Dead Moon

Four Moons #3

by Richard Amos

When the latest challenge life throws at you makes baking macarons look easy, you know you've got problems!

Akira Murakami's current situation is riddled with issues... Dead issues. What a seriously messy web to untangle!

Danger waits in every corner… Yeah? Nothing new there! But this time the danger is a matter of life and death like never before, and it's going to take all of Akira's mental and physical strength to survive (with zero possibility of stress baking to make it all better).

Talk about dangling on the edge of oblivion!

Ugh.

The third installment in the Four Moons series—a kick-ass Urban Fantasy tale with plenty of action, adventure, and a slow-burn MM Romance.

Genres: M M Romance, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Fantasy, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, LGBT

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2020

About the author

Richard Amos is an author from England who is constantly lost in the worlds he writes about, and the ones in the queue yet to be written. He also has more books in his house than anything else, and is never without a book (and chocolate) in his hands when he's not writing. He’s a proud nerd who loves to dance. Hard.

Richard writes M/M Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance, all with tons of kick-ass action, adventure, twisty plots, and yummy times.

🔗 https://linktr.ee/richardamosauthor

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this whole serand this was a great addition. Aki and Gabriel are in for a world of hurt and bad sur. Unfortunately they are not together with no way of knife the other one made it ... or at least Gabriel has no way.

There are some things I loved and some things which really shocked me, and which hopefully are not permanent.

I loved how their relationship developed .. but I was missing their chemistry at the end, which shocked me.

Can't wait for the the next one coming out in September

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread July 2023 - I didn’t remember anything from this book despite the following review 😬 I guess it’s good I reread it before the next book! 😆



Dark

This is sooooo much darker than the first two. Not horror but so much gore. Despite being apart for a large chunk of the book, I could see Aki realizing his feelings for G. I’m looking forward to the finale.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again if I have: G and Akira are just so cute together! In this latest, they’re both thrown into the land of the dead and have to work their way back to one another, and they must work to stop the evil king. This was an interesting change of pace to the other books, and we learn some interesting tidbits in this one. I loved the new characters that were introduced albeit only for this book; they were so interesting. Now, I’m anxious to see what’s coming next when G and Akira are back in the real world with all the changes that happened in this one. Recommend! I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[AshPenny37 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first, this is not a standalone. If you haven't read the first two books in the Four Moons series, you absolutely should. They're both brilliant and necessary for maximum enjoyment of Dead Moon, as the story here picks up directly where Chaos Moon left off. Secondly, I'm going to do my very best to get across how much I enjoyed this book without spoilers, but it's going to be difficult - there's just so much I want to shout about! Here goes…

The world-building in this series just keeps evolving perfectly with the story arc, getting better and more fantastic (in the truest sense of the word). The places and situations Aki and G find themselves in are so imaginatively crafted. This time they find themselves in the city of the dead with weird and sinister creatures to face and tricky trials to undertake. The storyline manages to seamlessly weave pretty much non-stop action with some real periods of introspection for Aki or slightly less pacy snapshots of Gabriel just being the strong, intelligent Beta that he is. There are, of course, boatloads of twists and turns and there's menace lurking in every shadow - it's the city of the dead after all. There are returning cameos from some side characters from the previous books, split between welcome and very much not welcome reunions. Then there's  the big reveal (pretty huge, really!) and set-up for the last act of Aki and G's tale in book four...wow!

Aki's badass levels have increased since the events of Chaos Moon, though he's just as irreverent, snarky and sarcastic as ever which drives the humour in the book. He's almost always got a smartass remark for whichever person or creature is in his way. G is still the perfect foil for Aki; the solid presence at his side, full of optimism. At one point he says "hope is the greatest weapon we have", and it's that hope and their belief in each other that really sees them through their trials. Both men are absolutely fighting for each other whilst pushing through the challenges they face. 

I'm sorry to say I started Dead Moon too early in the morning to snack on the chocolate raisins which, at this point, I feel should be eaten whilst reading an Aki book, but that is literally my only complaint. I love Aki and Gabriel; I love the amazing bond between them; I love the relentless adventuring and I bloody love this book...another 5* addition to the Four Moons series. For me, this is definitely urban fantasy at its best and I can't wait for Silver Moon!

An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and this latest book didn’t disappoint. And added bonus, Gabriel gets some POV scenes! I was very happy to read some of the story from his perspective as I must admit, he’s my favourite character although I love Aki too.

