Werewolves✅ Vampires✅ Fae✅ Mages✅ Penitentiary ✅ Strong Female MC✅
When Jess wakes up next to a dead body she is dragged through a portal to a penitentiary. Then she is told that she can shift into a wolf and is being accused of murder.
This book started off great. I was immediately pulled in wondering what really happened. I felt like there was a little bit of info dumping once we met the other characters though. There were some parts that were repetitive as well. I also felt like I was trying to figure out who the love interest would be the whole time since I felt like it could be any of the 3 males. That made the middle section a bit rough for me. The start and the end were phenomenal. The fight scene had me on the edge of my seat. This book was kind of dark but I liked that. I really enjoyed all the characters. The main character is strong which I enjoyed. The other character that stood out to me the most was Theo. I’m excited to see where this series goes. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! At first I wasnt sure if it was for me but as I pushed through I couldnt get enough! The plot is unique and each character is new and fresh in a genre that is oversaturated!

I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of Paranormal Fantasy!

This was a fantastic hook into an exciting new series. Luna was a rollercoaster, wonderful writing, and characterization. Jess has rage blackouts, the result? It turns out she is a werewolf and is sent to a juvenile facility full of other teens with supernatural issues.

***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing a copy of Luna. I have reviewed honestly.

This book held so much promise, but unfortunately fell short for me.

I am big on the connection between reader and character, and I just didn't feel it with this one.

The worldbuilding was decent, but nothing special.

I really loved the idea of this book and wish I could have enjoyed it more.

Overall, this book was not for me, but will definitely pull a fair amount of readers in.

I adored this book. At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I'll admit, I avoided reading the synopsis - but a bunch of paranormal teens imprisoned by the supernatural authorities certainly wouldn't have been on my list of guesses.

I was pulled into the story by the unique plot and the easy flow of the narrative. The characters were fascinating in how familiar, yet distinct they were from the usual paranormal tropes. It was a nice change and a fresh spin on the usual mythologies.

I loved the tentative threads of romance promised between Jess and Rune/ Mateo respectively. I got the distinct impression that whatever Jess is, it has an alluring power over those around her. I can't wait to continue on with this series and learn more.

I would happily recommend this book as a solid read to anyone who enjoys Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy.

This book had me hooked from the start. I very much enjoy shifter series or other supernatural young adult books so this one was a winner! Jess is a relatable, strong character. The author does a great job with character development and story progression. I can't wait to read the next books in the series to find out what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Anchorite Publishing for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Quick Stats:
Overall: 3.5/5 Stars
Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3.5/5
Writing: 3/5
Plot and Themes: 3.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: A quick, easy read, and definitely for people who like urban fantasy/paranormal books.

// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Mature Content //

Release Date: 9/5/2021
Publisher: Anchorite Publishing
Page Count: 274
Premise: When Romulus killed Remus, the wolf clans swore enmity to one another ever after. Seventeen-year-old Jess has survived an upbringing in care. Diagnosed with rage blackouts, people look at her with pity and fear. The solution? Brutal workouts, Art - oh - and staying the hell away from others. Easily done in backwater Maine. Yet one night, she wakes to find herself by a lake, her clothes covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. Soon the water is aflame and a portal opens. Transported to the Triodia Penitentiary, she discovers she's a shifter, a type of para. She's accused of murder and locked up. Desperate to find a way out, she turns to her fellow inmates for help. Yet as they mount an escape, the enemies circling her increase. Will Jess survive unlocking the dangerous Heights and Depths of the para world and those within herself?

Plot: Hooked me quickly in the beginning, and held my attention throughout the book. The whole murder mystery plot kept me guessing and suspicious of everyone. It's a fast paced and easy read. The magic system was very unique but I wish we got to explore it further (I know it's only the first book in the series though).

Characters: I didn't like Jess or Lea because they seemed too "pick-me-esque" at the start, but I liked Jess more the more I read. Sadly, the same can't be said for Lea, but I digress. Rune, Theo, and Astra on the other hand, I absolutely ADORED. I liked how Rae Else wrote the three of them and kept their motivations a secret, therefore making me second guess everything. I don't like Matteo and his self righteousness, so I'll just skip him for now. Rune has my whole heart, and I'd read the next book in the series just for him.

