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Moon Beetles

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Rinnaya has never known the land of Illyson to give her anything but loss. Her Ironskin Lineage, once powerful and prosperous, is now reviled. And while dealing with the unbearable loss of her parents, her older brother left her to raise her younger brother, Liam, alone. All she wants is to give Liam a happier, safer childhood than she had.

But when she discovers her essence contains the same latent power that led to the Ironskins’ demise, she is forced to leave Liam behind to receive training. If she doesn’t, he’ll be taken from her to protect him from her uncontrolled abilities. But leaving home for the first time stirs the darkness in her lingering trauma.

When her older brother reveals a plot for an Ironskin rebellion, and that he’s placed her at the centre of it, it becomes harder to separate her past from her present. As she decides between helping the rebellion or severing yet another family tie, Rin must face her loss if she wants to heal her heart, control her power, and stop a war.

499 pages, Unknown Binding

Published December 14, 2021

3 people are currently reading
40 people want to read

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B. Joyce

3 books17 followers

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5 stars
24 (63%)
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10 (26%)
3 stars
3 (7%)
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0 (0%)
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1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
20 reviews1 follower
December 12, 2021
Moonbeetles is a complex and imaginative world of its own that explores dark themes such as trauma and suicide.

It is a beautifully descriptive tale that sucks you in right from the start. I was thrown into a little bubble of fantasy every time I opened the book. I absolutely loved it! I was also honored to be part of the ARC team.

If you've been in a book slump for some time Moonbeetles is a great choice to delve back into the reading realm.
Profile Image for Kait Eve Steele.
2 reviews1 follower
November 22, 2021
(I was lucky to recieve an ARC copy from the author of Moon Beetles in exchange for an honest review ☺)

Let me start by saying: Moon Beetles is a story that helped me step out of my reading comfort zone. It is so unique in it's kind and I have to say I am truly impressed with Joyce's imagination on this one.

Most authors play on concepts that are already established, but Moon Beetles is a world of it's own. And it's addicting.

You know how JK Rowling made the Potterverse? How Bardugo made the Grishaverse?

Well, B.Joyce has made the Illysoverse.

And it was an easy to follow and fantastic experience learning of all the different lineages and the way the magic system works.

Again, I'm truly blown away with the thought that went into this.

✨✨✨

The story itself is one that will indeed make a tear or two fall from your eye, especially if you have experienced loss of any sorts, have ever felt like you don't understand yourself, or have so many emotions/thoughts that you just don't know what to do with them.

In a way, I felt like I could relate to ALL of the characters in this story at some point and it definitely made me feel less alone. (I think Johanna is my favorite, though) 😏

✨✨✨

The story is written in first POV with multiple POVs, which is perfect because being inside the characters head's helps portrays the different aspects of mental health, and in an all-too-relatable way.

I did enjoy B.Joyces writing style-- a wonderful balance of prose, realism, and show don't tell.

✨✨✨

All in all, I gave this book 5 stars because of the imagination that went it to it, the way it made me actually like an urban fantasy setting, and for the author's beautiful way of portraying what goes on inside someone's head when they are struggling with a number of things.

And I really want a second book and perhaps a TV show 😹
Profile Image for Amanda Sloothaak.
Author 2 books27 followers
February 26, 2022
Moon Beetles is a complex, emotional & empowering debut novel by B. Joyce.

Each character unique in their own way, living & overcoming the hardships in their own ways but absolutely relatable with those in real life. It truly is a story about finding yourself, of a found family & iron determination.
I definitely saw parts of myself back in some of the characters, which gave me personally a deep connection with this story.

The detailed worldbuilding suck you right into the world that also happens to have an intricate magic system which she has woven & explained naturally throughout the story.

This book does discuss some topics that might not be for everyone. She handled them masterfully & sincere.

I'm looking forward to book 2 & to continue the journey with these characters.
Profile Image for S.C. Jensen.
Author 29 books95 followers
December 13, 2021
This book was such a joy to read! I love New Adult academia storylines, and I felt this was a really unique twist on the usual more fantasy oriented stories.

Complex world building, family relationships, and mental health themes make this a stand out novel.

The glue that holds it all together is the exquisite character dynamics between the core group, particularly frenemies Rin and Johanna.

The action sequences are brilliant, and the story kept me on the edge of my seat.

But those scenes between Rin and Johanna were glorious!

