Book Review – Faith and Moonlight (Part 1 + 2)

Book: Faith and Moonlight (Part 1 + 2) by Mark Gelineau and Joe King
Release Date Part 1: December 15th 2016
Release Date Part 2: May 15th 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4,5 stars

Other Reviews in Echoes of the Ascended
A Reaper  of Stone

Goodreads

Synopsis (part 1)

Roan and Kay are orphans.

A fire destroys their old life, but they have one chance to enter the School of Faith.

They are given one month to pass the entry trials, but as Roan excels and Kay fails, their devotion to each other is put to the test.

They swore they would face everything together, but when the stakes are losing the life they’ve always dreamed of, what will they do to stay together?

What won’t they do?

Review

Thank you to Netgalley for these review copies in exchange for an honest review.

Faith and Moonlight, novella’s set in Echoes of the Ascended, gives us two younger main characters that we follow as they try and get into the School of Faith. The term Razor was one I was familiar with from A Reaper of Stone and that helped with the familiarity. It made it easier to get into this novella. I also loved the mention of Elinor (the main character from the above mentioned novella) that connects this to another novella through more than it just being in the same world, and gave us an easy idea of where this novella stands in the timeline.

But most of all, why I am more so drawn towards this novella than I was to A Reaper of Stone, were the two main characters and the characters they meet at the school. Both characters are very different from each other. While both have been through a lot I don’t feel like this background is added to create more drama. It happened to them and they have taken things from that. It isn’t being constantly tossed around as if to say look at these poor orphans.

At the start of the second part we start a little after the ending of the first part. We see the consequences of Kay’s decisions at the end of the first part. We also learn a bit more about Roan’s background before he met Kay. It’s an interesting way to see how these things affect their personality and how they deal with them.

The life at the School of Faith has put a strain on the relationship between Kay and Roan. Where Kay did everything to get admitted to the school for Roan in part 1, now their bond is falling to pieces.  And in this you feel for Kay. I just wish she hadn’t made such a stupid decision.

I find the School of Faith a very interesting place. I do like magic type of schools to see how people view magic, and how one can best learn to use their magic. I like how there are schools for the other types like reapers in this world. We also got a bit more of an idea on those.

We also get to know the characters around them a bit more. I find Gideon an interesting character, and his starting bond with Roan is one I am curious to see develop.

But that ending. You can’t leave it there. I NEED part 3 now. I need to know the consequences. I really hope that part 3 will be released some time this year.  I actually find it very hard to phrase my exact feelings and thoughts on this book, because I am mostly consumed by the need to KNOW how this is going to end. But then I suppose that also shows how I feel about these novella’s.