Cover Image: The Night and Its Moon

The Night and Its Moon

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

“To buttery Chardonnay, manic episodes, and every child who wished they were a fairy”
“It’s seldom that a sound defines the course of history”
A beautiful fantasy romance where two young girls, orphans, try to survive in a world that is nothing but cruel to them both. After been separated repeatedly, having to face the powers they both have, the love they both feel, they’ll try to find a way to be together again … but war rages and they’re so far away from each other …
This book was amazing !!!
Fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree, this one is for you all!!
The action scenes, the magic system, the world building and each and every character, it all created a beautiful atmosphere, you can’t help but feel caught in.
Humans, dark fae, witches and something more are all over the place.
The struggles on the journey are a lot but Nox and Amaris are way stronger than they both give each other credit for.
I have to be completely honest, I struggles a bit, at the very beginning of the book. Maybe it was because I felt like it was a bit slow. But getting in the action, later on, and getting to experience what the characters were feeling and doing, made it all worth it.
There are some side characters that I appreciated more than others and the drama in itself was very deep and, I’m afraid still happening.
I believe the thing I loved the most about this book was the description of women’s conditions. Their hope, their dreams compared to their reality. Knowing that it’s not something that happens only in a fantasy orphanage in a world that doesn’t exist, troubled me. It made me think about our reality and this is always a good thing.
“And the unmistakable scarlet smear of blood radiating from the legacy that pumped through her veins as the thirteenth reever”
“Tonight, she was both bait and huntress”

Was this review helpful?

Okay so to start I was excited to see the revised edition of the book on NetGalley. I had already read the original verison, and was soooo excited to see the differences between the two versions. I was also happy to hear about the bi representation in the book, as someone who is bi, I don't see a lot of representation for us.

I was extremely excited for this book after hearing about queer high-fantasy series so I was ecstatic to get an early release copy.he author somehow encompassed dozens of perspectives without it ever being confusing or messy, or making you feel deprived of one character's story - contrary to something we typically see in YA or Adult fantasy.

The plot is written in a manner that builds and pulls you into a vivid fantastical world while examining themes of race, objectification, feminism, equality, self-empowerment, child trauma, abuse, misandry and misogyny.
The Night and Its Moon asks the reader to define different types of love in the context of being an outsider, being different, and being queer, while leaving the reader open to establish their own emotions which is once again a rarity for popular fantasy novels. It's a beautifully written, enthralling epic that is hard to compare to other works.

Was this review helpful?

I was going to subtract a star for every graphic and extremely unnecessary sex scene but goodreads doesn’t do negative stars so I’m stuck at one. I feel like I skipped half the book trying to skip the sex scenes, and not a single one of them was actually between the two characters in the main romance. It’s rather disappointing because the plot had so much potential, but that ruined the whole thing.


I feel like it’s worth noting that I read this book completely unaware of the drama around it so my review is unbiased by that. I still don’t know what the drama is, besides that there is drama. Regardless, this was just a sucky book.

Was this review helpful?

I DNF‘d this book 25% in.

Despite a bisexual fantasy being exactly the type of book I would love, I could not get into this book. I very rarely DNF books, usually just forcing myself I push through, but the book moves at a very slow pace. I quarter of the way into the book I still don’t feel like I’ve hit the main storyline yet and am waiting for it to get interesting.

Was this review helpful?

There were too many issues that quickly arose with this book. I had not been aware of them before I requested this edition, but they became apparent the further I tried to read.
Unfortunately, the racist tropes and repetitive writing had me DNF'ing this about 30% of the way in. Perhaps with a lot of editing and some sensitive readers this can be salvaged, but as it is, it just isn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

Since the editor clearly stated bad reviews should only be left if they are constructive, I’ll leave a few pointers below. As a broad statement based on the sample alone, it is obvious the book needs not only a line editor and a developmental editor but a sensitive reader as well.

