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They Hung the Moon
Keep your eyes on the sky…
As the melancholic winter fades and fragile seeds of hope begin to bloom, these 12 stories pay tithe to the changing season.
Vengeful women, forlorn sirens, and strange beasts mirror the coming of spring and the reclamation of the landscape – for better, or for worse. Yet, even as worlds are made anew, one thing remains constant… the moon
All proceeds from this anthology are donated to Women’s Aid.
As the melancholic winter fades and fragile seeds of hope begin to bloom, these 12 stories pay tithe to the changing season.
Vengeful women, forlorn sirens, and strange beasts mirror the coming of spring and the reclamation of the landscape – for better, or for worse. Yet, even as worlds are made anew, one thing remains constant… the moon
All proceeds from this anthology are donated to Women’s Aid.
- GenresFantasyAnthologies
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
178 people want to read
About the author
Jenna Weatherwax
3 books27 followersGrowing up in a small town in Michigan, Jenna Weatherwax kept herself busy by reading and writing and spending time at the local library. She studied Classics in college, learning Ancient Greek and Latin and story structure, and she fell in love with ancient storytelling. After studying abroad in Athens, Greece for a year, she was inspired by the history and mythology to write her Urban Fantasy Romance novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 27, 2022
They Hung the Moon is a small anthology about the changing season and how each author interprets it, be it a (queer) love story, a siren looking for something more in the dark waters, women seeking revenge on the men who wronged them… there is a bit of everything, but with one constant: the moon and its impact on all of us.
I especially liked the stories written by John Ortega, Jenna Weatherwax, and Carla Eliot. each story made me wish for a full-length novel and more time with our characters!
I’ve always been fascinated by the moon (and have a tattoo to prove it), so it’s always nice to see different authors crafting stories around it, personifying it and reinventing the change from Winter to Spring (3.48)
breakdown of all the stories and ratings
I especially liked the stories written by John Ortega, Jenna Weatherwax, and Carla Eliot. each story made me wish for a full-length novel and more time with our characters!
I’ve always been fascinated by the moon (and have a tattoo to prove it), so it’s always nice to see different authors crafting stories around it, personifying it and reinventing the change from Winter to Spring (3.48)
breakdown of all the stories and ratings
March 27, 2022
What a lovely little collection form SmashBear Publishing! Thank you as always to the team for the free copy in exchange for my review.
The stories in this collection are varied in both content and tone, with the common thread of the moon and transition into spring (something I'm very much loving at the minute) pulling them all together. There were defintiely a couple of stand-out stories for me, including And I Will Follow, Red Moon Blossoms, The Tale of the Moon and the Sun, and While We Were Looking Up. I thought that they all had flushed-out characters and dreamy writing.
Honestly, Kudos to the SmashBear authors for looking into my brain and articulating how I feel when I look at the moon. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, and there's definitely something for everyone.
The stories in this collection are varied in both content and tone, with the common thread of the moon and transition into spring (something I'm very much loving at the minute) pulling them all together. There were defintiely a couple of stand-out stories for me, including And I Will Follow, Red Moon Blossoms, The Tale of the Moon and the Sun, and While We Were Looking Up. I thought that they all had flushed-out characters and dreamy writing.
Honestly, Kudos to the SmashBear authors for looking into my brain and articulating how I feel when I look at the moon. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, and there's definitely something for everyone.
March 14, 2022
Okay, I promise I'm not just saying this because I'm featured in it - but this is an absolute GEM of a book. From the gorgeous cover art to every one of the twelve moon-inspired stories inside, this book is a treasure. The short stories amassed here are a diverse little group of fantasy, romance, science fiction, drama, horror and action, set both in the modern day and far away, all linked together by the presence of the constant and watchful Spring Equinox moon.
So what's inside? 'And I Will Follow' by Jenna Weatherwax is a touching romance between the seasons; 'The Dark Side of The Moon' by Lauren Dooley takes us literally to the moon (but not back); 'Bare Necessities' by John Ortega is a breakneck ride negotiating the politics of lycanthropes; and 'The Tale of The Moon and The Sun' by Bethany Lucas brings us a stunning folktale from a community on the brink of war. And that's only a small selection of the stories included in this beautiful anthology. My own somewhat clumsily titled 'Moonlight' sits well among them, despite my original concerns that it might be too dark for the collection - mine is definitely not the only story that will send shivers down your spine!
And it gets better, because the proceeds from the sales of this anthology go to the charity Women's Aid! So you can treat yourself in good conscience, as it will go to a good cause.
'They Hung The Moon' releases on the 17th of March and you can purchase your copy - ebook and, for a limited time, physical copies - from Amazon. And you absolutely should, because Smashbear Publishing have really spun gold from moonlight with this one.
