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meganmreads's review
2.0
Moonset had one of the most interesting premises. I love novels with witches and the politics of the covens in Moonset were fascinating. The idea of a coven becoming terrorists and working against the governing body of witches is awesome and to have the story from the point of of view of the children of these terrorists is even cooler. The world in Moonset was incredible and unique.
Somehow, the awesomeness of Moonset must have been poorly executed in some way. I am baffled by how such an amazing story fell flat for me, but it did. I was unable to connect with any of the characters, despite all of them having distinct personalities. I thought it would change once Ash was introduced. She was a quirky and fun character and Justin’s love interest, but as much as I loved the idea of her character, something about her and the other characters fell flat.
As I continued reading, the plot thickened. The pace sped up and an entire web of secrets began to unravel before my eyes. As awesome as this was, there was still something about this book that wasn’t hooking me. I felt intrigued, yet somewhat disconnected the entire time, despite totally loving the events that were taking place. I cannot say that Moonset wasn’t a good story, but I just couldn’t get into and connect with any of the characters and truly care about the outcome. I’m not really sure why. As much as I wanted to love this book, I just didn’t.
I would probably recommend the book because it is unique and the plot really was great. Perhaps whatever went wrong for me won’t happen to others. I did enjoy the premise and it partly filled a giant gap in my life since The Secret Circle television show was cancelled. I realize how much I need more books with witch covens and darkness and family secrets.
Moonset will be released on April 8, 2013 and is available for pre-order
Somehow, the awesomeness of Moonset must have been poorly executed in some way. I am baffled by how such an amazing story fell flat for me, but it did. I was unable to connect with any of the characters, despite all of them having distinct personalities. I thought it would change once Ash was introduced. She was a quirky and fun character and Justin’s love interest, but as much as I loved the idea of her character, something about her and the other characters fell flat.
As I continued reading, the plot thickened. The pace sped up and an entire web of secrets began to unravel before my eyes. As awesome as this was, there was still something about this book that wasn’t hooking me. I felt intrigued, yet somewhat disconnected the entire time, despite totally loving the events that were taking place. I cannot say that Moonset wasn’t a good story, but I just couldn’t get into and connect with any of the characters and truly care about the outcome. I’m not really sure why. As much as I wanted to love this book, I just didn’t.
I would probably recommend the book because it is unique and the plot really was great. Perhaps whatever went wrong for me won’t happen to others. I did enjoy the premise and it partly filled a giant gap in my life since The Secret Circle television show was cancelled. I realize how much I need more books with witch covens and darkness and family secrets.
Moonset will be released on April 8, 2013 and is available for pre-order
writteninblue's review against another edition
3.0
A little rough in a few spots, but still an enjoyable read.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was thrilling, intriguing, and I was engrossed by chapter 2. I actually lost track of time reading it. The injustices and mysteries really pull the reader in close to the characters and plot. I didn't give it 5 stars because of some unnecessary foul language and the overly wrought character of Jenna.
a_h_haga's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pleasent surprise.
''Moonset'' by Scott Tracey is a YA paranromal about witches.
It is original in the way that there is a male protagonist. (I may live under rock, but I've only read one other YA book with a male protagonist as I can remember)
It also avoids the whole three-way-drama thing.
Now, don't get me wrong, a male protagonist can get into a lovetriangle, this one even falls in love, but it wasn't as angsty as is normal for the genre.
The writing was also a surprise.
It was fast and easy, and I read this almost 400 pages book in under two days!
The only problem I had with the writing, was that some places there were some weird sentences. Almost like a word had fallen out, but the sentences worked on their own, but they got weird. If you understand?
Toward the ending there were also some stupid mistakes.
Its not much, but enough for it to affect the readinexperiense negativly.
As I said, I read this book in only two days.
That was partly because of the easy writing, and because of the story.
Now, I have to admit that I seldom thought ''oh, here comes the action!'' but something must have gripped me, for this is fast reading for me.
