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Moonrise #2
Legion
Bronze age boarding school meets The Hunger Games in this fun, fast, fantasy novella.
When Brendon imagined leaving home, he thought it would be different.
His dreams of being swept away on a grand adventure vanished when his step-father shipped him off to the nation’s capital to train as a soldier.
In this second installment of the Moonrise saga, friendships are forged, romances blossom, and mysteries are uncovered.
As Brendon navigates the rigors of training and the pressure of living up to his famous father’s name, he must stay true to his friends, escape peril, and come to terms with his new reality.
But dark forces lurk in the shadows. The winding halls of The Citadel are filled with watching eyes and listening ears.
Something sinister is coming. It’s only a matter of when.
When Brendon imagined leaving home, he thought it would be different.
His dreams of being swept away on a grand adventure vanished when his step-father shipped him off to the nation’s capital to train as a soldier.
In this second installment of the Moonrise saga, friendships are forged, romances blossom, and mysteries are uncovered.
As Brendon navigates the rigors of training and the pressure of living up to his famous father’s name, he must stay true to his friends, escape peril, and come to terms with his new reality.
But dark forces lurk in the shadows. The winding halls of The Citadel are filled with watching eyes and listening ears.
Something sinister is coming. It’s only a matter of when.
- GenresFantasy
199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2022
4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
January 6, 2023
There was a lot that happened and it was written differently than the previous book. Instead of switching between the 3 characters/story lines you get to read more about Brenden. I like that we get to understand how he thinks of himself and people around him. There was action, emotion and even a little flirting. It was a quick read and easy to follow.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 11, 2023
3.5 stars
For most of the book I was kinda disappointed to be honest. After the first book I thought “okay here’s a big universe, with a rich history and countless mysteries” and I was fully prepared to discover some answers in the second book but nothing came. For the most part it was just going over ordinary, daily routines of the kids in the camp and it seemed like the story was not progressing at all. There were only a few minor stuff that happened counting towards the main story. It was only the last 20% of the book that was interesting and you could say that “okay something is really happening now”.
Unless something happens in the third book that points directly to the boring parts of the second one and makes them more important, I will go with the 3.5 stars.
But I have great expectations for the third book because I think the story has some special potentials that have not been addressed so far. I was going to give the book 3 stars, but I added a half star just because the ending.
I received a free copy of the book on BookSprout to leave an honest review.
For most of the book I was kinda disappointed to be honest. After the first book I thought “okay here’s a big universe, with a rich history and countless mysteries” and I was fully prepared to discover some answers in the second book but nothing came. For the most part it was just going over ordinary, daily routines of the kids in the camp and it seemed like the story was not progressing at all. There were only a few minor stuff that happened counting towards the main story. It was only the last 20% of the book that was interesting and you could say that “okay something is really happening now”.
Unless something happens in the third book that points directly to the boring parts of the second one and makes them more important, I will go with the 3.5 stars.
But I have great expectations for the third book because I think the story has some special potentials that have not been addressed so far. I was going to give the book 3 stars, but I added a half star just because the ending.
I received a free copy of the book on BookSprout to leave an honest review.
June 12, 2022
This author is the king of short and engaging reads. This book focuses on developing the character heavily while still being a fun read (although I missed some of the characters from the first book). I absolutely cannot wait to see where this series goes in the future!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 15, 2023
Unfortunately I was a little disappointed with this one! The book took a very long time to get going, the ending was pretty good though! However after the first book being a very strong setup for what could have been an amazing second book, this one didn’t meet the mark for me overall.
Firstly, I want to say that this one would have been a 4 star read for me, if it wasn’t for a few issues I had.
These start with a quite cringey couple of pages that talked about periods in a really weird way, and to be honest could have been entirely left out. Not only was it an entirely awkward conversation, but there was also part of the dialogue where one of the other characters questions her about her being on her time of the month, based on her disheveled appearance alone. To me personally, that is entirely unnecessary and did not contribute to furthering the book, not to mention pretty unlikely, so I’m very confused about why it was even mentioned. I have zero issue with this being a thing, but when it’s completely pointless and bought up the way it was it’s probably worse than not mentioning it at all.