So what's inside? 'And I Will Follow' by Jenna Weatherwax is a touching romance between the seasons; 'The Dark Side of The Moon' by Lauren Dooley takes us literally to the moon (but not back); 'Bare Necessities' by John Ortega is a breakneck ride negotiating the politics of lycanthropes; and 'The Tale of The Moon and The Sun' by Bethany Lucas brings us a stunning folktale from a community on the brink of war. And that's only a small selection of the stories included in this beautiful anthology. My own somewhat clumsily titled 'Moonlight' sits well among them, despite my original concerns that it might be too dark for the collection - mine is definitely not the only story that will send shivers down your spine!
And it gets better, because the proceeds from the sales of this anthology go to the charity Women's Aid! So you can treat yourself in good conscience, as it will go to a good cause.
'They Hung The Moon' releases on the 17th of March and you can purchase your copy - ebook and, for a limited time, physical copies - from Amazon. And you absolutely should, because Smashbear Publishing have really spun gold from moonlight with this one.
March 21, 2022
Firstly I’d like to thank Smash Bear Publishing for the e-arc!! ❤️🥰
I absolutely adored this anthology of short stories. The theme of the moon and the spring equinox is something that I love so I was hooked before I started reading!! All the stories have their own tempo and feel. Some are smooth like Sarah Ernestine’s While We Were Looking Up, some are fast paced like A Bright New Future by Courtney Pollman - Turner and some just make you cry like Carla Eliot’s Mourning Moon.
I really recommend this anthology to anyone, it’s brilliant and all of the stories will resonate will you a level, trust me!! ❤️❤️ Proceeds go to Womens Aid too!!
I absolutely adored this anthology of short stories. The theme of the moon and the spring equinox is something that I love so I was hooked before I started reading!! All the stories have their own tempo and feel. Some are smooth like Sarah Ernestine’s While We Were Looking Up, some are fast paced like A Bright New Future by Courtney Pollman - Turner and some just make you cry like Carla Eliot’s Mourning Moon.
I really recommend this anthology to anyone, it’s brilliant and all of the stories will resonate will you a level, trust me!! ❤️❤️ Proceeds go to Womens Aid too!!
March 19, 2022
"Winter sleeps. The earth exhales. Seasons change. Spring awakens."
This is one I absolutely flew through this Saturday just gone, and these are stories—all of them—that just make you FEEL on some level. They're all unique and different, but all centre around one thing—change, starting new, a fresh slate if you will. Just like how Spring is a new beginning for all!
"Change happened quickly when nature decided to even the score."
The differences of each story will no doubt resonate with every reader. Some made me cry, some just made me feel a part of something bigger, whilst others made me feel like I'd just gone on an adventure—and left me wanting the rest of the story!
"I would have traded all of my days to live in her nights."
One I would definitely say everyone needs on their bookshelf—and should be one everyone is ringing in the Spring Equinox this weekend with! 🖤
"Together, they watch as the dawn paints the sky with love."
This is one I absolutely flew through this Saturday just gone, and these are stories—all of them—that just make you FEEL on some level. They're all unique and different, but all centre around one thing—change, starting new, a fresh slate if you will. Just like how Spring is a new beginning for all!
"Change happened quickly when nature decided to even the score."
The differences of each story will no doubt resonate with every reader. Some made me cry, some just made me feel a part of something bigger, whilst others made me feel like I'd just gone on an adventure—and left me wanting the rest of the story!
"I would have traded all of my days to live in her nights."
One I would definitely say everyone needs on their bookshelf—and should be one everyone is ringing in the Spring Equinox this weekend with! 🖤
"Together, they watch as the dawn paints the sky with love."
March 17, 2022
A collection of short stories centred around the moon and the changing of seasons, They Hung the Moon is a fascinating anthology filled with a variety of different stories. This is my first time reading an Anthology of any sort so I’m quite new to the format but I really enjoyed They Hung the Moon. Obviously I enjoyed some stories more than others but I found every story in this anthology to be intriguing.
The opening story, And I Follow was one of my favourites and a great opener to the Anthology. A cute abstract love story between winter and spring, it was beautifully written and the line “In the distance, icicles play a symphony with their drips and their drops. Her heart aches with the first sounds of goodbye.” really stuck with me.
Another story which stuck out to me was Moonlight, following a much darker theme of sexual assault. The way it was written was so well done and haunting and I think it will stick with me for a quite a while.
I also really enjoyed A Bright New Future, a story all about fae. I loved this one and I would actually really enjoy reading a full length novel of this one.
The entirety of this Anthology was beautifully written and I would definitely recommend it, especially since all the proceeds are going to Women’s Aid.
