with their mother and father, assisting their mother in the garden and with her Shamanic practice. The twins are special, they have no idea how special.
When all else fails, Cassidy and Torr dig out their Lunar Deeds, (Moon Deeds) left to them by a wise and powerful great aunt, along with some indispensable items, and buy themselves a one way passage to the Moon, which has now been colonized and proven fit for human habitation.
This is an amazing odyssey that should be read with complete abandon. Palmer Pickering chose her subjects well, and has written with poise and erudite execution. It deserves the utmost praise.
Thank you to Palmer Pickering and Mythology Press with providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own, and are unbiased.
July 24, 2019
Inventive world building reminiscent of Poul Anderson.
The late Grandmaster knew how to combine science fiction with fantasy into an entertaining whole and writer Palmer Pickering has done just that in this 2019 publication, beginning her Star Children Saga.
Some fans could call this YA because of the teenage protagonists, but I would not as there are mature subjects explored and plenty of violence.
Pickering describes a future world where aliens have visited and changed everything about global economics and politics. Similar to Ursual K. LeGuin’s Hain Cycle of stories, these aliens may be distant cousins and interbreeding is possible and has further confused the scene.
Our two young protagonists, Cassidy and Torr, are Star Children and here is where the author introduces fantasy elements into the SF template to add to the action / adventure.
The real hero here is Pickering herself who has created an impressive and exhaustively detailed universe.
Good speculative fiction.
The late Grandmaster knew how to combine science fiction with fantasy into an entertaining whole and writer Palmer Pickering has done just that in this 2019 publication, beginning her Star Children Saga.
Some fans could call this YA because of the teenage protagonists, but I would not as there are mature subjects explored and plenty of violence.
Pickering describes a future world where aliens have visited and changed everything about global economics and politics. Similar to Ursual K. LeGuin’s Hain Cycle of stories, these aliens may be distant cousins and interbreeding is possible and has further confused the scene.
Our two young protagonists, Cassidy and Torr, are Star Children and here is where the author introduces fantasy elements into the SF template to add to the action / adventure.
The real hero here is Pickering herself who has created an impressive and exhaustively detailed universe.
Good speculative fiction.
November 5, 2022
A great blend of Sci-fi and fantasy! Moon deeds catechism your interest with a quick history lesson and then grabs hold as Torr and Cassidy struggle to survive in a world that is tearing itself apart.
One of the things I loved about this book is the idea of family and the bond of twins. It is presented as something too magical. The inclusion of Shamans being able actually to do magic may seem an odd inclusion at first glance but by the end of the book, it just works.
The book tackles many issues such as survival, alien invasion, war, PTSD, and a lot more. It can be uncomfortable when faced with the lengths men will go to on the moon for female companionship but It is handled very well.
My biggest con to the story is at times early on in the book Cassidy seems a bit clueless when trying to get funds
To go to the moon. It doesn’t really match her character IMO and it just felt off somehow.
With a thrilling cliffhanger ending and a sequel to look forward to this is a fun ride!
One of the things I loved about this book is the idea of family and the bond of twins. It is presented as something too magical. The inclusion of Shamans being able actually to do magic may seem an odd inclusion at first glance but by the end of the book, it just works.
The book tackles many issues such as survival, alien invasion, war, PTSD, and a lot more. It can be uncomfortable when faced with the lengths men will go to on the moon for female companionship but It is handled very well.
My biggest con to the story is at times early on in the book Cassidy seems a bit clueless when trying to get funds
To go to the moon. It doesn’t really match her character IMO and it just felt off somehow.
With a thrilling cliffhanger ending and a sequel to look forward to this is a fun ride!
January 26, 2026
3.75 stars
Earth is at war...and it is quickly losing.
As the alien army draws nearer, Cassidy and Torr become ever more in danger.
I loved Cassidy - her gentle but firm determination and open personality made her an enjoyable read. And Torr - he was such a brave, fun character.
I was also deeply invested in the whole alien-technology-vs-magic battle. It was cool to watch all of the puzzle pieces slowly fall into place.
However, there was attention to detail to such a level that it was a detriment to the book.
This book is nearly six hundred pages and I feel that nearly a hundred (maybe two hundred) was of extraneous detail (so-and-so slowly sipping coffee, detailed descriptions of space-underwear, introducing a myriad of characters only for them to leave in the next few pages).
It was well-written and on its own, it was enjoyable to get all those little details...it's just...after many (many) pages of it, it started to get a little wearisome.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Twins, Cassidy and Torr, have always been...different...even if they didn't know it.
"...magic wasn't something you could buy or learn by studying books and following schematics."
Earth is at war...and it is quickly losing.
There are whispers of the Star Children - two twins who will be able to save the earth.
"Who would have imagined that magic was the one weapon more powerful than the advanced alien technology..."
As the alien army draws nearer, Cassidy and Torr become ever more in danger.
It's going to take will, determination and above all - bravery - to make it out...alive.
"How do we know their path? Who knows how the Star Children are supposed to find the Star People?"
So, this one had all sorts of elements that worked really well.
"Cassidy stood in her bedroom, wondering if her idea of fleeing to the moon was crazy."
I loved Cassidy - her gentle but firm determination and open personality made her an enjoyable read. And Torr - he was such a brave, fun character.
I was also deeply invested in the whole alien-technology-vs-magic battle. It was cool to watch all of the puzzle pieces slowly fall into place.
However, there was attention to detail to such a level that it was a detriment to the book.
This book is nearly six hundred pages and I feel that nearly a hundred (maybe two hundred) was of extraneous detail (so-and-so slowly sipping coffee, detailed descriptions of space-underwear, introducing a myriad of characters only for them to leave in the next few pages).
It was well-written and on its own, it was enjoyable to get all those little details...it's just...after many (many) pages of it, it started to get a little wearisome.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
October 29, 2019
4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Massive thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of Moon Deeds in exchange for an honest review!
Moon Deeds by Palmer Pickering follows twins- Cassidy and Torr, who set off on a journey to save earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. This novel seamlessly blends Sci-Fi and Fantasy in the form of an adventure set in the not so distant future where the moon has been colonized-and the earth has nearly been lost to a dictatorship.
I had no idea what to expect when I started Moon Deeds, but I'm already highly anticipating it's sequel "Light Fighters" which should be coming sometime in 2020! It took a couple of chapters for me to get into the story, but once it sucked me in and I was fully immersed- it was hard to put down! I genuinely felt as though I NEEDED to know what happened next! Cassidy and Torr were easy characters to fall in love with, and bonus- if you're someone who wishes more books included a glossary of everything you'll need to know- this book even has that!
Massive thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of Moon Deeds in exchange for an honest review!
Moon Deeds by Palmer Pickering follows twins- Cassidy and Torr, who set off on a journey to save earth from a ruthless enemy at a time when the only force more powerful than alien technology is magic. This novel seamlessly blends Sci-Fi and Fantasy in the form of an adventure set in the not so distant future where the moon has been colonized-and the earth has nearly been lost to a dictatorship.