There is also a bit of a weird discussion midway through the book about sexualities, don’t get me wrong it’s fantastic that these discussions are happening in books and are being normalised, but it just felt so forced that it didn’t feel genuine. Some quite outdated terminology was used too, to the point I had to search what it meant in order to make sense of what they were talking about. It might just be me personally in not knowing what the word meant, and I get that the timeline is in the past, but if this is aimed at YA I doubt that age group would get what it means to be “inverted.”
Moving on from those issues the biggest letdown of book 2 is that we no longer got to see the other POV’s! This one is solely told from Brendon’s perspective, and while he is obviously an integral character to the narrative, I found it a little odd that we didn’t see anything from the other characters. We briefly saw one of the other characters at the end, but through Brendon’s eyes. Perhaps book 3 will be solely from one of the other characters POV? I’m not sure.
Putting all of that aside, the plot itself is gaining some traction and although I almost DNF’d at the beginning of the book, I think I will end up committing to reading book 3, if only to see more of Kumori and his companion!!
Update: I did not continue to book 3, after some speculation I decided it wasn’t gripping enough for me to continue on.
Firstly, I want to say that this one would have been a 4 star read for me, if it wasn’t for a few issues I had.
These start with a quite cringey couple of pages that talked about periods in a really weird way, and to be honest could have been entirely left out. Not only was it an entirely awkward conversation, but there was also part of the dialogue where one of the other characters questions her about her being on her time of the month, based on her disheveled appearance alone. To me personally, that is entirely unnecessary and did not contribute to furthering the book, not to mention pretty unlikely, so I’m very confused about why it was even mentioned. I have zero issue with this being a thing, but when it’s completely pointless and bought up the way it was it’s probably worse than not mentioning it at all.
There is also a bit of a weird discussion midway through the book about sexualities, don’t get me wrong it’s fantastic that these discussions are happening in books and are being normalised, but it just felt so forced that it didn’t feel genuine. Some quite outdated terminology was used too, to the point I had to search what it meant in order to make sense of what they were talking about. It might just be me personally in not knowing what the word meant, and I get that the timeline is in the past, but if this is aimed at YA I doubt that age group would get what it means to be “inverted.”
Moving on from those issues the biggest letdown of book 2 is that we no longer got to see the other POV’s! This one is solely told from Brendon’s perspective, and while he is obviously an integral character to the narrative, I found it a little odd that we didn’t see anything from the other characters. We briefly saw one of the other characters at the end, but through Brendon’s eyes. Perhaps book 3 will be solely from one of the other characters POV? I’m not sure.
Putting all of that aside, the plot itself is gaining some traction and although I almost DNF’d at the beginning of the book, I think I will end up committing to reading book 3, if only to see more of Kumori and his companion!!
Update: I did not continue to book 3, after some speculation I decided it wasn’t gripping enough for me to continue on.
January 10, 2023
Let me start off by saying this book is written very differently from Book 1. Instead of being told from the perspective of three narrators, the book only follows Brendon as he navigates training to become a soldier under his father's shadow. Many of those involved want him dead while others, loyal to his father, look out for him.
I enjoyed this one much more than the first, and the end was considerably better. We are no closer, however, to solving a single mystery, which has left me somewhat frustrated but intrigued enough to continue the series. There is much more world-building, albeit small, and character development in book 2 compared to book 1, and I am certainly more invested in Brendon's well-being.
Despite loving the book, I wish this one was longer and included the perspective of from Kumori and Leara during this time. I know we will hear from them soon, but extending the book to include multiple viewpoints would have made it 5 stars for me.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this one much more than the first, and the end was considerably better. We are no closer, however, to solving a single mystery, which has left me somewhat frustrated but intrigued enough to continue the series. There is much more world-building, albeit small, and character development in book 2 compared to book 1, and I am certainly more invested in Brendon's well-being.
