“It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me.”
Seventy years. Seventy years the elven prince has been lost to the darkness, assumed dead by his people and endlessly broken for a book that connects to the hidden realm of his ancestors, a land … ancestors, a land untouched by evil.
And now a light in the shadows. A chance for freedom. But those willing to help him come from the unlikeliest of worlds.
The orphan girl, yearning for a loving family, and the boy who won’t leave her side. A healer maiden given an unexpected chance for a life beyond narrowed expectations. A grieving creature flown far from home.
They all search for something and now their fates are tied to his. If their quest for life can pull him from the dark mire in which his soul drowns, then perhaps he can be saved.
Or else he will drag them all down to a fate worse than death.
The beginning of an epic saga, MOONSCRIPT is a journey of innocence, despair, and redemption.
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“Faërie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants, or dragons; it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
I was feeling sooo guilty about reading this book, loving it so much, and then never posting a review of it! And that’s mainly because the already-existent reviews of this book are so amazing that I know for a fact that mine isn’t going to measure up at all. But I’m still going to try to convince whoever sees this review that you NEED this book!!! Even though they should’ve been completely convinced by the other amazing reviews already! This book is literally SO good!
Did I already say that I loved this book? I literally could not put it down!! I ordered it on Amazon, then decided that I couldn’t wait the two days for it to arrive and ended up reading all of it on Kindle before the physical copy even came! (btw the book is free rn with Kindle Unlimited so you’d better read it!! but you also NEED the physical copy!! both the paperback and the hardcover has quite a bit of really beautiful exclusive art from the author and the hardcover has got an exclusive short story too!). Light and the darkness, joy and pain, beauty and destruction this book was literally EVERYTHING I wanted it to be! Amazing world-building with even more amazing characters. Action-packed, original, and funny, too! And I related to Errance’s story in a really strange way, although I think we all can to some degree. Obviously he went through much more than most of us ever will but that just makes his redemption that much better.
The adventures, the bravery, the suffering, Moonscript is such a beautiful work of art. I’m usually extremely picky with high fantasy novels but I can honestly say that I would highly, highly recommend this one!
A fun adventure full of endearing characters. Errance is definitely my favorite, the poor tortured soul! The theme of light versus dark throughout the story was crafted perfectly into the plot and even into the characters’ backstories, which I appreciated. A wonderful read for those who love elves and tales that have a Lord of the Rings feel to them!
Really fantastic! High fantasy isn’t my usual genre, but I’m so glad I picked this up. The writing was beautiful and the characters were fully fleshed out. At its core, it’s a story of darkness and light, and we’re taken on this journey through the lens of a prince long thought dead and the friends who are trying to get him home.
So lovely and so full hope. Absolutely recommend.
Received as an ARC copy, this is an honest review. This unique fantasy is not only exceptionally written with a journey that is emotionally interwoven; its characters display such determination to decide their own fate. Prepare to be gripped until the end and uplifted by their odyssey. Highly recommended.
4.5 stars!
An elf haunted by his past, a girl dissatisfied with her monotonous present, a withered king looking to the future. If you love elves, stories of redemption, fantasy, stories about quests and strangers becoming friends, or Christian fiction, I highly recommend Moonscript!!!
The writing is poetic and captivating. Every time I had to put down the book, I couldn’t wait for the moment I could return to Aselvia!
Another aspect that makes this fantasy read so delightful is the characters! Each of them (even side characters) is so fleshed out, and their choices and motives seem realistic.
Even in dark moments (which this book definitely has), hope and light shine through.
I came to love Errance, Tryss, Tellie, and Kelm, and I can’t wait until my adventures with them can continue.
The ending wrapped up so neatly, I was left wondering where the next book will go. But wherever that is, I’m excited to follow along!
Full content and personal review coming May 13th at http://www.bookishmusings.com
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. 🙂
I’ve been low-key waiting for Moonscript ever since I read a little about it on Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s blog, when Williams was enrolled in Stengl’s author mentorship program. That was back in 2012, and since then, I’ve enjoyed every hint and snippet Williams has posted on her blog and hoped that the day would come soon that I could read the actual book. Now that that day (well, week) has come, I’m happy to say the book is worth the wait!
Moonscript is a beautiful, heartbreaking, thrilling story of adventure, salvation, friendship, and the battle between light and darkness. I stayed up late on far too many nights just to enjoy one more chapter of the story, but every minute of lost sleep (and every headache on the following days) was well worth it.
Before we get to the characters, though, one of the things that impressed me most about Moonscript was the author’s ability to effectively weave in spiritual elements and have overlap between the spiritual and the physical that feels natural. I’ve read a lot of novels that try to do this, and Moonscript is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. The spiritual and allegorical elements never feel forced and almost never feel out-of-place; they fit naturally into story and world alike. She even manages to pull off a particular type of scene that is, in my opinion, nearly impossible to get right. (Can’t say what it is; spoilers. You’ll know it when you see it.)