The story is full of mystery, and I loved the snipets at the beginning of every chapter, giving a look into the history that made this whole book pausible.
The characters were also good, although I kind of felt like I was missing something.
I just can't put my finger on what.
Maybe I'll figure it out when reading the second book.
I would recommend this if you like witches.
Or if you're first language isn't English, but you're looking into starting to read the language.
This one is an easy read
''Moonset'' by Scott Tracey is a YA paranromal about witches.
It is original in the way that there is a male protagonist. (I may live under rock, but I've only read one other YA book with a male protagonist as I can remember)
It also avoids the whole three-way-drama thing.
Now, don't get me wrong, a male protagonist can get into a lovetriangle, this one even falls in love, but it wasn't as angsty as is normal for the genre.
The writing was also a surprise.
It was fast and easy, and I read this almost 400 pages book in under two days!
The only problem I had with the writing, was that some places there were some weird sentences. Almost like a word had fallen out, but the sentences worked on their own, but they got weird. If you understand?
Toward the ending there were also some stupid mistakes.
Its not much, but enough for it to affect the readinexperiense negativly.
As I said, I read this book in only two days.
That was partly because of the easy writing, and because of the story.
Now, I have to admit that I seldom thought ''oh, here comes the action!'' but something must have gripped me, for this is fast reading for me.
The story is full of mystery, and I loved the snipets at the beginning of every chapter, giving a look into the history that made this whole book pausible.
The characters were also good, although I kind of felt like I was missing something.
I just can't put my finger on what.
Maybe I'll figure it out when reading the second book.
I would recommend this if you like witches.
Or if you're first language isn't English, but you're looking into starting to read the language.
This one is an easy read
jakesespach's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars
The book was... good. It had strong points and a lot of weak points. Characterisation was bad - Jenna and Cole were annoying most of the time, Malcolm's personality was non-existant, Bailey was meh and Justin was... just there. Most of the "responsible" characters were a joke and everyone's insistance to keep every piece of information to themselves was infuriating at times.
The overall worldbuilding was interesting though. Covens and Solitaires, classism, witch politics. It was pretty good stuff. The only downside is that these things played in a minimal role or weren't elaborated on enough. Lots of vagueness and ambiguity.
The plot was kind of flat. The climax was confusing, uneventful, and overall disappointing. Lots of questions remain unanswered, leaving the ending rather unsatisfying and halfbaked.
Since this is n duology, I'll probably read the next novel just to see how things ultimately end. Here's hoping its an improvement on this one.
The book was... good. It had strong points and a lot of weak points. Characterisation was bad - Jenna and Cole were annoying most of the time, Malcolm's personality was non-existant, Bailey was meh and Justin was... just there. Most of the "responsible" characters were a joke and everyone's insistance to keep every piece of information to themselves was infuriating at times.
The overall worldbuilding was interesting though. Covens and Solitaires, classism, witch politics. It was pretty good stuff. The only downside is that these things played in a minimal role or weren't elaborated on enough. Lots of vagueness and ambiguity.
The plot was kind of flat. The climax was confusing, uneventful, and overall disappointing. Lots of questions remain unanswered, leaving the ending rather unsatisfying and halfbaked.
Since this is n duology, I'll probably read the next novel just to see how things ultimately end. Here's hoping its an improvement on this one.
gloriousbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Full review up on the blog: http://gloriousbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/review-moonset-by-scott-tracey.html
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I was expecting something a little different when I read the summary - maybe your average teenage drama with a paranormal edge to it, but it went a lot deeper than that and I found myself enjoying the plot.
What I most liked about this read was the backstory of the main character. Justin and his family are the children of terrorists who just happen to be witches too. They abused their power and summoned dark forces and were killed because of it. Justin and his Coven still suffer for what his parents did, even though they had nothing to do with it. All the witchy stuff aside, I think a lot of people can relate to the injustice of that kind of situation - I know I for one have been blamed for something just because someone in my family happened to do the same thing. I know blood is thicker than water and all that, but to what extent?
