Thanks to Ballantine/Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I LOVE Robin Sloan (Sourdough is my favorite book of all time) but this one was tough for me. The writing was beautiful, as usual, but I had a hard time understanding the backstory. In fairness, I am not super familiar with the legend of King Arthur, and I feel like that would have been a game changer. As always, the world building was incredible. The intricacy with which he built each stop on Ariel's journey was beautiful. The description of the visual arguments the beavers have was unlike anything I've ever read. But I just had a hard time following the overarching plot. other than Ariel trying to understand what he was meant to do.

Shoutout to my favorite character, Clovis. What a gem. He was simultaneously everywhere and in a singular place and was such a steady companion.

Worth a read if you love Sloan like I do, just not on the same level to me as the 24 Hour Bookstore or Sourdough.

Thanks to MCD and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

I was a big fan of Sloan's previous two novels, and was delighted earlier this year when I had asked myself "I wonder if Robin Sloan's written a new book I missed" and discovered that one was forthcoming.

I tend to be more of a sci-fi person than a fantasy person, and this manages to nicely sit between the two genres in a way that reminded me of Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot novels, but also felt like the idealized memory of reading this sort of SFF bildungsroman as a tween. There's a lot of rich worldbuilding, in a way that's very fun to sink into as a reader (the world of the book is very fun to visualize) - it felt like Sloan is giving himself space to play in for another novel or two if he wants to, but also giving a fairly satisfying one-off if that opportunity doesn't come along.

The one area I found frustrating was the pacing here - this felt like it wanted to be a 600 page book that had been compressed down a ways. The second half of the plot picks up pace in a way that makes it easy to lose track of what was going on in a way that didn't always balance with the first half of the book's careful voice and building of the world its characters inhabited. I gladly would have read a longer version of this, but it also gives me hope we'll get more time with these characters in the future, now that the groundwork for more's been laid.

Moonbound is a truly high-concept sci-fi/fantasy book set on Earth roughly 11,000 years in the future. The story follows a 12-year old boy named Ariel as he sets out on an epic quest to maybe save the planet? stop dragons? escape a wizard? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. There is a lot going on in this book. I mean, the whole thing is narrated by a sentient symbiotic fungus (or AI?), and the weirdest thing about that is this is actually the second book I've read in the past month that has made that bold choice. The writing is genuinely funny, and the whole thing is bursting with overwhelming novelty and imagination.

I am such a big fan of Robin Sloan's previous novels, Sourdough and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, which are much more in the realm of speculative fiction. So, unfortunately, this ended up being a book poorly suited to my reading tastes. I was quite confused most of the time, having to re-read passages, and even though I genuinely wanted to know where it was all going, I had to throw in the towel about 2/3rds of the way through. I do think that this will find it's audience and I look forward to whatever Sloan thinks up and writes next.

A few months after thoroughly enjoying Sourdough, Robin Sloan’s delightfully quirky story of baking, fresh starts, and magical realism, I was excited to hear about his new book for 2024, Moonbound.

Moonbound is more imaginative than Sloan's previous releases (Sourdough, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore), and at first glance I thought it’d be too sci-fi for what I wanted to read right now. As it turns out, it's excellent. Excited to be recommending this to other readers this summer. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Moonbound is weird and wonderful in so many ways; a high concept mashup of fantasy, folklore, post-apocalyptic sci-fi, and Arthurian legend, with a bit of Narnia thrown in for good measure. It’s always a treat to get a peek inside Robin Sloan’s whimsically brilliant brain, and while this book had a lot of different elements happening all at once, I really enjoyed the story. The prose had that elusive fairytale quality, breezy and imaginative and true, and I found myself thinking of Peter S. Beagle’s “The Last Unicorn” more than once while reading. I did have some trouble focusing on this book, as there is just so much happening all the time, but it is wildly unique and well worth exploring.

Thanks to Farrar, Straus & Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book immensely. It's the story of Ariel, a young man who knows that he exists to do something great but hasn't yet figured out what that "something great" is. It's a story spanning ages, a fantastic tale stretching beyond the reach of human history.