I love how Aki’s narrative is almost stream of consciousness, and not filtered in the slightest. Gabriel’s, on the other hand, is much more controlled which reflects his character. I like how his rose tinted glasses in regard to the Alpha are in pieces and I’m looking forward to reading how he moves forward after what happens in this story.

Aki, too, has a lot to think about. I liked how this story throws a lot of different things at him, and he finally finds out what the other half of his heritage is. It wasn’t what I was expecting either, but makes a lot of sense. I love his new katanas and how they up his game. Bob and Rose are awesome, as usual.

Catching up with one particular character of the series’ supporting cast in this story was bittersweet but she totally rocks. I liked the new characters too, at least the ones who work with Aki and G. Colin just needs to stay dead. That guy keeps turning up, and I was very happy with what is hopefully, finally, the end of him. I liked the introduction of the Sensors and how they added to the series world building.

The action in this one starts immediately, and the tension keeps rising as the story progresses. The setting is very well described, and not somewhere I’d want to go. The bad guys are nasty, and I liked that the author didn’t shy away from just how nasty they are.

And Aki gets to bake! I totally loved how, given everything going on, that is still a part of the story. Loved the almost final scene between Aki and G. Though of course they don’t get long to enjoy it. Hanging out for the next book now, and the final showdown.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great instalment to this story. The author throws you into the action from the start and doesn't let up. There's hardly room to catch your breath as Aki and G go from one life threatening situation to another.
Four stars because I was literally so confused by the final explanation of what they'd been through and what it had to do with the overall quest. But nevertheless I enjoyed the getting there, if that makes sense.
Again this ends on a slight cliffhanger for our heroes personally, and of course there is still that final phase of the moon to save the world from.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I said things had to get bad, but it almost feels like everything that can go wrong is very much going wrong. Except for their relationship; oh, it is so sweet! I'm very much living for it!

[Ellen]

I couldn't do it. DNF at 10%

I'm not going to give this book a star rating since I couldn't finish it.

The MC, Akira, was the worst part of the book for me. Everything else: the world with all types of magical creatures, the fights, the bad guys, the terrible father who is the Alpha, Japan (yes!), his emotional need for baking... all of it was awesome! It was Akira and his whingy personality that threw everything off for me.

I couldn't handle any more of his bad attitude, his saying "bruv" and "ain't" and his constant nonsensical back-and-forth over G... I'm done.

[I~❤️~Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

✮4 Stars✮

[Karolina Cebula · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dead Moon" is the third volume in "Four Moons" series written by Richard Amos. I would say that this part undoubtedly differs from the previous ones, as it is not fully embedded in the same world as two other installments, and therefore in the alternate reality. The author developed his universe by showing us a possible version of life after death. To put it simply, he took us on a journey through the afterlife. If I were to describe it somehow, I would say that it's like a mix of "Alice in Wonderland", "The Hunger Games", "The Maze Runner" and a horror movie. In short, this is definitely not what we expected and I'm sure that no one would like their life after death to look like the one we see in "Dead Moon". However, Richard Amos has prepared some surprises for his readers. The surprises that make Akira and Gabriel's stay in the afterlife in many ways even more difficult.

In "Dead Moon", however, the most important change comes in the form of Akira himself. The protagonist, who for much of the previous volumes could have been described as weak due to the overwhelming powerlessness that he often felt, finally overcame his weakness, his past and really moved on. It is definitely worth noting that Akira in a way won his fight with himself, which allowed him to shake off the shackles that bound him and left scars. In this volume, the author showed really well that the change that took place in our protagonist was not a miracle, but the result of his hard work on himself. Moreover, although Akira's helplessness is no longer a problem, we still see some remnants of it in his psyche. It is really very important because thanks to all that our main character seems more human to us.

Finally, I think it is also worth mentioning that this volume of the series has a completely different vibe than the previous ones. You could say that it is darker, more brutal in many ways. Probably because it makes us more aware of the problem of "senseless" death and suffering of innocent people who are not able to defend themselves. On the one hand, the novel shows us a dictatorship, and on the other, the serial killers. I think both of these images can make a big impression on the reader because they are a completely new element in this series.

To sum up, "Dead Moon" is a completely new and quite unexpected installment of a really interesting series. It shows us a different face of the world created by the author, as well as reveals some interesting secrets.