Conclusion:

Pros: Fast paced, easy to get into. Mystery definitely keeps you guessing with all the twists and reveals. Liked the tension between Jess and a certain love interest.

Cons: Pacing was a little awkward in some places in the middle. Most of the characters are likeable, but I didn't like the chapters with Matteo's pov only because I didn't like Matteo. Wished there was a bit more romance, but that's just my personal preference.

Overall: I enjoyed this book and I plan to read the others when they're released, but I personally wouldn't read it again or recommend it to everyone. If you like urban fantasy/paranormal books, then this would be a good book to check out.

**Disclaimer** This is all personal opinion and is in no way intended to offend anyone. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was difficult for me to finish and I almost DNF’d it a few times.

The story starts off with a good mystery that intrigues type enough to continue reading. But once Jess is imprisoned, the plot slows to a point of boredom not relieved by the supporting characters either. You will spend a good 60% of this waiting for anything to happen and that’s just too long for us to linger. If the plot had some sort of excitement I probably would have enjoyed it a bit better, however, that wasn’t the case and I was left more disappointed.

First I want to thank @raeelse & @netgalley for this ARC copy! I was so excited to receive it and here's my honest review:

I loved it! I found myself connecting with Jess right away through her love of creating things and inner peace found in nature. Jess is 17, going on 18, hopping through the foster care system. She yearns for freedom and is determined to reach it. Her record is well documented, but after a sudden change of events she is left questioning her own history.

This story was quick paced, full of magic and intrigue, and the ever present fear of betrayal. I did feel as if a little of the beginning of the book was rushed but that feeling dissipated as I dove in further. I'm excited to read the novella and the rest of the books in the series as they come out.

When I saw the cover and description for Luna I knew it was my type of book. But I was not prepared for all it would put me through.

This is one of those rare few books that convinced me I need to get a physical copy after reading only a few pages. So far, only The Poppy War has managed it at that speed. That tells you all you need to know.

Every part of this world speaks to my soul. It's unique and I don't think the comps do it justice.

There's an array of supernatural creatures, like wolf shifters, vampires, sorcerers, fae and things like the Sluagh. I love love love how developed they all are. And the lore.

The story is told mostly through the eyes of Jess, our main character who's accused of murder, but occasionally there's another PoV that sneaks in (and brings me huge delight).

That second PoV, is Matteo. He's basically an assigned officer to ready Jess for her sentencing. As the story progresses he becomes a lot more than that.

I LOVE MATTEO SO MUCH. That can totally be blamed on Lea and her potato game. Although I'd like to think Matteo is purely amazing on his own too, so my love of him was inevitable.

All the main characters stole my heart. I immediately started loving each and every one of them from their first introductions. I can't even pick a favourite.

If I had a group of friends like Theo, Rune and Astra (no Lea, I'm a Lea anti) the sky would be my limit.

You know what else is good in this book? The revenge. BUT I WON'T SPOIL IT, SO IF YOU WANT ONE OF THE BEST REVENGE TROPES YOU'LL HAVE TO READ THE BOOK.

The storyline must be sprinkled with magic too, because it sank its claws into me and didn't let go. I was so scared I'd finish this too fast so I stretched it out as much as I could and now I want to cry because I miss everyone already.

I AM NOT OKAY.

If book two doesn't come out soon I'll just melt into The Between never to be seen again.

TO SUM UP, this is the best supernatural penitentiary book in existence. This is it, everyone else can go home.

And it's now one of my ultimate favourite books that I'll keep recommending to people like a broken record.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

After witnessing a brutal murder, Luna wakes up to learn that not only does the supernatural world exists, but she is also going to be on trial for the murder. Sounds promising, right? Not so much. I didn't really find myself connecting with the story or it's characters. The idea of a possible love triangle was kind of interesting, but needed fleshed out. The world building was alright, but was a lot at once.