1. The pacing was far too slow. There is typically room for slower pacing in fantasy, but not to this extent. There still needs to be tension to draw the reader in and keep them there.
2. Excessive info dumping The reader should learn about the world naturally and from the eyes/perspective of the characters. Writing with such heavy exposition no longer works in our generation.
3. Dialogue Any well-read person, regardless of their personal writing experience, understands the formatting of dialogue. There was no formatting in this sample. Also, dialogue tags and/or action indicators for who was speaking seemed to be optional.
4. Character flaws, or lack of them. Agnes and Nox seem to start the book perfectly developed and can do no wrong. That only hurts the characters as it leaves no opportunity for character development.
5. Grammar A lot of other reviewers have already made this point clear. However, I will add one thing. It was abundantly evident that most of the words were right-clicked and changed out for synonyms. There were also a couple sentences that used contradicting verbs, as if the author didn’t take the time to use the dictionary and make sure the wordage was appropriate.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and Bloom Books for this eARC!

The Night and Its Moon is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy tale of Nox and Amaris, two orphans who end up getting separated when Amaris leaves for the mountains aongside assassins and Nox takes Amaris' place as a purchase by a brothel owner.

Full disclosure, I gave up at 25%. This book just didn't manage to catch me and there were issues with the writing. Besides the fact that it just generally felt lacking to me, there were also an appalling amount of grammar/spelling mistakes.

Originally, I was excited about a Fantasy book centered around sapphic women but sadly this book is a no for me.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this story from the first time I read it and am happy to say that it got even better in this edition! The changes that were made provide a better connection to the characters, a cleaner and stronger story with better editing and new chapters. In the Barnes and Noble exclusive a novella is also included which was not previously published in the first edition. Piper CJ created a world full of diversity and understanding. Piper has created a fantastic series that presents a Bi fantasy story line that allows for the characters to accept their sexuality without having it be the primary focus or challenge to overcome. She is able to tackle hard topics in the plot in a smart and delicate way while providing the reader a better understanding of the character's struggles. Piper has written her characters in such a way that they feel real to the reader. The growth and depth that each character has is amazingly written. I highly recommend this book and the rest of the series to anyone and everyone.

Was this review helpful?

There are too many racist tropes in the book for me to get through it. They don't serve a purpose in the book and don't need to be there. Along with that, there have been issues with the author coming for readers on social media for calling the book sapphic, due to the bisexual MC being in a sapphic relationship. I was willing to set that aside for the sake of the review, but the racism serves no purpose and is extreme and I can't get through it. I DNF'd the book. I hoped, after seeing it was being republished, that it had gone through some major editing and I'm disappointed to see that is not the case.

Was this review helpful?

I was intrigued by the summary of this book and was interested right away as it was being marketed it as a bisexual fantasy novel.
I haven‘t read anything by this author before so I was also excited to see how they write and get an insight into their creative space.
I want to emphasize that despite recent controversies surrounding this author, I went into the reading process with an open mind.
First of all, plot- and world-building-wise this is incredibly interesting and creative. The story was written creatively, with unique dynamics, however the writing style did not impress me at all. At times the novel felt really forced and drawn out (with repetitions and too wordy descriptions for example) so I struggled to get through it. Especially the romance didn‘t feel smooth or natural. I feel like this book could‘ve been a lot shorter and be more enjoyable to the reader.
Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this ARC e-copy of the book!

Was this review helpful?

Given the current environment that this author has created I was hesitant to read this book. I wasn't able to get more than about 60 pages without needing to stop. I am saddened because I was excited about this book but it doesn't mean I'll support this author.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately recent things about this book and the author has made me step away from reading it as I can not support the author

Was this review helpful?

I’m trying to find something good to say but just can’t. This was overall very problematic and had many racist undertones that made me uncomfortable. As a whole, it felt like a rip off of The Witcher. Very disappointed. The author has widely marketed it as a bisexual fantasy, which is what intrigued me from the beginning, but is now saying it’s not a sapphic book. That’s not okay.

Was this review helpful?

I picked up a copy of this book under the premise of trying something new, while simultaneously diving into a genre that I have only just dipped my toes into. I was willing to expand on that and The Night and Its Moon seemed like the perfect book to do just that.

