The Forgetting Moon

The Five Warrior Angels #1

by Brian Lee Durfee

A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it in this "high fantasy in the vein of Stephen R. Donaldson or David Eddings, with generous helpings from George R. R. Martin" (Booklist).

Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sør Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros’ greatest triumph.

While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths. Jondralyn, the older sister, renowned for her beauty, only desires to prove her worth as a warrior, while Tala, the younger sister, has uncovered a secret that may not only destroy her family but the entire kingdom. Then there’s Hawkwood, the assassin sent to kill Jondralyn who has instead fallen in love with her and trains her in his deadly art. All are led further into dangerous conspiracies within the court.

And hidden at the edge of Gul Kana is Nail, the orphan taken by the enigmatic Shawcroft to the remote whaling village of Gallows Haven, a young man who may hold the link to the salvation of the entire Five Isles.

You may think you know this story, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world based on lies.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Adult, Dark Fantasy

856 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2016

About the author

Brian Lee Durfee is an artist and writer raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Monroe, Utah. He has done illustrations for Wizards of the Coast, Tolkien Enterprises, Dungeons & Dragons, Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust (Denali National Park), and many more. His art has been featured in SPECTRUM: Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art #3 and Writers of the Future Vol 9. He won the Arts for the Parks Grand Canyon Award and has a painting in the permanent collection of the Grand Canyon Visitors Center-Kolb Gallery. Brian is the author of the fantasy series, Five Warrior Angels, published by Simon & Schuster's SAGA Press. He lives in Salt Lake City. - See more at: http://brianleedurfee.weebly.com/inde... and/or http://authors.simonandschuster.com/B...

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

A severely underrated epic fantasy debut.

The Forgetting Moon is Brian Lee Durfee’s debut and it has been published for almost three years now. Honestly, it’s quite sinful that this book has less than 500 ratings at the moment; not only this is THE biggest fantasy debut I’ve ever read so far, The Forgetting Moon is also one of the strongest beginnings to an epic fantasy series I’ve come across. I’m truly flabbergasted by how underrated this debut is. Gorgeous cover art by Richard Anderson, a beautifully drawn map by Robert Lazzaretti, high-quality floppy paperback (yes, this is a plus), and most importantly, amazing content. Why is no one talking about this book!? I seriously wish someone had recommended this book to me; I never heard about this series until the author himself sent a review request to me and I’m gratified that he did.

Picture: My signed copy of The Forgetting Moon (I have to share this. Check out the badass signature!)



Throughout the majority of The Forgetting Moon, the story takes place in Gul Kana, the last unconquered kingdom in the Five Isles, which is on the brink of an invasion. The Angel Prince of Sør Sevier, Aeros Raijael, is coming for worldwide domination. This is an epic fantasy with identity, war, valor, destiny, and faith as the main themes; I will recommend this tome only to readers who love the epic fantasy genre heavily. Like many other epic fantasy books I’ve read and loved, The Forgetting Moon is in my opinion a mostly foundational book. The main purpose of this debut is to have a firm groundwork for the author to work with in future installments and Durfee did this exceptionally. In this first installment, Durfee has established the characters’ background, personalities, and motivations. The world-building was also intricately crafted. I don’t want to spoil anything important here, so I’ll just mention that if you love Malice by John Gwynne or The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding, with a touch of A Game of Thrones (I’m not saying these names lightly here) by George R. R. Martin as I did, this could be a huge contender to become your new favorite.

‘“In this embattled world, man held faith in invisible forces and hostile spirits, oftimes doing the bidding of the wraiths that fed in his soul. To appease the winged demons who ruled with fiery death, man erected altars of sacrifice. It was a time of selective loyalties, a time of great betrayal. A time of celestial divinations that one holy and pure and strong of mind would be born by the sea, blessed with the Mark of the Cross.”—The Moon Scrolls of Mia’

The Forgetting Moon used plenty of well-known tropes in fantasy, written with a modern voice. One of the most dominant tropes utilized here is the element of prophecy. I personally never mind prophecy in my epic fantasy reads; I tend to find them comfortable and I love the anticipation of seeing whether the prophecies will be fulfilled, proven wrong, or were non-existent to begin with. The unpredictability that can be offered from this plot device can be powerful. Well-executed tropes are comfortable to read, and Durfee delivers. Who were the Five Warrior Angels? Who are their descendants? Why are they so important to the present timeline? These questions will be mostly answered within this book but at the same time, Durfee still left a lot of storylines to look forward to in the sequels.