Part of this may be the inspiration the author is drawing from — and those influences are pretty easy to pick out if you know what to look for. Moonscript tastes of Goldstone Wood mixed with The Silmarillion with a little bit of the Songkeeper Chronicles blended in for good measure. Williams pulls out the best of all these influences and blends it with her own unique style to create this thing of beauty we have here.
Ok, so now that I’ve talked about spiritualness and inspirations, let’s talk about the best part of any book: the characters!
We start with the delightful Tellie, a young girl who is . . . not my favorite character in the book, but I still like her. She’s a sweetheart and a smol innocent duckling who’s just trying to do the right thing and gets mixed up in a mess far beyond anything she imagined. That said, she’s a young girl who actually acts like a young girl, but not in an annoying way, so kudos to Williams for that.
Errance is everyone’s favorite Tortured Elf Prince and, in the author’s words, slightly burnt cinnamon bun. He’s kind of an Actual Disaster and has his share of angst, but I love him anyway. He’s struggling a lot with pride (I relate) and PTSD (because the Tortured bit of Tortured Elf Prince was literal; he has a good reason for his angst) and depression and it’s so rewarding to see him realize that there’s hope and light and love after all.
Tryss is the mother hen of the group and perfectly balances a desire for adventure with a natural sense of practicality. She deals with everyone else’s dramatics beautifully and attempts to talk sense into people. It’s lovely.
And, of course, there’s Coren, a rascal who’s my Actual Fave: a rascal, smuggler, swashbuckler (I assume; he doesn’t really do it much but he has the vibe), and generally excellent fellow. He’s not in this much, but he still has a significant role, and he left a major impression. I would happily read a much longer story about him, so, Hannah, if you happen to be reading this . . . Coren spinoff. Please and thanks very much.
Last but not least of those I’m mentioning, we have The Daisha, who is something like a dragon and something like a cat and entirely wonderful. I love her muchly and I wish there were more of her.
There are, of course, lots of other characters, but those four are the most significant to my impression of the book. There’s lots of people to love . . . and also a lot of very hateable villains, in the best possible sense.
Plotwise, Moonscript isn’t a super fast-paced book, but it moves quickly enough to keep you turning pages. Williams knows well the value of giving her characters bits of rest and happiness to keep them and the reader going, to give them hope so the dangers and tragedies are felt all the more keenly. And the exciting bits are exactly as fast-paced and dramatic as they need to be.
Moonscript is not entirely perfect; there are a few instances where a bit of dialogue or description felt a little off. However, these are pretty minor and not enough to significantly impact my opinion.
In conclusion, Moonscript is an excellent book that I’m excited to reread and share with others. I’m glad that the wait is finally over — but I’m now settling in to wait for the next one. Hopefully that’ll come along a little sooner than this one did.
4.5 stars
I preordered this book as an ebook, but man, I wish I would have gotten it as a paperback!
Though this book may not be “advertised” as a Christian fantasy, this is Christian fantasy at its finest.
So many deep and rich layers of storytelling. The characters are compelling and the story itself is driving. For the last hour I read, I found myself crying on and off. What a beautiful way to portray the power and grace of God’s love!
I found Errance’s story heart-wrecking and heart-moving. There is no one without the other. It just simply is, and he is a character I believe can touch many readers. He may only be fictional, but his pain, anger, and fear are so real it’s almost tangible.
For being a large read, I excepted to get lost in keeping up with characters, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this not the case! I admit that I felt I lost sight of some characters who were/are some of my favorites (*coughs* Kelm *coughs*). I felt that some characters not got looked over, but were not given as much attention in certain scenes. Rightly so due to scenes I am thinking of (because they were intense)! But I guess you could say I wanted more of these characters to have share that spotlight and not feel like they hid backstage.
It was more than made up for as the book continued however! So much adventure and action! I loved visiting other places the author created for this story world and getting to meet new faces. A certain smuggler was absolutely amazing! (Though I admit that was when the feels really start kicking. LOL!)
Overall, it is hard to put into words how wonderful this story is, but it is one I am immensely thankful has entered the bookish realm. It is a fictional testament of the power of love and truth as well as the power of friendship and family.
Also, that ending was the perfect conclusion to this story. <3
I strongly recommend Moonscript to those who love elf fantasy and fantasy in general, but especially Christian fantasy.
Have my emotions finished exploding? No. But I’m going to review this book anyway.
I WILL FANGIRL ABOUT THIS BOOK UNTIL THE DAY I DIE AND NO ONE WILL EVER STOP ME. MMMWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I’m sorry. That was weird. You can trust one thing. This will be an exuberant, fangirl, full-of-screaming-how-much-I-love-it type of review.