I had no idea what to expect when I started Moon Deeds, but I'm already highly anticipating it's sequel "Light Fighters" which should be coming sometime in 2020! It took a couple of chapters for me to get into the story, but once it sucked me in and I was fully immersed- it was hard to put down! I genuinely felt as though I NEEDED to know what happened next! Cassidy and Torr were easy characters to fall in love with, and bonus- if you're someone who wishes more books included a glossary of everything you'll need to know- this book even has that!
October 15, 2019
*This is one of the #SPFBO titles I read as a Judge*
This is the story of Torr and Cassidy, a pair of twins who live on Earth during a time of invasion by an alien race. The aliens are the Tegs and they dominate a huge portion of Earth. The only safe zones are those behind magic shields, and when one of these suddenly drops the Tegs start to invade.
Torr is a member of the resistance army, he has killed a man and he worries about his choices. He is desperate to fight back and protect those he loves, but he is scared he may be too late to return to them.
Cass is a herbalist/sorcerer. She has learned from her mother about Shamanism and she loved plants and their healing properties. She is battling with her own personal magic abilities and trying to unlock her potential.
When the Tegs invade the pair intend to flee using their deeds for land on the moon as leverage. However, will they make it and what is the moon really like? Also, are they the prophecied Star Children who can call the Star People to help save them from the invaders?
This book was good from page one. I had a lot of interest in the plot and the directions it was taking, and I enjoyed the characters and seeing their choices. I think my only niggle is with prophecy generally but this is more of a personal pet peeve and this story actually did a good job with the troupe in general. I really enjoyed the pacing and the directions it took, and the book left me wanting the second one as it's got a great ending and a lot more to come. Hope that the second book comes out soon! 4.5*s and highly recommend! 9/10 for #SPFBO.
This is the story of Torr and Cassidy, a pair of twins who live on Earth during a time of invasion by an alien race. The aliens are the Tegs and they dominate a huge portion of Earth. The only safe zones are those behind magic shields, and when one of these suddenly drops the Tegs start to invade.
Torr is a member of the resistance army, he has killed a man and he worries about his choices. He is desperate to fight back and protect those he loves, but he is scared he may be too late to return to them.
Cass is a herbalist/sorcerer. She has learned from her mother about Shamanism and she loved plants and their healing properties. She is battling with her own personal magic abilities and trying to unlock her potential.
When the Tegs invade the pair intend to flee using their deeds for land on the moon as leverage. However, will they make it and what is the moon really like? Also, are they the prophecied Star Children who can call the Star People to help save them from the invaders?
This book was good from page one. I had a lot of interest in the plot and the directions it was taking, and I enjoyed the characters and seeing their choices. I think my only niggle is with prophecy generally but this is more of a personal pet peeve and this story actually did a good job with the troupe in general. I really enjoyed the pacing and the directions it took, and the book left me wanting the second one as it's got a great ending and a lot more to come. Hope that the second book comes out soon! 4.5*s and highly recommend! 9/10 for #SPFBO.
September 3, 2019
A big thank you to Palmer Pickering for sending me her novel, Moon Deeds! This will not affect the honest review I will be giving. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 / 5 Stars
One of the reasons that took me so long to get into her novel was how large it was. Looking at my progress through Kindle was very daunting. I mean, a 600-page novel is always intimidating. But really, as I read through each chapter, there was definitely some information that had been regurgitated every few scenes as well as extra tidbits that didn't need to be there in the first place. Pickering is a wonderful world-builder, but this novel didn't need to be extra long. Kudos on how descriptive she can make the world in the Star Children Saga, however.
While I did enjoy the world-building and ultra characterization, a lot wasn't happening. Even at 2/3rds of the novel, there wasn't a lot of initiative for our characters. They didn't plan ahead and were very optimistic about their goals. That's fine, but when they got to the moon they had no idea what to do next. Kind of makes me doubt our protagonists to the T. I wish there was more in your face kind of drama. There is a ton of visual description for everything in this, I'm almost tired of it. It probably would have been better if Torr didn't take so long to get to this family, as well as some events on the moon were taken out.
On a good note, I really enjoyed Torr's and Cassidy’s perspectives and the idea that they have a special connection as a pair of twins. Really brings the prophecy to life and encourages the reader to keep following along. However, I know that Torr and Cassidy themselves know barely anything about the Star Children but I would've really liked to get more info about the Star Descendents and why they're important.
At the end, I brought my rating down from 4 to 3 stars because I sincerely disliked the cliffhanger ending. Seemed too convenient, and pushes our protagonists from square 3 to negative square -4. It appears that there will always be something that prevents the Star Children from going about their journey.
3.5 / 5 Stars
One of the reasons that took me so long to get into her novel was how large it was. Looking at my progress through Kindle was very daunting. I mean, a 600-page novel is always intimidating. But really, as I read through each chapter, there was definitely some information that had been regurgitated every few scenes as well as extra tidbits that didn't need to be there in the first place. Pickering is a wonderful world-builder, but this novel didn't need to be extra long. Kudos on how descriptive she can make the world in the Star Children Saga, however.
While I did enjoy the world-building and ultra characterization, a lot wasn't happening. Even at 2/3rds of the novel, there wasn't a lot of initiative for our characters. They didn't plan ahead and were very optimistic about their goals. That's fine, but when they got to the moon they had no idea what to do next. Kind of makes me doubt our protagonists to the T. I wish there was more in your face kind of drama. There is a ton of visual description for everything in this, I'm almost tired of it. It probably would have been better if Torr didn't take so long to get to this family, as well as some events on the moon were taken out.
On a good note, I really enjoyed Torr's and Cassidy’s perspectives and the idea that they have a special connection as a pair of twins. Really brings the prophecy to life and encourages the reader to keep following along. However, I know that Torr and Cassidy themselves know barely anything about the Star Children but I would've really liked to get more info about the Star Descendents and why they're important.
At the end, I brought my rating down from 4 to 3 stars because I sincerely disliked the cliffhanger ending. Seemed too convenient, and pushes our protagonists from square 3 to negative square -4. It appears that there will always be something that prevents the Star Children from going about their journey.
November 15, 2022
Science fantasy isn’t something I generally turn to, but I found Moon Deeds to have many of the typical fantasy hallmarks that I tend to see, just set in a near-future world. I felt this was a little slow-going in places, it started relatively fast-paced but then there were a few ups and downs with regard to the pacing, and in a few too many places I felt that it dragged out a little too much with the description, and I got a little bogged down when reading it.
The ending disappointed me, as it ended too abruptly. It felt like it ended mid-chapter rather than coming to a natural, or even cliffhanger, ending. Other than that though, it was an enjoyable read, and a slightly new experience for me.
The ending disappointed me, as it ended too abruptly. It felt like it ended mid-chapter rather than coming to a natural, or even cliffhanger, ending. Other than that though, it was an enjoyable read, and a slightly new experience for me.