Something important to know about this book is that it’s a heavily character-driven story; the characters and their characterizations will definitely be the make or break factor for readers. This is a big book with an even bigger sequel, and if you don’t care about the characters the book or series probably won’t work for you. I will also admit that there were a few moments where the pacing did slow down too much but luckily for me, I enjoyed loving and hating the characters that they canceled this minor issue with the book. Durfee has a great talent for making sure his characters’ personalities, feelings, and behaviors are conveyed properly. All the main characters were engaging to read, and Nail in particular was my favorite POV to read. Jon Snow of A Song of Ice and Fire, Rand al’Thor from The Wheel of Time; in epic fantasy, bastards or adopted children that proceed to do incredible and legendary deeds are not something rare but they’re something I never get tired of. In the midst of struggling with identity and the pain of growing up as either of these, I love seeing how these characters shaped the injustice and misfortune of their birth and upbringing into their strength. That’s one of the many reasons why I felt Nail’s story to be the strongest out of all the POVs. However, this doesn’t mean that the spotlight belongs exclusively to Nail and characters with POVs. Through the perspectives of the main characters, we get to see the side characters being remarkably developed and I really can’t wait to read more of their story. It’s simply incredible how Durfee connected the plot thread between all these characters from different Isles and factions.

Durfee’s prose was easy to read but never too simple; it had this vivid quality that I loved reading. To me, the arrangements of words he chose felt ‘right’ to read and it’s shown brilliantly through the characterizations, world-building, and the tension-packed action scenes. Excluding the invasion, most of the vivid battle scenes in this installment were displayed in duels or skirmishes rather than a large-scale war and they were done magnificently. Durfee might be leaving large-scale battles for future installments and I look forward to reading them.

’“In life, as in war, more is lost when hope dies, than by a cold steel and slaughter.”—The Chivalric Illuminations of Raijael’

The world-building of this book was extraordinary and important. I mean it, the world-building played a huge part in influencing the story and characters. The epigraph at the beginning of each chapter, which was comprised of an excerpt from Five Tomes of Ancient Writings, boosted the already rich world-building wonderfully. Revelations, lies, and in-depth lore; Durfee really knows and understands what he’s doing with his series. Every moment of reading the lore, the environment, and the history of the Five Isles transported me easily into the book. I also thought it was charming how the number ‘5’ became an important number for the series. Five Isles, Five Divine Weapons of Laijon, Five Angel Stones, Five Tomes of Ancient Writings, fifty-five chapters, and planned five (now confirmed to be a trilogy, though) installments in a series called The Five Warrior Angels. In fact, The Forgetting Moon is actually the name of the first divine Weapon of Laijon, the other four being The Blackest Heart (a crossbow and the title of the second book), Lonesome Crown (a Helm and the title of the third book), Ethic Shroud (a shield), and finally Afflicted Fire (a sword).

‘”On the eventide of their escape from the slave pits, the Five Warrior Angels gathered in a grove, their hearts open to glory. Angels descended in their midst, bearing five stones and five mighty gifts: a red stone and a sword for the Princess, a white stone and a pearl-colored shield for the Thief, a black stone and a black crossbow for the Assassin, a green stone and a war helm for the Gladiator, and lastly, a blue stone and a battle-ax for the King of Slaves.” –The Way and Truth of Laijon’

I think one of the main reasons why so few readers have given this book a chance is that they feel—understandably—intimidated by it. I get it, readers can be reluctant or intimidated to give a 763 pages debut written by an unknown author a try; replace the author’s name with the heavy hitters like Martin, Tolkien, or Sanderson, and I bet readers will be singing praises for this book’s size. I’m here to tell you that if you love epic fantasy with a prophecy trope done absolutely right, give this a go, simple as that. Mixing classic fantasy and modern fantasy seamlessly, The Forgetting Moon is an immensely engrossing epic fantasy debut. It’s an absolutely dazzling start to an immersive and large-scale epic fantasy series; totally worth every damn second to read and I’ll be diving into the sequel, The Blackest Heart, immediately.

