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Moon Reign: A Fallen Star
For hundreds of years, unicorns, their magic, and their origins have been condemned to legend throughout the galaxy. Until, an enigma reveals itself under a grievous spring moon. Nineteen-year-old Drystan and his dragon, Soren, witness what is said to be known as The Birth of a Unicorn the night prior to Soren's unwilling farewell. Though doubtful, Drystan's urgent need to reestablish his father's depleting health drives his faith towards the healing powers of star magic, the most dynamic force in the universe embedded in unicorns. With support and help from loyal friends, he determinedly leaves home in hopes to locate the newborn unicorn. However, they were not the only one to have witnessed such a phenomenon. Soren, a kingdom away and slowly sinking into heartsick devastation, endeavors to stop the new people in his life to abandon their obstinate desires in capturing the unicorn for themselves. Walks of life conflicting intent unintentionally cross in a race against all odds and the direction of the universe. And, Drystan's expedition of revival turns into a journey of self-discovery.
1348 pages, ebook
Published August 2, 2019
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 27, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but the fragmented sentence structure, the misuse of words, head-hopping, pronoun problems and the amount of purple prose made this a very difficult read.
I would recommend reading the First Look before purchasing.
What the story is about:
A unicorn falls to Arigae with a message. Drystan and Soren sees the birth and Drystan wants to find the unicorn to ask it to heal his father who has a wasting lung disease. The problem is, several hunters will also be looking for the unicorn to kill it and harness its star power. Soren, his dragon, is being sold to the Elven kingdom of Alledonia. He is so distraught that it causes a sickness in the land of Alledonia. So the Elves join the hunt. Did I mention that there had not been a unicorn birth in hundreds of years?
There is a good story in this book, but it gets lost in too much purple prose. I had to reread several parts to understand what the author was trying to say. Some places, I reread four times and I still couldn't suss out what the author was saying. This took me out of the story and affected the pacing dramatically.
When the creative wording worked, it was actually well done. This happens about a third of the time. Another third slows down the pacing and doesn't add anything to the story. The rest was repetitious or it muddied the story to a point that I was not able to ascertain what was actually happening.
What was good: The story and worldbuilding has merit. It has a mix of SciFi and Fantasy elements and the two are blended well. There were really good moments between the sage and the apprentice. My favorite parts were with Unidon and the Princess. The action sequences were good, but I think they could be pushed further. These moments were not purple prose, but clear concise wording. I would love to see more of this type of writing from the author.
In summary, there is potential here. I hope this author uses the opportunity to go back and make this a better book. I would recommend this to readers, but with the knowledge that you will have to really work to get through it. It is not an easy read in its current form.
I would recommend reading the First Look before purchasing.
What the story is about:
A unicorn falls to Arigae with a message. Drystan and Soren sees the birth and Drystan wants to find the unicorn to ask it to heal his father who has a wasting lung disease. The problem is, several hunters will also be looking for the unicorn to kill it and harness its star power. Soren, his dragon, is being sold to the Elven kingdom of Alledonia. He is so distraught that it causes a sickness in the land of Alledonia. So the Elves join the hunt. Did I mention that there had not been a unicorn birth in hundreds of years?
There is a good story in this book, but it gets lost in too much purple prose. I had to reread several parts to understand what the author was trying to say. Some places, I reread four times and I still couldn't suss out what the author was saying. This took me out of the story and affected the pacing dramatically.
When the creative wording worked, it was actually well done. This happens about a third of the time. Another third slows down the pacing and doesn't add anything to the story. The rest was repetitious or it muddied the story to a point that I was not able to ascertain what was actually happening.
What was good: The story and worldbuilding has merit. It has a mix of SciFi and Fantasy elements and the two are blended well. There were really good moments between the sage and the apprentice. My favorite parts were with Unidon and the Princess. The action sequences were good, but I think they could be pushed further. These moments were not purple prose, but clear concise wording. I would love to see more of this type of writing from the author.
In summary, there is potential here. I hope this author uses the opportunity to go back and make this a better book. I would recommend this to readers, but with the knowledge that you will have to really work to get through it. It is not an easy read in its current form.
February 11, 2020
Moon Reign is a book of love. Of love and stars and magic and unicorns (and dragons too!), that's been crafted in a startling unique way. Wednesday's world is vast and a lovely blend of fantasy with sci-fi elements.
This book is a good read, but a long read, and certainly not what I'd consider a casual escape. I loved the characters, the growth, the destruction, the questions I'm left with, yet I never quite got used to the writing style. I've never read anything like it, which isn't a bad thing, I just really had to focus and think while reading, which isn't my preference. I prefer my YA Fantasy easier, where my eyes can tear through words and pages and fall into the story without question. I fell into this story, but it took me a long time to get through.
If you like a lyrical voice, multiple POVs, mystical creatures, and a rich fantasy realm, Moon Reign: A Fallen Star is most definitely for you.
This book is a good read, but a long read, and certainly not what I'd consider a casual escape. I loved the characters, the growth, the destruction, the questions I'm left with, yet I never quite got used to the writing style. I've never read anything like it, which isn't a bad thing, I just really had to focus and think while reading, which isn't my preference. I prefer my YA Fantasy easier, where my eyes can tear through words and pages and fall into the story without question. I fell into this story, but it took me a long time to get through.
If you like a lyrical voice, multiple POVs, mystical creatures, and a rich fantasy realm, Moon Reign: A Fallen Star is most definitely for you.
December 15, 2019
When I picked up MOON REIGN: A FALLEN STAR by M. Wednesday, I knew it was fantasy. Based on her IG page, I knew it would be creative and have impeccable attention to detail. I recognized that the author is an awesome and supportive human which made picking up her book an easy choice. What was wonderfully surprising was just how unique the story is.