It moves slowly at times, but each step in Ariel's journey matters. And I was amazed by each of the stops he makes, how real and alive each civilization is, and the balance and sense behind each of the communities he encounters. (The blurry scholars and the well-balanced arguments were some of my favorite bits; I'd rather like to live somewhere with aspects of each of those.)

I can't say too much without giving the plot away, but I think it's best going into this one without knowing too much. It reminds me of some of my favorite books as a child, books like The Phantom Tollbooth where you enter a completely new world but are still able to find echoes of your own.

Note: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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LET'S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY RIGHT NOW
This is not like the Robin Sloan books you may have read. This is not Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (even if everything I've seen from the publisher says it's part of the Penumbraverse) and this isn't Sourdough. If you're looking for something like that, I can't help you by talking about this book.

And yet...some of the same themes, the same kind of ideas, the same oddball ways of thinking, the same characters that will fascinate and (sometimes) frustrate you, the same quality of writing are present. So it is like the Robin Sloan books you may have read. But not really.

WHAT'S MOONBOUND ABOUT?
Maaaannnn....I don't know, I really don't know. In case those semi-contradictory paragraphs above didn't give you a clue. Also, to really talk about it would involve a few pages on my part and several spoilers.

Let's start with this: the events of the book begin in the year 13777. The number of things that the human race has gone through—cultural, technological, societal, scientific, and political changes (revolutions, really) are impossible to describe. Civilizations have come and gone—the planet Earth looks little like it does now, and humanity isn't much like it is now (except humans are going to be human—it's like Doctor Who's far future episodes that way—just without the space travel). Even the Moon—the Moon, for crying out loud—isn't the same.

In William Goldman's The Princess Bride (and the movie does something very similar), Goldman talks about his father coming in while he's sick to read him a book by S. Morgenstern.

“Does it have any sports in it?”

“Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”

“Sounds okay,” I said and I kind of closed my eyes.


Similarly, let me tell you a little about what Moonbound contains:
Knights. Brothers. Talking swords. Dragons. Friendship. Robots. Bogs (which are very different than swamps). Raiders. Wizards. Bees that give direction. Gleaning coffee shops. Climate Warrior Beavers. Constructive debates (literally). Genetic engineering. Legendary warriors. Forty-three million dimensions.* Pizza rolls. Trash-pickers.

* Not really like Marvel's Multiverse, more like the mathematical concept of three-dimensional or four-dimensional space, but much, much more expanded.

I'm not sure that's helpful, but it's something.

We begin when our protagonist, a boy named Ariel de la Sauvage, finds the remains of one of the greatest warriors in human history. This discovery ends up starting a chain of events that will lead to Ariel being on the run from the Wizard who rules the valley Ariel and his brother have grown up in—not just grown up in, but have never left. They have no knowledge of anything outside this valley—if anything exists beyond it, really. But to overthrow the Wizard and save his brother, Ariel will have to go into the wider world and learn about it. He needs experiences that his valley cannot give him. Equipped with this education and experience, Ariel should be able to confront the wizard and rescue his brother and the rest of the people he grew up surrounded by.

Oh, and he's guided throughout this by an AI who has the accumulated knowledge of most of human history and is currently residing in a microorganism that has implanted itself in Ariel's body.

Clear as mud, right?

STORY
More than anything else—and there's a lot of "anything else"—this is a novel about Story. The power of story to shape reality, to shape our expectations, the way we go about our lives, and the way we need others to go about their lives. The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. The stories we tell others about ourselves. The stories that others tell us about themselves—and us. The stories that societies, governments, and other groups tell us and others about themselves and us.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, Moonbound about the way we can re-write our stories, the way we can take control of them (once we realize the story being told) and change things.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT MOONBOUND?
That's a great question, and one I've been chewing on for more than a week now. I want to read this at least two more times before I think I'll be ready to answer that. Maybe the fact that I want to read this at least two more times in the next year or so gives you and me both a hint about what I think about it.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I started reading it two weeks ago. Part of that is to think about what I read and decide what Sloan was doing and what I thought about it. Another part of that thinking is just reveling in just how strange and wonderful it was.

While reading, when I was able to stop thinking things like, "what is going on here?" or "What is Sloan trying to accomplish?" and just enjoy it and get caught up in the story—I was able to lose myself in the book. And that got easier the further into the book I got. But I also spent an awful amount of time just trying to suss things out and overthinking things.