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Brian Durfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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BARNES & NOBLE calls The Forgetting Moon one of the best 2016 summer reads: "Durfee pays homage to hard-hitting, heavy-metal fantasies of the ’80s, but layers in multidimensional characters into plot that slowly shifts your perception and assumptions until the whole thing has twisted right under your nose. It’s an exceptionally promising beginning to a new series.

Your celebrated metatextual genre deconstructions are all well and good, but Brian Lee Durfee is here to make fantasy EPIC again. His debut novel The Forgetting Moon (the first in the Five Warrior Angels series), is epic fantasy turned up to eleven, a bracing reading experience that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. Durfee writes with admirable energy and verve, delivering a story that does absolutely nothing in moderation.

Epic World-Building. As the first book in a new series, this one needs to do a lot of heavy lifting to establish the universe of the Five Isles. Durfee doesn’t waste time: the opening chapters threaten to overwhelm you with eye-popping detail as Durfee introduces his point-of-view characters and the world they inhabit. It’s a setting both intimate and huge—geographically, it’s fairly contained, giving us an opportunity to orient ourselves. But the history and culture are sprawling, from a Christianity-inspired religion, to a social structure whose basis in familiar Western European-inspired hierarchies is only a staring point. He seeds in details that slowly blossom into something unique and refreshingly messy. Readers will play catch-up throughout the early chapters as a torrent of detail builds the world piece by piece—but it’s well worth the effort to follow along.

Epic Stakes. In the world of the Five Isles, Prince Aeros Raijael of Sor Sevier believes he is the second coming of god’s son, and has spearheaded an invasion of the kingdoms of the Five Isles, assured of an inevitable, blessed victory. As the story opens, the kingdom of Gul Kana is the only realm left outside Aeros’ reach—and its time has come. Aeros is a fantastic antagonist, imposing and beautiful, completely convinced of the righteousness of his actions, and shrouded in just enough mystery to keep us fascinated. His army is a monument of grimdark cruelty: his key generals, the Knight Archaic, are incredible warriors entrusted with Aeros’ personal security as well as the prosecution of his war. The casual cruelty and violence they inflict on anyone who gets in their way is shocking, occasionally even revolting—but never without fanatical purpose. One of the Knights Archaic, a beautiful woman named Enna Spades, numbers among the fiercest, darkest characters in recent fantasy—a vile creature who makes deals and plays games with prisoners and enemies alike, at one point setting a captured boy free only after he successfully swims through shark-infested waters. She is cruel and deadly—and entertaining as hell.

Epic Violence. Speaking of Enna Spades, she’s not the only homicidal maniac waiting in the wings, (she is responsible for only some of the worst moments of torture in the book, which gives you an idea of what’s in store). Durfee doesn’t shy away from darkness, moderate the cruelties of an invading army led by a religious fanatic, or underplay the problems of a psychotic and sociopathic boy king (that would be King Jovan of Gul Kana, who inflicts his share of increasingly disturbing suffering on his subjects and even his own family, including his resilient sister Jondralyn. Jondralyn is but another of the many characters through which we view this story, a familiar but effective method of chopping a way into a sprawling tale, from the humble existence of the orphan Nail, raised by a gruff man in a small town, and clearly someone of incredible significance (if Aeros interest in him is any indication); to the royal families, religious leaders, and the knights and assassins plotting and dueling across the land. Durfee’s approach to establishing narrators is “the more the merrier,” and the result provides us with a rich and detailed view of all stratas of society.