I recommend this book to YA/NA reader looking for a powerful book with emotional depth. It’s not a light read, emotionally. It felt very true to my experiences with self doubt, depression, and loss. It’s so poignant, though. Well worth the turmoil!

Fantastic debut. I look forward to the next books in this series!
1 review
December 6, 2021
This book sucked me in from the beginning with the detailed world building. I loved the effort that was put into explaining the magic system, the historical context for current events, and the characters themselves. It was a beautifully immersive experience for me, learning and experiencing the world through Rin’s eyes!

I had a bit of trouble initially, as Rin was hard for me to click with. The chapters from Johanna’s perspective helped me understand her motivations and troubles a lot better, and the alternating perspectives became something I looked forward to! I always love seeing the main characters how others see them so it was a nice sort of palate cleanser between all the heavy stuff.

This book does discuss some heavy topics that aren’t for everyone, but I thought they were very well handled. I felt everything the characters felt, but it was never insincere, and I never felt like one was more important than the others. Each character is distinct with their troubles and how they handle them, and it was really lovely watching them grow together over the course of the book.

Over all 10/10, I’ve recommended this to all my friends! I can’t wait to see what’s coming next for this fascinating crew.
Profile Image for Brenna.
Author 7 books52 followers
December 17, 2021
Moon Beetles is a strong debut novel from B. Joyce. It feels like a magical campus novel, but the school is meant for superheroes.

Note: This book has heavy content and is a hard-hitting exploration of trauma, depression, and suicide.

My favorite part of this book is the complex and immersive world building. There is so much to explore here with the magic system and how it relates to different groups of people. I also loved the found family aspect of the novel—there are so many complex characters, and some of them are hateable and some are lovable.

The growth in the characters is satisfying, especially in Rin and Joanna, and I can't wait to see how they continue to grow. The book ends on a fantastic cliffhanger that makes me itch to read the second in the series!
Profile Image for Amber Lambda.
Author 5 books50 followers
May 13, 2022
Dealing with the loss of her parents and her absent older brother, Rin just wants to survive to take care of her younger brother Liam. When it’s shown that she has powerful Ironskin abilities that could harm Liam, however, she enrolls in guardian training where she will learn to control these affinities. And where she’ll also face new worries besides leaving Liam, such as excelling in a dysfunctional team, and a push for an Ironskin rebellion that her older brother insists is best for their family and needs her power to succeed.

From the beginning, I loved the writing style, descriptions, and the depth of the world created in “Moon Beetles!” It sucks you in and comes alive without stopping to explain too much. At first I did have a little difficulty connecting with all four pov characters, switching to another as I started to get to know one. And though the story’s emphasis on mental health was an element I loved most about the book, it is also quite heavy with no real glimmers of hope as the characters’ backstories and current struggles set up. Once the story developed further however, I grew close to each character and loved seeing them move forward. The way they interact and slowly open up to one another through the most difficult subjects is beautiful and worth the read! I especially related to Eliote and Ace. Though the story is real and gritty with important topics and some strong language, the bits of friendship and romance layered in are really sweet.

Overall “Moon Beetles” is a great read with a lot of highlight-worthy sections, and I’m excited to see what happens next! I believe older teens and NA readers who enjoy deep themes and characters with supernatural/elemental powers would like this best.
Profile Image for Grace Fletcher.
26 reviews6 followers
February 24, 2022
Oh man, Moon Beetles is an empowering tale of an exception girl, well, a whole group of people I should say, overcoming loss and grief, shame and pain. B. Joyce engages her characters in the struggles and heartaches of real life, and teaches the reader along the way how to heal, speaking to value and worth. The characters also kick some serious butt.
Step into a world of incredible power and possibility. Bring a box tissues!
Profile Image for Amena.
Author 10 books43 followers
May 31, 2023
a heartbreaking story on mental health

This book is not what I expected. The beginning with its ability testing is not too dissimilar to other stories— but very quickly, this book proves why it should be regarded as different. It delves into themes of bullying, mental illness, and racism in a way that is unflinchingly realistic — while also balancing these same themes with genuine friendships and a sweet romance. It’s not an overtly plot-driven story, but that makes it better, as the characters’ growth, which is beautifully done, drives the action forward. Taking everything together, I actually shed a few tears at one point due to how deeply I related to the characters’ struggles and how much I felt seen.