3.5 star rating

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I quite enjoyed reading this book. The cover and title is what caught my eye.

Before reading my initial assumption and worry was that it may turn out as the stereotypical werwolf story but I turned out to be wrong. The plot was dragged out for a bit in the beginning but I really enjoyed the book as it progressively got better.

The main character Jess is relatable and easy to follow, I also really enjoyed some of the side characters too. It all tied really well together.

To start: I absolutely adore the cover of this book. It's simply stunning, and I cannot get over how beautiful it is.

This book is solid. I would say it is relatively average, and it checks a lot of the boxes for a standard YA fantasy type novel. Does it blow me out of the water? No. Is it still a solid read? Yes.

Jess isn't my favorite character I've ever read, and I had a difficult time warming up to her. I'm hoping that the romances in this novel will be further fleshed out in later books, and I'm hoping there is more elaboration on world building.

Overall, a pretty solid book. I'll definitely check out the next one in the series when it is out! This book is worth taking a look at.

Thank you to Netgalley and Anchorite Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest reveiw.
Rated: 3 Stars

The story follows a teenage girl name Jess who lives in a foster home with her foster mom and sisters. She goes on a run to burn off some steam while on her run Jess spots her foster sister Caylee in danger and goes after her. Somehow Jess ends up in a paranormal penitentiary and is blamed for her foster sister's death.

The story line and plot was creative and realistic. The world building was good and the variety of different paranormal beings were involved was fantastic. The book was short and I think it affected the overall character developments. I wasn't invested in most of the characters in the book and I didn't particular feel invested for Jess either. The romance interest was minimal and I wished for more.

Although the story was sort of dragging in the middle it really picks up toward the end and it felt a bit rushed. Overall this was a good book and interesting enough that I will pick up the second book to find out what happens.

First I want to thank Netgalley for offering up an ARC of this book to review. I signed up because the cover is gorgeous, but also because I personally love shifter books.

So Luna is about a 17 year old girl named Jess, who is accused of murder and locked up in a paranormal penetentiary, where she finds out she is a shifter and has gone her whole life not knowing.

Jess is desperate to break out as enemies constantly close in on her, so the friends she meets in the pen (a witch, vampire, fae, and shifter) execute a plan to get out.

The overall potential for this book is good, honestly the story itself is interesting and I am curious to know what happens. However I think it was executed rather poorly. There was a lot of repetition and the middle just lacked, it got so boring I found myself skipping paragraphs because it was just the same things over and over again. However, the last third of the book is where things start getting juicy. It really picks up and honestly is the only reason I will pick up book 2. I do hope it gets better as it goes though.

Oddly enough there are probably 4 chapters from another POV in the book and those are written better than the POV from Jess IMO. I did like the other characters and the fact that there were other ‘species’ and that the magic system was unlike any other I’ve read.

There is somewhat of a love triangle, its very confusing in this first book. I do hope she expands on it more. Even if she doesn’t know who end game will be, I feel like we need to see Jess feeling more for both interests. It just felt like it lacked something in this book. We were never given answers to a lot of things and I fear in the coming books it will just be looked over. *Like those are the feelings, that’s it, there’s no reason behind the strong pulls they each have to each other.

Overall 3/5 and I will read the next one in hopes that it improves. The last part of the book was great and had twists I didn’t see coming.

Title: Luna
Author: Rae Else
Publication date: September 5th, 2021

Summary: When Romulus killed Remus, the wolf clans swore enmity to one another ever after.
Seventeen-year-old Jess has survived an upbringing in care. Diagnosed with rage blackouts, people look at her with pity and fear. The solution? Brutal workouts, Art - oh - and staying the hell away from others. Easily done in backwater Maine. 
Yet one night, she wakes to find herself by a lake, her clothes covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. Soon the water is aflame and a portal opens. Transported to the Triodia Penitentiary, she discovers she's a shifter, a type of para. She's accused of murder and locked up.
Desperate to find a way out, she turns to her fellow inmates for help. Yet as they mount an escape, the enemies circling her increase. Will Jess survive unlocking the dangerous Heights and Depths of the para world and those within herself?
Luna is the first in a four-book series, The Dark Between. A decadently dark YA Fantasy full of Heights and Depths that will leave you craving more. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Sarah J. Maas.

