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andrew_f's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
For a debut novel, The Forgetting Moon is competently written with pretty good world building. However, the cast of characters are difficult to root for because they are immensely unlikeable or completely idiotic. I believe this book will only appeal to people that like dark fantasy, that revels in brutality with little hope or triumph. As I learn more and more about my own reading taste, these types of books will not appeal to me. I don't need my protagonists to be perfect, but I need them to be a little bit competent. I also need some mix of triumph and defeat, and this book was all about misery.
In this book we're following a group of characters that live in the last kingdom yet to be conquered by an invading army. One part of the story follows a group a young villagers with the main character of that arc being Nail (terrible name for a character), who is an orphan and trains under a mysterious and stern man. Nail is one of the worst fantasy protagonists I have ever read from. He does basically nothing and the few decisions he makes is stupid or downright evil (if you read the book you know the scene). He is the primary reason I will not be continuing the series.
The other part of the story follows members of the royal family. The elder brother is now king at a young age after both his parents are killed. He is swayed by the leader of the religious sect the kingdom adheres too. This puts him at odds frequently with his eldest sister, Jondralyn who is a member of a secret order that has secret knowledge of the true beginnings of the church. The youngest sister. Tala is forced to play a deadly game by an unknown assassin.
I enjoyed the political court storyline far more than Nail's storyline. However, I felt that Jondralyn became insufferable toward the end of the novel. I was compelled by her story at the beginning but then she turned into a blind idiot. I get these characters are pretty young, but the decisions she makes are completely unbelievable.
Most of the worldbuilding is centered around competing versions of the religion. The invading kingdom has their beliefs and the defending kingdom has their version, and then there is the true secret history that is known only to a select few. Each side is trying to fulfil a prophecy 1000 years in the making and the main plotline is centered around finding the ancient artifacts of The Five Warrior Angels. The religion is far too close to Christianity for my taste. I prefer fantasy religions to differ more from real world religions, but that aside, I think the author did a good job setting up the religious conflict and did a very good job with the lore.
If I didn't hate Nail so much, I might have continued with the series. However, the mysteries aren't compelling enough to read through a couple more 900 page books to find out the answers and there are other authors that do this much better. And the book is incredibly violent. I can tolerate some brutality, but this book is over the top disgusting at some points. If it was balanced by some more hopeful scenes, it would be more palatable. Joe Abercrombie is about as grim dark as I want to get. This goes many steps further and I little entertainment in these types of stories.
In this book we're following a group of characters that live in the last kingdom yet to be conquered by an invading army. One part of the story follows a group a young villagers with the main character of that arc being Nail (terrible name for a character), who is an orphan and trains under a mysterious and stern man. Nail is one of the worst fantasy protagonists I have ever read from. He does basically nothing and the few decisions he makes is stupid or downright evil (if you read the book you know the scene). He is the primary reason I will not be continuing the series.
The other part of the story follows members of the royal family. The elder brother is now king at a young age after both his parents are killed. He is swayed by the leader of the religious sect the kingdom adheres too. This puts him at odds frequently with his eldest sister, Jondralyn who is a member of a secret order that has secret knowledge of the true beginnings of the church. The youngest sister. Tala is forced to play a deadly game by an unknown assassin.
I enjoyed the political court storyline far more than Nail's storyline. However, I felt that Jondralyn became insufferable toward the end of the novel. I was compelled by her story at the beginning but then she turned into a blind idiot. I get these characters are pretty young, but the decisions she makes are completely unbelievable.
Most of the worldbuilding is centered around competing versions of the religion. The invading kingdom has their beliefs and the defending kingdom has their version, and then there is the true secret history that is known only to a select few. Each side is trying to fulfil a prophecy 1000 years in the making and the main plotline is centered around finding the ancient artifacts of The Five Warrior Angels. The religion is far too close to Christianity for my taste. I prefer fantasy religions to differ more from real world religions, but that aside, I think the author did a good job setting up the religious conflict and did a very good job with the lore.
If I didn't hate Nail so much, I might have continued with the series. However, the mysteries aren't compelling enough to read through a couple more 900 page books to find out the answers and there are other authors that do this much better. And the book is incredibly violent. I can tolerate some brutality, but this book is over the top disgusting at some points. If it was balanced by some more hopeful scenes, it would be more palatable. Joe Abercrombie is about as grim dark as I want to get. This goes many steps further and I little entertainment in these types of stories.
playerprophet's review
5.0
I'm crazy about this book and tell everyone who will listen about it, but as a friend said: "what it's about doesn't cover what's good about it."
I say, it's what the Game of Thrones TV show wanted A Song of Ice and Fire to be.
