The romance trope in this book sort of took over the plot for a while which I wasn’t really a fan of. The plot was really interesting and I liked the magic of the moonstruck and the elementals. The mystery Wren was trying to solve about her powers was really interesting as well. I wish the book stuck more to the plot and had less of the romance drama. It did read a bit young for me but overall I enjoyed listening to this book! The audiobook was great and I really enjoyed both narrators.

I was able to read the ebook and listen to eaudio at the same time which is my reading preference lately. The narrators Ina Marie Smith and Jordan Barton do a fantastic job. They both have very distinct voices and easily became the characters I was reading about. They spoke clearly and smoothly, naturally transitioning from scene to scene and the pacing was perfect. They really were a great fit for Wren and Lee and I would definitely listen to them narrate more books!

The House of Night series was one of my favorites when I was in high school so I will always read anything P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast write! I have to start with how eye catching the cover is because the colors drew me right to it and it's so distinct. I love the profile of Wren and how the moon is placed right around her. It 100% would have drawn me right in if I wasn't already pulled to it by the authors.

I love a good YA fantasy and it's perfect that this is a duology because I find that I'm much better at remembering what is happening and also because I always want to know how a story is going to end so I'm happy I won't have to wait terribly long. Especially because this one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger threatening everything. I can't say more than that without it being a spoiler but if you read this book, you are going to wish the next one was out already so you can see what happens next.

There is so much going on in this book. The magick (because that's how they're spelling it) and the different Moon signs with different abilities, plus the elementals. It's a lot to pick up in the beginning but the authors explain the whole magick system really well and the development throughout the book becomes easy to follow. The setting is very cool and the trials meant to grow their magic added some danger and excitement to their education. Each of the characters in Wren and Lee's friend group are pretty well developed and I like that they aren't all instantly best friends but we see them trying to build relationships, with each character having their own unique qualities and backgrounds. I also really enjoyed the darker aspects of this story. How Wren ended up being found the morning after magick awakened in her despite having thought she was mundane, and the mysterious deaths that preceded their attendance at Academia de la Luna and continue to happen while they're there. There's a lot of secrecy and not knowing who to trust while trying to discover the school's mysteries. It's a fun magickal fantasy with some murder mystery and a little bit of romance thrown in. I really liked that the story is told in both Wren's and Lee's points of view. Having dual POV always lets me feel more invested in what's happening to the characters. I would recommend this book to any P.C. & Kristin Cast fans -- you will not be disappointed! And also to any YA fantasy lovers who enjoy a good cast of characters, some intrigue, danger, secrets and magick schools!

This just really hit me while I was reading, I was like wow:
"I take a deep breath, and my mind starts gathering all the words to detail how great she is, but I let them go on my next exhale. I don't mean to her what she has meant to me, and giving her all those adjectives to describe how magickal she truly is would be a waste of beautiful words. This time, I'll keep them." 😢


Thank you Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the eALC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really loved this atmosphere of Draw Down the Moon. The island school off the PNW coast felt moody and mysterious and I liked the way the students were “sorted” into moon sign houses. It’s all basically a play on Harry Potter, even to the way the island guardians had a dementor quality. It just didn’t really feel super fresh to me, besides the unique setting.
My main gripe is that Wren felt like a literal child. This leaned way into the YOUNG aspect of YA and I couldn’t connect to her wide-eyed immaturity. And I felt like the love story wasn’t flushed out at all… just will they, won’t they, oh they will and it’s perfect - no explanation of real efforts needed.
That said, this ends on a huge cliffhanger and I’d definitely read the next one. It may be a somewhat basic, predictable formula, but it’s tried and true for a reason. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of magic, boarding schools, and the whole prophecy/ chosen one storyline. This book is inclusive with character times and beautiful.
3.5 rounded up for the overall vibe. The audio narration was well done as well with two well-voiced characters.

I thought the concept of this book was interesting and I think the lack of steamy scenes makes it a clean read for younger teens. I think it was a little rushed as well. I suppose there will be another book, making this a series as the story ended on a cliffhanger. I liked the characters but I was a bit turned off by the female narrator's cadence and voice. I think she would do better narrating a middle grade or juvenile book.

Draw down the moon focuses on Wren and Lee, two best friends separated by magic. Wren is a mundane (someone without any magic), while Lee is the opposite. But Wren discovers she has moon powers on her 18th birthday, and so she's off to magic school to learn to control them.

I guess this is a Harry Potter redo? I don't know. I'm not a Harry Potter fan. I'm not really a fan of this book either to be honest. I found myself repeatedly rolling my eyes every time Wren or Lee spoke. These two are supposed to be 18? More like 13. And please, I cannot handle the amount of physical description in this book. Okay, we get it. Her hair is sO bLoNdE! But she's sO dIfFeReNt! I cannot even. Don't even get me started on calling regular people mundanes. It sounds so cutting, and makes our MCs sound so elitist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Jordan Barton was a great narrator but I did not care for Ina Marie Smith. She was flat out annoying.