Read
July 26, 2024Two young adult twins face tough times and hard decisions as Earth's old order is pushed into apocalypse by an alien takeover. Cassidy is studying herbs and magic under her mother, and Torr is a sniper in the resistance when the last of their world comes apart and they are forced to attempt an escape to the last, free human colony on the moon.
This book is a wild mash up of shamanistic magic, crystals, alternate medicine/herbs, chosen ones, and the technological challenges of a crumbling order and travel to the moon and beyond. The story begins at a leisurely pace with the protagonists drawn in great depth.
Expect to encounter the best and the worst of human nature, and if you enjoy a wildly imaginative mix of near future and magic - have the sequel on hand for a seamless read as this story ends on a merciless cliffhanger.
Palmer Pickering excels at small details, tight relationships, and characters who live their self-doubts and learn from their many mistakes.
This book is a wild mash up of shamanistic magic, crystals, alternate medicine/herbs, chosen ones, and the technological challenges of a crumbling order and travel to the moon and beyond. The story begins at a leisurely pace with the protagonists drawn in great depth.
Expect to encounter the best and the worst of human nature, and if you enjoy a wildly imaginative mix of near future and magic - have the sequel on hand for a seamless read as this story ends on a merciless cliffhanger.
Palmer Pickering excels at small details, tight relationships, and characters who live their self-doubts and learn from their many mistakes.
April 25, 2019
From the beginning, Cassidy and Torr’s journey pulls you in. It’s one of the few books I’ve read that was hard for me to put down. Palmer makes it feel like you’re right along for the ride with the twins as they overcome obstacles and learn more about who they are and where they come from. As you read, you’ll notice the attention to detail that Palmer incorporates; it’s astounding.
September 10, 2022
3.5 stars rounded down
Moon Deeds is an exciting sci-fi/fantasy blend with interesting worldbuilding and a whole lot of adventure.
We follow twins Cassidy and Torr, who are living in the not too distant future, when aliens have invaded and dominated the majority of Earth. The only defence against alien technology is magic, but when one of the magic safety shields inexplicably drops, the alien Tegs starts to invade. The fate of humanity lies in the hands of the prophesied Star Children… yet they still have a lot to learn about their powers.
What follows is a story filled with magic, prophecy, space travel, family, friendship and adventure.
Now, I loved everything about the concept of this story; the strong sibling bond, the intriguing sci-fi/fantasy worldbuilding, the prophecy, the space adventure… yet something about the execution just didn’t work for me. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time with this book, but there definitely were some things that held me back from getting fully invested.
Let’s just get the negatives out of the way first, but please keep in mind that this was my personal experience. You may feel very differently, so I would highly recommend you to just check it out for yourself if the premise sounds interesting to you!
Okay, so, I think my main issue here is the character work. Now, Torr and Cassidy are both very well-developed characters and they undergo some good development throughout the story. However, the side characters all felt quite flat to me and I didn’t really jive with the character interactions and cringy dialogue.
On top of that, I felt like the characters often acted quite naive, immature and silly, which was super jarring for a story with such supposedly high stakes. And that leads into my next quibble, which is that I never felt the urgency in this story. I mean, I liked following these characters on their journeys, but I never got the sense that they ever really had a good clue of what they were doing. This made it very hard to feel invested, because the plot just felt a bit aimless and meandering to me.
The final thing that really irked me is the way women were treated on the Moon. I was honestly appalled by the lecherous behaviour of the men there and I got quite annoyed with how many times we get descriptions of men looking at women’s bodies. Like, I get it, there aren’t a lot of women around, so it’s all very interesting… but please just behave like normal human beings and keep your primal urges in check ffs.
All that said, I still enjoyed the story overall, because there were a good amount of positive aspects to this book that definitely saved it for me.
Firstly, I was a big fan of the sibling dynamics in this story. Cassidy and Torr have a very strong bond and that definitely kept me going throughout this book. We get to read from both of their perspectives and I really liked that they both had very distinct personalities, yet you could also see similarities between them because of their twin bond. My favourite aspect of the dual POV structure was the fact that we get to see each of these characters through the other's eyes, that added a nice layer of depth and complexity to these characters imo!
Also, there is a third POV introduced in Part 2 and I think that character absolutely stole the show, I would have loved an entire novel from their perspective tbh.
The worldbuilding was also very fascinating and I think that aspect of the book will be a huge draw for many readers. Right from the get-go, you can see that the author put a lot of care and effort into crafting this world. We get a good look into the history of this world and also learn about the current political landscape. But my favourite part was the shamanic magic, I loved how that was incorporated into the story. We get to see our characters unravel hidden truths about their ancestry/heritage and slowly start to unlock their powers, which was very compelling and interesting to follow.
All in all, this wasn’t my favourite reading experience, but I am still glad I read this book. It was an intriguing and ambitious start to what I expect to be an epic sci-fantasy series. Even with all my gripes, I am still interested in checking out book 2, because whew… this one ended on a brutal cliffhanger and I would really like some answers!
If you are in the mood for a fast-paced sci-fantasy with fascinating worldbuilding, intriguing magic and a good sibling relationship, then I highly recommend you to check out Moon Deeds asap!
Moon Deeds is an exciting sci-fi/fantasy blend with interesting worldbuilding and a whole lot of adventure.
We follow twins Cassidy and Torr, who are living in the not too distant future, when aliens have invaded and dominated the majority of Earth. The only defence against alien technology is magic, but when one of the magic safety shields inexplicably drops, the alien Tegs starts to invade. The fate of humanity lies in the hands of the prophesied Star Children… yet they still have a lot to learn about their powers.
What follows is a story filled with magic, prophecy, space travel, family, friendship and adventure.
Now, I loved everything about the concept of this story; the strong sibling bond, the intriguing sci-fi/fantasy worldbuilding, the prophecy, the space adventure… yet something about the execution just didn’t work for me. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time with this book, but there definitely were some things that held me back from getting fully invested.
Let’s just get the negatives out of the way first, but please keep in mind that this was my personal experience. You may feel very differently, so I would highly recommend you to just check it out for yourself if the premise sounds interesting to you!
Okay, so, I think my main issue here is the character work. Now, Torr and Cassidy are both very well-developed characters and they undergo some good development throughout the story. However, the side characters all felt quite flat to me and I didn’t really jive with the character interactions and cringy dialogue.
On top of that, I felt like the characters often acted quite naive, immature and silly, which was super jarring for a story with such supposedly high stakes. And that leads into my next quibble, which is that I never felt the urgency in this story. I mean, I liked following these characters on their journeys, but I never got the sense that they ever really had a good clue of what they were doing. This made it very hard to feel invested, because the plot just felt a bit aimless and meandering to me.
The final thing that really irked me is the way women were treated on the Moon. I was honestly appalled by the lecherous behaviour of the men there and I got quite annoyed with how many times we get descriptions of men looking at women’s bodies. Like, I get it, there aren’t a lot of women around, so it’s all very interesting… but please just behave like normal human beings and keep your primal urges in check ffs.
