Dead Moon

by Keith Crawford

SHELF UNBOUND 2020 BEST INDIE BOOK - NOTABLE INDIE Humanity will be extinguished within seven days. Wing Commander Jude Styles is a Starfighter Pilot trying to get pregnant before the world ends. Her wingman, Hamid Ashkami, just wants to block the spam messages he is receiving from someone claiming to be his dead ex-husband. Instead they are locked in a media tour, shown off as the heroes who stopped the alien invasion by destroying the massive mothership known as the Dead Moon, persuading the masses that all will be fine if they keep calm and carry on. Trapped telling the same lies, driven over the edge by post-traumatic stress and the constant flow of alcohol, it is only a matter of time before Jude and Hamid break down – and the fragments of the Dead Moon have already begun to fall from the sky. “Jude and Hamid are a delight. Their interaction is real, immediately credible and they are authentically friends. Even though Jude isn’t sympathetic per se, she’s easy to sympathise with. Dead Moon is mysterious and grim, human, and thought-provoking.” Lisa Pasold, award winning author of Any Bright Horse, Rats of Las Vegas and The Riparian “It feels like you’ve been slapped in the face and you’re like ‘Woah…. did that just happen!?’ And believe it or not… yes it did happen. I’m just as shocked as you are." Siobhán of the.b00kreader “Judith and Hamid’s friendship is at the heart of this story and it is a wonderful thing. The representation of PTSD is nuanced and accurate, while the depiction of comradeship in the armed forces feels authentic.” Rosemarie Cawkwell of Rosie Writes

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2020

Reviews

[Siobhán♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Humanity will be extinguished within seven days.'

Now if that blurb alone doesn't catch your interest then I don't know what will. This is the line that gripped me and made me want to read this book!

The story itself sets off at a slow pace so that world building mode can be activated.
As the story progresses the pace quickens. It feels like you've been slappedin the face and you're like 'Woah.... did that just happen!?' And believe it or not... yes it did happen. I'm just as shocked as you are.

The characters within this book have genuine and realistic relationships with each other. Nothing about who they are makes you wonder, 'why doesn't this make sense?' because it DOES make sense. 🙈

Keith Crawford is a talented author and this was a wonder to read. So many thoughts while reading, so many questions and even more answers. If you love books that will hack your mind, then dive into this one🙈

I'll admit, Science Fiction used to confuse me but I've found a way to understand it much better... like deciding to grow up? Nah I'll still be young and enthusiastic but I'll let my mind enhance😂

**TRIGGER WARNING**
This book contains details of violence and alcoholism. Please be aware of this before reading/purchasing.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t usually the type of book I would go for with it being sci fi but I thought I would give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised. The book is set in the future, and extinction is not far away as the remnants of an alien craft (the dark moon) are imminently due to fall on the earth and cause devastation. The book centres around two main characters who were involved in fighting against the alien race.

I loved the friendship between the two main characters and how that developed, this was a central theme in the story and both of the characters were likeable. I also liked how the book made references to a dystopian United Kingdom and how things changed in the future. Some of the sci fi references went over my head and I didn’t understand some of it, probably because it’s not my usual thing, but I did enjoy the story and would recommend it if you like this kind of thing

[Rebekah Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤”
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Thank you @lovebookstours and @keithcrawford77 for this #gifted copy!
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Truth be told I’ve not read much Sci-fi and let’s just say after reading this book I really need to read more. Set in the future where emails as we know them are only something historians know about and people have technological implants that do a variety of things but that won’t stop the world from ending. Jude and Hamid have just returned from a mission where an alien invasion was prevented however despite what they are being told to tell the public the world isn’t safe. In preventing the invasion the aliens mothership had to be destroyed and it’s debris is now falling towards earth. Within this book we follow Jude and Hamid as they navigate the press tour which they soon abandon and pressures of knowing the world is ending.
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This book is packed full of action from fights to car chases and has an engaging storyline. And yet the ending is somewhat calm. The friendship between Jude and Hamid feels very real and you get a real sense of comradeship from it. The characters are both very likeable and have complex pasts especially when it comes to love. The book delves into issues such as alcoholism and focuses a lot on PTSD. The author Keith Crawford previously served in the Navy and has PTSD himself which allows for a realistic portrayal of PTSD within the book and makes the book more personal and knowledgeable. I Overall this book was a thought provoking and engaging read and whilst it was slow to begin with I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy reading Sci-Fi books.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review with thanks to the author and Love Book Tours.

This book follows two surviving soldiers from the seemingly successful attack on what has come to be known as the Dead Moon. War has waged for too long. And don’t Jules and Hamid know it. They know the world is ending. They know they’ve got a week at most before the nuclear Dead Moon starts to fall and obliterates the planet they know. Both with their own experiences and trauma, Jules displays symptoms of major PTSD while also wanting to get pregnant, while Hamid deals with messages from his dead husband Michael. This is a book about isolation, friendship and how the affects of war can linger further than that last deciding blow. My favourite things about this book included that 1) it didn’t sugar coat friendship, in fact, it posed friendship as something gritty, untruthful at times but genuine and true. 2) it’s a dystopian book set in the U.K. what’s not to love?

[Jay W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fast paced and dealt with some pretty important themes - at times it reminded me of the Hunger Games with how it tried to popularize heroes to hide the grim truth of the matter. The book takes place at the end of the world, but still manages to find some humour. It's got your classic fighter pilot space war alien invasion shtick, mixed with a bit of tongue in cheek commentary on today's technology, but despite the heavy subject it never felt too gloomy. It was a good pandemic read for sure, about the value of living life even if there doesn't seem to be much point. ALSO some good representation, the two leads are a gay brown man with a Muslim dad, and an asexual lady. And they're both space pilots. Very cool.

[Sara (thebookwebb) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being honest sci-fi is not my usual choice of genre and I did find this book uncomfortable, yet at the same time thought provoking, as living in these modern times it is all too easy to imagine the end of the world. While the story is about an alien invasion, it is not like one of the blockbuster movies that we see depicting this kind of event. The book focuses on the aftermath of the invasion and the relationships between the characters, starting slowly to concentrate on the world building. It is dark at times with portrayals of violence, alcoholism, and PTSD.

This was a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Moon is a captivating sci-fi story. Aliens, dystopia, the devastation of humanity on the horizon, this has it all. The absurdity and yet absolute believability that even on the edge of extinction the powers-that-be will be pushing for people to go about life like normal and that people will happily do so is astounding. If you're a sci-fi or apocalypse fiction lover, you're going to greatly enjoy this book.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dead Moon" starts slow... and builds like a pressure cooker! I enjoyed the writing. The story was interesting and a little bit different from anything I've read before. The characters are constructed very well, and they held my attention throughout the book. I would be very happy to read more of Keith Crawford's work.

This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion. My thanks to RandomTTours

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review on blog 28th September 2020

Thanks to the author for a copy of this novel in return for an honest review

A complex story of friendship at the end of the world. The depiction of PTSD is nuanced and realistic.

[Becca Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

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