Especially since this novel is not only fantasy alone, but it encompasses and embraces a bisexual protagonist to lead the story to a fruitful conclusion. Inclusivity is always a generous mark to the author for their putting any element of the LGBTQIA+ respectfully within their novels.

The Night and Its Moon was heavily promoted as a must-read fantasy novel, which is why I picked it up in order to see what all the talk was about, while seeing if it lived up to the hype. `Piper CJ recently joined a new publisher and prior to this I must admit, I have not heard of her. So as a bonus in addition to reading a new book, I'm also reading a new author. Always a plus to discover new people outside of out go-to authors.

I have to agree with fellow reviewers who have also tackled this novel in a few ways. One, the storyline/plot. The storyline itself and the tale that has been written, I have no issue or problem with. The story was creatively written with a sense of dynamism, uniqueness and of course, fantasy. It was a read that did pique and satisfy my initial interest with the plot, providing a decent story that highlights Piper's imagination and thought process when writing it. Two, her writing. Each author is different and possesses their own unique writing style, Piper here is no different. Whereas her writing is not overall terrible, as it was said by other reviewers, it was let down by the former editor (which Piper has already made clear and transparent). There are always perils and pitfalls when self-publishing and this was one of them. It was a bit of a struggle to read through because of this, but it has potential to be great in the hands of someone who can make Piper's writing soar, highlighting and enhancing what about her is great and gifted.

That said, this book was not a disaster contrary to what has been done to it while out of the author's hands. It has good potential to become something great in future books within this series, and I will be jumping back in with the next book to see if we can continue to support the author and give it a rating it truly deserves.

Was this review helpful?

I didn’t think the first version of The Night and It’s Moon could be enhanced, but here we are. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read the re-release early. Piper magically pulls you into the story, and hits your senses. You’ll smell juniper, plums, and spices. You’ll feel anger that is bitter. You’ll find yourself wanting to warn your beloved characters. There are lots of twists and turns in this fantasy. It also helps remind you that judging by your own bias on what you have always been told prevents you from hearing and seeing the truth. Get ready to run, get ready to fly, and dive right in.

As a bisexual myself, I appreciate seeing myself represented. It’s not often seen, and honestly any LBGTQIA+ representation makes me proud. Thank you, Piper. Your book amazed me, and I will impatiently wait for all the books to come.

Was this review helpful?

Really loved this one! So inventive and original! Can’t recommend enough to fantasy lovers of all ages. 4/5 stars!

Was this review helpful?

I won't be publishing this review on Goodreads, but recent discoveries about this book led me to drop it.

Was this review helpful?

To start off, I read the ARC of the new edited version.
The Night and it’s Moon is a beautifully woven bisexual fantasy centered around Nox and Amaris. We follow both of them, both together and separately, as they grow into themselves and start to discover their places in the world and just how powerful they truly are. The characters are all written very well and it was easy to love (or in some cases despise) them. For the last half of the book, I could not put it down if I wanted to. I was drawn into the world Piper CJ created and am now left desperate for more!!
The only hesitation that kept me from five stars is that there are still some distracting grammatical errors and some repetition. There were also just a couple of times that I felt like the story jumped a bit and it took my mind a moment to catch up and understand what was happening. It felt like the author was passionate and getting the story out so quickly that maybe a few details that she knew to be true weren’t as obvious to the reader.
All in all, this is a great debut and I will be impatiently waiting for the next installment!

Was this review helpful?

Such an amazing read! Details that help guide you and lead you through, easy to imagine this as a movie. Cannot wait to read the next book. Love the dual POV because keeps you engaged and you can see such development in the characters as the story progresses. The Bi representation is amazing as well.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read this book.

This book is literal perfection. I could not stop reading after the first sentence and found myself thinking about this book constantly if I wasn’t reading it. The character development is extraordinary (as are the characters), the world building is excellent, and the plot is amazing. This story has fae, demons, monsters, and monster hunters (among other things). There was a reveal about a third of the way into the book that was amazing, and I will literally read anything this author writes from now on. I have already pre-ordered book two. Cannot recommend this book enough.

Was this review helpful?