______________________________

„Dead Moon” jest trzecim tomem serii „Four Moons” autorstwa Richarda Amosa. Jest to część, która niewątpliwie różni się od poprzednich, jako że nie jest do końca osadzona w tym samym świecie, co tamte tomy, a więc w naszej alternatywnej rzeczywistości. Autor rozwinął bowiem swoje uniwersum o życie po śmierci, a tym samym o „zaświaty”. Jeśli miałabym jakoś je opisać, powiedziałabym, że są one niczym krzyżówka Alicji w Krainie Czarów, Igrzysk Śmierci, Więźnia Labiryntu i jakiegoś horroru. Mówiąc krótko, na pewno nie tego się spodziewaliśmy i nie chcielibyśmy aby nasze życie po śmierci wyglądało jak to, które widzimy w „Dead Moon”. Richard Amos przygotował dla nas jednak kilka niespodzianek, które czynią pobyt Akiry i Gabriela w zaświatach pod wieloma względami jeszcze trudniejszym.

W „Dead Moon” najbardziej istotna zmiana zachodzi jednak w postaci samego Akiry. Bohater, który przez znaczną część poprzednich tomów mógł być określony jako słaby ze względu na ogarniającą go często niemoc, w końcu pokonał swoją słabość, swoją przeszłość i naprawdę ruszył do przodu. Warto jednak zauważyć, ��e Akira wygrał starcie z samym sobą, które pozwoliło mu na zrzucenie krępujących go kajdan, po których zostały blizny. W tym tomie autor naprawdę dobrze pokazał, że zmiana, jaka zaszła w naszym bohaterze nie była cudem, ale efektem jego ciężkiej pracy nad sobą. Co więcej, chociaż bezsilność Akiry już nie powraca, to jednak wciąż widzimy pewne jej pozostałości w jego psychice. To naprawdę bardzo ważne, ponieważ nasz główny bohater wydaje się nam być dzięki temu bardziej ludzki.

Na koniec myślę, że warto również wspomnieć, iż ten tom serii posiada zupełnie inną niż poprzednie atmosferę. Można powiedzieć, że jest pod wieloma względami mroczniejszy, brutalniejszy. Prawdopodobnie dlatego, że silniej niż wcześniejsze uświadamia nam problem „bezsensownej” śmierci i cierpienia niewinnych, niebędących w stanie się bronić osób. Z jednej strony w powieści nakreślony zostaje obraz dyktatorskiej władzy, z drugiej zaś seryjnych morderców. Myślę, że oba te obrazy mogą zrobić na czytelniku duże wrażenie, ponieważ stanowią zupełnie nowy element tej serii.

Podsumowując, „Dead Moon” to zupełnie nowa i dosyć niespodziewana odsłona naprawdę interesującej serii. Ukazuje nam inne oblicze świata stworzonego przez autorka, jak również odsłania przed nami kilka interesujących tajemnic.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would make a great video game. That was my main thought while reading the third installment in the Four Moons quartet. It's not really what I would classify as romance, but it is a great high fantasy novel with a bit of lovin' at the end. Aki and G spend the bulk of the book apart, so we get dual first person points of view this time around. They don't spend a lot of time thinking about each other or pining over their relationship, so I'm not sure it'll be everything the romantic reader wants from dual POVs, but since I generally dislike dual POV for just exactly that reason, I was glad the overthinking the emotions thing was absent.

I loved the first book in the series and thought the second was a bit uneven and choppy in tone and intent, so I was happy that Mr. Amos turned out such a solid third installment. The only flaw for me was that I was totally confused by the beginning. I went back and read the last couple chapters of the second book before I started the third, and I was still kind of lost for the first two or three chapters of this one. I didn't specifically understand at the end of the second book that the third book was going to take place in a different realm, and the author didn't make that clear at the beginning of the book either, so I had no idea what was going on for a while. For all of those reasons, I give this book four stars and am anxiously looking forward to the final book coming out September 25th.

This book is not a standalone and can't be read without reading the first two books in the series.

[Yunga2013 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 3D book in the Four Moons series offered a great development of an amazing gripping story of a half wolf shifter (and half something mysterious) Akira who is moving on with his quest to save the wolves in the world. World building provided by the author is absolutely amazin. We dive into a mixture of Japanese mythology, a touch of European magic and something unique created by the imagination of the talented author. This story takes place in the world of dead where Akira and his loyal friend werewolf G. This quest turned out to be extremely hard which reulted in a lot of action and "I need to finish this chapter or I won't be able to sleep"😜. But no matter what Akira still got a chance to bake! The slow burning romance continues to burn slowly but be assured - there will be progress. I Lowell in love with the MCs in book one, so I'm vastly engaged in their lives.
Akira was his snarky and sarcastic self as well as loving, caring, and loyal. He is such a lovable guy.
As he did in his previous books Richard Amos while entertaining you raises some important issues like the corrupting nature of absolute power.
So This book was an absolute delight. And it should be read in order. You absolutely need to read the other books first. But trust me, this book will catch you and won't let go till the last page.
I can't wait for the last book of the series, it's going to be so much fun!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just blows my mind. And it keeps getting better.

