5/5 stars! This book made me think of what would happen if "Sunbearer's Trials" and the "Hunger Games" met and had a book baby. I enjoyed it so much. I couldn't get over the world-building in this story and how the author made your heart break for the burdens Narra carries. This book kept me engaged and brought forth such a strong emotional reaction that I had to stop and process after finishing it. I cannot wait to pick up my next book by Tessa Barbos and this one will stay with me for a long time.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.
3.5 stars

I feel like this book had a higher potential of being better then it was. It wasn’t bad but by like 60% I was still pretty lost in the world building. I loved the concept but it just fell short. It was like divergent meets the hunger games but fantasy. I liked the idea of the characters remembering stuff from their past lives, but it just made me feel like I missed a whole previous book or something. But I really did enjoy the book overall besides feeling lost 😂

I wanted to enjoy this but overall found the story, characters, and plot to be something not what I was longing for or one that I would pick back up.

I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down. As soon as I read the synopsis I was immediately intrigued. Thank you to Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and Tessa Barbosa for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Where the greed of gods and the power of humanity intersect, The Moonlight Blade is a dark and romantic tale lush with a vibrant world, dangerous magic, and a swoon-worthy eternal love.

I was captured by this book from page one, pulled into the fantastical world, lured by Narra’s plight. Barbosa’s strong writing and beautiful imagery transported me into a unique Filipino-inspired fantasy world where gods aren’t content to rule the heavens alone and the ghosts of past selves relentlessly haunt the present.

I think what I loved most was how the expected and hoped-for pieces of this story perfectly lined up with fresh, new pieces I never could have imagined in order to create an engaging story from start to finish..

I cannot wait to see what stories Tessa Barbosa brings to life next. The Moonlight Blade is a new favorite.

this was such a good fantasy book from Tessa Barbosa, it had what I was hoping for when I requested it. It did everything that I was hoping for from the description. I was invested in the world and characters within that world. I was glad it had a great main character and that they were dealing with a curse. It added stakes to the story and I was invested. I look forward to reading more from Tessa Barbosa.

"A farmer strikes the ground with his shovel and leers. A cultist’s sun disk swings at his neck—he will have no mercy on me. Mother tightens her bright red headwrap and brushes a speck of dust from her sleeve. She is a Reyna amongst them, no matter how faded her trousers. I’ve never wished so hard to be more like her."