I also really loved reading a male's p.o.v. It was such a nice change since I haven't read a male narrative in what feels like such a long time so I really enjoyed the subtle differences. I thought Justin was a really well developed character that completely changed by the end of the book. I could notice him growing up slightly and taking charge when and where he needed to which I think every book with a strong protagonist should have.
The supporting characters, namely Justin's family, Ash and Quinn were really well rounded characters too. I just really wish they played a bigger part in the plot. I didn't feel that I got to know them well enough for me to care about whatever may happen to them by the end of the book. I thought Quinn played the part really well but Justin's siblings were cut out of the story quite a bit which I think is disappointing.
The plot itself seemed to me like a big introduction to the series. There was a huge emphasis on Moonset's past, especially with Justin's father, and the events that occurred felt like a precursor to what is going to happen in the next book. I did enjoy the plot more towards the end where things got very interesting, but I think it has even greater potential in the next book of the series. I definitely want to find out how Tracey takes it from here.
Overall I would recommend this read for fans of the paranormal genre. It's not a quick read and it gets a lot more interesting towards the end, but I enjoyed it.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I was expecting something a little different when I read the summary - maybe your average teenage drama with a paranormal edge to it, but it went a lot deeper than that and I found myself enjoying the plot.
What I most liked about this read was the backstory of the main character. Justin and his family are the children of terrorists who just happen to be witches too. They abused their power and summoned dark forces and were killed because of it. Justin and his Coven still suffer for what his parents did, even though they had nothing to do with it. All the witchy stuff aside, I think a lot of people can relate to the injustice of that kind of situation - I know I for one have been blamed for something just because someone in my family happened to do the same thing. I know blood is thicker than water and all that, but to what extent?
I also really loved reading a male's p.o.v. It was such a nice change since I haven't read a male narrative in what feels like such a long time so I really enjoyed the subtle differences. I thought Justin was a really well developed character that completely changed by the end of the book. I could notice him growing up slightly and taking charge when and where he needed to which I think every book with a strong protagonist should have.
The supporting characters, namely Justin's family, Ash and Quinn were really well rounded characters too. I just really wish they played a bigger part in the plot. I didn't feel that I got to know them well enough for me to care about whatever may happen to them by the end of the book. I thought Quinn played the part really well but Justin's siblings were cut out of the story quite a bit which I think is disappointing.
The plot itself seemed to me like a big introduction to the series. There was a huge emphasis on Moonset's past, especially with Justin's father, and the events that occurred felt like a precursor to what is going to happen in the next book. I did enjoy the plot more towards the end where things got very interesting, but I think it has even greater potential in the next book of the series. I definitely want to find out how Tracey takes it from here.
Overall I would recommend this read for fans of the paranormal genre. It's not a quick read and it gets a lot more interesting towards the end, but I enjoyed it.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, this book was so awesome and enjoyable, and I can't wait to read more, there's just so much that needs to be answered! Though I think the next book won't answer all the questions, since I think there was supposed to be a 3rd book...
thereadingcat's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Good premise, decent execution
I am a sucker for the "Found family" trope (I mean a band of people who found and love each other like family, sign me up) so it is no surprise that this was a book that I would pick up. Even more, the book is about witches and magic so that is also a plus. The premise is also fairly interesting, written from the perspective of the childrens of witches who betrayed their community, i.e. warlocks, to become terrorists, which brought up a variety of interesting themes such as inheritance, lies and deceptions, trauma, etc. The chemistry between the characters is good and the banters really do help liven up the pages and get you to know about them more. One negative side of this book, however, is that except the main character, Justin, the others are not as well-developed and the author relied on tropes too much that they can all be summed up in a few words. We all know that one-dimensional character can really bring a book down so I hope this is resolved in the author's future books. Other than that, the story is a bit boring during the 1st half but progress nicely during the 2nd. The world-building and backstory is decent and the writing is also easy to read. Despite the flaws, I would still say this is a decent story.
