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readtheblurb's review against another edition
4.0
The Crescent Moon is a short, yet insightful and thought-provoking fantasy book that explorers the philosophy of love, life, choices and consequences. Its uniqueness made for the perfect break between the usual fantasy.
In short I can say this is an absolutely fantastic novella that seems to hit depths of thought that many others don’t. Set in the city of Arbash, it follows My’ala and her family, addressing a variety of situations within her family, while questioning parts of their life.
At the beginning of The Crescent Moon, My’ala meets the Hermit, whom she instantly befriends and ends up discussing a variety of philosophical questions. In short it actually reminds me of a fantasy version of Sophie’s World, a favourite of mine. Each part of the novel poses a new question, which My’ala’s family are dealing with while also coming to terms with a foreign invasion which has never happened before. The invasion, played a pivotal role and definitely added a sense of mystery alongside My’ala’s meetings with the Hermit.
The writing is of course beautiful and felt immersive all the way through, leaving just enough to the imagination to make this book feel magical. It’s definitely clear that Doble is a very talented writer.
I won’t say more about this brilliant novella, other than that I most definitely recommend it, especially if you like stories that question aspects of life and are rife with symbolism and philosophy. If the beautiful cover doesn’t capture you then I guarantee the words within will capture your imagination.
In short I can say this is an absolutely fantastic novella that seems to hit depths of thought that many others don’t. Set in the city of Arbash, it follows My’ala and her family, addressing a variety of situations within her family, while questioning parts of their life.
At the beginning of The Crescent Moon, My’ala meets the Hermit, whom she instantly befriends and ends up discussing a variety of philosophical questions. In short it actually reminds me of a fantasy version of Sophie’s World, a favourite of mine. Each part of the novel poses a new question, which My’ala’s family are dealing with while also coming to terms with a foreign invasion which has never happened before. The invasion, played a pivotal role and definitely added a sense of mystery alongside My’ala’s meetings with the Hermit.
The writing is of course beautiful and felt immersive all the way through, leaving just enough to the imagination to make this book feel magical. It’s definitely clear that Doble is a very talented writer.
I won’t say more about this brilliant novella, other than that I most definitely recommend it, especially if you like stories that question aspects of life and are rife with symbolism and philosophy. If the beautiful cover doesn’t capture you then I guarantee the words within will capture your imagination.
joelteon's review against another edition
5.0
E.J. Doble is just 22 years old, and he wrote this philosophical gem evoking the wisdom of a much older mind at just 20. The Crescent Moon is deep, thoughtful and contemplative. It is a new genre, at least to me: philosophy fantasy. It’s something that I never knew that I needed, but am so glad to have discovered. I was in awe for every single one of the 136 pages. It made me want to dip a toe into writing this genre, but I know that I could never pull this off in the way that Doble has.
“We are all, as creatures and beings of this land, bound by our essence, by what makes us… and that can only sustain, through love.”
This book asks one simple question: What is the meaning of life?
Through My’ala’s eyes, and in deep conversation with her family as well as the Hermit, this is explored to great depth. What might on some days feel like a bit too much dialogue and not enough action, fell perfectly in my lap. I adored the exploration of the question we all wonder at one point or another and how each of the very small cast of characters had different and meaningful opinions. I won’t spoil anything as the mystery of whether or not we or the characters receive any answers is what makes this story so enjoyable.
“To count our blessings.” “No,” he corrected: “to make our blessings count.”
There was an underlying plot that was equally as entertaining as the moral quandary and the implications it has for future books is tremendous. I cannot wait to read the sequel, The Jade Sun, in two day’s time to learn more and see where My’ala goes and what philospohical questions will be posed to the reader as well.
There’s a world in these words and it’s one I am so eager to explore further. E.J. Doble has a fascinating and deep literary voice, one that usually comes with years more experience than he has under his belt. Every book he has written has flown up my TBR and I will probably attempt to read it all throughout March Madness.
Rating: 5/5
“We are all, as creatures and beings of this land, bound by our essence, by what makes us… and that can only sustain, through love.”
This book asks one simple question: What is the meaning of life?
Through My’ala’s eyes, and in deep conversation with her family as well as the Hermit, this is explored to great depth. What might on some days feel like a bit too much dialogue and not enough action, fell perfectly in my lap. I adored the exploration of the question we all wonder at one point or another and how each of the very small cast of characters had different and meaningful opinions. I won’t spoil anything as the mystery of whether or not we or the characters receive any answers is what makes this story so enjoyable.
“To count our blessings.” “No,” he corrected: “to make our blessings count.”
There was an underlying plot that was equally as entertaining as the moral quandary and the implications it has for future books is tremendous. I cannot wait to read the sequel, The Jade Sun, in two day’s time to learn more and see where My’ala goes and what philospohical questions will be posed to the reader as well.
There’s a world in these words and it’s one I am so eager to explore further. E.J. Doble has a fascinating and deep literary voice, one that usually comes with years more experience than he has under his belt. Every book he has written has flown up my TBR and I will probably attempt to read it all throughout March Madness.
Rating: 5/5
hmerwin13's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Weird mostly. I see the philosophical questions circling but answering them felt very disconnected and contrived. I feel like the story could have been fleshed out and more detailed.
camam4's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cyndqls's review against another edition
4.0
this was a very fun little philosophical novella that does a lot in a short space. there were a couple of parts that didn't read super smooth (i.e. a comma where i wasn't expecting it, word order, etc) but honestly because doble tackles a lot of very deep topics here i don't think those things are worth getting hung up about, since there's just so much to chew on here. the way doble weaves philosophy and discussing topics like duty and grief and love is really well done and i loved how natural the progression of events felt. i think this would be really neat to read and discuss with friends, and is one of those piece of fiction where you'll be able to find something new on each re-read.
keandrews95's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second book by E.J. Doble I've read and I think it's my favorite so far! Still has the author's vivid writing style but a very different story being told. The cover reminded me of a wonderful desert oasis and there were cozy vibes to match. It has so many thought provoking lines and the story was easy to follow. What I did miss was some more interactions with My'ala and the Hermit in her early years as well as some more interactions with her other family members. Overall I give this book a 4.5
the_creepy_geek's review against another edition
1.0
Oh I feel so bad about this. I really really wanted to like this but it just didn't work for me. I didn't gel with the writing style and just felt like so much of this just went over my head. The dialogue didn't flow and everything felt like a big speech.
From the other reviews, this looks like it's a case of "me and not the book" as it's just not the sort of thing I vibe with and not what I was expecting going in but I can see why other people would enjoy it.
I've seen a lot of reviews refer to this book as a "philosophy tale" or "philosophical fantasy" and I really wish I'd know that going in as I would have known it was definitely not for me.
I'm extra sad because I received this by winning a giveaway from the author and have a beautiful signed hardback but I have already found a new home for it and I hope they enjoy it!
From the other reviews, this looks like it's a case of "me and not the book" as it's just not the sort of thing I vibe with and not what I was expecting going in but I can see why other people would enjoy it.
I've seen a lot of reviews refer to this book as a "philosophy tale" or "philosophical fantasy" and I really wish I'd know that going in as I would have known it was definitely not for me.
I'm extra sad because I received this by winning a giveaway from the author and have a beautiful signed hardback but I have already found a new home for it and I hope they enjoy it!
veldonreads's review against another edition
4.0
This book is like anything I had ever read before. While I mainly read fantasy books, this one feels a lot more like a philosophy tale. It has a beautifully written prose with thoughts about the meaning of life. In this book we follow the story of My'ala and her Family in this desert world. We see how differently each family member thinks is the best way to live their lives, and through that, it's very easy to find exactly where your beliefs are as well.
This is a very short read with very little action. However, I feel like this was done intentionally, to put the emphasis on the philosophy aspect of the book.
(Also, the cover for the paperback is absolutely GORGEOUS)
This is a very short read with very little action. However, I feel like this was done intentionally, to put the emphasis on the philosophy aspect of the book.
(Also, the cover for the paperback is absolutely GORGEOUS)