Despite loving the book, I wish this one was longer and included the perspective of from Kumori and Leara during this time. I know we will hear from them soon, but extending the book to include multiple viewpoints would have made it 5 stars for me.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2023
I think this is a nice change of my usual type book (long, historic, epic stories, etc). It's a small step forward to an obvious bigger plot/universe written in a simple but engaging style. In contrast with the multiple POV of the previous books, this one focuses in the day-to-day of Brendon's new life: comrades, enemies, trials, even a dice of romance and dealing with a long dark shadow of a famous unknown father. The pace is slow like snail slow so it can be a bit frustrating more-so with how short this installment is. I would say this is just a complement to the introduction; there are a lot more questions than answers in this book and some interactions Brendon has a bit repetitive. Overall, I would say we are not even 20% in on what the author trying to do so patience is still key to try to read this saga. I would like to give it slight above average grading 3.5 stars. Moving on to the next one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 28, 2022
I think I liked Wolfsong better. The whole time I wished we were seeing from Laera’s and Kumori’s perspectives but it was just Brenden’s.
Spoiler
I wanted to see how the other two were handling what they were going through during that time. How was Laera pursuing those responsible for her fathers death. How was she growing? How was Kumori working to get in contact with Brenden? I mean the end of the last book was from his perspective and talking about the connections in the Citadel but we didn’t even get to see that? It just felt like a training montage for Brenden that we could have seen less of and more from the others.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read I just hoped for more.
Spoiler
I wanted to see how the other two were handling what they were going through during that time. How was Laera pursuing those responsible for her fathers death. How was she growing? How was Kumori working to get in contact with Brenden? I mean the end of the last book was from his perspective and talking about the connections in the Citadel but we didn’t even get to see that? It just felt like a training montage for Brenden that we could have seen less of and more from the others.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read I just hoped for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2023
This one was hard for me to put down; I see why it is a fan favorite!
I like the subtle foreshadowing. The plot and character development really drove the story forward.
I was a bit disappointed with how the book ended, as I thought we were finally getting somewhere with that character conflict, and I was hoping for more of a resolution.
I look forward to getting more answers in Book 3, along with seeing more of the characters from the first book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I like the subtle foreshadowing. The plot and character development really drove the story forward.
I was a bit disappointed with how the book ended, as I thought we were finally getting somewhere with that character conflict, and I was hoping for more of a resolution.
I look forward to getting more answers in Book 3, along with seeing more of the characters from the first book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 27, 2023
This book was a lot more engaging than the first in the series. It follows Brendan with no POV switches to the other characters we were introduced to in the first book. However, it ends on a cliff note and so the book does not ultimately gain a resolution. I liked the focus on one story, but a lot of it feels rushed still. The characters we are following are supposed to be some of the best in the academy and yet, the book does not show this.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 8, 2023
This is a great followup to the first book. At points I couldn't put the book down.
We only follow one person in this book, and at first I missed some of the characters from the first book, but as soon as the book really started, I forgot about that.
I will definitely read the next book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
We only follow one person in this book, and at first I missed some of the characters from the first book, but as soon as the book really started, I forgot about that.
I will definitely read the next book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 28, 2023
I must admit this series has not been my favorite, but this second book almost didn't mention my favorite character ( Kumori ) and has this bully dynamic I truly dislike
It was short but being honest I did not like it, I hope the third part is super awesome tho.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It was short but being honest I did not like it, I hope the third part is super awesome tho.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 13, 2025
3.5*! Another fairly good book, especially the ending! I felt like this book was more complete than the first in terms of story arc, despite ending on a cliff hanger.
This book is still third person, but POV is fully on Brendon. I liked getting to know him even more, but felt like the story could be improved POV from Kumori and Leara (especially Leara…I’m sure we’ll get to her story soon, but we have no idea how it weaves in with the larger world, and this book doesn’t give us answers.).
The world itself is really fleshed out, and the characters all have some depth, though I’d also love to have learned a bit more of the background and personality of some of the side characters. We get that for some of them, but others just seem a bit filler…certain moments in the story would have higher stakes and be more impactful to the reader if we had more knowledge of their motivations. Someone else phrased it well: the beginning of the book did not see much plot (and I would also argue character) advancement. The end felt like a bit rapid fire, which I liked, though I think a faster beginning and more character depth would balance the pacing out a bit more.
Excited to continue on with this series!