I am a sucker for the "Found family" trope (I mean a band of people who found and love each other like family, sign me up) so it is no surprise that this was a book that I would pick up. Even more, the book is about witches and magic so that is also a plus. The premise is also fairly interesting, written from the perspective of the childrens of witches who betrayed their community, i.e. warlocks, to become terrorists, which brought up a variety of interesting themes such as inheritance, lies and deceptions, trauma, etc. The chemistry between the characters is good and the banters really do help liven up the pages and get you to know about them more. One negative side of this book, however, is that except the main character, Justin, the others are not as well-developed and the author relied on tropes too much that they can all be summed up in a few words. We all know that one-dimensional character can really bring a book down so I hope this is resolved in the author's future books. Other than that, the story is a bit boring during the 1st half but progress nicely during the 2nd. The world-building and backstory is decent and the writing is also easy to read. Despite the flaws, I would still say this is a decent story.
talysalankil's review
3.0
Full review coming on my blog, the Snark Theater.
This book is…okay. Not great, but okay.
Most infuriatingly, it relies on a ton of tropes I'm not a fan of. Tropes that keep reminding me that Scott Tracey is in fact a fan of Cassandra Clare. And that's never a good thing to remind me of.
But even without that…this book feels like it's rehashing the same plot threads as Tracey's Witch Eyes series. Which I liked, and so I do like the plot here…it's just really underwhelming the second time around.
This book is…okay. Not great, but okay.
Most infuriatingly, it relies on a ton of tropes I'm not a fan of. Tropes that keep reminding me that Scott Tracey is in fact a fan of Cassandra Clare. And that's never a good thing to remind me of.
But even without that…this book feels like it's rehashing the same plot threads as Tracey's Witch Eyes series. Which I liked, and so I do like the plot here…it's just really underwhelming the second time around.
alexalovesbooks's review
5.0
[Originally posted on the blog]
Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Granted, Moonset does not have witches of the kind in Macbeth. But this line came to mind unbidden when I was thinking about the book. Readers won’t find any cauldrons here, but there’s fire and toil, and there’s definitely trouble – all of it centered on the magical legacy left to five teenagers by their parents. Intrigued? I certainly was… and I’m pleased to report that I really enjoyed Moonset! The characters were a bit flat, but the story completely offsets that by being really addicting – so much so that I finished the entire thing in one sitting.
The book shares the story of five teenagers – Justin, Jenna, Malcolm, Cole and Bailey – who are all children of the witches/warlocks who made up the coven of Moonset. Being a part of a coven is technically normal in witch world. But to be associated with Moonset is a scandal, as they’re known as the terrorist coven that used dark magic for their abominable acts. It’s a lot for them to deal with, especially as it leads to being ostracized, feared, and attacked.
The novel follows Justin Daggett, who has two important roles as part of the Moonset coven’s legacy: the peacemaker and the leader. He irons out all the conflicts, and tries to take care of all his siblings (older and younger). He basically is the best representative for Moonset. The variety of problems he faces as a witch, as a teenage boy and as a sibling makes for an interesting mix. I didn’t connect completely with his character, though I certainly sympathized with a lot of what he went through.
What slightly disappointed me about this book, apart from my lack of connection with Justin, was how the characters just didn’t completely pop off the page for me. Justin’s siblings, for instance, are present, but not nearly enough for my tastes. We catch glimpses of them here and there, and get to know them on a surface level. Hopefully, as this is a series, we’ll get an opportunity to get to know them more intimately as the series progresses.
The story, really, is what blew me away about Moonset. Scott Tracey managed to come up with a completely believable set of facts about witches, their history and the world. Through little snippets at the beginning of each chapter, we learn about the coven of Moonset, their actions and what the impact of those actions was. Not only was the history fascinating (and very well-presented), it was also cool that he managed to integrate the current politics of the witch world into the story as well.