This is another book where I love the concept but I don't like the execution. The magic system was a bit confusing I wish we could have had a bit more information about it. The characters acted WAY younger than 18, it was more like a bunch of 13 year olds. The romance was not very consistent which made it really hard to get attached to the romance. This is very much a slow paced book, it takes a long time for things to move along plot wise since there was a lot of focus on building the scene. I did appreciate that the book ended on a cliff hanger, I just didn't like it.


Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter you'll love this start to what will be an amazing series. Imagine growing up knowing magic exists for the moonstruck, those born under certain zodiac signs, but knowing you’ll always be a mundane, magicless. Until your 18th birthday something amazing happens and you’re no longer mundane. You’re whisked away to a magic academy to learn your power. Lots of twists and turns, found family, mystery and devious behavior. I laughed. I cried. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be waiting for more. The narrators did a fine job of conveying the prose and emotions of the 2 main characters, they sucked you into the story.

I had a hard time getting past the similarities to another magical academy book a lot of us grew up with, but when I could I mostly enjoyed this book.

Our MC is an orphaned Chosen One who didn’t know they had magic until later childhood/teenage years.
They have 2 best friends: one exceptionally brilliant young woman who is curious and isn’t afraid to speak up when they feel like they or their loved ones are being wronged. And the other is a male who has something to prove to his family.
The magical academy is separated into four “houses” and doesn’t allow modern technology.
There’s a teacher who is a red herring. And other who is not who our MCs thought they were.

Other than all that, I did have fun reading this book. It had a fun magic system based a bit on astrology. And having the different moon signs having different powers was cool. I wish they went in a bit more in depth to it, but maybe in book two we will see it fleshed out a bit.

The romance between our MC and one of her best friends was a bit cringy. They were supposed to be 17/18 in this book but the way they were handling their relationship made it seem like they were much younger.


Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

At midnight on her 18th birthday, Wren is struck with moonlit magic. She has spent her life thinking she didn’t have magic, but now that she does she must attend the Academia de la Luna where everything is not as it seems.

This was a fun magical story, and the narrators were excellent. I loved their voices and storytelling. However I didn’t love this one simply because of how predictable it was. It followed a very typical fantasy coming of age story. Magic school, childhood friend turned love interest, quirky best friend, and corrupt leaders. Even the magic was very by the book and the twists and ending were exactly what I thought might happen.

So this one would be good for young readers new to fantasy, like have never read it before. It’s ya but I think it would be okay for tweens. Overall it was well written and the narrators were amazing, just would have loved something a bit more unique and special.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for my copy! This one is out on April 2nd.

#audiobookreview #audiobookrecommendation #audiobooks #gifted #listentobooks #yaaudiobooks #bookreview #yabooks #yabookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookthoughts

The narrators were phenomenal. I feel let down, these characters were 18 years old but sounded like 12 year olds. The characters weren’t relatable or relatively interesting to me. I would’ve probably liked this when I was in elementary school, but I feel let down. The magic system was the most interesting concept, but other than that it was a no from me.

♡ Audiobook Review ♡
♤ Release April 2 ♤
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YA (Younger Ya)
Friends to Lover
Magic School
Black Male Character
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Judging a book by its cover because this COVER is gorgeous!
This is book 1 in the Moonstruck duology.
This is YA but is more ages 10-14 years old YA, very middle school vibes. It has great potential to be an amazing book.
This book gave me Harry Potter-ish vibes with the way they sorted the kids until their hall. Also, it gave me a Goble of Fire with the trails.
The narrators, Ina Marie Smith and Jordan Barton, both did a great job bringing the characters and story to life.
Draw Down the Moon is set in a dark and magical world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance. It's a mystical school. A mysterious death. A magickal romance.
Wren Nightingale is born of magical parents but not under one of the four fated astrological full moons. She was destined to live her life as a mundane, a person with no magical powers Up until her 18th birthday. Then we have Lee Young, who is Wren best friend. He has always known about his future at the school and the three goals he has set.
As Wren and Lee are thrown into the academy’s grueling trials, they quickly learn there’s something different—and dangerous—about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies . . . and murder.
This book does leave on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that!
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♡ Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the ALC for my honest opinion ♡

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators immensely! The plot was interesting but the dialogue was just off to me. These are supposed to be 18 year olds, adults, but they speak/act like 12 year olds. I even went back to make sure I was correct in their age. I absolutely loved the House of Night series but this one was a miss for me.

