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A review by sabsey
Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I am now a Tessa Gratton fan possibly forever. This is probably my favourite fantasy read of 2023 so far. Although Moon Dark Smile is a sequel, I went into this without having read the first one and it was very accessible. Moon Dark Smile is very hard to talk about without spoilers, but all I can say is that I can't believe more word hasn't spread about this series.
The magic system is intricate and deftly woven, the world-building thoughtful, and it's my favourite kind of fantasy where gender and sexual diversity is the norm.
Our main character is Raliel Dark Smile, and her journey of loneliness, isolation and identity was so thoughtful, and so delicate. I could feel her pain radiating off the page, and the way this author built in all different types of love and relationships to counteract her darkness was achingly wonderful.
It's hard to talk about this too much more without spoiling it, so I'll just finish by saying that this book also has two of my favourite things of all time, which is demon possession - and a main throuple pairing.
I'm very, very excited now to go back and read the first one.
I am now a Tessa Gratton fan possibly forever. This is probably my favourite fantasy read of 2023 so far. Although Moon Dark Smile is a sequel, I went into this without having read the first one and it was very accessible. Moon Dark Smile is very hard to talk about without spoilers, but all I can say is that I can't believe more word hasn't spread about this series.
The magic system is intricate and deftly woven, the world-building thoughtful, and it's my favourite kind of fantasy where gender and sexual diversity is the norm.
Our main character is Raliel Dark Smile, and her journey of loneliness, isolation and identity was so thoughtful, and so delicate. I could feel her pain radiating off the page, and the way this author built in all different types of love and relationships to counteract her darkness was achingly wonderful.
It's hard to talk about this too much more without spoiling it, so I'll just finish by saying that this book also has two of my favourite things of all time, which is demon possession - and a main throuple pairing.
I'm very, very excited now to go back and read the first one.