I completely recommend this story.
Profile Image for Crystal Roberts.
420 reviews11 followers
September 11, 2022
✨Spoiler free ✨

Let me start by saying that the title was off putting and if I wasn’t reading an arc I would have stopped after chapter 1 and dnf the book. The first couple of chapters were definitely hard to get through but I found midway through the book I was caring about the characters and especially the team. I loved Ace and Elliott they were perfectly written to counter act Rin and Johanna and all their toxic friendships was …. I loved the team building and character development of the team. Overall this book was surprisingly good and I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Devan Hughes.
76 reviews3 followers
July 29, 2022
Moon Beetles is a self-published NA fantasy debut from @bjoyce_author, and man was I lucky to snag a copy from her to help her launch! This is a story that hits each beat you expect and love from NA fantasy — found family, magical academies, intricate magic systems, budding romance, explosive battles — all while tying in beautifully told stories of loss and grief.

B Joyce has stated so often on her page that this book reflects her heart for people going through the struggles Rin has to handle, and this becomes only more and more clear as the story moves on. Rin struggles and slowly opens herself up to healing, and as the reader, you can feel the effects.

Definitely check CWs before reading this, but honestly, if you like NA fantasy with fun world-building, beautiful prose, and a deeper meaning filled with compassion and love, pick this book up ASAP.

As a bonus, the author is an absolutely lovely human who deserves all the support in the world!
Profile Image for Nicole  Bobby.
83 reviews
December 25, 2021
Moon Beetles is a beautiful, emotionally raw story of family, friends that turn into family, finding yourself, and persisting on, step after step, after enduring the worst life and throw at you, and seeing that life can be good again 🖤

The fantasy setting that B. has created is equally astounding… similar to Divergent but with lineages instead of factions. I can’t wait to see Rin’s story continue on in book two!
Profile Image for Andrea.
Author 10 books90 followers
April 28, 2022
I was completely drawn in to the complex and fully fleshed-out world that B. Joyce created. Character development was phenomenal. I will say I found the content difficult to stomach at times. But this novel does a good job of touching on some very deep issues that affect many people. I appreciate that although this novel is set in a fantasy world, nothing about the internal battles we all face is glossed over. It is very real. Please be warned: there is language and mature subject matter.
Profile Image for Cara Nox.
Author 9 books26 followers
June 10, 2022
MOON BEETLES is a book that doesn't hold any emotional punches. Joyce beautifully captures each character's raw emotion on every page from former friendships to grieving loves ones and the lasting impact.

I'm still reeling from the ending, but it was certainly a fantastic cliffhanger to start off a promising series. I look forward to seeing where Rin and the rest of the crew end up in SOUL TETHER.
12 reviews
January 14, 2022
Such a good book! Can't wait for the next one to come out with an ending like that!
2 reviews
February 18, 2022
Moon Beetles by B  Joyce. Here is my review.  If you think you might  like it you can order it from Amazon.

First of all I may be a little bias because I'm her mom.  I know how much work was put into this piece of art and I'm privileged to know her story so I know where some of this comes from.

That being said as her father and I read it we both looked at each other and said, "I can't believe I'm reading our daughter's work".

The why behind the àbove statement was not because of the content but because of the maturity and grace that her writing brought to some very difficult subect matter within the story.

It is an intricate look into four characters lives and how they bring out the best in each other even though it hurts.  It shows how trauma in the past continues to affect one's future even if it has been acknowledged. The trauma of each character is a part of them and it  will keep affecting their actions so that they need to give themselves the freedom to acknowledge the real backstory of someone's or their own  life to really let others in.

It is a beautiful work of pros that reads like poetry in places. The pace of the writing keeps the story moving forward but slows down enough to fit the mood of the characters in places so you, as the reader, feel what that character is feeling.

I identified mostly with the character of Eliote and love the perspective she gives to the story.

This is not a Hallmark movie,  which I love by the way. And the first fantasy novel I have ever read. I would advise you to read it with a box of tissues near by.

All this to say it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I can't wait till the second one comes out.
Profile Image for Belinda Smith.
542 reviews15 followers
September 16, 2022
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC for an honest review. 

Moon Beetles is an intriguing debut with an extensive plot and heartwarming characters. Rinnaya has suffered so much loss. Her parents are gone, her older brother left them and she has to take care of and raise her younger brother. In a community that hates her kind because of idiotic reasons. all she wants is to provide a good home for her brother. She discovers her essence contains the same latent power that led to the Ironskin’s demise, she has to attend a school to learn to control her powers. 