Review: I absolutely love this book. I almost finished it in one day. I ended up taking longer than expected but I know that's on my attention span and not on the book. I was reading it at night and I got a little freaked out. The book is not scary it was something in my house but it made it difficult to continue. There were two things that bothered me a little bit about this book one is that even though she thought she was human her whole life she instantly starts saying "by alba" all the time the second she learns she's not. The second is the ending, I understand that the book will be in a series but it feels like it just slams to a stop. She gets somewhere and then the book just ends. I do love the twists of her bloodline, I spent a good chunk of the book just trying to figure out who her parents were and when you find out it's a wonderful shock. I cannot wait to see how she reacts when she finds out. I cannot wait for the next book!

I was lucky enough to get this as a ARC, I was not disappointed at all loved every page, it was gripping through out, story plot was brilliant and exciting and I love Jess ❤ this is a must read, these are my favourite reads and I really really enjoyed this

2.5 stars

To start off this review, I'm going to go ahead and say that the cover is incredibly beautiful and I will not accept any criticism of it.

Murder, magic, juvenile halls; the book's top three features. Think of it as the breakfast club but darker and involving magic.

This story follows 17-year-old Jess as she is accused of murder and discovers she's a para. Being passed down from many foster homes, she has learnt a lot about politics and everything about magic in order to survive. There was essentially A LOT info dumping.

The first half of the book was particularly very creative. I did sympathize with Jess but found her and the rest of the character unlikeable. Except for Matteo, he was probably the least annoying character in this book.

Listen, I need a giant poster of Luna's cover to display on my wall. It's absolutely beautiful. And not going to lie, it's the biggest reason I decided to pick the book up. And then I saw the words 'dark fantasy' and 'vampire' and I was sold.

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting going into Luna but I don't think I got it. We start with Jess at her current foster home getting into a (another?) fight with her foster sister/roommate that ends with Jess going on a regular run to blow off steam. This leads to her witnessing a murder before blacking out. When she wakes up she's brought to a paranormal (para) sort of juvie and accused of being the murderer and a shifter . This all happens really fast while we are being thrown other information. It was kind of confusing and hard to keep track of. I do like that Jess uses her broken past to try and create something good from other broken things with her art. Everyone and everything deserves to take up space. To matter. The Sarah J Maas comp is pretty accurate. I definitely recommend this series starter for fans of shifter fantasy readers.

At the moment, I'm not sure if I will be continuing the series. But I do thank Netgalley and Anchorite Publishing for providing me with a review copy of Luna.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a chance to have an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a surprising twist to the usual paranormal creatures like vampires, shifters, fae, and mages, with the majority of the book being set in an Italian penitentiary and with a distinctive magic system. The story takes inspiration from the myth of Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome. The plot is unique with an imaginative concept and kept me interested throughout, but I felt everything progressed a bit too slowly for my liking in the middle and too fast at the end. There is not a cliffhanger as such at the end, but secrets are uncovered and the book does end to smoothly progress into the second installment.

Overall, the world was well-written but I did think world-building could have used a little more detail and more of Matteo’s POV’s. Not only does it have the paranormal aspect but also several mysteries. I also wanted more detail about the fight sequences. I sometimes lost concentration and attention in some of the prison scenes which were longer and had a slower pace in terms of plot.

I enjoyed the characters and the friendships that were built but I did find it too fitting that all the paranormal juvies didn’t take much to befriend and interact with Jess. Although, I can see why all would want to escape with the information given on their backstories. There is a romantic subplot and I do wish the potential romances and each of the character’s stories were a little more fleshed out or hope this will develop in future books. However, this is an excellent first book in a new series and I can't wait for the next installment to find some answers!

I have also posted this review to Goodreads :)