Epic and Classic. Durfee revels in the classic tropes of fantasy—mad kings, powerful magical relics, massed armies, knights in armor, assassins so skilled they can stab you without you even feeling it—but he twists them just enough to make them his own. The Vallé, who have pointed ears and lithe, agile movements that mark them as inhuman, are the elves of this universe—but are highly offended if you call them that. Religion plays a vital role, offering a complicated mythos that has direct bearing on both the plot and the motivations of the characters. It’s as if Durfee was so excited by his every idea for this universe, he couldn’t help but dive into each and every detail with gusto—and that delirious energy pulses throughout the book, creating an addictive reading experience. Durfee hasn’t held anything back—this is a deeply imagined world packed with incredible violence, cruelty, and compelling characters and mysteries. The result is a fantasy that brings epic back in a big way." full review here--Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sc...

BOOKLIST says, "This is high fantasy in the vein of Stephen R. Donaldson or David Eddings, with generous helpings from George R. R. Martin. Durfee’s world building is exceptional: detailed and immersive, with a deep history and believable cultures. The plot is paced and driven, compellingly structured, with a conflict large enough to fuel forthcoming titles in the series." (Booklist)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY claims, "Durfee’s artist’s eye and fertile imagination populate this complex tale...(he) opens his Five Warrior Angels series with this rousing quest in the elaborately constructed world of the Five Isles...(his) central characters plunge through torturous trials with dogged determination, each one learning to respect and follow (his) recurrent theme of "trust no one.' " full review here-- http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1...

Paul Di Filippo @ LOCUS MAGAZINE has a killer review here, "....I think I have some small idea of what fresh things can be done in this genre these days by top-notch talent—as well as how to recognize the shared lineaments of a rousing adventure tale of any stripe—and so I can affirm that the debut novel by Brian Lee Durfee, The Forgetting Moon, while not necessarily breaking new ground, provides plenty of well-crafted spectacle, thrills, suspense, blood, thunder and general sense of wonder.

With any book of this type, a literal “subcreation,” we always need and expect a solid foundation of world-building without the kind of deadly and pedantic information overload rightly derided by M. John Harrison. Durfee’s book hits the mark. First, he creates some fascinating topography conducive to great plotting. Five isles, each self-governing as a whole, yet with a variety of polities within, lie next to each other. So the scale is relatively compact, allowing easy interactions among the peoples. The backstory along historical, political, economic, religious and cultural lines is deftly sketched in by nicely placed referents with any coarse infodumps. Everything seems to cohere realistically, with no imbalances. And the societies differ from each other in satisfying and believable ways.

Additionally, there is the matter of the distinct races. Besides the humans, there are dwarves, the fey-like Vallè, and the hideous oghuls. Now, these categories are hardly brand-new in the genre, but as I said about this book in general, Durfee’s light and clever hand freshens whatever it touches.

The book opens with a killer setpiece: a mysterious warrior figure named Shawcroft rescues a three-year-old boy from quasi-supernatural assassins—on the edge of a crumbling glacier, no less. Then we cut to that same lad, named Nail and now aged seventeen, living a humble, even oppressed life in a small fishing village, Gallows Haven. Shawcroft remains by his side, his only “family” and only link to his mysterious past. Several chapters illustrate for us Nail’s personality and temperament and character with some exciting action-filled moments. Then we abruptly leave him to jump to other personages in the vast canvas.

The main factions we are going to observe are the royal Bronachell family in Amadon, the innocent victims in this war. Two sisters—older Jondralyn and younger Tala—serves as our POV figures, and they are both inordinately intriguing: smart, feisty and complicated.

The other camp is that of the aggressors, the invaders from Sør Sevier. What a nasty lot they are, led by the Angel Prince, Aeros, and his sadistic female Knight Archaic, Enna Spades, a woman who makes Elizabeth Báthory look like Pollyanna. In their camp is a more nuanced fellow of some honor, Gault Aulbrek. Mentioning his conflicted role brings me to an observation about Durfee’s troupe. He has a wide spectrum of all types, from the purely evil, like Spades, to the purely good, like Nail. And of course, the folks who are at the interface between good and evil are often the most interesting.

