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votesforwomen's review against another edition
5.0
March 2019:
This is actually my fourth time reading this one? And wow, it’s so good to revisit this story. I remembered nearly everything, but this story...my goodness, it’s like coming home. My sweet, sweet babies. *hugs them allllll* *except Vahe he totally deserves what he got*
UPDATE FOR JULY '17 REREAD:
It's still so beautiful and I will never get over it. It didn't lose anything on the second read (except that I knew a couple of the plot twists.)
Shrieky fangirly review: [insert here]
Okay, I'm out now. *drops mic*
MAY '17 ORIGINAL REVIEW
My feels are crushed.
My ships are sinking.
My heart is broken.
And yet this is one of the best books of the year.
The books have gotten progressively better, too. Heartless was good but not great, Veiled Rose was better, and now Moonblood is the best thing EVER. This means Starflower must be the best book in history. XD
Some things I loved:
-Everything
-Rose Red/ Varvare. She's one of my all time favorite characters now.
-Leo. He just gets better with every book. I despised him in the first one, tolerated him in the second, and now... *huggles Leo* Ooohhhh, I love this author.
-I adore Ragniprava and Vahe and Anahid as villains too.
-The unicorn was kind of amazing too. I hated it... and then loved it... I think I ended up loving it?
-And Eanrin. Oh my word. I love him so much . He is my favorite. I can't wait for Starflower. He's like the main character in that one.
-Imraldera and Oeric and King Iubdan and Felix and... the characters are the best.
-The Night of Moonblood. Stengl has a way of befuddling me so that I have no idea what the plot twists will be? And it's kind of amazing?
What I didn't like:
-that one plot twist?
-The fact that my ships are sinking? And I think Stengl isn't writing any more Goldstone Wood books, which means... I'll never find out if my ship is going to work. *sobs*
Finally: Read it. Please. Read the other ones too, but please, read them. You won't regret it.
This is actually my fourth time reading this one? And wow, it’s so good to revisit this story. I remembered nearly everything, but this story...my goodness, it’s like coming home. My sweet, sweet babies. *hugs them allllll* *except Vahe he totally deserves what he got*
UPDATE FOR JULY '17 REREAD:
It's still so beautiful and I will never get over it. It didn't lose anything on the second read (except that I knew a couple of the plot twists.)
Shrieky fangirly review: [insert here]
Okay, I'm out now. *drops mic*
MAY '17 ORIGINAL REVIEW
My feels are crushed.
My ships are sinking.
My heart is broken.
And yet this is one of the best books of the year.
The books have gotten progressively better, too. Heartless was good but not great, Veiled Rose was better, and now Moonblood is the best thing EVER. This means Starflower must be the best book in history. XD
Some things I loved:
-Everything
-Rose Red/ Varvare. She's one of my all time favorite characters now.
-Leo. He just gets better with every book. I despised him in the first one, tolerated him in the second, and now... *huggles Leo* Ooohhhh, I love this author.
-I adore Ragniprava and Vahe and Anahid as villains too.
-The unicorn was kind of amazing too. I hated it... and then loved it... I think I ended up loving it?
-And Eanrin. Oh my word. I love him so much . He is my favorite. I can't wait for Starflower. He's like the main character in that one.
-Imraldera and Oeric and King Iubdan and Felix and... the characters are the best.
-The Night of Moonblood. Stengl has a way of befuddling me so that I have no idea what the plot twists will be? And it's kind of amazing?
What I didn't like:
-that one plot twist?
Spoiler
Where Leo died? But then didn't? And that's nothing wrong with that, just my feels...-The fact that my ships are sinking? And I think Stengl isn't writing any more Goldstone Wood books, which means... I'll never find out if my ship is going to work. *sobs*
Finally: Read it. Please. Read the other ones too, but please, read them. You won't regret it.
rgyger's review against another edition
4.0
I have a soft spot for fantasy and pretty covers, I will admit. Well this book (As well as the rest of the series) probably has the prettiest cover I have ever seen and I think most people agree with me.
Stengls books remind me of the Chronicles of Narnia (depth of history), Alice in Wonderland (The one with Johnny Depp), and The Circle Trilogy (depth of writing).
Moonblood has moments that make you laugh and then gasp out loud. The shenanigans of the characters are unforgettable and perfect comic relief. But this book is not a beach read. Those who read it should be prepared to spend some time if they want to get anything out of it.
If you want to find more good books, visit my new blog, Backing Books, at http://backingbooks.blogspot.com/.
