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pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
. . . I still don't know what to even think about this book . . .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Gore, Religious bigotry, Violence, Abandonment, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Child death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Alcohol and Emotional abuse
earlgreywithroom's review
adventurous
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Gore and Violence
queenstaves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Excellent slow burn romance. The only complaint is the sheer length of one of the internal monologues at the climax. Its is such a small complaint though.
Very engaging and well done.
Except... it's weird how much religious significance is emphasized, and the transgressive nature of certain things... to then not have ANY consequences is just bad? There should have been something addressing that, or leave it out, imo.
Very engaging and well done.
Except... it's weird how much religious significance is emphasized, and the transgressive nature of certain things... to then not have ANY consequences is just bad? There should have been something addressing that, or leave it out, imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Gaslighting and Hate crime
Parental narcissism is also a significant content warning. I did skim/skip some parts to get past it. But it's not done as a shock value thing. It works with the character's growth.starrystarryeyed's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
not_another_ana's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.25/5
Since her childhood, the hunt has been nothing but a blood-soaked myth. The fare of true New Albian heroes, not country girls with Yu'adir fathers. It's never been real. But now it's here. Close enough to register. Close enough to win.
In New Albian, where alchemy is common and mythical beasts still roam about, Margaret Welty is stuck in a town that hates her waiting for her mother to return from her travels. She's resigned to an unexciting life when the hala, a supernatural violent creature resembling a fox, is spotted in her neck of the woods bringing the Halfmoon Hunt to her little town. Whoever can kill the hala will get riches and fame and Maggie is ready to take on the challenge. There's just one little problem, only pairs (consisting of a hunter and an alchemist) can enter the hunt. Enter Weston Winters, a wannabe alchemist who comes looking for Margaret's mother to hopefully become her apprentice. Together they're an unlikely pair, but they might just have what it takes to win.
If you want to read this book because the hunt and the alchemy sounded interesting then put it back down. The Halfmoon Hunt doesn't really being until 80% or so of the book. It isn't plot driven, it's propelled by the characters. The hala is only there to get the two protagonist to meet and spend time together. This is why I'm rating it 4 stars and not 5, even though I loved it. The action did not deliver and was more of an afterthought.
Here's what this book is really about: a slow burn romance that hinges on the understanding between these two characters that outwordly seem wildly different yet, on the inside, are both longing to belong. It is beautifully written, I lost count of how many lines of this I highlighted. The protagonists inner worlds are so well constructed and carefully layered that you deeply feel for them. The book also deals with a lot of religious discrimination and xenophobia, with Maggie and Wes both being religious minorities and having to face a lot of bigotry in the midst of their romance. If the action had been set up correctly this would have been an easy 5 stars to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Violence, Classism, and Bullying
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death
moonytoast's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
atmospheric, full of yearning and magic…. definitely a top tier YA fantasy book ❤️
ALSO FUCK EVELYN WELTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO FUCK EVELYN WELTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, and Gore
graycloudsnsuch's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Animal death, Xenophobia, and Violence
maartabarrales's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Animal death
Minor: Child death
chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a highly anticipated read for me. I went into it knowing only what I’d heard on Instagram—two neurodivergent protagonists (FMC has PTSD and MMC has ADHD and/or dyslexia), a discussion of antisemitism from the perspective of a Jewish author, and a fox hunt. The premise immediately sold me. (I am ethnically Ashkenazi Jewish on my dad’s side, I have PTSD, ADHD, and dyslexia, and I competed in fox hunts as a teenager—what more could I want in a book?)
I assumed from everything I knew that this book was historical fiction. And as I closed the book, I couldn’t help but wonder why it wasn’t historical fiction.
The world building was needlessly confusing because it was thinly veiled enough for the reader to know that it was thinly veiled portrayals of real religions, ethnicities, and places. But it relied heavily on the reader knowing exactly what the author thinly veiled that anyone who doesn’t have a great grasp on American history will be scrambling to understand what exactly it is that’s happening. I’ll confess I still don’t completely know what time period this book took place in. But I figured out that New Albion is New York, Yu’adir is Jewish faith/people, Katharist is Protestantism/protestants (it took me 100 pages to figure this out; I initially thought it was Catholicism and it threw me for a loop), Sumic is Catholic/catholicism (it was the mention of rosaries and the Catholic prayer that tipped me off 100 pages in; I originally thought Sumic was an ethnicity), and Banvishman was Irish(?) (I’m honestly still not 100% sure about that last one). The first 150 pages had me flailing to translate the world building—and it left me wondering why the author didn’t just write a loose historical fantasy with a secret society. It took me so much longer to understand and find my feet in this book than the average fantasy, and it detracted from my enjoyment and my ability to get into the book.