Now, needless to say in a volume of almost 800 pages, there is a lot going on, from battlefield heroics, to duels, to brawls in taverns, to traversals of hidden palace passages, to courtly backstabbing. Durfee stages each incident compactly, with no waste or overstuffing. And the succession of incidents carries the various subplots along at a fair clip. And the main impulse behind this novel—and the whole series to come—is sufficiently majestic to bear the burden of so much storyline.

The main religion of all the isles is the worship of Laijon, whose church has a hierarchy and bureaucracy reminiscent of our own Roman Catholic enterprise at its prime. But within the Church is an esoteric order, the Brethren of Mia, and they know a secret. An apocalyptic event is coming which may be forestalled only by uncovering the long-lost weapons of the Five Warrior Angels and using them in battle. Moreover, the talismans can be hefted only by the five current avatars of the old lineages. And guess who is one of the Five?

Alternating between the countryside trials of Nail and his comrades and the cityside machinations of the Bronachells, Durfee keeps our interests always at a peak. The language he employs during all of this is not archaic, nor overly slangy, but rather a believable speech of another era and place, whose descriptive passages occasionally veer from sturdy visualizations into poetry and gravitas. Rough and scatalogical dialogue also has its appropriate moments.

Now, I should mention one aspect of the book as a kind of consumer caveat. I know enough about contemporary epic fantasy to be aware of the “grimdark” trend. Durfee definitely hoists that flag high. And in a fashion that is not initially obvious. For the first 200 pages or so, the book is not particularly grimdark. But with the invasion of Gallows Haven, the blood commences to flow like red wine at an art gallery opening. Interpersonal relationships assume a kind of Darwinian savagery. And there is really no assurance that any character you have identified with will survive.

It makes for some enthralling reading, to be sure—but perhaps not for those who would rather spend the day dreaming in Rivendell.
full review here-- http://www.locusmag.com/Reviews/2016/...

Rob Bedford at SSFWORLD starts out his cool review with, "When a young boy, Nail, is orphaned and taken in by a gruff and mostly silent warrior named Shawcroft, you might have an idea that Brian Lee Durfee’s The Forgetting Moon is going to tread into the waters of Epic Fantasy. You’d be mostly correct, but the routes he takes are down some of the more shadowy, grim, and darkest roads traveled in this popular sub-genre of Fantasy. To say that The Forgetting Moon leans on the shady grimdark side of fantasy would be an understatement, but nothing else about Durfee’s epic novel (and saga) is understated." -- read full review here http://www.sffworld.com/2016/08/the-f...

And this is what John Marco, author of the Tyrants and Kings series, had to say, "An outstanding debut. Durfee writes with genuine passion, bringing his world fully to life with abounding detail and brisk, gutsy action."

Here is a link to an actual interview with the actual author, Brian Lee Durfee. https://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpre...

Here is what JOE MONTI at Simon & Schuster's Saga Press had to say, "I saw an unpolished gem in this draft, and it honestly brought back many of the feelings I had when reading Tad Williams’s The Dragonbone Chair as a teenager. Heady praise, I know, but what Durfee is thematically doing here reminds me of what Williams did, so I stand by the comparison. Here’s what I mean: A massive army, led by a religious tyrant, is on the brink of defeating their long-time rivals, in a world where prophecies are twisted into lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it in a world on the edge.

Welcome to the Five Isles where you’ll encounter warrior princesses squashed by convention and manipulated by court intrigue; two brothers, both assassins, but one has fallen in love with his mark and now fights the other; and a veteran knight who is becoming disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks for final battle. And then Nail, the orphan boy hidden away at the edge of the last standing kingdom, who may be the link to its salvation.

I love this book because it uses tropes in the fantasy playbook, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world that is based on lies, and it will provide readers who love plot twists with a lot of joy." --Joe Monti --- read the full article here --- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sc...



Also feel free to find me BRIAN LEE DURFEE on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/brian.l.durfee

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.

An overwhelmingly wonderful epic fantasy, and one of the best books written in the past decade.

I am sitting here in shock over how incredible Brian Lee Durfee's first novel was - by all accounts, it should not be possible for authors to be able to knock such a deep home run on their first at bat. In fact, the only fantasy author that I have read that has ever achieved the greatness of this book in their first novel is John Gwynne. It's most certainly better than the first book written by titans of the fantasy genre like Brandon Sanderson, Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, and Robin Hobb - all authors that I absolutely love.