Stengls books remind me of the Chronicles of Narnia (depth of history), Alice in Wonderland (The one with Johnny Depp), and The Circle Trilogy (depth of writing).
Moonblood has moments that make you laugh and then gasp out loud. The shenanigans of the characters are unforgettable and perfect comic relief. But this book is not a beach read. Those who read it should be prepared to spend some time if they want to get anything out of it.
If you want to find more good books, visit my new blog, Backing Books, at http://backingbooks.blogspot.com/.
what_ella_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book soooo much! It made me laugh and cry,which,to me,makes it a book worth reading.
helenafaustina's review against another edition
5.0
This is a powerful stories that emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, and from my viewpoint, especially from Jesus. [a:Anne Elisabeth Stengl|3145809|Anne Elisabeth Stengl|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427197984p2/3145809.jpg] continues to speak to the heart of the reader through all the characters. One of the best follow up books!
toastymaloney's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the story. It did take me a while to read it. Fantastical and adventurous and lovely.
Will you follow me?
Will you follow me?
marywatkines's review against another edition
5.0
By far the best book in the series, it moved quickly the whole time, and kept me spellbound!
roseice's review against another edition
2.0
I managed 200 pages before I couldn't get any further, so I skimmed the rest. I loved Heartless, enjoyed Veiled Rose, but Moonblood got to be a little much for me. Usually it's neat to read scenes that happened in past books, from other characters' perspectives, but I found it really tiresome here. It was mostly a new story, but I really didn't enjoy it. From the synopsis on the back, you'd think I would. I love fantasy, action, adventure. But the pacing of this novel, the vague, sketchy personalities of most of the characters, an unlikable hero (Lionheart) and just over-the-top weirdness finally got to me in this installment. The story screams vague. I can tell from this series that Ms. Stengl likes to go for the mysterious, enchanting, mystifying atmosphere, but it just happens too often. You don't know what's going on. You don't care about, or feel with, the characters because they're too mysterious and they feel false. I just wanted a straightforward story, I suppose. Sometimes too complex is not exactly better.
Having said that, Ms. Stengl is a beautiful writer, and I might still give Starflower a try.
Having said that, Ms. Stengl is a beautiful writer, and I might still give Starflower a try.
jbsmunky's review against another edition
4.0
Get some business out of the way first of all. I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for review and am not paid for this review. If you would like to review your own copies please contact www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers.
Now on with the review... The first thing that struck me about this book was the title. I just bugs me and makes me think of something with a completely different meaning if you get my drift. I think there could have been some better alternatives. As I started reading the book, some of the character names struck me as a little childish... Rose Red, Prince Lionheart....
However, once I got over my annoyance at these little things, I found the story to be so enjoyable. I did not know there were a couple books prior to this one and reading those would help fill in some of the backstory but not a big deal. The characters were very real, dealing with emotions we all feel and could relate to in some way. I also didn't like seeing a unicorn turned into a bad creature for this story, but I guess we all can fall from grace, even something as innocent as a unicorn.
The book is full of Christian allegories with the Prince as a Christ-like figure and grace and forgiveness for all the faults of the characters. That's all fine and dandy to me, but I don't read to find symbolism or hidden meanings and had I not known prior to reading it, I probably never would have picked up on it. Takes too much effort for me to dissect a story. I read it and enjoy it in the moment. If something hits me later, great. If not, I don't feel I missed out on anything.
Overall it was far better than I expected when I first started reading it. I really enjoyed it and plan on someday reading the previous two books and whatever may come after. Fun, middle grade fantasy.
Hope you enjoy it too!
Now on with the review... The first thing that struck me about this book was the title. I just bugs me and makes me think of something with a completely different meaning if you get my drift. I think there could have been some better alternatives. As I started reading the book, some of the character names struck me as a little childish... Rose Red, Prince Lionheart....
However, once I got over my annoyance at these little things, I found the story to be so enjoyable. I did not know there were a couple books prior to this one and reading those would help fill in some of the backstory but not a big deal. The characters were very real, dealing with emotions we all feel and could relate to in some way. I also didn't like seeing a unicorn turned into a bad creature for this story, but I guess we all can fall from grace, even something as innocent as a unicorn.
The book is full of Christian allegories with the Prince as a Christ-like figure and grace and forgiveness for all the faults of the characters. That's all fine and dandy to me, but I don't read to find symbolism or hidden meanings and had I not known prior to reading it, I probably never would have picked up on it. Takes too much effort for me to dissect a story. I read it and enjoy it in the moment. If something hits me later, great. If not, I don't feel I missed out on anything.
Overall it was far better than I expected when I first started reading it. I really enjoyed it and plan on someday reading the previous two books and whatever may come after. Fun, middle grade fantasy.
Hope you enjoy it too!
faiththompson416's review against another edition
5.0
March 2019:
This is actually my fourth time reading this one? And wow, it’s so good to revisit this story. I remembered nearly everything, but this story...my goodness, it’s like coming home. My sweet, sweet babies. *hugs them allllll* *except Vahe he totally deserves what he got*
UPDATE FOR JULY '17 REREAD:
It's still so beautiful and I will never get over it. It didn't lose anything on the second read (except that I knew a couple of the plot twists.)
Shrieky fangirly review: [insert here]
Okay, I'm out now. *drops mic*
MAY '17 ORIGINAL REVIEW
My feels are crushed.
My ships are sinking.
My heart is broken.
And yet this is one of the best books of the year.
The books have gotten progressively better, too. Heartless was good but not great, Veiled Rose was better, and now Moonblood is the best thing EVER. This means Starflower must be the best book in history. XD
Some things I loved:
-Everything
-Rose Red/ Varvare. She's one of my all time favorite characters now.
-Leo. He just gets better with every book. I despised him in the first one, tolerated him in the second, and now... *huggles Leo* Ooohhhh, I love this author.
-I adore Ragniprava and Vahe and Anahid as villains too.
-The unicorn was kind of amazing too. I hated it... and then loved it... I think I ended up loving it?
-And Eanrin. Oh my word. I love him so much . He is my favorite. I can't wait for Starflower. He's like the main character in that one.
-Imraldera and Oeric and King Iubdan and Felix and... the characters are the best.
-The Night of Moonblood. Stengl has a way of befuddling me so that I have no idea what the plot twists will be? And it's kind of amazing?
What I didn't like:
-that one plot twist?
-The fact that my ships are sinking? And I think Stengl isn't writing any more Goldstone Wood books, which means... I'll never find out if my ship is going to work. *sobs*
Finally: Read it. Please. Read the other ones too, but please, read them. You won't regret it.
This is actually my fourth time reading this one? And wow, it’s so good to revisit this story. I remembered nearly everything, but this story...my goodness, it’s like coming home. My sweet, sweet babies. *hugs them allllll* *except Vahe he totally deserves what he got*
UPDATE FOR JULY '17 REREAD:
It's still so beautiful and I will never get over it. It didn't lose anything on the second read (except that I knew a couple of the plot twists.)
Shrieky fangirly review: [insert here]
Okay, I'm out now. *drops mic*
MAY '17 ORIGINAL REVIEW
My feels are crushed.
My ships are sinking.
My heart is broken.
And yet this is one of the best books of the year.
The books have gotten progressively better, too. Heartless was good but not great, Veiled Rose was better, and now Moonblood is the best thing EVER. This means Starflower must be the best book in history. XD
Some things I loved:
-Everything
-Rose Red/ Varvare. She's one of my all time favorite characters now.
-Leo. He just gets better with every book. I despised him in the first one, tolerated him in the second, and now... *huggles Leo* Ooohhhh, I love this author.
-I adore Ragniprava and Vahe and Anahid as villains too.
-The unicorn was kind of amazing too. I hated it... and then loved it... I think I ended up loving it?
-And Eanrin. Oh my word. I love him so much . He is my favorite. I can't wait for Starflower. He's like the main character in that one.
-Imraldera and Oeric and King Iubdan and Felix and... the characters are the best.
-The Night of Moonblood. Stengl has a way of befuddling me so that I have no idea what the plot twists will be? And it's kind of amazing?
What I didn't like:
-that one plot twist?
Spoiler
Where Leo died? But then didn't? And that's nothing wrong with that, just my feels...-The fact that my ships are sinking? And I think Stengl isn't writing any more Goldstone Wood books, which means... I'll never find out if my ship is going to work. *sobs*
Finally: Read it. Please. Read the other ones too, but please, read them. You won't regret it.
kstep1805's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy this story and the characters...but...I am so confused. The world building is supposed to be subtle, revealing itself along throughout the story. The problem is that it is so complex that if you don't read all the books one after another, you don't remember what it is all about. To make it more complex the books are not entirely chronological. The stories overlap and intersect. But I still really like the story, there is this beauty to it that keeps me reading.