I received this book free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
This book is still third person, but POV is fully on Brendon. I liked getting to know him even more, but felt like the story could be improved POV from Kumori and Leara (especially Leara…I’m sure we’ll get to her story soon, but we have no idea how it weaves in with the larger world, and this book doesn’t give us answers.).
The world itself is really fleshed out, and the characters all have some depth, though I’d also love to have learned a bit more of the background and personality of some of the side characters. We get that for some of them, but others just seem a bit filler…certain moments in the story would have higher stakes and be more impactful to the reader if we had more knowledge of their motivations. Someone else phrased it well: the beginning of the book did not see much plot (and I would also argue character) advancement. The end felt like a bit rapid fire, which I liked, though I think a faster beginning and more character depth would balance the pacing out a bit more.
Excited to continue on with this series!
I received this book free from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2023
Legion is the second book in the Moonrise series, and it delivers a well contained, exciting story.
I was initially disappointed by Legion because by chapter 3 I was wondering where the other 2 POVs from the previous book went. This follow up goes from a series featuring 3 POVs down to 1, and the 1 POV that we are left with was the character I was least interested in the story up to this point.
After finishing this book, I'm so glad that the author took this approach. The character that I found the weakest is now much stronger due to his arc in this story. The story itself is one that we're all familiar with - A young student enrolled in some elite school finds himself and makes friends for life while overcoming his outside reputation. It works. Sometimes I want something simple that feels like a warm blanket, and this story is that.
I am excited to read on with book 3, which is just about to release in early 2023.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was initially disappointed by Legion because by chapter 3 I was wondering where the other 2 POVs from the previous book went. This follow up goes from a series featuring 3 POVs down to 1, and the 1 POV that we are left with was the character I was least interested in the story up to this point.
After finishing this book, I'm so glad that the author took this approach. The character that I found the weakest is now much stronger due to his arc in this story. The story itself is one that we're all familiar with - A young student enrolled in some elite school finds himself and makes friends for life while overcoming his outside reputation. It works. Sometimes I want something simple that feels like a warm blanket, and this story is that.
I am excited to read on with book 3, which is just about to release in early 2023.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 12, 2023
Bronze age boarding school meets The Hunger Games. Brendon's dreams of being swept away on a grand adventure vanished when his step-father shipped him off to the nation’s capital to train as a soldier. In the second installment of the Moonrise saga friendships are forged, romances blossom, and mysteries are uncovered. As Brendon navigates the rigors of training and the pressure of living up to his famous father’s name, he must stay true to his friends, escape peril, and come to terms with his new reality. But there are dark forces that lurk in the shadows. The winding halls of The Citadel are filled with watching eyes and listening ears. Something sinister is coming and it’s only a matter of when.
There is a content warning because Moonrise saga contains depictions or references to death, sex, environmental catastrophe, child abuse, fantasy violence, mysogyny, racism, classism, military, warfare, assault, blood, human trafficking, people in cages, and the loss of a family member.
This story is well written, pulling you in quickly and you immediately become attached to the main characters. I really enjoyed this book!! The author has clearly defined their world and put a lot of thought into the social and political dynamics. Though the world building is huge, the author also takes time to let the reader get to know the characters too. This is a really great book I look forward to reading book 3.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There is a content warning because Moonrise saga contains depictions or references to death, sex, environmental catastrophe, child abuse, fantasy violence, mysogyny, racism, classism, military, warfare, assault, blood, human trafficking, people in cages, and the loss of a family member.
This story is well written, pulling you in quickly and you immediately become attached to the main characters. I really enjoyed this book!! The author has clearly defined their world and put a lot of thought into the social and political dynamics. Though the world building is huge, the author also takes time to let the reader get to know the characters too. This is a really great book I look forward to reading book 3.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 22, 2023
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a solid book 2 for the series. But I have a conundrum with this book. For you see, it's somehow both better and worse than the first one.
There is a distinct change concerning characters in the book. I realize the title is Legion, so it makes sense that it mainly follows Bren, but it was very weird for the first book to be almost entirely a character rotation when it comes to chapters for this book to then be distinctly one character, one mentioned, and one not in it at all.
Ways that this helps: you get to know Bren better, you get to see his training, you get to know his friends. It's fun to see the friendships grow.