All that said, I still enjoyed the story overall, because there were a good amount of positive aspects to this book that definitely saved it for me.
Firstly, I was a big fan of the sibling dynamics in this story. Cassidy and Torr have a very strong bond and that definitely kept me going throughout this book. We get to read from both of their perspectives and I really liked that they both had very distinct personalities, yet you could also see similarities between them because of their twin bond. My favourite aspect of the dual POV structure was the fact that we get to see each of these characters through the other's eyes, that added a nice layer of depth and complexity to these characters imo!
Also, there is a third POV introduced in Part 2 and I think that character absolutely stole the show, I would have loved an entire novel from their perspective tbh.
The worldbuilding was also very fascinating and I think that aspect of the book will be a huge draw for many readers. Right from the get-go, you can see that the author put a lot of care and effort into crafting this world. We get a good look into the history of this world and also learn about the current political landscape. But my favourite part was the shamanic magic, I loved how that was incorporated into the story. We get to see our characters unravel hidden truths about their ancestry/heritage and slowly start to unlock their powers, which was very compelling and interesting to follow.
All in all, this wasn’t my favourite reading experience, but I am still glad I read this book. It was an intriguing and ambitious start to what I expect to be an epic sci-fantasy series. Even with all my gripes, I am still interested in checking out book 2, because whew… this one ended on a brutal cliffhanger and I would really like some answers!
If you are in the mood for a fast-paced sci-fantasy with fascinating worldbuilding, intriguing magic and a good sibling relationship, then I highly recommend you to check out Moon Deeds asap!
December 4, 2019
You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
3.5 Stars
Moon Deeds was an interesting space opera, sci-fi, set in 2090, a dystopian world that was taken over by alien-human mixed breeds called Tegs. The book was about trusting instincts and magical powers, hope, legends, and adventure.
What I liked-
The writing was great, descriptive and engaging. The Setting, world-building, and magic were the best part of the book. It was creative and impressively detailed. The atmosphere and life on the moon and alien technology were well researched and well written. There were many information and a little slow because of the length of the book all the descriptions on world and characters but it never felt boring.
Book had 2 parts- Earth and the moon narrated in third person mostly from Torr and Cassidy’s view and some portion in the second part was from Ridge’s POV.
First part, on Earth, started with preface telling how Cepheans arrived on Earth and slowly formed a colony with humans, how it caused WWIII, political unrest and eventually the leader of mixed-breeds, Tegea formed an alliance with power-hungry mercenary leader, Metolius calling it ‘Global alliance’. Together they brought all nations under Global alliance by hook or crook. But some nations managed to stay free by creating a magical shield that kept Teg army out of this shield, cutting all communication from the rest of the world. England, Scotland, Ireland had Druid’s mist as a shield while Northern California had Shaman’s Shield formed by the Shaman sect living in mountains. But the Shaman’s shield was slowly retracting back to its origin, San Fransisco and San Diego were exposed to Tegs, making many flee their home or surrender to Tegs and become slaves in Teg camp. The Gia United rebels, who formed army to fight Tegs, surrendered without fight making Torr, who joined rebels 2 years ago, flee to home to save their parents and his sister Cassidy. Now this part was interesting but it was also very slow.
Torr, Cassidy and their parents were Shamans who left sect long time ago. Their only option was trying to get into Shield using their mother’s magic or going to the moon where Torr and Cassidy inherited land from their great-aunt Sophie. Both Torr and Cassidy were said to be Twin Star Children according to legends and their DNA birth certificate, destined to save the world. But their powers were dormant ever since they were 6 and as they grew up they believed in it less and less. However, they couldn’t ignore the pool of Star song, Cassidy’s miraculous vision that reawakened her belief and Torr’s unusual dreams that led them to choose later option, going to the moon. I was curious to know what will happen once they reach the moon, will they claim their lands and unlock their magical potential or find the star people who can save the Earth.
This portion was well described. It formed great beginning of the story and series. Along with the situation on Earth, it gave the background details on the main characters and their family. Their magical powers were fascinating. Both Cassidy and her mother were Plan spirit medicine experts. They could feel plants and their herbal characteristics, also could diagnose patients and medical conditions. Her father could understand birds and animals and Torr had most unusual powers. He could see facts and dangers in dreams which were close to reality. There was about Torr and Cassidy’s childhood, their visions, how their powers went dormant, why they left the Shaman sect, and how their life changed then on. I loved knowing bits about Shaman magic and how it works.
The second and biggest part of the book was set on the moon. It told about the hard life on the moon- dry, hot weather, endless gray land, dust that was harmful to the lungs, not enough water and food source, mining lords and other dangers. Not ideal habitation and not exactly what Torr and Cassidy expected. This part was more tense. There was a constant feeling something bad was going to happen, either with the land or withing the Peary dome they were staying. It started a bit hopeless but once they made friends and found third link who was going to open the door to the prophecy, it was looking a little better. But that didn’t last long.
Torr’s guilt and worries were palpable. He was struggling to cope with the two men he killed on the border. I liked him. He was brave, practical and realistic. I liked his ideas and concerns on moon. Cassidy was desperate to unlock the magic within her. She sounded naïve and selfish in the beginning but she learned to trust her instinct soon. Her powers were great, I can’t wait to see her master them and use them. I liked connection between twins and their bond with each other. There were many other diverse characters in the book. They all were well described that stayed with me till the end of the book. Some characters were likable, some annoying, mysterious and lovely while some I hated.
Climax was tense and uncertain. I didn’t like where things were going and that end with cliffhanger wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, not really satisfactory but I’m curious to know what happens next.
Why 3.5 Stars-
Main issue- I expected at least one conclusion from all the questions I had, that made me curious to read. At least that moon land part or find a clue to unlock their magic or go one step ahead in finding star people but nope, there were no answers in this story!
Second, I liked their adventure arriving on the moon. But there was no action. It was like they were skirting the danger or were just lucky in the first part but at least I expected action on the moon, when they found out about their land, or in the climax, but no!
And third, the end made me furious. When the actual action part came, I was jumping on the sit, yes yes, finally they will fight now, but then it ended! I tell you it was not how I imagined it. I just staring with an open mouth at that big cliff-hanger, dismayed and disappointed! I thought I would up stars to 4 anyway because overall I liked it, not bad even though there was no conclusion or action but that end made me down it to 3.
Look at the page number, it was so long and slow, but good thing world kept me reading and writing was interesting.
Overall, it was descriptive and interesting dystopian futuristic space opera with impressive world-building and setting. I hope there was action, some conclusion or development. I hope the next book gives me answers I was looking for and more action.
** Note: I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author. ***
3.5 Stars
Moon Deeds was an interesting space opera, sci-fi, set in 2090, a dystopian world that was taken over by alien-human mixed breeds called Tegs. The book was about trusting instincts and magical powers, hope, legends, and adventure.