H. S. J. Williams is a master. A master of story weaving. This book hurts. But it also heals.
Everything is so unbelievably realistic and yet SO FANTASY. Gah. The plot, the characters, the action, the dialogue. The whole story comes to life in a vivid tale of beauty that it’s literally like watching a movie (this needs a to be a movie. I will pay for this to be a movie). And personally …. these characters are encouraging. These people are uplifting. This story of sacrifice and love is beyond my ability of expressing how good it is.
I cried. Multiple times. I laughed so hard it hurt my stomach. I smiled so long my face muscles complained. But most importantly I wailed around the house screaming how good it was and my family laughed at me. When a book brings me to this stage …. my family understands it’s a treasure. You must understand this as well. THIS BOOK IS EPIC AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.
Description – *dreamy sigh* Didn’t I say it was like watching a movie?? IT’S SERIOUSLY REMINDED ME OF LOTR SO. MANY. TIMES. And yet Moonscript is perfectly unique. The vivid scenery and action scenes.
Plot – Never EVER boring. (Imma go recommend this book to everyone …. give me a sec) It was so perfectly intense and yet relaxed throughout!! We had a mix of scenes that got the story where it needed to go. The pacing was absolutely marvelous. AND FINALLY. FINALLY I GOT THE ENDING I’VE ALWAYS BEEN DREAMING OF. A BOOK THAT GAVE LIKE SEVEN CHAPTERS OF HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER. *dies from the overload of joy* And they were such beautiful chapters. *cries*
Setting – We travel through multiple different kingdoms and cities (all of which I have yet to memorize how to spell …. I know … I know … ridiculous considering how much I love this book) AND THE FORESTS. ALSO THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM. AND THE UNSEEN WORLD. GAHHHHHHHHHHH. Everything …. everywhere is just so clear. And then of course. The Dark castle. *coughs* Which was just as perfectly imaginable …. but not as beautiful.
Romance – Well … there are some romantic elements … but it’s not like … pushy? I liked it. It was cute. I also liked how it didn’t take over the story. WE FINALLY JUST HAVE A STORY ABOUT FRIENDS. AND HOW THESE FRIENDS LOVE EACH OTHER BUT NOT IN that WAY.
Content – Fantasy violence. Spiritual Realm. . . . demons and angles. Fantasy cuss words? Idk … they were kinda amusing. One kiss … mentioned in passing. Some very slight suggestive references. VERY. CLEAN. YA BOOK!!!
Characters – OMW. I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON FOREVER. *cries cuz I love them so much and they aren’t real* They are soooooo realistic. They have faults. They fail. They get back up again. They heal and move on. ALSO THEY’RE SO DEEP AND REAL. GAH. It’s like you never stop learning about them and what makes them, them. (I’m sorry … I’m a writer … I should do better at this … you’d think anyway. BUT I’M IN FANGIRL MOOD) These. People. They say so much in their actions even when they don’t say anything at all! And they made me feel things so deeply. H. S. J. Williams puts them all in a position where they get one-on-one time with each other. It’s super cool to see what they talk about and how they react when separate members of the party aren’t there.
Errance – The poor boy WHO IS MY CHILD AND I WILL PROTECT HIM FOREVERRRRRRRR. *i have stolen him from his original mother* *coughs* HE’S SUCH A CINNAMON ROLL AND HE HURTS SO MUCH IT KILLS ME. I yelled at him so many times. Cried for him so many times. LAUGHED at him so many times. He’s protective and afraid. Strong yet weak. Determined and what the world …. THE PAINFUL WORDS HE SAYS SOMETIMES JUST KILLS ME.
Tellie – I relate to her so much it’s not funny. She just wants to help and heal others. Just wants a family. She just loves. An innocent, never ending love. She’s also such a scheming sister AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH. (I AGREE TELLIE!!! TRYSS IS BEAUTIFUL AND ERRANCE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO HER. )
Kelm – The optimist. The perfectly humorous jester of the group and yet not. He loves carving things and is ever so loyal. ALSO. WHEN HE GETS REALLY SERIOUS ITS SO FUNNY. WHY IS IT SO DEAD FUNNY??? Kelm will literally say everything is peachy–AND MEAN IT–when they’re in the dungeon of despair.
Tryss – The warrior …. guardian … scout …. healer … tree climber … and motherly protector of the group. She just is SO GREAT. She’s open and yet guarded. Playful and serious. Deadly and comforting. She sacrificed a lot for people she barely knew. She knows what love means and SHE’S ALWAYS SO MISUNDERSTOOD. *cries for her* YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO GET ANGRY TRYSS. I GIVE YOU THAT RIGHT. yet …. She hardly does get angry and I love her for it.
The Daisha – I HAVE NO WORDS. YOUR SERIOUSLY THE BEST. (I have a soft spot for flying creatures).