Ways that this does not help: Time is passing and unless book 3 goes back to catch other characters up, we just lose potentially months of time for them (the book isn't the clearest on how much time passes).
I really enjoyed the character of Kat. She seems to be the most "real" character to me. Divided loyalty, unsure of her place, trying to determine how to do life with a childhood best friend and not a great family life while still growing and changing with her rank. Everyone else, while enjoyable, seemed a bit flat. You've got the MC who must Struggle to Overcome (TM) against the Machine that is hierarchy, the love interest who's a bad*ss, the quirky bi girl that everyone loves, the "class clown" that gets pushed down because of his race and heritage. It's diverse, but it's kind of basic. Again, they're enjoyable, but they could all be so much more.
Also, the way these kids talk... I know we're trying to get morals and whatnot into children's books and YA, but no kid - I don't care what universe you're in - talks like these kids do. Man, most adults don't even talk like this in my experience. Good stuff they're trying to push across, but it's almost too many morals. Just pick one or two and try to take those a bit deeper than a single conversation and nothing else. They don't have to be in-your-face, the only-point-of-the-book, but they could feel real and like they're actually part of these characters' lives.
One area that I would have hoped to have things be a little better would be pacing, since there's only one main character to track. Unfortunately, it's still a little lacking. Let me be clear: I don't think there's much, if anything, to cut out of this story. But maybe an extra chapter - not even all that many pages. This one ends in a cliffhanger. But there are some details that are... missing near the end that would wrap things up well. Perhaps they're part of the cliffhanger? But it doesn't feel that way. It feels like they're just kind of... forgotten or scratched out. The big climax at the end needed a bit more space in the book. But I did enjoy the pacing early on with training and getting to know the friends. We see Bren grow with his rank while he does it so now we're invested in them.
Anyway, I know that all sounds like a lot of negative, but I really did enjoy it. And the cliffhanger was excellent because I am much more excited to jump into book 3 than I was this one. I'm glad I did, though!
This was a solid book 2 for the series. But I have a conundrum with this book. For you see, it's somehow both better and worse than the first one.
There is a distinct change concerning characters in the book. I realize the title is Legion, so it makes sense that it mainly follows Bren, but it was very weird for the first book to be almost entirely a character rotation when it comes to chapters for this book to then be distinctly one character, one mentioned, and one not in it at all.
Ways that this helps: you get to know Bren better, you get to see his training, you get to know his friends. It's fun to see the friendships grow.
Ways that this does not help: Time is passing and unless book 3 goes back to catch other characters up, we just lose potentially months of time for them (the book isn't the clearest on how much time passes).
I really enjoyed the character of Kat. She seems to be the most "real" character to me. Divided loyalty, unsure of her place, trying to determine how to do life with a childhood best friend and not a great family life while still growing and changing with her rank. Everyone else, while enjoyable, seemed a bit flat. You've got the MC who must Struggle to Overcome (TM) against the Machine that is hierarchy, the love interest who's a bad*ss, the quirky bi girl that everyone loves, the "class clown" that gets pushed down because of his race and heritage. It's diverse, but it's kind of basic. Again, they're enjoyable, but they could all be so much more.
Also, the way these kids talk... I know we're trying to get morals and whatnot into children's books and YA, but no kid - I don't care what universe you're in - talks like these kids do. Man, most adults don't even talk like this in my experience. Good stuff they're trying to push across, but it's almost too many morals. Just pick one or two and try to take those a bit deeper than a single conversation and nothing else. They don't have to be in-your-face, the only-point-of-the-book, but they could feel real and like they're actually part of these characters' lives.
One area that I would have hoped to have things be a little better would be pacing, since there's only one main character to track. Unfortunately, it's still a little lacking. Let me be clear: I don't think there's much, if anything, to cut out of this story. But maybe an extra chapter - not even all that many pages. This one ends in a cliffhanger. But there are some details that are... missing near the end that would wrap things up well. Perhaps they're part of the cliffhanger? But it doesn't feel that way. It feels like they're just kind of... forgotten or scratched out. The big climax at the end needed a bit more space in the book. But I did enjoy the pacing early on with training and getting to know the friends. We see Bren grow with his rank while he does it so now we're invested in them.