What I liked-
The writing was great, descriptive and engaging. The Setting, world-building, and magic were the best part of the book. It was creative and impressively detailed. The atmosphere and life on the moon and alien technology were well researched and well written. There were many information and a little slow because of the length of the book all the descriptions on world and characters but it never felt boring.
Book had 2 parts- Earth and the moon narrated in third person mostly from Torr and Cassidy’s view and some portion in the second part was from Ridge’s POV.
First part, on Earth, started with preface telling how Cepheans arrived on Earth and slowly formed a colony with humans, how it caused WWIII, political unrest and eventually the leader of mixed-breeds, Tegea formed an alliance with power-hungry mercenary leader, Metolius calling it ‘Global alliance’. Together they brought all nations under Global alliance by hook or crook. But some nations managed to stay free by creating a magical shield that kept Teg army out of this shield, cutting all communication from the rest of the world. England, Scotland, Ireland had Druid’s mist as a shield while Northern California had Shaman’s Shield formed by the Shaman sect living in mountains. But the Shaman’s shield was slowly retracting back to its origin, San Fransisco and San Diego were exposed to Tegs, making many flee their home or surrender to Tegs and become slaves in Teg camp. The Gia United rebels, who formed army to fight Tegs, surrendered without fight making Torr, who joined rebels 2 years ago, flee to home to save their parents and his sister Cassidy. Now this part was interesting but it was also very slow.
Torr, Cassidy and their parents were Shamans who left sect long time ago. Their only option was trying to get into Shield using their mother’s magic or going to the moon where Torr and Cassidy inherited land from their great-aunt Sophie. Both Torr and Cassidy were said to be Twin Star Children according to legends and their DNA birth certificate, destined to save the world. But their powers were dormant ever since they were 6 and as they grew up they believed in it less and less. However, they couldn’t ignore the pool of Star song, Cassidy’s miraculous vision that reawakened her belief and Torr’s unusual dreams that led them to choose later option, going to the moon. I was curious to know what will happen once they reach the moon, will they claim their lands and unlock their magical potential or find the star people who can save the Earth.
This portion was well described. It formed great beginning of the story and series. Along with the situation on Earth, it gave the background details on the main characters and their family. Their magical powers were fascinating. Both Cassidy and her mother were Plan spirit medicine experts. They could feel plants and their herbal characteristics, also could diagnose patients and medical conditions. Her father could understand birds and animals and Torr had most unusual powers. He could see facts and dangers in dreams which were close to reality. There was about Torr and Cassidy’s childhood, their visions, how their powers went dormant, why they left the Shaman sect, and how their life changed then on. I loved knowing bits about Shaman magic and how it works.
The second and biggest part of the book was set on the moon. It told about the hard life on the moon- dry, hot weather, endless gray land, dust that was harmful to the lungs, not enough water and food source, mining lords and other dangers. Not ideal habitation and not exactly what Torr and Cassidy expected. This part was more tense. There was a constant feeling something bad was going to happen, either with the land or withing the Peary dome they were staying. It started a bit hopeless but once they made friends and found third link who was going to open the door to the prophecy, it was looking a little better. But that didn’t last long.
Torr’s guilt and worries were palpable. He was struggling to cope with the two men he killed on the border. I liked him. He was brave, practical and realistic. I liked his ideas and concerns on moon. Cassidy was desperate to unlock the magic within her. She sounded naïve and selfish in the beginning but she learned to trust her instinct soon. Her powers were great, I can’t wait to see her master them and use them. I liked connection between twins and their bond with each other. There were many other diverse characters in the book. They all were well described that stayed with me till the end of the book. Some characters were likable, some annoying, mysterious and lovely while some I hated.
Climax was tense and uncertain. I didn’t like where things were going and that end with cliffhanger wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, not really satisfactory but I’m curious to know what happens next.
Why 3.5 Stars-
Main issue- I expected at least one conclusion from all the questions I had, that made me curious to read. At least that moon land part or find a clue to unlock their magic or go one step ahead in finding star people but nope, there were no answers in this story!
Second, I liked their adventure arriving on the moon. But there was no action. It was like they were skirting the danger or were just lucky in the first part but at least I expected action on the moon, when they found out about their land, or in the climax, but no!
And third, the end made me furious. When the actual action part came, I was jumping on the sit, yes yes, finally they will fight now, but then it ended! I tell you it was not how I imagined it. I just staring with an open mouth at that big cliff-hanger, dismayed and disappointed! I thought I would up stars to 4 anyway because overall I liked it, not bad even though there was no conclusion or action but that end made me down it to 3.
Look at the page number, it was so long and slow, but good thing world kept me reading and writing was interesting.
Overall, it was descriptive and interesting dystopian futuristic space opera with impressive world-building and setting. I hope there was action, some conclusion or development. I hope the next book gives me answers I was looking for and more action.
** Note: I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author. ***
July 23, 2019
What's really unique about this book is the creative blending of hard sci fi and paranormal fantasy. This universe is truly in a league of its own! The worldbuilding has fantastic depth and breadth. The moon colonies felt incredibly real.
The pacing is a little on the slower side, which I feel is typical of a first book in a series. There was a lot of territory to cover and the author did a great job of covering topics organically. There's a lot of history and lore that was covered in a way that felt immersive, and not like a list of facts to memorize, which takes a lot of skill.
I definitely bought into the characters' destiny from the jump. It felt believable partially due to the characters' reaction to it. They are very realistic people with rich internal lives and their own flaws and challenges.
This book had me turning pages mainly out of curiosity about the world, and not so much because I was wondering what would happen to the characters. I think the sense of destiny eliminated some tension early on in the book, because I knew the characters would make it out alive and mostly unharmed.
When I was away from the book I was definitely thinking about what would happen next. There's quite a cliffhanger that left me wanting to pick up the next book right away! I'm also very interested in Jaz's story because I feel like there's something under the surface there that will be addressed later.
I was sent this book in exchange for a fair review. Many thanks! :) I'm looking forward to the next book!
The pacing is a little on the slower side, which I feel is typical of a first book in a series. There was a lot of territory to cover and the author did a great job of covering topics organically. There's a lot of history and lore that was covered in a way that felt immersive, and not like a list of facts to memorize, which takes a lot of skill.
I definitely bought into the characters' destiny from the jump. It felt believable partially due to the characters' reaction to it. They are very realistic people with rich internal lives and their own flaws and challenges.
This book had me turning pages mainly out of curiosity about the world, and not so much because I was wondering what would happen to the characters. I think the sense of destiny eliminated some tension early on in the book, because I knew the characters would make it out alive and mostly unharmed.
When I was away from the book I was definitely thinking about what would happen next. There's quite a cliffhanger that left me wanting to pick up the next book right away! I'm also very interested in Jaz's story because I feel like there's something under the surface there that will be addressed later.
I was sent this book in exchange for a fair review. Many thanks! :) I'm looking forward to the next book!