This book is the definition of epic fantasy, but it's more than that. It's like the heavy metal of epic fantasy. It's extremely dark, gritty, huge, and complex. I'm going to seem like I am gushing in my review here, but the worldbuilding is exceptional, the characters are wonderful, the plot is spellbinding, and the dueling religious spin give this book a very unique aspect to this book. The twists are amazing, and sometimes over-the-top shocking (in a good way).

Just by flipping through the beginning pages, you know this book is going to be something special. The map is gorgeous, detailed, and enormous. The cast of characters listed is Erikson-esque in grandeur. And the summary of events that happened before this book takes place gave a wonderful background for the reader and fills the brain with a huge sense of scale and wonder. I truly wish more authors put the effort into inserting these extra materials in their fantasy books. Even the little details like writing the ages of characters is a great addition that helps give a sense of perspective to the reader to see exactly how they fit into this world.

The beginning chapter of this book is exactly how a fantasy book should be done. It starts, like all the chapters in this book, with a lovely epigraph (think, Stormlight Archive) that does a perfect job at giving useful information to the reader about the lore while not being overly vague. I also love how each chapter has a date listed so you can keep specific track of the timeline occurring here. This opening chapter feels ripped right out of A Song of Ice and Fire to show an important moment in the history of this world that is disconnected from the main plot that starts in the following chapter.

In fact, so much of this book feels like an amalgamation of so many great fantasy authors styles. It's clear that Brian Lee Durfee is a huge fan of fantasy himself, and has drawn inspiration here from books like A Song of Ice and Fire, Malazan, Stormlight Archive, Memory/Sorrow&Thorn, and Wheel of Time. I've always thought that the best writers are voracious readers themselves, and that is extremely evident in this case.

While this clearly isn't for everyone, I adore the slow build this book gives the reader in terms of presenting important information. It leaves the reader confused at the beginning, and doesn't hold your hand with explaining events until much later in the book. It gives a sense of discovery to the reader and that you are being thrown into the world of the characters as they would see it. Like Malazan, it doesn't stop to tell you what every little thing is, but instead you must trust the author that if you keep reading eventually it will become clear.

Every single character in this book that is given a POV feels real. They go through trauma and have a difficult time coming to terms with it. They go through complex emotions in terms of their interactions with the world and the other characters, and their motivations and actions they take don't feel unrealistic.

There were a few choices that I didn't like about this, but thankfully they did not detract from the overall book. While I did enjoy that the author didn't rapidly change storylines and did a good job spending several chapters at a time talking about the same event, there were too many cliffhangers at the end of each segment here. I know why authors do cliffhangers, but ultimately I don't like them in my fantasy books.

I also thought the author did too much explanation of important events that he didn't want you to forget later on in the book once the info dumps begin. He needs to trust the reader that they will pick up on these moments and they don't need the nail being driven in over and over again so they don't forget. I'm actually a bit surprised that this was done given the lack of info-dropping at the beginning of the book.

Also, this is a petty gripe, but I really wish authors would put their cast of characters at the beginning of the book, not at the end. For readers like me who read e-books, we like to use the search function when looking up characters - and this becomes impossible if the cast is at the end of the book. Moving that to the beginning allows the first search result to be the all-important character listing.

Ultimately I am left scratching my head as to how this book has so few ratings and reviews, and hope that eventually Brian Lee Durfee will get the respect of fantasy readers that he truly deserves. I cannot wait to start the second book in this series, and I urge all fantasy fans (who have a stomach for darker books) to put this book on their "to be read" list and skyrocket it right to the top.

[Ira Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sitting here stunned! First by how truly brilliant this book is. And second by how few ratings this book has. How is this book not hyped more?

This book stands shoulder to shoulder with High Fantasy epics by the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson and George "freaken" R.R. Martin. Indeed, if those four had a literary brainchild, I think you'd be somewhere in the ballpark of where this amazing book lands! This dark, gritty, and intricate tale embodies the essence of epic fantasy, while presenting an innovative spin with its focus on dueling religious ideologies. Let me tell you, it is books like this that S-Tier is made for!