Anyway, I know that all sounds like a lot of negative, but I really did enjoy it. And the cliffhanger was excellent because I am much more excited to jump into book 3 than I was this one. I'm glad I did, though!
October 4, 2023
I loved that this installment focused more on Brendon and what he’s going through. I do miss the multi-POV but still throughly enjoyed the writing style.
*Spoiler kind of
I feel bad that he’s struggling with the way everyone is treating him due to the legacy his father left. He didn’t even know him and yet those around him believe he is like his father.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*Spoiler kind of
I feel bad that he’s struggling with the way everyone is treating him due to the legacy his father left. He didn’t even know him and yet those around him believe he is like his father.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2023
This is a really great second book. The story continues to evolve and grow into a great page turner and I couldn't put it down. The book builds from slower points of down time into a thrilling suspense of action and danger. I couldn't be more excited to read more!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 17, 2022
This book was charming and adventurous, and full of life. The character development with so much more enhanced and enriched in this book. I really enjoyed it.
Just like the first book, beautifully written, as if it where being painted but I actually think it’s written better than the first book. There’s less grammatical errors and much better sentence structure. And the flow really worked well.
If you’re looking for a classical fantasy book, with undertones of equality of feminism and is also friendly to progressive ideas, than this book is for you.
I think the writer really outdid himself in this book, and I actually really look forward to the next one in the series.
Just like the first book, beautifully written, as if it where being painted but I actually think it’s written better than the first book. There’s less grammatical errors and much better sentence structure. And the flow really worked well.
If you’re looking for a classical fantasy book, with undertones of equality of feminism and is also friendly to progressive ideas, than this book is for you.
I think the writer really outdid himself in this book, and I actually really look forward to the next one in the series.
July 14, 2022
I’m only halfway. It is taking me a while to read it because it doesn’t catch my attention. This is the training montage of the story but kinda boring. I know it’s necessary and important to the story as a whole, but just boring. Still no news of Laura from the first book.
When people asked what it was about, I’d say the boring parts of Eragon combined with Percy Jackson.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When people asked what it was about, I’d say the boring parts of Eragon combined with Percy Jackson.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 14, 2022
Unexpected but Delightful
I really didn’t expect this book but it was delightful all the same.
The whole book is about Brendon and told while following him which was the first surprise.
The next surprises are spoilers but just know I wasn’t expecting it.
I love how diverse the characters are and how it deals with bullying and hate that’s super comparable to real life.
I can’t wait to read more about what comes next.
I really didn’t expect this book but it was delightful all the same.
The whole book is about Brendon and told while following him which was the first surprise.
The next surprises are spoilers but just know I wasn’t expecting it.
I love how diverse the characters are and how it deals with bullying and hate that’s super comparable to real life.
I can’t wait to read more about what comes next.
February 14, 2023
The second book was pretty okay I just felt this time like i missed out on other characters that we were introduced from before. I genuinely very much got disappointed by the point of view being changed to single point of view than 3 of them before which is why it lost a star for me. But overall the ending made up.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 2, 2022
This is a fun story that covers where one of our characters from the last book has ended up. It continues as he learns more about this world that he seems to know as much about as we do. Once again, the artwork will take your breath away. I'm really enjoying this world and can't wait for the next book!
July 2, 2022
The second book is captivating. I don't know that I would have pushed through the 1st book if I didn't have the ARC but I am glad I did.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 10, 2022
The story was as enjoyable as the first and I enjoyed it a lot.
This is my second time reading a book from this author and look forward to reading more from them
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my second time reading a book from this author and look forward to reading more from them
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read
December 24, 2025Enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was lots of fun. I thought it was pretty derivative of a lot of other works, like the first Red Rising book and really anything with a military school vibe, but nonetheless it was original enough to hold my attention.
I think if I had gone into these books completely blind and without having seen the author talk about them quite a bit on TikTok before I purchased it, I would likely be a lot rougher on the books. However, knowing that these books are set to be part of a 45 book series, I've been reading them, and will co to ue to read the next three that are out so far, as essentially one massive prologue. Its all setting up for bigger things.