*3.5 Stars*

I was very excited to see that I had been approved for the audiobook for Draw Down the Moon. The cover is gorgeous, and I thought I would enjoy the book based on the synopsis. I appreciated that this book had different POVs for Wren and Lee and that there was a different narrator for each of the main characters. I enjoyed listening while Wren tried to uncover the mystery of her powers through the trials and what is happening on the island that holds the school for the moonstruck. This book is a great beginner fantasy book, and I loved the premise of the magic system. I wish that the authors would have delved further into the magic system as this was one of the biggest draws for me on reading this book. I hope we will learn more about the moonstruck during the sequel.

Although I was not fond on how book 1 ended, I am excited to see how this series will continue in the sequel.

Draw Down the Moon releases April 2nd.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review Draw Down the Moon. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was good, the Magic system unique. Some of the characters really enjoyed, especially the inclusion of nonbinary. The world is rich and I definitely want to know more, even if it is a tad bit predictable. I’m curious to where this is going.

But three things really brought it down for me. One of which is that the characters are 18, but they are portrayed that makes them seem they are 12-14, especially the teen love drama. Second is that we get dropped into a friendship that’s established, but there’s no connection between them that we get, no growth until the end. The last thing is that we got a lot of modern slang and technological references inserted in. Some of it was okay but it really brought me out of the story when it was shoved in there, especially since this felt like it was a low fantasy trying to be a high fantasy story.

I listened to the audiobook as an ARC, so I can say that the narrators are the reason I didn’t DNF. They made it engaging and fun! Lee’s part was a bit quieter than Wren’s, but I really enjoyed their liveliness to keeping the story going.

This felt a little younger than the targeted audience. I enjoy YA reading but this felt younger. I felt the magic world created was forced a bit to try and make it "special," and character development was a bit scattered. But the characters were very engageable. I like the different POVs. I think with the right younger audience it is a good read. I was just too young for me.

Fun and interesting take on magic! Cute love story line but felt very young even though they are 18. The ending was great and leads in to so many questions for the next book!

* YA fantasy romance (almost middle-grade IMO)
* witches
* magic school setting
* friends to lovers

I enjoyed this one! The magical elements were fun and I enjoyed the plot and the friendships between the characters. I do think this reads pretty young (def younger than the characters are, which is 18) so keep that in mind. Definitely intrigued enough to read the next book!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this audiobook - all opinions are my own!

The idea was there but the story did not deliver. I ended up dnfing around 60% because I couldn’t take it anymore. I get that it’s ya but the characters acted much younger than 18. In my opinion it felt like the book was written for a middle schooler.

3/5

This book is great for kids who love Harry Potter or Sky High. This was a great coming of age story; the heroine is struggling to find out who she is and what she wants out of life. Overall this was an entertaining story, however it felt very juvenile for a story about an eighteen year old. It felt like a story I would have enjoyed more in middle school, but having an eighteen year old as the main character may make it feel out of touch for middle schoolers.

Thank you NetGalley and Madmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

As a self-proclaimed "friends to lovers" supremacist, I was so looking forward to this book. A magical school that revolves around MOON POWERS?!?! Friends to lovers?? A SECRET THAT NEEDS TO BE UNEARTHED??? This sounded like everything I could want and more!!

...and then I listened to the audiobook and was deeply disappointed. Now, I knew going into this story that it was going to be a YA novel. The characters are both freshly 18, so I was expecting it to feel a bit younger than a normal new adult/adult fantasy novel and was okay with that. What I wasn't expecting was for these characters to act as though they were in middle school/early high school rather than being ready to start their first year of college. The dialogue felt very juvenile, and really took me out of the story for the majority of the time I spent listening to this.

Wren definitely gave off a bit of a Mary Sue vibe at first just based on how she was described ("long, blonde hair so light it's basically white but with pink dyed tips" gave me Manic Pixie Dream Girl flashbacks, and the name Wren Nightingale???), but I was super excited to hear Lee's description since I feel like we almost never get good male main characters with a set of braids! A handsome black male protagonist in a fantasy novel is often unheard of and felt like a breath of fresh air compared to every brunette/black-haired white man with gray eyes we have in every romantasy. So while I didn't love this story, I don't want that to reflect my love of Lee (even if he did start getting on my nerves towards the end, but that wasn't his fault).

This story also has a LOT of miscommunication trope, which makes me want to pull out my hair. I abhor when teenagers think "I just won't tell this person until I have the whole story and I'll figure it all out myself". NO YOU WON'T!! It was very aggravating and made me want to stop the book at times.

Overall, I think this would be a better story for middle-schoolers or freshmen in high school - there is nothing sexual or spicy other than a few kisses here and there that are very chaste, so I think that other than a couple of traumatizing attacks the students have to deal with that are oddly described in truly horrifying, descriptive detail, it is suitable for 13-16 year olds to read.

Will I read the second? Maybe, but I don't feel like I need to know the ending to this story. Someone please recommend a better P.C. Cast story to read because I hate that this was my first introduction to their stories.