October 3, 2022
3.5
This was an interesting blend of earth magic and healing properties with alien technology. The two main characters, Torr and Cassidy, are twins with a legacy of being the Star Children. They have certain powers which they need to develop.
The story begins on earth with a war going on. Slowly the world is being overrun by Tegea and his cohorts. So the siblings find a way to leave earth and go to the moon which is supposed to be neutral. The description of getting them ready for the trip into space felt so real. So some descriptions enhanced the storyline and some descriptions felt blotted and too much. Especially for me, who is not a sci-fi fan. I was confused at first reading what was going on on Earth. It took a while to gain purchase and get into the world.
But once they were on the Moon, characters there were very interesting for good and bad. It was a bit tedious to follow all the machinations between groups and what they do. But I understand you need to know where the different players stand and what their functions are. A disturbing unease is definitely a major part of the atmosphere on the Moon. It forebodes something bad.
The secret to unlocking Cass’s magical abilities aren’t revealed yet. I hoped for more earth magic. But that’s me.
We’re left on quite the cliffhanger and hope to see more of the galaxy out there.
This was an interesting blend of earth magic and healing properties with alien technology. The two main characters, Torr and Cassidy, are twins with a legacy of being the Star Children. They have certain powers which they need to develop.
The story begins on earth with a war going on. Slowly the world is being overrun by Tegea and his cohorts. So the siblings find a way to leave earth and go to the moon which is supposed to be neutral. The description of getting them ready for the trip into space felt so real. So some descriptions enhanced the storyline and some descriptions felt blotted and too much. Especially for me, who is not a sci-fi fan. I was confused at first reading what was going on on Earth. It took a while to gain purchase and get into the world.
But once they were on the Moon, characters there were very interesting for good and bad. It was a bit tedious to follow all the machinations between groups and what they do. But I understand you need to know where the different players stand and what their functions are. A disturbing unease is definitely a major part of the atmosphere on the Moon. It forebodes something bad.
The secret to unlocking Cass’s magical abilities aren’t revealed yet. I hoped for more earth magic. But that’s me.
We’re left on quite the cliffhanger and hope to see more of the galaxy out there.
September 29, 2022
3.5 rounded up
Moon Deeds by Palmer Pickering was a sci-fantasy with a lot of promise.
We follow siblings Torr and Cassidy: Torr a sharp shooter for the “good” military group and Cassidy, a herbalist learning the ways of plant magic off her mother. When A ruthless military group threatens to take over the world Cassidy sets her sights on the moon in hopes she can get her family to safety.
An ancient prophecy unfolds as Torr and Cassidy come to realise they aren’t just people fleeing invasion. They are the Star Children, and it is up to them, to save humanity.
While I did feel that book one was largely a slower paced, set up book, the author gives us a good idea of our characters and the new world they are coming into. The underlying prophecy starts to come into play in subtle ways even though I don’t think Tor or Cassidy really understand what their roles will look like in the future. As our characters piece together their identities on the moon, it becomes apparent there is a lot to learn and I think the next installment of this series has the potential to be really exciting.
Full review to be released on my YT channel in October!
Moon Deeds by Palmer Pickering was a sci-fantasy with a lot of promise.
We follow siblings Torr and Cassidy: Torr a sharp shooter for the “good” military group and Cassidy, a herbalist learning the ways of plant magic off her mother. When A ruthless military group threatens to take over the world Cassidy sets her sights on the moon in hopes she can get her family to safety.
An ancient prophecy unfolds as Torr and Cassidy come to realise they aren’t just people fleeing invasion. They are the Star Children, and it is up to them, to save humanity.
While I did feel that book one was largely a slower paced, set up book, the author gives us a good idea of our characters and the new world they are coming into. The underlying prophecy starts to come into play in subtle ways even though I don’t think Tor or Cassidy really understand what their roles will look like in the future. As our characters piece together their identities on the moon, it becomes apparent there is a lot to learn and I think the next installment of this series has the potential to be really exciting.
Full review to be released on my YT channel in October!
January 11, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4.
July 13, 2019
A very entertaining ride! This is the first book in a space opera saga about a set of human twins Cassidy and Torr. They are put through their paces while trying to leave earth for their inherited land on the moon. But Life has a different plan for them. As they learn of their heritage and themselves they are tasked with using their shaman magic to help save earth from aliens and corrupt earthlings as well. Story is very well written with a good understanding of world building. found myself captivated by the interactions of the twins and those around them. looking forward to reading more from this series.
January 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and am already onto the second book, because I just couldn't stop after that ending scene. A very interesting story with with rich history, lore, prophecy and well-rounded characters you root for and some (you know who I am talking about), you just want to feed to the a certain shredder, this story captures and holds your interest. There are themes of family, love, sibling relationships, war and the effects of conflicts on societies and so much more. I am so looking forward to finding out how each of our characters and their destinies will play out.
Full RTC!
Full RTC!
July 21, 2022
4.5/5.0
As usual I will begin with how I came across this read in the first place. I wrapped up all of my standing ARC reads early this month so I hopped on NetGalley to see if anything looked interesting. Just browsing through I noticed Moon Deeds and its sequel by an author whose name sounded familiar. Turned out Palmer was part of the Discord community that I spend a lot of time in. I figured let me grab these and give them a shot. Originally I didn't plant to get to them until August & September but I got ahead of schedule with my July TBR so decided to dive right in!
From the beginning one of my favorite aspects of this story was the great combination between Science Fiction and Fantasy elements. We have alien races on Earth, space travel and yet at the same time more traditional magic and shamanism. I thought this was a really interesting blend and Palmer put them together really well.
This turned into a very consistent and solid read for me. It's written well and allowed me to just tear through the pages but rarely did I find myself in that blank space that happens in some reads for me where I don't recall what I'm actually reading or where we are in the story. This means for me the pacing was very well done. Along those lines I mentioned to Palmer that I really thought there was a lot of thriller or suspense vibes throughout the story. There is just an almost constant sense of urgency from our characters from the very beginning.
The character development was also done well. I definitely found myself relating and pulling for a lot of the characters yet finding myself frustrated or angry with some of an antagonists. I even found the emotions that Torr is going through from an early incident in the book and he is dealing with it the entire first book. And I'm sure he will continue that into the second as well. The supporting case is very diverse and I find myself wanting to learning more about many of them.
The world development is progressing well through the first book. You definitely get a very good feel of things early in book one on the state of things on Earth but then things open up way more once things transition off world. So much so we have only been teased at several other locations still. I'm hoping we get to explore some of the worlds mentioned in book one when we venture onto book two!
I'll wrap things up with a couple of thoughts. First of all I definitely plan to continue onto book two which I already have a copy of. I'll also reiterate my opinion on the mashup this book made me feel of Science Fiction, Fantasy and either Thriller or Suspense. Palmer mentioned either from a quote on Goodreads or in our talks (I can't quite remember) she often refers to the Star Children Saga as an Epic Fantasy wrapped in Science Fiction and I think that is a very good description.