I don't think that's a bug when it comes to this book—it's a feature. Sloan has given the reader so much to take in, that if you're not chewing on almost every idea, you're doing the book and yourself a disservice. But it's also the kind of book you can relax with and enjoy. At a certain point in the book, Ariel learns to lay back and float in water—which is both one of those things that takes effort and can be incredibly relaxing at the same time. Like him, the reader has to learn how to "float" in this book. And when you do, you'll be rewarded. How greatly you'll be rewarded, I'm not sure—but you will be.

I'm not going to give this a star rating—sorry if that's what you're looking for. I just don't know (in case I haven't used that phrase enough yet in this post)—I can both defend every rating from 3-5 Stars, and I can wage a better argument against each of those. I encourage readers who find anything I've rambled about above intriguing, fans of Sloan, or people who read what the Publisher's site says to give it a shot. And then let's get together and talk about it, because I'd love to bounce some spoilery ideas off of someone.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.

A few months ago, I was wondering when Robin Sloan's next novel was coming out because I really enjoyed Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Book Store and Sourdough. I was delighted to get this ARC and it uplifted me after a not as good read. This novel was set in the post-apocalyptic future which is a setting I do not gravitate towards. It was sci-fi but had elements of fantasy and classic middle grade fantasy classics. At times, it reminded me of Studio Ghibli and anime. I felt immersed in the world building and the adventures of Ariel the 12 year old boy protagonist and the Chronicler. There were many side characters and quests. My small quibble was that there were perhaps too many side quests, but most things played a role in Ariel's journey. The writing had the same interesting yet lighthearted tone of Sloan's previous novels. It's a distinct tone that I've found engrossing as a reader. I had a great time. I'm looking forward to reading the print copy for the maps.

Thank you to Netgallery for the Advanced Reader Copy. To the publisher: My review will be posted on my social media and blog on publication day June 11.

This was an absolute delight—a sprawling, epic quest that’s both bonkers and brilliant. Ariel, a young boy in a wizard-ruled town, discovers a sentient AI artifact that becomes his guide and ally. This AI, with its vast historical knowledge, leads Ariel through a world brimming with talking animals, sentient weapons, and wizards.

Sloan masterfully blends science fiction and fantasy into a fast-paced, whimsical adventure. The vibrant cast and richly detailed universe keep you hooked from start to finish. Despite its grand scale, the book reads incredibly quickly, making it a real page-turner.

For fans of imaginative and heartwarming stories, “Moonbound” is a must-read.

The book could have shed a few concepts as the novel gets heavy the farther in you go and specificity become scant, but it was still a fun novel that I think could be perfect for the summer.

A weird and wonderful new fantasy (with a touch of science fiction) from Robin Sloan! This was a really enjoyable quest adventure story set over 11,000 years from now, and spending time in Sloan's imaginative future was both fun and thought-provoking. Ariel, a 12-year-old boy, lives in a small town governed by a wizard. When he is out exploring one day, he stumbles upon an ancient entombed figure, and ends up with an A.I. chronicler sharing his body and narrating the novel. And I think it's better to go in to the rest of the story blind and just enjoy the ride. There are many quirky characters and interesting settings, and a community of beavers who make decisions in a way everyone in this world would do well to emulate. Thank you to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and MCD for a digital review copy.

Highly recommend- best experienced without expectations!

What a fun and wild ride. I re-read Sloan’s two most recent books and the connected novellas last year, and was eagerly anticipating this “expansion of the Penumbraverse.” So, I went into this expecting a clear through-line or at least chronologically adjacent addition to the Mr. Penumbra/ Sourdough/Suitcase Clone/Ajax Penumbra world and narrative arc. I wish that I had not gone in with this expectation, because this book is not that in any way that you’d recognize most of the time.

That being said, I highly recommend the book - I was continually pleasantly impressed and surprised by the literary choices here. It’s genre-coalescing and imaginative in a different way than Sloan’s other books. It’s just as fun and there are some specific references to pop culture that were very entertaining, in a Nick Hornby, Chuck Klosterman, Amy Sherman-Palladino kind of way.