Overall – MY FANGIRLING LOVE FOR THIS AUTHOR AND ALL HER BOOKS WILL NEVER, EVER DIE. I SHALL RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERY FANTASY GEEK I MEET. And all those who aren’t. *wicked laugh*
**FTC DISCLOSURE** I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am not affiliated with the author in any way (or I wasn’t before I read this book). My review is my opinion, so if something I said was offensive please don’t take it personally. Thanks! 🙂
I was first introduced to the author of Moonscript via another favorite author’s blog when she was featured as an up and coming writer. The story immediately caught my eye, as I’m a sucker for a tortured hero and a good redemption arc. So I watched and waited, making sure to keep up with her writing journey and grasping at any excerpts or interviews as eagerly as a man looking for water in the desert (a bookworm needs sneak peaks like a girl needs chocolate!).
And seven years later, the day came. I opened the book, a little fearful that it wouldn’t be as good as I had dreamed it would be…
Thankfully that wasn’t the case.
Moonscript drew me in from the first page and did not loosen its hold even after I put the book down.
I loved every single one of the characters but I fell in love with Errance, and all of his quirks, brusqueness and scars. He was such a complex, hard character with so many ups and downs. At times he can be down right ugly, but then, sometimes in the midst of the uglyness, beauty can be glimpsed and reveals itself more throughout the book. To say he’s rough around the edges is an understatement, but you can’t help but love him. I really appreciate that even at the end of the book, his internal scars are not all miraculously healed and though he is in the healing process, he still has a long way to go and may never be the same carefree man he once was. He is not left without hope, though and has gained something he didn’t have at the beginning of the story (not revealing spoilers)
I’m in the social work field, so the adoption theme tugged on my heart strings. Tellie is such a hopeful young girl, and has not let her circumstances cloud her outlook on life. There is evil, but she knows there is also beauty in the world. Tellie is one of my favorite characters and rightly so, because it is her tenderness, heart and resolution to see the good in even the most broken people that plays a big role in the book.
There were times I felt like Kelm got lost in some scenes and I struggled to see his purpose in the story, but it didn’t make me love him any less! He adds so many light-heart moments that can be so relieving after having just come out of a really tense scene. However, certain scenes at the end of the book led me to believe that we may be getting a lot more of Kelm in future books (?).
The only other thing I would say is that The Darkness’ (not The Voice) actual place of dwelling leaned too heavily on Lord of the Rings (but again, this in no way harms the story itself or how engrossed I was in it).
After I finished the book the first time, I promptly flipped back to the beginning because it is that good and I wasn’t ready to leave the world of Orim quite yet.
The author weaves her faith into the story with a beautiful message of the Father’s love and desire to redeem his broken people in a way that fits well with the story.
Moonscript is an epic fantasy novel from a debut author who has poured her heart and soul into the story in order to make it the best it can be, and it shows. With some Tolkienesque tones, Moonscript will make you cry, cringe, groan, laugh and then cry again, all for the right reasons and I cannot wait for the sequel.
Hello, this needs more than five stars because it’s so good. <3
Having read and loved Fairest Son, I was really looking forward to this one. I wasn't disappointed; if anything, I think I like this one even better than Fairest Son. 😛 I love Errance's arc (poor guy... *steals him from the evil author*), Tellie's spirit and steadfastness (agh, she's a smol <3), Kelm and Tryss and all of them. Yes, there are many side characters, but they're all unique and well-developed, and they add so much to the story.
The arc and themes of the story are so beautiful...redemption, light even in the darkest places, and love and friendship. And the ending wraps up in such a way that I was completely satisfied (and grinning like an idiot), and yet it left enough open to leave me screaming (internally) for the next book because it's "just the beginning."
I will definitely be rereading this at some point, and I'm sooooo looking forward to more stories in the series!! <33
*I received an ARC from the author. All thoughts are my own.*
“A tale about the elves … I would dearly love to hear more about elves.” JRR Tolkien in The Fellowship of the Ring
Ah, a tale about elves indeed.
Into an age filled with books about the fair folk, books that seem to only ever regurgitate the same plot over and over, comes Moonscript.
Something new, something different.
In the way of the old classics, Moonscript is made of a vast and varied cast, from curious child to ancient sage. There is deep darkness, romping adventure, innocent hearts and blackened souls.
For the world of Orim is changing. The elven king cannot keep his secrets forever. If a new king is to rise in his place, something else must fall.
Something dark, something cruel, something that has been twisting and tarnishing truth for seven decades.
But seven is the number of completion. The final battle is coming. The world below and the one above will fall or flourish by the courage of many and the choice of one.
Buckle your seatbelts and dive into the journey of a lifetime, perfect for fans of Michael J. Sullivan and Megan Whelan Turner.