One last thing to mention that I only found out last night since I didn't know the history of Moon Deeds was this was a semi-finalist up against Sword of Kaigen in the SPFBO competition and that was some really stiff competition to go up against win or lose!
As usual I will begin with how I came across this read in the first place. I wrapped up all of my standing ARC reads early this month so I hopped on NetGalley to see if anything looked interesting. Just browsing through I noticed Moon Deeds and its sequel by an author whose name sounded familiar. Turned out Palmer was part of the Discord community that I spend a lot of time in. I figured let me grab these and give them a shot. Originally I didn't plant to get to them until August & September but I got ahead of schedule with my July TBR so decided to dive right in!
From the beginning one of my favorite aspects of this story was the great combination between Science Fiction and Fantasy elements. We have alien races on Earth, space travel and yet at the same time more traditional magic and shamanism. I thought this was a really interesting blend and Palmer put them together really well.
This turned into a very consistent and solid read for me. It's written well and allowed me to just tear through the pages but rarely did I find myself in that blank space that happens in some reads for me where I don't recall what I'm actually reading or where we are in the story. This means for me the pacing was very well done. Along those lines I mentioned to Palmer that I really thought there was a lot of thriller or suspense vibes throughout the story. There is just an almost constant sense of urgency from our characters from the very beginning.
The character development was also done well. I definitely found myself relating and pulling for a lot of the characters yet finding myself frustrated or angry with some of an antagonists. I even found the emotions that Torr is going through from an early incident in the book and he is dealing with it the entire first book. And I'm sure he will continue that into the second as well. The supporting case is very diverse and I find myself wanting to learning more about many of them.
The world development is progressing well through the first book. You definitely get a very good feel of things early in book one on the state of things on Earth but then things open up way more once things transition off world. So much so we have only been teased at several other locations still. I'm hoping we get to explore some of the worlds mentioned in book one when we venture onto book two!
I'll wrap things up with a couple of thoughts. First of all I definitely plan to continue onto book two which I already have a copy of. I'll also reiterate my opinion on the mashup this book made me feel of Science Fiction, Fantasy and either Thriller or Suspense. Palmer mentioned either from a quote on Goodreads or in our talks (I can't quite remember) she often refers to the Star Children Saga as an Epic Fantasy wrapped in Science Fiction and I think that is a very good description.
One last thing to mention that I only found out last night since I didn't know the history of Moon Deeds was this was a semi-finalist up against Sword of Kaigen in the SPFBO competition and that was some really stiff competition to go up against win or lose!
May 18, 2019
In this richly textured, virtually flawless tale set in 2090, Palmer Pickering dispatches Tor and Cassidy to the moon to reclaim their inheritance and save humanity from vicious alien forces. The twin brother and sister duo, Tor and Cassidy, are the twenty-ninth pair of the star children twins born every millennium to reconnect with the source of all life. The task for Tor and Cassidy in this millennium is difficult though—with next to nothing for a clue about their ancestors’ whereabouts, and a pressing need to save humanity’s spiraling descent into darkness at the hands of alien forces. With almost all of the earth under alien’s brutal dictatorship, moon is the only outpost of freedom left for earth’s inhabitants. With a deed to vast land parcels on moon that they inherited from their great aunt, the twins leave for the moon, but things are not as they seem on the surface. To save humanity from darkness, the twins must discover their hidden powers and embrace their true identity.
Pickering is brilliant when it comes to creating two alternative words. She approaches the 2090s alien-controlled earth with the same details, intrigue, and brilliancy as she depicts the dismal humanoid world of moon. Pickering’s take on the situation of women, who remain in a subservient position on moon (as well as under alien’s rule on earth), is an uncomfortable possibility that rings true on a colonized moon in the context of an alien-controlled earth in the far-future.
Pickering’s world for humans on moon is richly detailed and remains both highly intriguing and utterly grim. With her keen psychological insights and scientific-know-how, Pickering develops her characters with the same careful details as she does her alternative worlds. Cassidy is an atypical mix of resolute stubbornness, high intelligence, and dare. Tor is convincing as a tortured warrior. The ancillary characters are thoroughly developed and multifaced. Pickering’s psychologically knowledgeable portrayal of her protagonists and detailed description of other-world cultures never overwhelms the engrossing story line.
Stunningly written, filled with magic, science, and intrigue, and featuring fascinating, endearing characters and a brilliant ravaged setting, this ambitious sci-fi novel is one of few books that once started are hard to put down and will make fans eagerly wait for the next installment in the series. It’s a novel that deserved to be read by every science fiction lover. Highly recommended.
Pickering is brilliant when it comes to creating two alternative words. She approaches the 2090s alien-controlled earth with the same details, intrigue, and brilliancy as she depicts the dismal humanoid world of moon. Pickering’s take on the situation of women, who remain in a subservient position on moon (as well as under alien’s rule on earth), is an uncomfortable possibility that rings true on a colonized moon in the context of an alien-controlled earth in the far-future.
Pickering’s world for humans on moon is richly detailed and remains both highly intriguing and utterly grim. With her keen psychological insights and scientific-know-how, Pickering develops her characters with the same careful details as she does her alternative worlds. Cassidy is an atypical mix of resolute stubbornness, high intelligence, and dare. Tor is convincing as a tortured warrior. The ancillary characters are thoroughly developed and multifaced. Pickering’s psychologically knowledgeable portrayal of her protagonists and detailed description of other-world cultures never overwhelms the engrossing story line.
Stunningly written, filled with magic, science, and intrigue, and featuring fascinating, endearing characters and a brilliant ravaged setting, this ambitious sci-fi novel is one of few books that once started are hard to put down and will make fans eagerly wait for the next installment in the series. It’s a novel that deserved to be read by every science fiction lover. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2019
As a father of twins, I could immediately relate to the characters in this book. It has great action and escape sequences. Pickering does a great job making the scenes real and the dialogue interesting. If you like fantasy or space, you should enjoy the first book in the series.
August 7, 2024
An excellent intro novel into the world of two siblings finding their way. I didn’t expect that cliffhanger ending at all. This makes book 2 reading a must.
November 2, 2022
Please read my review at the link below:
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
https://escapistbookcompany.com/2022/...
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
April 25, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The good: Moon Deeds is a fun blend of fantasy and sci-fi. In terms of the setting, it takes place in the future on Earth and the moon. We have aliens and magic! I thought the idea that magic could repel alien technology was very interesting. Both of the main characters, Torr and Cassidy, were enjoyable. Torr is a former fighter, and I thought the author did a good job showing how he's haunted by some of the choices he had to make. He also very much wants to protect his friends and family. Cassidy has healing powers and a magical understanding of plants (specifically, which plants to use to heal various ailments). Many of the side characters on the moon were also enjoyable. I liked the Boyer family, and Ridge seems interesting. He appears to have a good heart and wants to help people, but he can't be as free with his help as he'd like. In terms of the plot, I probably preferred the sections on the moon to that on Earth, mostly because of seeing how people could actually live there.