The plot was slow. I’d expected a days/weeks long fox hunt that took up most of the story. Instead, there are weeks between when the fox shows up in the first chapter and when the hunt begins in the last 50(ish). And the hunt only takes up a measly few chapters at the end of the book. Most of the book was spent with two characters who were hopelessly pining after each other, but too stubborn to admit it while the fox destroys farmland and tries to kill people and no one tries to stop it. It left me wondering why the hunt took so long to commence; if the fox was so destructive, why wait to hunt it?
And if the characters weren’t so easy to love, this probably wouldn’t be a 5 star review. But damnit; I loved every minute of rooting for them to get together. This book is really a romance disguised as a fantasy, and I’m not sad about it. Wes and Margaret came alive on the pages. There was something so real about them and their struggles, their hesitancy to love. I loved the way the dynamics with Wes’s family were written. His sisters reminded me of my own and endeared me all the more to him. And Margaret’s character arc had me sobbing. These two characters, who were beautifully and perfectly written, shine brighter than any issue I took with the plot or the world building. On more than one instance, I felt myself getting teary eyed over both of them.
I personally felt the ADHD/dyslexia and PTSD were handled sensitively. I should also say—the fox hunt portion was well researched; it made my heart happy to read it in a fantasy world.
Was this a great fantasy book? No. But it’s an excellent romance with top tier character development and an ending that will make you shed all the happy tears. I don’t often reread books, but I know I’ll return to the pages of this one time and time again. I will be screaming my praise of this book to strangers in bookstores for many years to come.
I assumed from everything I knew that this book was historical fiction. And as I closed the book, I couldn’t help but wonder why it wasn’t historical fiction.
The world building was needlessly confusing because it was thinly veiled enough for the reader to know that it was thinly veiled portrayals of real religions, ethnicities, and places. But it relied heavily on the reader knowing exactly what the author thinly veiled that anyone who doesn’t have a great grasp on American history will be scrambling to understand what exactly it is that’s happening. I’ll confess I still don’t completely know what time period this book took place in. But I figured out that New Albion is New York, Yu’adir is Jewish faith/people, Katharist is Protestantism/protestants (it took me 100 pages to figure this out; I initially thought it was Catholicism and it threw me for a loop), Sumic is Catholic/catholicism (it was the mention of rosaries and the Catholic prayer that tipped me off 100 pages in; I originally thought Sumic was an ethnicity), and Banvishman was Irish(?) (I’m honestly still not 100% sure about that last one). The first 150 pages had me flailing to translate the world building—and it left me wondering why the author didn’t just write a loose historical fantasy with a secret society. It took me so much longer to understand and find my feet in this book than the average fantasy, and it detracted from my enjoyment and my ability to get into the book.
The plot was slow. I’d expected a days/weeks long fox hunt that took up most of the story. Instead, there are weeks between when the fox shows up in the first chapter and when the hunt begins in the last 50(ish). And the hunt only takes up a measly few chapters at the end of the book. Most of the book was spent with two characters who were hopelessly pining after each other, but too stubborn to admit it while the fox destroys farmland and tries to kill people and no one tries to stop it. It left me wondering why the hunt took so long to commence; if the fox was so destructive, why wait to hunt it?
And if the characters weren’t so easy to love, this probably wouldn’t be a 5 star review. But damnit; I loved every minute of rooting for them to get together. This book is really a romance disguised as a fantasy, and I’m not sad about it. Wes and Margaret came alive on the pages. There was something so real about them and their struggles, their hesitancy to love. I loved the way the dynamics with Wes’s family were written. His sisters reminded me of my own and endeared me all the more to him. And Margaret’s character arc had me sobbing. These two characters, who were beautifully and perfectly written, shine brighter than any issue I took with the plot or the world building. On more than one instance, I felt myself getting teary eyed over both of them.
I personally felt the ADHD/dyslexia and PTSD were handled sensitively. I should also say—the fox hunt portion was well researched; it made my heart happy to read it in a fantasy world.
Was this a great fantasy book? No. But it’s an excellent romance with top tier character development and an ending that will make you shed all the happy tears. I don’t often reread books, but I know I’ll return to the pages of this one time and time again. I will be screaming my praise of this book to strangers in bookstores for many years to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Animal death, and Xenophobia
cam356's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Child death