Similarly to his other books, there’s a lot of heart in the characters and relationships, it’s compulsively readable with a great narrator, and it’s definitely an epic adventure. Big themes of intelligence, awareness, evolution, consumption, environmentalism but all done at an interactional, conversational, individual level.

Some things to know going in: it’s post-apocalyptic in a Mad Max way, and it’s a reader’s book, so knowing literary structures/allusions will expand your enjoyment!
Read if you liked: Cloud Cuckoo Land (but on one timeline), Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot series.

Extra thanks to Netgalley and MCD for the e-ARC so I didn’t have to wait so long to read this newest installment by one of my favorite authors!

If someone had told me that Robin Sloan’s Moonbound features a 12-year-old boy, talking animals, wizards, and “dragons” on the moon, I might have skipped it... but I’m very glad I didn’t. This imaginative adventure set thirteen thousand years into the future, masterfully blends science fiction with fantasy, following a young boy named Ariel on a mission to save the world. Having never read Robin Sloan before, I had no idea what to expect, and certainly not this.

Moonbound is both unusual and bizarre yet manages to remain concise and elegant. What feels like a literary acid trip, stays true to its science fiction roots while crafting a fantastical world with an almost historical charm. Throw in some talking beavers solving the climate crisis and you have quite the odd story that works brilliantly. The writing is enjoyable and heartfelt, creating a strong attachment to each meticulously crafted character. Sloan has created a delightfully unique and charming world, and I am eager to see what comes next.

Although quite different, Moonbound evoked a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of A Wrinkle in Time and The Neverending Story, both beloved stories from when I was younger. Thank you Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Moonbound comes out on June 11th, good luck on pub day!

I don't read a lot of fantasy or science fiction, but something about this author is always a hit for me! This expands on his former work but also could stand on it's own. I loved the story and felt completely lost in it while reading.

Robin Sloan is a master of wonderfully unexpected adventures, and for me, Moonbound was no exception. An absolute joy to read!

📖🎧 Book Review 🎧📖 When my bestie who loves books like I do told me I needed to read Robin Sloan, I knew I had to pick this one up. WOW! Eleven thousand years from now and the future is like nothing we could imagine now. Moonbound is absolutely captivating- beautifully written and narrated in such a profound manner. I was especially grateful to read this book in the audiobook and print format for the full impressively amazing and immersive experience.

4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted and Goodreads and final review will be on instagram ahead of the publication date.

Every once in a while, I come across a book so masterfully crafted that it takes my breath away. Moonbound is perfect in every way, and I am infinitely grateful to Robin Sloan for creating this world and sharing it with readers.

Gabra Zackman's narration was 10/10.

I received an ARC/ALC from Farrar, Straus and Giroux | MCD / Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Robin Sloan, I was so excited to see a new book by them! If postapocalyptic reads are for you then you must pick this read up! This is was such a unique read!

I feel like summarizing anything might ruin the surprises along the read. It's mostly Sci-fi and Fantasy —there are castles, "dragons", wizards, a scholars college, talking beavers, a boy on a quest, spaceships, an adventure— It has lots of weird, fun ideas and turns, with threads of technology and modern culture references that enrich the setting, making it a very interesting world.

It's been a while since I got the tingly feeling of excitment and surprise while reading an adventure, those moments of revelation that surprise you when you thought that you knew where things were going next, or push you into an even more mysterious —don't know what is happening but I'm enjoying this ride— direction.

There is a pulse in this story that pulls me to try mapmaking, to explore, and to creatively experiment. For me it was a spark that ignited some slumbering ideas and made my imagination crank up a few revolutions.

I had a really good time reading this!

Fantasy and science fiction aren't my preferred genres. But I enjoyed Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore as well as Sourdough by Robin Sloan, so I decided to try Moonbound. So imaginative.

I reviewed the advance review copy of the ebook (thanks to NetGalley and publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux for approving my request to read in exchange for an honest review), maps were TBD. NetGalley ebooks rarely correlate to the physical book length; I was really surprised to see the book is 432 pages.

There are definitely ties to the tale of King Arthur.

I loved this ride into the world Robin Sloan created.

Publication date is June 11, 2024.

Bonus points to Robin Sloan for mentioning the Great Lakes and recognizing his Michigan roots.