The world building, the interweaving of Japanese mythology into a British setting, the attention to detail, they all come together in an amazing story with clean, crisp writing that showcases the characters beautifully.

Akira Murakami can't catch a break. First his beloved motorbike Cindy gets stolen, then bestie betrays and tries to kill him, then his creepo ex is suddenly back in his life, and then there's the daddy issues coz his dad is the High Alpha and pretty much king of the whole damned world, oh and G, his dad's beta, his current crush, the really nice guy that he's trying desperately to keep in the friendzone tries to rip his throat out. Oh and the cursed moon that will kill all werewolves if it reaches the 4th phase. Coz his ex-bestie cursed his katanas and sent them to the moon. And that's not even half of what is going on, so yeah, Aki can't catch a break.

And now he's dead-ish, sorta, could become permanent but currently isn't. He and G were attacked by ex-bestie Mama Rita plus a bunch of people with axes to grind against Aki while they were on their quest to save the world by going to Japan and visiting Mt. Tate. They died. Kind of. It's complicated... but now Aki has to pass the trial of Mt. Tate in order to save he and G from permanent deadness as well as save the whole werewolf race from extinction. No pressure. None at all. FHL.

Oh, and he has to do it in the kingdom of the dead, which is currently very VERY messed up. No pressure.

Loved loved LOVED this book, can't wait for Book 4!

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 3rd nail biter in a row.

This Dead Moon is #3 of the 4 Moons series. First came the dark moon, then the red moon that brought the chaos of werewolves going loco and slaughtering thousands across the globe in one night. And now this 3rd book. Every story is related to the previous one so as not to get lost or confused one must read the whole series.

This book recalls to me the Bible lessons of purgatory but on a more brutal level. First one dies, goes to this place and then waits to die a 2nd time. Unknown to the king of this world is that both Akira and G have been given a pass by the dream witch Zenya that saves their "lives". Evil abounds, previous and new characters appear and Bob & Rose are always by Aki's side. Who are Bob & Rose? They are a vital part of Aki's life and are very present in every book. Akira's past comes into more focus and the Akira/G relationship becomes more of a reality. Akira's tenshi play a vital role in this story. A great addition to this series and I look forward to Silver Moon, Book #4. This is my honest and very much voluntary review for the ARC I received.

[Andrea Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This storey is full of so may twists and turns and sets off straight after the previous book ends. With G and Akira separated in the land of the dead. Akira battles literally to find and get to G.
This book has a difference pace from the first two and less heat as Richard does well to introduce us to a completely new world and a whole set of new characters, much care and attention has been taken to ensure that the would building and character refinement are spot on.
As Akira races across this new world in search of G he encounters many types of monsters that he needs to over come and defeat in order to be reunited with his man.
We also get some answers some you may have seen coming and others will blind side you.
As always thoroughly entertaining and well written.

[Kkhmonrai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so incredible, so different, so full of action and adventure, twists and turns, killing, baking, family issues, drama, secret crushes, hot connections, magic and mystery. This book moves fast and keeps you enthralled. There is so much going on, if you blink, you'll probably miss something. So, why not five stars? Sometimes the writing just feels choppy, a little like the book has ADHD. I love the themes, the characters, and the plotline, but I feel like it would benefit from a smoother transition from scene to scene. I can't wait for book 4, though. I really want to know how this all gets resolved and how it ends.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this third book so much! It kept me on the edge of my seat and biting my nails most of the way through. I was so nervous for what would happen next and just needed to find out! This is a series that needs to be read in order to understand everything since each book builds on the previous one this one also ends in a cliffhanger which makes me need the next one desperately but also I don’t want this series to end either. I love Akira and G and this story so much! Akira is in the land of the dead and we shall see if he can accomplish his goal. It’s so good! Need to reread the other books in this series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story

**** Potential spoilers ****

I am really enjoying this series. Every book I have picked is so good and I can't put them down. This one was no exception.