The not as good: I did feel like there were places in the book that felt a bit slow/the pacing was slightly off. For instance, it felt like it took a while for Torr to meet up with the rest of the family. On the moon, there's quite a bit of action at the end, but then we have a bit of a cliffhanger. I also didn't have the best sense of the different alien cultures and planets.
Overall, I think fans of blending urban fantasy with sci-fi would like this. While the pacing was sometimes a bit off for me, I did enjoy the book.
I received a copy of Moon Deeds for review from the author - thank you! All opinions are my own.
The good: Moon Deeds is a fun blend of fantasy and sci-fi. In terms of the setting, it takes place in the future on Earth and the moon. We have aliens and magic! I thought the idea that magic could repel alien technology was very interesting. Both of the main characters, Torr and Cassidy, were enjoyable. Torr is a former fighter, and I thought the author did a good job showing how he's haunted by some of the choices he had to make. He also very much wants to protect his friends and family. Cassidy has healing powers and a magical understanding of plants (specifically, which plants to use to heal various ailments). Many of the side characters on the moon were also enjoyable. I liked the Boyer family, and Ridge seems interesting. He appears to have a good heart and wants to help people, but he can't be as free with his help as he'd like. In terms of the plot, I probably preferred the sections on the moon to that on Earth, mostly because of seeing how people could actually live there.
The not as good: I did feel like there were places in the book that felt a bit slow/the pacing was slightly off. For instance, it felt like it took a while for Torr to meet up with the rest of the family. On the moon, there's quite a bit of action at the end, but then we have a bit of a cliffhanger. I also didn't have the best sense of the different alien cultures and planets.
Overall, I think fans of blending urban fantasy with sci-fi would like this. While the pacing was sometimes a bit off for me, I did enjoy the book.
I received a copy of Moon Deeds for review from the author - thank you! All opinions are my own.
April 3, 2019
Ok Palmer....
Get to work on the second installment because it just wasn't fair to leave us hanging like that.
This book was so good that I stayed up late, took baths till they were cold and read long after I should have been up doing things. The characters were diverse and interesting. So many personas , yet it was easy to keep them straight (great naming helps). The story was complex but it didn't ever stall.
There was a great mix of science fiction, future technology (the mantas are about the coolest vehicle I've ever read about), magic, fantasy, romance and varied, well fleshed out cultures.
I kept thinking about Ursula K. Le Guin's book "Always Coming Home" when I was reading "Moon Deeds". There is the whole Shasta connection, but it was much more. Le Guin created a new culture, complete with language, legends, songs and spirituality in her book. Pickering didn't go quite as deep because the culture wasn't the theme of her book, but all of the different peoples were explored really well.
Well done. It's worth it to search this book out.
Get to work on the second installment because it just wasn't fair to leave us hanging like that.
This book was so good that I stayed up late, took baths till they were cold and read long after I should have been up doing things. The characters were diverse and interesting. So many personas , yet it was easy to keep them straight (great naming helps). The story was complex but it didn't ever stall.
There was a great mix of science fiction, future technology (the mantas are about the coolest vehicle I've ever read about), magic, fantasy, romance and varied, well fleshed out cultures.
I kept thinking about Ursula K. Le Guin's book "Always Coming Home" when I was reading "Moon Deeds". There is the whole Shasta connection, but it was much more. Le Guin created a new culture, complete with language, legends, songs and spirituality in her book. Pickering didn't go quite as deep because the culture wasn't the theme of her book, but all of the different peoples were explored really well.
Well done. It's worth it to search this book out.
July 26, 2019
I actually read this book earlier in the week, but I delayed leaving the review so that I had time to do it justice. This is my first reading this author, so I wasn’t completely sure what I was letting myself in for. I can honestly say that I’m extremely impressed and think that this story is brilliantly written. I’ve loved sci-fi since I was a child in the 1970s and watched all the, what we laugh at now, sci-fi series’ and I felt the same excitement reading this book as I did watching those series’. The plot and the characters are so intricately woven together that they seem real and unquestionable. This story is mesmerizing and so I strongly advice anyone who is about to read this book to get a nice drink, find the comfiest place possible for reading and be prepared to not move for a few hours as you devour this amazingly wonderfully written story. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
September 14, 2022
A great story following twins, Cassidy and Torr, as they come to the realization that they may be the Star Children and are now responsible for saving the galaxy. This book was filled with unknowns, discovery, reunification, internal struggles, and heartbreak, all while diving into the complex and magical world that the author has created.
I enjoyed this book for the most part, there were a couple points that were slow and didn’t hold my attention the greatest, but for the majority I found the story and the world interesting. I really enjoyed Cassidy and Torr’s characters and seeing them develop as they made discoveries throughout the book and dealt with past traumas.
The story building was amazing and I enjoyed the various maps and diagrams found within the book, as well as the lengthy glossary at the back of the book! While there wasn’t an abundance of exciting and adventurous plot points, the readers get a feel for the world and even learn the history that has led up to the current events, which I think has set up for the next book well. The ending had me wanting to pick up the next book immediately! I hope to read the sequel someday soon and continue Torr and Cassidy’s journey!
I enjoyed this book for the most part, there were a couple points that were slow and didn’t hold my attention the greatest, but for the majority I found the story and the world interesting. I really enjoyed Cassidy and Torr’s characters and seeing them develop as they made discoveries throughout the book and dealt with past traumas.
The story building was amazing and I enjoyed the various maps and diagrams found within the book, as well as the lengthy glossary at the back of the book! While there wasn’t an abundance of exciting and adventurous plot points, the readers get a feel for the world and even learn the history that has led up to the current events, which I think has set up for the next book well. The ending had me wanting to pick up the next book immediately! I hope to read the sequel someday soon and continue Torr and Cassidy’s journey!
June 4, 2022
AMAZING. Just freaking amazing.
•Science Fantasy. Because futuristic stuff + the presence of magic.
•I love Torr and his point of view chapters were the best.
•The book has some big words that scared me at first but Woohoo, I survived.
•Fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff would love this.
•Theres like an info-dump prologue that I did not like. But guess that was required to set the foundation of the story because we enter the Universe without any knowledge.
•Immersive and detailed.
•Pickering loves stars, you can find it out by the way the book describes stars and space stuff. Sooooo beautiful.
•I liked it I don't see why you shouldn't as well.
•Science Fantasy. Because futuristic stuff + the presence of magic.
•I love Torr and his point of view chapters were the best.
•The book has some big words that scared me at first but Woohoo, I survived.
•Fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff would love this.
•Theres like an info-dump prologue that I did not like. But guess that was required to set the foundation of the story because we enter the Universe without any knowledge.
•Immersive and detailed.
•Pickering loves stars, you can find it out by the way the book describes stars and space stuff. Sooooo beautiful.
•I liked it I don't see why you shouldn't as well.
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