There are a few things going on in this book, but the main thing can be broken down into two parts. First, there’s a warlock loose in the town of Carrow Mill and he’s coming after the Moonset kids to recruit them into a second Moonset terrorist coven. This, in itself, is already a terrifying idea, especially when you have to watch the group fight hard against the darkness that threatens to overwhelm them.
Second, there’s the mystery surrounding the history of Moonset and how they began and ended. Justin embarks on a pretty intense, confusing journey to discover new facts, but I thought overall that the reveals were done really well. There’s still a lot we don’t know, of course, but what we do discover by the end is enough to whet my appetite.
I really enjoyed Moonset, even though I wish I could have connected with the characters more. It’s a strong start for the Legacy of Moonset series, with a world that’s unique and nicely executed. I’m very curious about the next adventure that the (new) coven of Moonset finds themselves involved with, and I’m crossing my fingers that we follow the narration of a different character (though there’s nothing wrong with Justin, of course). If witches and strong world-building is your thing, I’d definitely suggest giving Moonset a try.
Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Granted, Moonset does not have witches of the kind in Macbeth. But this line came to mind unbidden when I was thinking about the book. Readers won’t find any cauldrons here, but there’s fire and toil, and there’s definitely trouble – all of it centered on the magical legacy left to five teenagers by their parents. Intrigued? I certainly was… and I’m pleased to report that I really enjoyed Moonset! The characters were a bit flat, but the story completely offsets that by being really addicting – so much so that I finished the entire thing in one sitting.
The book shares the story of five teenagers – Justin, Jenna, Malcolm, Cole and Bailey – who are all children of the witches/warlocks who made up the coven of Moonset. Being a part of a coven is technically normal in witch world. But to be associated with Moonset is a scandal, as they’re known as the terrorist coven that used dark magic for their abominable acts. It’s a lot for them to deal with, especially as it leads to being ostracized, feared, and attacked.
The novel follows Justin Daggett, who has two important roles as part of the Moonset coven’s legacy: the peacemaker and the leader. He irons out all the conflicts, and tries to take care of all his siblings (older and younger). He basically is the best representative for Moonset. The variety of problems he faces as a witch, as a teenage boy and as a sibling makes for an interesting mix. I didn’t connect completely with his character, though I certainly sympathized with a lot of what he went through.
What slightly disappointed me about this book, apart from my lack of connection with Justin, was how the characters just didn’t completely pop off the page for me. Justin’s siblings, for instance, are present, but not nearly enough for my tastes. We catch glimpses of them here and there, and get to know them on a surface level. Hopefully, as this is a series, we’ll get an opportunity to get to know them more intimately as the series progresses.
The story, really, is what blew me away about Moonset. Scott Tracey managed to come up with a completely believable set of facts about witches, their history and the world. Through little snippets at the beginning of each chapter, we learn about the coven of Moonset, their actions and what the impact of those actions was. Not only was the history fascinating (and very well-presented), it was also cool that he managed to integrate the current politics of the witch world into the story as well.
There are a few things going on in this book, but the main thing can be broken down into two parts. First, there’s a warlock loose in the town of Carrow Mill and he’s coming after the Moonset kids to recruit them into a second Moonset terrorist coven. This, in itself, is already a terrifying idea, especially when you have to watch the group fight hard against the darkness that threatens to overwhelm them.
Second, there’s the mystery surrounding the history of Moonset and how they began and ended. Justin embarks on a pretty intense, confusing journey to discover new facts, but I thought overall that the reveals were done really well. There’s still a lot we don’t know, of course, but what we do discover by the end is enough to whet my appetite.
I really enjoyed Moonset, even though I wish I could have connected with the characters more. It’s a strong start for the Legacy of Moonset series, with a world that’s unique and nicely executed. I’m very curious about the next adventure that the (new) coven of Moonset finds themselves involved with, and I’m crossing my fingers that we follow the narration of a different character (though there’s nothing wrong with Justin, of course). If witches and strong world-building is your thing, I’d definitely suggest giving Moonset a try.