Aki is really tested in this one, not that the others were a piece of cake, but really put him and Gabriel threw some nasty stuff and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I loved the growing relationship between Gabriel and Aki. The things they go through brings them so much closer. I loved it.

The ending though. My heart stopped and I have the feeling book 4 is going to kill me before putting me back together.

I really recommend this series and I can't wait for the next one

[Maelstrom_xo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - 4.7 ⭐

Deeply horrifying but riveting nonetheless. Even if I did have to skippity skip over some of the more gruesome parts of this story.

We finally find out for certain what Aki's other half is (my suspicions were confirmed!) And the Trial of Mount Tate™ is one for the books; hell on wheels spiked with rusty nails somehow pedaling along on rivers of blood, pain and the stench of fear. Hey, what can I say? I'm channeling my inner Aki and his penchant for the weirdest fucking analogies.

This was a grim fucking journey, that's for sure. I'm a little afraid of what endless peril book four holds but I want immediate closure so I'll get right to it now.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is best read when you start from the beginning of the series.

Dead Moon's world-building, setting and pace feels like you're watching something similar to Final Fantasy. An epic adventure. I enjoyed the Japanese mythology woven around this story. Rooting hard for Akira and G, and poor Akira and his not-so-good luck!

This book feels more like a high fantasy read with MM romance tone, so if this is your jam (along with one heck of a ride through the 'After Life') then go check this book out!

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is impressive enough when an author can build one incredible world as Amos did in the first two books in this series. To build a second immersive world in this third book in just incredible. Here, our two main characters have to deal with the world they find themselves in after their "deaths" and they and we the readers have new puzzles to try to piece together. This book separates our couple, so is not the traditional romantic entry in a series, but I cannot wait to see how this wraps up in book four and how Aki and G end up.

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers of any kind included.
I thought Dead Moon was fantastic.
But then again every book in the Four Moon series so far has been awesome.
So yeah I am definitely going to recommend this book.
But if you haven’t read the first two books then I highly suggest that you do.


*An ARC was provided by the author, publisher or a promotional service and I have chosen to publish a fair and honest review*

[Irissska · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason in part 3 MC inner monologue irritated the hell out of me. Esp.his "Go me!"
And the guy on the cover looks at least 30, i cannot associate him with 24 yo slender half Japanese boy.
The villain's background story revealed in the end could have been discovered during the action, it made the narrative, idk, less whole and smooth to just drop it as an afterword.
Other than that I enjoyed book 3 the same as previous ones and plan to read book 4 today.

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm beginning to think that if it wasn't for bad luck Akira wouldn't have any luck at all. Picking up after Chaos Moon, Dead Moon continues the roller-coaster ride that is Akira's life and the ride is epic. I highly suggest starting at book one because not one minute of this adventure is to be missed.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*

[Raven and Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart stopping action

How do you fight through the Dead City to stop a curse when you aren't actually dead? G and Aki have "died" and are trying to fight their way out of the after life. There is non stop action. Bit of a heart stopper as Aki and G are trying to find each other but a good book. I look forward to book 4. Hopefully Aki and G will be able to catch a break.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series. I love how Akira just pushes through and is willing to try and overcome everything in his path and I feel like if I talk about it I will give the whole story away. His and Gabriel’s relationship is really going to start to take off in the next book, I think, since they have fully admitted how they feel. But as always someone has thrown a wrench in at the end and I can’t wait to see how the final book in this series goes.

I received a copy of this book and am giving an honest review

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

This is book three in a four part series. I can honestly say that it is just as action packed as the first two. The characters are amazing, the situations imaginative and the bad guys are complete d*cks! Richard Amos has created a world that is completely unique and wonderful. If you haven’t read one of his books, you should. Fantasy at its best! Highly recommended.

[Coline Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my I just love these books by Richard Amos! This series just keeps getting better and better, I can't wait to find out how it concludes although once you started reading this book it kept you so intererested and engaged in the story the next thing you know you have read the whole thing and you're not ready for it to end, it was so good.

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one hell of a fantastic, powerful, wild, crazy, grab-you-by-the-feels, fast paced, fascinating, incredible, action packed, intense, nail biting, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, unconventional, intriguing, terrifying, simmering, and totally awesome addition to this exciting series. It had me hooked from beginning to end, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[CMLH · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, make sure you've read the previous books before reading this one. Now, there is a slow burn romance that keeps you so invested and cheering Akira and G on. With everything happening in their world, there is a massive amount of intrigue and interest in what is happening. This is an amazing and fascinating story that keeps getting better.