I say, it's what the Game of Thrones TV show wanted A Song of Ice and Fire to be.
dashingyak6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
behnaz's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
tracit's review
3.0
Story: In a very religious world a kingdom is on the brink of invasion. According to a prophecy five people can stand in the way of the invaders.
3/5
Characters: This is very character driven work with multiple points of views. Strangely the main protagonist Nail was the least interesting and most annoying character for me. Characterization is done very well, but sometimes slows the books.
3/5
Worldbuilding: Do not get me wrong, there is a lot of worldbuilding done here. A lot of thought seems to be put into this world and its religion and background. But it is really just not my kind of world. Too many times I was reminded of Christian religion and I do like more fantasy if I read fantasy. If I remember correctly magic was absent from this book at all.
3/5
Writing Style: Nothing special to note, except for a debut novel it is executed very well.
3/5
(Sub) Genre rating: For me it is a mix of High / Epic Fantasy with Grimdark.
3/5
Final Thoughts / Buzz: I was really looking forward to this book and also it was part of The Five Warrior Angels, I hoped it was not to much influenced by Christian religion. But unfortunatley for me it did not work out. Overall it is a very well executed debut novel which is just not my cup of tea. And therefore I won't return to this world in the near future.
3/5
Characters: This is very character driven work with multiple points of views. Strangely the main protagonist Nail was the least interesting and most annoying character for me. Characterization is done very well, but sometimes slows the books.
3/5
Worldbuilding: Do not get me wrong, there is a lot of worldbuilding done here. A lot of thought seems to be put into this world and its religion and background. But it is really just not my kind of world. Too many times I was reminded of Christian religion and I do like more fantasy if I read fantasy. If I remember correctly magic was absent from this book at all.
3/5
Writing Style: Nothing special to note, except for a debut novel it is executed very well.
3/5
(Sub) Genre rating: For me it is a mix of High / Epic Fantasy with Grimdark.
3/5
Final Thoughts / Buzz: I was really looking forward to this book and also it was part of The Five Warrior Angels, I hoped it was not to much influenced by Christian religion. But unfortunatley for me it did not work out. Overall it is a very well executed debut novel which is just not my cup of tea. And therefore I won't return to this world in the near future.
newbett's review
4.0
Book #5 of 2023
AT LAST. I'm done with this book.
It feels like I have been reading it forever. I loved the story, the setting and the "grimdark" events. But the pacing was so ... slow, it made me drop the book and take a break from it, and even dnfing it. However, I'm glad I finished it, because I like it. And surprisingly.. I'm very excited to know what the next books bring.
AT LAST. I'm done with this book.
It feels like I have been reading it forever. I loved the story, the setting and the "grimdark" events. But the pacing was so ... slow, it made me drop the book and take a break from it, and even dnfing it. However, I'm glad I finished it, because I like it. And surprisingly.. I'm very excited to know what the next books bring.
theyungstump's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lordnikon's review
3.0
A solid, and entertaining debut overall! Great world building, characters, and setting.
It's about 300 pages too long. The pace Judders to a halt often (especially in the middle), and the book suffers from bloat. There is tonnes of extraneous info in this book. Durfee needs to cut the chaff and stick to the main thrust of the story. And he needs to sort out how to insert extra info organically. We shouldn't learn about Stefan's proficiency with a bow....while Nail and Ava are having a moment on the cliffs. That should come in at some point when that's the thrust of what's occurring in that section. It felt scatterbrained to have those two incongruous things in that section.
Also. This business of making each book be 55 chapters? Dude, just no. ESPECIALLY no if they are going to be how long they are here. Your book had about 450-500 pages worth of SOLID SOLID story...you need to cut the extra stuff so the pace doesn't suffer.
Also, put an ending in even a serial book...don't just drop everyone's narratives off in nowheresville...readers need closure before you ask them to come back.
I'm in for book 2. But I'm going to be FAR less forgiving if that one suffers from the same bloat as this one.
It's about 300 pages too long. The pace Judders to a halt often (especially in the middle), and the book suffers from bloat. There is tonnes of extraneous info in this book. Durfee needs to cut the chaff and stick to the main thrust of the story. And he needs to sort out how to insert extra info organically. We shouldn't learn about Stefan's proficiency with a bow....while Nail and Ava are having a moment on the cliffs. That should come in at some point when that's the thrust of what's occurring in that section. It felt scatterbrained to have those two incongruous things in that section.
Also. This business of making each book be 55 chapters? Dude, just no. ESPECIALLY no if they are going to be how long they are here. Your book had about 450-500 pages worth of SOLID SOLID story...you need to cut the extra stuff so the pace doesn't suffer.
Also, put an ending in even a serial book...don't just drop everyone's narratives off in nowheresville...readers need closure before you ask them to come back.
I'm in for book 2. But I'm going to be FAR less forgiving if that one suffers from the same bloat as this one.