4.5 Stars
The opening story, And I Follow was one of my favourites and a great opener to the Anthology. A cute abstract love story between winter and spring, it was beautifully written and the line “In the distance, icicles play a symphony with their drips and their drops. Her heart aches with the first sounds of goodbye.” really stuck with me.
Another story which stuck out to me was Moonlight, following a much darker theme of sexual assault. The way it was written was so well done and haunting and I think it will stick with me for a quite a while.
I also really enjoyed A Bright New Future, a story all about fae. I loved this one and I would actually really enjoy reading a full length novel of this one.
The entirety of this Anthology was beautifully written and I would definitely recommend it, especially since all the proceeds are going to Women’s Aid.
4.5 Stars
March 17, 2022
We begin strong with two female spirits of nature loving and not having each other. That’s how I knew I was going to be entertained throughout the whole anthology.
I normally read full length books, so this was my first time reading a compilation of various authors (I’ve read like 2 when I was younger but of the same writer: E. Allan Poe & Oscar Wilde).
The old lady with the plants was like a dark cottage core. Every story got darker and darker.
I really liked the divorced woman with the cat (hopefully its okay) and the random elf. It reminded me of shark boy and lava girl: the sudden arrival of smth magical and fantastic, the opportunity of freedom and adventure, but all too impossible to be true. An hey, it’s always a RING 😅 The shadow entity/creature reminded me of Pitch Black from “Rise of the Guardians”.
The space story got me hooked in the murders mistery!!
All in all, I think despite each of us having different likes and preferences in tropes and genres we normally read, these stories can be enjoyed by anyone! There’s a bit of everything! I’d say that the common element in all of them was that, at the end, they “lost” something. Yes, there were a lot of nature and moon references, but in their endings there was always something lost (one way or another).
I normally read full length books, so this was my first time reading a compilation of various authors (I’ve read like 2 when I was younger but of the same writer: E. Allan Poe & Oscar Wilde).
The old lady with the plants was like a dark cottage core. Every story got darker and darker.
I really liked the divorced woman with the cat (hopefully its okay) and the random elf. It reminded me of shark boy and lava girl: the sudden arrival of smth magical and fantastic, the opportunity of freedom and adventure, but all too impossible to be true. An hey, it’s always a RING 😅 The shadow entity/creature reminded me of Pitch Black from “Rise of the Guardians”.
The space story got me hooked in the murders mistery!!
All in all, I think despite each of us having different likes and preferences in tropes and genres we normally read, these stories can be enjoyed by anyone! There’s a bit of everything! I’d say that the common element in all of them was that, at the end, they “lost” something. Yes, there were a lot of nature and moon references, but in their endings there was always something lost (one way or another).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2023
✨“Don't walk, my little Moon. Run.”✨
What a beautiful anthology! I am a hopeless dreamer when it comes to the stars and the moon (and the seasons omg), so this collection of work was everything. The writing and imagery were stunningly enthralling, and the references/messages were just as enjoyable.
✨“She held him tight, she closed her eyes, and the quiet returned.”✨
Some held darker themes, but even those were told honorably. I only wish some of the stories intertwined with the moon theme a bit better.
✨“There are still those who tell stories of the Moon, of a goddess who only reflected the light of the Sun.”✨
This anthology just held so much feminine beauty and power- I adored it so much. I’ve always felt like the moon and the sea held so much feminine energy, so I loved when the moon kept coming back to the sea in the end. Even with the trials and tribulations, all I can think after reading this (besides the moon) is- Oh, how I love being a woman! Then I found out the proceeds from this benefit Women’s Aid? Even better!
What a beautiful anthology! I am a hopeless dreamer when it comes to the stars and the moon (and the seasons omg), so this collection of work was everything. The writing and imagery were stunningly enthralling, and the references/messages were just as enjoyable.
✨“She held him tight, she closed her eyes, and the quiet returned.”✨
Some held darker themes, but even those were told honorably. I only wish some of the stories intertwined with the moon theme a bit better.
✨“There are still those who tell stories of the Moon, of a goddess who only reflected the light of the Sun.”✨
This anthology just held so much feminine beauty and power- I adored it so much. I’ve always felt like the moon and the sea held so much feminine energy, so I loved when the moon kept coming back to the sea in the end. Even with the trials and tribulations, all I can think after reading this (besides the moon) is- Oh, how I love being a woman! Then I found out the proceeds from this benefit Women’s Aid? Even better!
April 3, 2022
i don’t often read short stories, but i love little novella’s so i was quite excited to read this one when smashbear sent me an email asking if i’d like to be apart of their tour for the release!! & thank you so much 🤍
i absolutely loved all of these stories, each so different and so beautiful. i really enjoyed this anthology !!!
i absolutely loved all of these stories, each so different and so beautiful. i really enjoyed this anthology !!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews