Scan barcode
lovefromhannah's review
4.0
You can read my full review on my blog
Moonscript is the first book of Williams’ that I have read, and after reading this, it certainly won’t be the last! It’s magical, heart wrenching, descriptive and elves — it is everything I didn’t realise I needed.
Thank you to the author for allowing me onto their blog tour! It's been a blast!
---
Moonscript is easily comparable with your extremely hyped fae fantasy favourites! (wow that’s kind of a tongue twister to say!) Yes, I know that Moonscript focuses around elves but OH MY is it just as riveting as Sarah J. Maas’, Holly Black’s and many others’ works.
Initially concealed in mystery and seventy years of suffering, I realised that Errance is a character I would give my life for. You know those characters that hold a really special place within your heart? Yeah, he was one of them.
The magic of prose and the beauty of the descriptive is something that I aspire to have in my own projects. Right from the beginning, the prose shone true. The descriptive is unlike something that I had encountered before and it made this whole story that bit more vivid.
Moonscript is the first book of Williams’ that I have read, and after reading this, it certainly won’t be the last! It’s magical, heart wrenching, descriptive and elves — it is everything I didn’t realise I needed.
Thank you to the author for allowing me onto their blog tour! It's been a blast!
---
Moonscript is easily comparable with your extremely hyped fae fantasy favourites! (wow that’s kind of a tongue twister to say!) Yes, I know that Moonscript focuses around elves but OH MY is it just as riveting as Sarah J. Maas’, Holly Black’s and many others’ works.
Initially concealed in mystery and seventy years of suffering, I realised that Errance is a character I would give my life for. You know those characters that hold a really special place within your heart? Yeah, he was one of them.
The magic of prose and the beauty of the descriptive is something that I aspire to have in my own projects. Right from the beginning, the prose shone true. The descriptive is unlike something that I had encountered before and it made this whole story that bit more vivid.
squeegybeckinheim's review
2.0
Oh man, this was a slog. It wasn't terrible, but the writing left something to be desired and it was sometimes a challenge to pick up. The premise is good. One of the main aspects of the story involves Ayeshune and the religion following him. It felt a little too close to Christianity for my comfort. I hate feeling blindsided by "surprise-religious" books. I'm not averse to religion in books, but when they feel close to real-world ones it turns me off ("He formed you in the womb"-not a direct quote)This book needs more polish as well. Company as a word in the place of what I assume was intended to be companion. That sort of thing. I see that this is to be a series, so of course this focused on introducing characters and the like. The scope felt small. I struggled with the younger characters a bit. Their vocabulary at times seemed incongruous with their age, and at othera they seemed like they were written younger than they actually are.There's a lot of potential here though. I do appreciate the opportunity to read this book courtesy of Trillium Press!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
emrobreads's review
4.0
Once again, this author doesn't disappoint! With writing that gets you straight in the heart and several truly memorable characters, Moonscript follows Errance's journey toward the light, while reminding readers of the greatest story of all: the story of God's love for His children.
I loved the beautiful way HSJ Williams weaves themes of family, friendship, and grace throughout. The pacing was just right and I really liked how the dialog ranged from deep and heartfelt to light-hearted and fun as each point in the story called for. All in all, a very moving tale that I'm glad I got to read!
I loved the beautiful way HSJ Williams weaves themes of family, friendship, and grace throughout. The pacing was just right and I really liked how the dialog ranged from deep and heartfelt to light-hearted and fun as each point in the story called for. All in all, a very moving tale that I'm glad I got to read!
michellembruhn's review against another edition
4.0
Found family, a captured prince, and an unseen reality that binds it all together. I enjoyed this book from page one, with lovable characters, fascinating lore, and just enough humor to keep an otherwise very serious plot in line. This book goes to some very dark places, yet manages to not leave the reader wallowing in that darkness—on the contrary, the light shines even (and sometimes especially) in the scenes with the most brokenness. Definitely worth the read!
midnightcomets's review
4.0
3.8/5 stars
It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
I was provided with this ARC for an honest review, and I was delighted to say that I really enjoyed this story! A mixture of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings, dotted with unique mythology and world building and a journey to bring the light back to a soul and a kingdom. The rating I gave isn't high enough, because I had a few problems with the way the elves were the ones closest to their God and the humans were mostly considered corrupt and 'stupid', but I understand why that was important to the plot structure so I will not judge it further.
I loved how uniquely built the characters were, and I especially liked most of the females in this story, such as Tryss and Zizain and Casara. I really liked the representation of opening up slowly, of waiting to deal with trauma and heal, and the way everyone approached Errance in a different way, but all with love and understanding. I also really liked the general lack of romance, and the combination of family and platonic bonds that warmed my heart and made me smile like a fool and feel warm inside. I loved the discussion of whether souls can be saved from the dark, of reaching out to help someone, of listening to their pain, of bearing their aches and fears with them.
The writing was really, really good, and I loved the different formats for each character and each situation, as well as the way some descriptions were artfully crafted. I liked the Hobbit-esque quest, the journey and the adventure, the twists and turns through darker roads and mountains and danger upon danger. The best thing about this, I had to say, is the world building. Because I mentioned Narnia, I have to say that this book had a lot of Christian allusions, similar to Narnia, and also a lot of mythological allusions similar to the Lord of the Rings. My favourite characters were Coren and Zizain, and I found their povs really interesting and heart-warming, as they both were super interesting and I loved their friendship.
Another thing that made me quite unsure was Tellie, and I didn't know what to think of her as a character, but I generally tend to prefer secondary characters over the protagonists, so this was something I expected.
Overall, it was an interesting fantasy story, and if it didn't portray the elves so flawless and "pure", I would perhaps have loved it even more. Until the next review (wow, I wrote two today!), keep being strong and safe ♥ I love you all ♥
~Mary ♥
It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
I was provided with this ARC for an honest review, and I was delighted to say that I really enjoyed this story! A mixture of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings, dotted with unique mythology and world building and a journey to bring the light back to a soul and a kingdom. The rating I gave isn't high enough, because I had a few problems with the way the elves were the ones closest to their God and the humans were mostly considered corrupt and 'stupid', but I understand why that was important to the plot structure so I will not judge it further.
I loved how uniquely built the characters were, and I especially liked most of the females in this story, such as Tryss and Zizain and Casara. I really liked the representation of opening up slowly, of waiting to deal with trauma and heal, and the way everyone approached Errance in a different way, but all with love and understanding. I also really liked the general lack of romance, and the combination of family and platonic bonds that warmed my heart and made me smile like a fool and feel warm inside. I loved the discussion of whether souls can be saved from the dark, of reaching out to help someone, of listening to their pain, of bearing their aches and fears with them.
The writing was really, really good, and I loved the different formats for each character and each situation, as well as the way some descriptions were artfully crafted. I liked the Hobbit-esque quest, the journey and the adventure, the twists and turns through darker roads and mountains and danger upon danger. The best thing about this, I had to say, is the world building. Because I mentioned Narnia, I have to say that this book had a lot of Christian allusions, similar to Narnia, and also a lot of mythological allusions similar to the Lord of the Rings. My favourite characters were Coren and Zizain, and I found their povs really interesting and heart-warming, as they both were super interesting and I loved their friendship.
Another thing that made me quite unsure was Tellie, and I didn't know what to think of her as a character, but I generally tend to prefer secondary characters over the protagonists, so this was something I expected.
Overall, it was an interesting fantasy story, and if it didn't portray the elves so flawless and "pure", I would perhaps have loved it even more. Until the next review (wow, I wrote two today!), keep being strong and safe ♥ I love you all ♥
~Mary ♥
merieshenanigans's review
5.0
You know that feeling you get after you've read one of the great books of classic literature and loved it?
It's how I feel every time I finish a reread of a Narnia or Anne of Green Gables book. It's a good feeling.
It's also how I felt when I finished this book.
Moonscript is wonderful. I have this habit of, while in the midst of reading, mentally comparing a book to others written in this same time. Usually that has to do with the writing style itself- and usually, I can find better prose elsewhere. But while reading this, I didn't even have time or the mental capacity to be thinking as I'd usually be, so fully drawn into the story was I; I didn't even bother. And that, my friends, is only one of the reasons why I adore this book.
Here's another one: the characters.
Each of them are so layered and dimensional and so real that how could I not be so fully sucked into their stories? Somehow my usually stretched-thin tolerance for characters found room for all of them! (The good ones, of course. The bad guys were the exact opposite way, no doubt as the author intended!) There is almost always that one character that I cannot stand in a book-- sometimes I call them out, sometimes I don't. Here, that character did not exist. Am I ever so glad for that.
The worldbuilding was captivating and-- AND-- I LOVE adventuring-crew stories! There was so much in this world and I can't wait to dive back into it and see all the other places it has to offer. I really don't want to wait long, but... I've heard masterpieces take a long time; don't they?
The plot and pacing were done so well, just enough to keep you turning the pages, but not too fast to leave you behind. And that ending... You know, there is a thing about satisfactory endings versus cliffhangers that I would like to discuss some other time. Somehow I find that I'm more invested in seeing the next story take place when the first one doesn't force you to want to know. (Cliffhangers are such contrived things. Don't argue with me right now; I am currently feeling very uncharitable towards cliffhangers and will thus respond with no semblance or desire for reasonableness.) I am so, so glad this book did not end with a cliffhanger.
And so there goes my review, in which the longest paragraph is my ranting about extremely irrelevant topics-- but nevertheless, I shall end it here. I have exhausted my words for the day. This book killed them.
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required; all views and opinions expressed are my own.*
It's how I feel every time I finish a reread of a Narnia or Anne of Green Gables book. It's a good feeling.
It's also how I felt when I finished this book.
Moonscript is wonderful. I have this habit of, while in the midst of reading, mentally comparing a book to others written in this same time. Usually that has to do with the writing style itself- and usually, I can find better prose elsewhere. But while reading this, I didn't even have time or the mental capacity to be thinking as I'd usually be, so fully drawn into the story was I; I didn't even bother. And that, my friends, is only one of the reasons why I adore this book.
Here's another one: the characters.
Each of them are so layered and dimensional and so real that how could I not be so fully sucked into their stories? Somehow my usually stretched-thin tolerance for characters found room for all of them! (The good ones, of course. The bad guys were the exact opposite way, no doubt as the author intended!) There is almost always that one character that I cannot stand in a book-- sometimes I call them out, sometimes I don't. Here, that character did not exist. Am I ever so glad for that.
The worldbuilding was captivating and-- AND-- I LOVE adventuring-crew stories! There was so much in this world and I can't wait to dive back into it and see all the other places it has to offer. I really don't want to wait long, but... I've heard masterpieces take a long time; don't they?
The plot and pacing were done so well, just enough to keep you turning the pages, but not too fast to leave you behind. And that ending... You know, there is a thing about satisfactory endings versus cliffhangers that I would like to discuss some other time. Somehow I find that I'm more invested in seeing the next story take place when the first one doesn't force you to want to know. (Cliffhangers are such contrived things. Don't argue with me right now; I am currently feeling very uncharitable towards cliffhangers and will thus respond with no semblance or desire for reasonableness.) I am so, so glad this book did not end with a cliffhanger.
And so there goes my review, in which the longest paragraph is my ranting about extremely irrelevant topics-- but nevertheless, I shall end it here. I have exhausted my words for the day. This book killed them.
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required; all views and opinions expressed are my own.*
wanderingandwondering's review
3.0
The book told the story of a young orphan girl and her friends as they struggle to save an elven prince, who was kidnapped by this world's version of the Devil, and defeat the Darkness. My favorite character was probably Coren, an elf who saves slaves by smuggling them and who also happens to be elvish nobility. Who doesn't love that? Also, The Daisha was pretty great too.
This was a fantasy book with heavy Christian allegory, pretty much a "what if Christianity existed in a high fantasy world". I wasn't really sure how to feel about it (still am not sure), since I don't tend to like Christian fantasy that is so explicitly talking about Christianity. Also not really a fan of the POV switching so much, but both of those things are more of a personal preference.
It was pretty fun to see two new types of fantasy peoples (creatures?) with the Chemas and The Daisha. I do wonder what happened to the rest of the daishas though. Did the Darkness kill them all? Or was it something else?
This was a fantasy book with heavy Christian allegory, pretty much a "what if Christianity existed in a high fantasy world". I wasn't really sure how to feel about it (still am not sure), since I don't tend to like Christian fantasy that is so explicitly talking about Christianity. Also not really a fan of the POV switching so much, but both of those things are more of a personal preference.
It was pretty fun to see two new types of fantasy peoples (creatures?) with the Chemas and The Daisha. I do wonder what happened to the rest of the daishas though. Did the Darkness kill them all? Or was it something else?