The change of environment isn’t helping her anxiety and she’s struggling. To add to all this, she learns her older brother is a part of a rebellion and wants her to join him. As she decides between helping the rebellion or severing yet another family tie, Rinnaya must face her loss if she wants to heal her heart, control her power, and stop a war.

I enjoyed the read a lot! I loved the world created in this series even though the specifics weren't explained completely. I wish there was more explanation behind the characters and their powers. It felt like I was starting a series at its second book. It would’ve been better if the author spent time to explain the history of the world and the special powers of the characters.

The characters were emotionally charged and I loved the way the author has dealt with difficult topics like suicide. I had a hard time empathising with the characters but it was more due to the fact that they all had a tough back story and are young people trying so hard to fit in and love their lives. The characters were well written and well put together. 

The plot did not go the way I thought it would, which was a pleasant surprise. I am excited to read more!!
Profile Image for Juliette Caron.
Author 8 books44 followers
February 15, 2025
Moon Beetles is a fantasy set in a unique world written in multiple points of view. The characters attend Guardian Academy to learn to fight and hone in on their special abilities (think X-Men).

The characters are haunted by their pasts and cope in different ways. I appreciated that Joyce does not shy away from exploring in depth the feelings they experience—self-loathing, grief, anxiety, depression, and derealization. Readers will find themselves in each fully fleshed out, relatable character.

Rin was my favorite, and I couldn’t help but feel deep compassion for her. I was the most invested in Rin’s complex and evolving friendship with Johanna, and there were scenes between them that tugged at my heartstrings.

I was wowed by the writing. This book has some of the most gorgeously written prose I’ve ever read. It’s so beautiful and atmospheric! She’s sooo talented!
Profile Image for Abby Laughlin.
Author 3 books20 followers
October 7, 2025
First of all... The final chapter of this book had me on the floor! Rin's send-off and saying goodbye to all her friends and going to find her brother? Tears.
All I can say is, I hope you have book 2 close by!

This novel, oh my gosh this novel. I honestly don't know what to say other than I absolutely loved this story with all my heart. Moon Beetles focuses on the theme of loneliness throughout, and ways to work through it to find your people. As someone who struggles with anxiety and loneliness myself, this story hit especially close to home.

I can't express enough how much I loved Moon Beetles and I can't wait to continue on this journey in Soul Tether.
Profile Image for Lois Garrett.
362 reviews11 followers
September 12, 2022

Wow did this book make me cry, in a good way! As someone who bottles up her emotions I really related to Rin, she is just trying to build a better life for her little brother and to find her place in the world. I loved all the different points of view we got to see Johanna, Eliote and Lance are all great characters who are just trying to help Rin. I would have liked to have heard from Ace but maybe in the next book? There is a slow burn romance in this novel that I enjoyed immensely. The found family aspect of this book hit close to home as well. Can’t wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Amber Bunch.
Author 6 books143 followers
September 14, 2022
A powerful and emotional fantasy!!!

With phenomenal action scenes, an epic world building experience, and real, easy to connect with characters, this book has it all!

I was captivated by this book from the moment I opened it's first page. B. Joyce just has a writing style that pulls you in with every word she writes. I absolutely loved this story and the awesome MC Rin. She goes through so much and she is such a strong and lovely character.

This is my first time reading anything from this author and I'm already a fan!
I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!!!
Profile Image for Geovanna.
105 reviews24 followers
September 16, 2022
Just wow this was such an amazing book! The world building was so descriptive and I could picture everything so well when I was reading. The emotions I felt while reading this be prepared for a rollercoaster of feelings. I enjoyed learning about all the characters and seeing the pain and healing they all experience. There are some difficult topics discussed throughout. So I recommend you read the trigger warnings before diving in. It's such an amazing fantasy read and series I cant wait to learn more about.
Profile Image for Julia Scott.
Author 10 books56 followers
April 16, 2023
Gorgeous writing, characters to love and hate and question the motives of and care about, clear and interesting world-building, and some really hard topics handled beautifully. I loved it!

(please do read the content warning before delving in)
Profile Image for Jenn.
1 review
September 14, 2025
Great book! I really enjoyed the writing. It reminded me of a less pretentious Sarah A Parker/When the Moon Hatched. The world building was great! I really fell in love with the characters and can’t wait to see what happens in Soul Tether!
Profile Image for Andrew.
8 reviews
September 4, 2022
DNF at 30%. Poorly edited and needed serious work on the plot.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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