I've at this point chosen to hold my greater judgement until I get the finish book 5. Like, comparing these to something like the Stormlight Archives, which has the length of all five current Moonrise books combined, fully judging each book in terms of the story its telling would be like judging Way of Kings a fifth at a time. Like, its very clear that every five books is meant to be a distinct arc, so while, sure I'll judge all the other aspects like the prose, general pacing, characters, and whatnot as I go along, im leaving my full judgement of the story until I finish the arc. I understand why other may not want to approach it in this way, but I'm enjoying it enough to give it that benefit of a doubt. Plus, having it divided into five individual books allows for the author to do things that wouldn't really work as well in a single book, such as having a single part focused solely on one character, like this book is, or introducing completely new POV characters in the third part.
Anyhow, all the things I am willing to judge so far have been great. Characters are mostly enjoyable. Pacing is pretty spot on for this kind of book. Prose flows really well. Overall, really enjoying it.
As I did with the first book, I'm giving it a 5/5 on here because really want this indie author to succeed as much as possible, but the real rating is probably closer to 4/5 for me.
As I also said with the first book, all Fantasy novels should have pictures, especially when their as high quality as the ones in this series.
I think if I had gone into these books completely blind and without having seen the author talk about them quite a bit on TikTok before I purchased it, I would likely be a lot rougher on the books. However, knowing that these books are set to be part of a 45 book series, I've been reading them, and will co to ue to read the next three that are out so far, as essentially one massive prologue. Its all setting up for bigger things.
I've at this point chosen to hold my greater judgement until I get the finish book 5. Like, comparing these to something like the Stormlight Archives, which has the length of all five current Moonrise books combined, fully judging each book in terms of the story its telling would be like judging Way of Kings a fifth at a time. Like, its very clear that every five books is meant to be a distinct arc, so while, sure I'll judge all the other aspects like the prose, general pacing, characters, and whatnot as I go along, im leaving my full judgement of the story until I finish the arc. I understand why other may not want to approach it in this way, but I'm enjoying it enough to give it that benefit of a doubt. Plus, having it divided into five individual books allows for the author to do things that wouldn't really work as well in a single book, such as having a single part focused solely on one character, like this book is, or introducing completely new POV characters in the third part.
Anyhow, all the things I am willing to judge so far have been great. Characters are mostly enjoyable. Pacing is pretty spot on for this kind of book. Prose flows really well. Overall, really enjoying it.
As I did with the first book, I'm giving it a 5/5 on here because really want this indie author to succeed as much as possible, but the real rating is probably closer to 4/5 for me.
As I also said with the first book, all Fantasy novels should have pictures, especially when their as high quality as the ones in this series.
February 23, 2023
2.5
I'm not gonna lie, I felt really dissapointed with this book. Don't get me wrong, it is good and enjoyable. But as a sequel from the saga it just feels more like a spin-off than the middle of a trilogy. The things that was stablished in the first book with the three POV's it's gone, even if I like Brendon as a character and his journey, I really missed Kumori and, most of all, Leana revenge. I was expecting that in this books this three journeys meet up in some point but there was just Brendon all along.
Even when this book is the short one, it feels really long and heavy, and like the first one, it just end when things are getting excited.
And to be a fantasy novel, the only moment were someting is mentioned about the magic or the folkloree of the world is just at the end of it, and it was seen over.
After all of this, I really liked the characters. They are solid in personality and you can picture them perfectly, the relationships they form with each other feels so natural. Also the dynamic inside the place, you don't needs to much to enter in the world and imagine everything and that's good writing my friends. You can see the author took really care writing it and editing too.
I'm not gonna lie, I felt really dissapointed with this book. Don't get me wrong, it is good and enjoyable. But as a sequel from the saga it just feels more like a spin-off than the middle of a trilogy. The things that was stablished in the first book with the three POV's it's gone, even if I like Brendon as a character and his journey, I really missed Kumori and, most of all, Leana revenge. I was expecting that in this books this three journeys meet up in some point but there was just Brendon all along.
Even when this book is the short one, it feels really long and heavy, and like the first one, it just end when things are getting excited.
And to be a fantasy novel, the only moment were someting is mentioned about the magic or the folkloree of the world is just at the end of it, and it was seen over.
After all of this, I really liked the characters. They are solid in personality and you can picture them perfectly, the relationships they form with each other feels so natural. Also the dynamic inside the place, you don't needs to much to enter in the world and imagine everything and that's good writing my friends. You can see the author took really care writing it and editing too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2023
This book was completely different than the first. If there hadn’t been a character of the same name I wouldn’t have known it was a sequel to the first. The first book alternated who the chapters were following. This was one fluid story the whole way through all about Brendan. I know he is the key, but following him through essentially being bullied at basic training wasn’t my favorite type of read at all. I found it difficult to hold my attention like the first one did, but the last 2-3 chapters finally had me engaged again. Much like the first, there was no resolution so you must read the next book to find any kind of explanations. I will say the development of the female characters in this book were a very pleasant surprise. I liked the acknowledgment of unfair gender roles. I could feel more of the characters emotions towards the end as well. This is still well written like the first, just felt like there were many wasted pages. Can’t wait to read the 3rd to hopefully get some answers finally!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 16, 2024
Really struggled through this one. It was so different than the first book. It only had Brenden’s POV, which wouldn’t have been so bad if something interesting happened. As it was, it was mostly just the day-to-day of being in basic training. And there were so many characters thrown in at once and all of them have C-names. The different ranks might have helped if they didn’t undermine each other so much. Would’ve been nicely juicy if I had gotten to know the characters a little bit more first. And can’t I have one book that doesn’t have an in depth discussion about sexuality??? I don’t care. I’m not reading a fantasy book for that. I want plot, and intrigue, and twists, and THEN, maybe you can throw in some romance. But I don’t need a full chapter discussion about periods and who’s gay or bi
The ending almost make me bump up my rating because that was interesting and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. But everything happened over less than 20 pages so it took too long to get there and finished up too fast with almost zero revelation beyond “oop, a couple bad guy pawns are now dead”
The ending almost make me bump up my rating because that was interesting and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. But everything happened over less than 20 pages so it took too long to get there and finished up too fast with almost zero revelation beyond “oop, a couple bad guy pawns are now dead”
February 28, 2023
So I will start off to say that book 2 is written differently to book one. Instead of having the 3 MC's we are focusing on Bren and his journey.
We are taken through his day to day duties in the Citadel. We get to know his friends, Cassia, Helen, Katrina and Amir. His Centurion Maximus. How they build up their preparation to face the gauntlet of the Crucible.
I really enjoyed the story, though it was a little slow. Ignatz did not disappoint with the build up to his ending and when I reached the end I was left with the the brilliant cliff-hanger that makes me want to dive into book 3!
Of course, we are no closer to solving any of the mysteries he has hinted in book 1, but this book was well written, descriptions are amazing and really take one into this world.
Looking forward to book 3!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
We are taken through his day to day duties in the Citadel. We get to know his friends, Cassia, Helen, Katrina and Amir. His Centurion Maximus. How they build up their preparation to face the gauntlet of the Crucible.
I really enjoyed the story, though it was a little slow. Ignatz did not disappoint with the build up to his ending and when I reached the end I was left with the the brilliant cliff-hanger that makes me want to dive into book 3!
Of course, we are no closer to solving any of the mysteries he has hinted in book 1, but this book was well written, descriptions are amazing and really take one into this world.
Looking forward to book 3!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 10, 2023
Overall I rated this a 3.5 star read. It was written from a single pov where the first book was written in the pov of 3 characters. We didn’t see any of one of the characters from the first book and saw a little of the other through an encounter with Bren.
So that was a little strange and just had me wondering about the other characters from the first book.
I did have a couple small issues with the book, one thing was some older terminology that I had to look up to understand what it meant. The second thing which happened pretty early in the book was the period conversation, it wasn’t necessary and was a little awkward.
Overall I liked the book, the ending had me wondering what’s going on. I will for sure read the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So that was a little strange and just had me wondering about the other characters from the first book.
I did have a couple small issues with the book, one thing was some older terminology that I had to look up to understand what it meant. The second thing which happened pretty early in the book was the period conversation, it wasn’t necessary and was a little awkward.
Overall I liked the book, the ending had me wondering what’s going on. I will for sure read the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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