BLURB: Nineteen-year-old Drystan and his dragon, Soren, witness what appears to be the birth of a unicorn the night before Soren’s sale to a new family a world away. Though doubtful because everyone knows unicorns are the stuff of myth and legend, Drystan ignores the strange phenomenon, until his father’s failing health drives him to wonder: could it be a unicorn? Legends alluded to the awesome star magic held by unicorns, the most dynamic force in the universe. With his faith in the impossible and the support of loyal friends, Drystan leaves home in hopes to find the newborn unicorn - if there is one - to save his father. However, Drystan isn’t the only one. In a race against powerful enemies and unlikely allies, Drystan’s expedition unfolds into a journey of adventure and self-discovery.
A high fantasy, this book is gigantic in scope. Multiple races, multiple places, multiple viewpoints, M. Wednesday’s imagination is impressive. If I were to create a mash-up think Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree mixed with Paolini’s Eragon series, a tamed version of Martin’s Game of Thrones and a dash of Homer’s The Odyssey. I did find myself overwhelmed at times with all of the information I needed to keep straight and the unconventional prose (please keep in mind, I don’t often read high fantasy for this very reason!), but I was very impressed with her imagination and creativity. If you are a fan of high fantasy, this is a GREAT choice.
BLURB: Nineteen-year-old Drystan and his dragon, Soren, witness what appears to be the birth of a unicorn the night before Soren’s sale to a new family a world away. Though doubtful because everyone knows unicorns are the stuff of myth and legend, Drystan ignores the strange phenomenon, until his father’s failing health drives him to wonder: could it be a unicorn? Legends alluded to the awesome star magic held by unicorns, the most dynamic force in the universe. With his faith in the impossible and the support of loyal friends, Drystan leaves home in hopes to find the newborn unicorn - if there is one - to save his father. However, Drystan isn’t the only one. In a race against powerful enemies and unlikely allies, Drystan’s expedition unfolds into a journey of adventure and self-discovery.
A high fantasy, this book is gigantic in scope. Multiple races, multiple places, multiple viewpoints, M. Wednesday’s imagination is impressive. If I were to create a mash-up think Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree mixed with Paolini’s Eragon series, a tamed version of Martin’s Game of Thrones and a dash of Homer’s The Odyssey. I did find myself overwhelmed at times with all of the information I needed to keep straight and the unconventional prose (please keep in mind, I don’t often read high fantasy for this very reason!), but I was very impressed with her imagination and creativity. If you are a fan of high fantasy, this is a GREAT choice.
March 16, 2020
MOON REIGN: A FALLEN STAR
Moon Reign picked me up and taught me so many things... or that is how it felt, at least. You can gather that it is a fantastic fantasy book by the cover, by the blurb, by the Authors profile... by other reviews. So I want to focus instead on what this book taught me.
Patience.
Respect.
Many new words.
The author's style is SO DIFFERENT than anything I've read and for me, the only person I could compare it too would be Laini Taylor. Even then while they are both lyrical, beautiful writers, the books are on opposite worlds of each other.
Moon Reign was so beautifully written, but it took time - i'd say four or so chapters - for me to pick up on the style and be able to read with the flow. From that point on though? I took off! But it wasn't at a devour-this-book-in-one-night type of way (not just because it is over 600 pages), but because you have to take your time with the prose. And that is how it taught me patience. That for someone that reads over 100 books a year, it was OKAY to take my time, and read each line in a sing-song voice.
In that, I gained a new type of respect for writers, and for this writer, and this book. I was turning pages and would be lost in the magic of it all - writing, unicorns, UNIDON, etc.) and BOOM, a new twist would come, or a new revelation. It was beautiful.
As for the new words: I do have to say that I did not learn them ALL. There are a lot of words in this book, beautiful, exciting, world-building words that were necessary, but were hard at times when it would nag at me for several pages after I read it, and I would have to stop and look that word up. BUT THAT's JUST ME... lol
Five stars for an original story THAT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD, original writing, and an ending that had me wanting the next book yesterday.
Moon Reign picked me up and taught me so many things... or that is how it felt, at least. You can gather that it is a fantastic fantasy book by the cover, by the blurb, by the Authors profile... by other reviews. So I want to focus instead on what this book taught me.
Patience.
Respect.
Many new words.
The author's style is SO DIFFERENT than anything I've read and for me, the only person I could compare it too would be Laini Taylor. Even then while they are both lyrical, beautiful writers, the books are on opposite worlds of each other.
Moon Reign was so beautifully written, but it took time - i'd say four or so chapters - for me to pick up on the style and be able to read with the flow. From that point on though? I took off! But it wasn't at a devour-this-book-in-one-night type of way (not just because it is over 600 pages), but because you have to take your time with the prose. And that is how it taught me patience. That for someone that reads over 100 books a year, it was OKAY to take my time, and read each line in a sing-song voice.
In that, I gained a new type of respect for writers, and for this writer, and this book. I was turning pages and would be lost in the magic of it all - writing, unicorns, UNIDON, etc.) and BOOM, a new twist would come, or a new revelation. It was beautiful.
As for the new words: I do have to say that I did not learn them ALL. There are a lot of words in this book, beautiful, exciting, world-building words that were necessary, but were hard at times when it would nag at me for several pages after I read it, and I would have to stop and look that word up. BUT THAT's JUST ME... lol
Five stars for an original story THAT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD, original writing, and an ending that had me wanting the next book yesterday.
January 4, 2020
The book is well written and will strike up all kinda of emotions in you. The author describes things beautifully and creates a story that leaves you wanting more. A must read for any fantasy lover
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews