FAITH AND MOONLIGHT PART II |

Faith and Moonlight Part II by Mark Gelineau & Joe King

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Self Published (May 15, 2016)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 58 pages

My Rating: 4 stars

Choices! Life is a continual string of them. Each one changing or reaffirming our course through the years. And many times, the ultimate consequences of a single choice is not immediate apparent. Good or bad spiraling out unseen from a decision until our whole life is affected by it, people around us are affected, and, perhaps, even the larger world. And that dynamic is what drives this second installment of Faith and Moonlight.

For those who have not yet read Part I, Kay and Roan’s tale began with them setting off from their orphanage to find a new home in the wide world. Their youthful dream of becoming Razors (the magical warriors of their world) leading them to the School for Razors in the capital city, where they are granted entry on a temporary basis. Thirty days all they have to prove their worth to remain. Roan pledging to Kay (and himself) that he will aid her in finding her innate talent or they will leave the Schools together. The inevitable struggles they encounter leading to an ultimate choice by Kay, one which will change everything.

Now, time has passed. Roan and Kay are established members of the Razor Schools. Roan has advanced quickly, gaining entry into the elite “Royals” who dominate the upper echelon of the student ranking ladders. Kay has also steadily improved (though not at her friends pace), making new friends of her own, and feeling abandoned by Roan, as his well-intentioned plan to use the brash, bullying Royals to propel him to a higher position steadily drives a wedge between them. (In Roan’s defense, he tells himself he is doing all this so he can take care of himself and Kay.) And as the close friends drift further and further apart, the ominous consequences of Kay’s choice grows worse, foreshadowing misery and shame to come.

Wow! That was my feeling as I finished this wildly entertaining installment in Gelineau and King’s Echoes of the Ascended series. Faith and Moonlight a Harry Potter-esque story of a school for magical warriors which quickly morphed from a straight ahead fantasy into a suspenseful tale filled with loads of memorable characters. The authors slowly but surely sculpting each and every person into living, breathing individuals with strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams, flaws and blessings. Certainly, there is a strong young adult leaning to their behavior, but it perfectly fits the age of these characters, their personal situations, and the competitive atmosphere surrounding them. The rapid changes in friendships and adversaries as well as goals perfectly capturing this time of their lives, where they are not only transitioning into adulthood but also attempting to rise above their peers.

But should you invest your previous reading time in this series?

Absolutely! I give this and the other Echoes of the Ascended series (A Reaper of Stone, Rend the Dark, Best Left in the Shadows) my highest recommendations. Gelineau and King’s stories exhibiting the essential essence of classic fantasy: optimism and realism, laughter and tears, adventure and contemplation, mysteries and revelations. Faith and Moonlight itself an amazingly addictive read, one which keeps getting better and better with each installment. And I would encourage all lovers of entertaining fantasy to jump on this bandwagon, because it is going to be a fun ride to the finish.

I received this book from the authors in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.