Once you've had time to let that sink in, allow me to inform (or remind) you that this is Brian Lee Durfee's DEBUT(!!) novel (*cue mouth hanging open*), AND that according to most readers the second and third book in this series are apparently better?! (*cue brain exploding*)

Again (and I'm literally shaking my head as I write this), how does this book have under 2000 ratings?!?!

Let me be straight with you. If you're a fan of authors like Erikson, G.R.R.M, Brando Sando, or Abercrombie, then I wholeheartedly believe that your best move right now is to grab a copy of this book and dive in. I won't take it personally if you set my review aside for the time being, because this book is worth every second of your attention. It'll be right here when you return, and trust me, it's well worth the interruption.

‘“IN THIS EMBATTLED WORLD, MAN HELD FAITH IN INVISIBLE FORCES AND HOSTILE SPIRITS, OFTIMES DOING THE BIDDING OF THE WRAITHS THAT FED IN HIS SOUL. TO APPEASE THE WINGED DEMONS WHO RULED WITH FIERY DEATH, MAN ERECTED ALTARS OF SACRIFICE. IT WAS A TIME OF SELECTIVE LOYALTIES, A TIME OF GREAT BETRAYAL. A TIME OF CELESTIAL DIVINATIONS THAT ONE HOLY AND PURE AND STRONG OF MIND WOULD BE BORN BY THE SEA, BLESSED WITH THE MARK OF THE CROSS.”—THE MOON SCROLLS OF MIA.’”


Credit: Federico Musetti

Plot Summary
The story weaves an intricate web of complex narratives, brimming with political intrigue, religious conflict, and personal transformation. It centers around the Five Isles, a land torn apart by a war of faith and power, led by the ambitious prince of Sør Sevier, Aeros Raijael. Raijael, armed with a new religion and a fanatical army, seeks to subjugate the believers of the ancient Laijons faith, plunging the islands into chaos and suffering.

Amidst this tumultuous backdrop, we follow the stories of several key characters, each with their distinct narrative threads that gradually intertwine to form a grand tapestry. The orphan boy, Nail, who is the secret hope of salvation; Jovan, the king consumed by delusions; his sisters Jondralyn and Tala, who grapple with their brother's despotic rule; all of these characters are skillfully woven into the overarching plot.

World Building: 5/5
Durfee's world-building skill is exceptional, creating an immersive universe reminiscent of timeless classics like Lord of the Rings or the Osten Ard series. The Five Isles, populated by humans, dwarves, orc-like Oghuls, and the graceful Vallé, is a world teeming with life, culture, and history. Each island has its distinct identity, enriched by its inhabitants, customs, and geography.

But Durfee's world-building isn't restricted to the physical landscape alone. Indeed, it's really how he delves deep into the social and political structures of this world that sets his book apart. Intricately detailing their religious beliefs, historical conflicts, and racial tensions. Each island has its own set of traditions and customs, with societal hierarchies and religious doctrines that shape the lives of the inhabitants in profound ways.

Moreover, Durfee doesn't shy away from painting this world with dark, gritty shades, much like Joe Abercrombie's grimdark fantasy realms. Life here is far from idyllic, with the shadow of war looming large and a harsh survival-of-the-fittest mentality governing the actions of the characters. The elements of magic and prophecy, the mythical creatures, the ancient ruins hinting at forgotten civilizations - all contribute to the grandeur and intrigue of this fascinating world. It's an intricate tapestry of fantasy and reality, woven together with threads of skillful storytelling and a vivid imagination.

“In life, as in war, more is lost when hope dies, than by a cold steel and slaughter. —”

Plot: 5/5
The Forgetting Moon, much like Steven Erikson's Malazan series, demands patience and attention from its readers. It begins with a sense of mystery and confusion, withholding key information only to be revealed gradually as the story unfolds. It's a narrative strategy that might be challenging for some but offers a rewarding sense of discovery and immersion for those who persevere.

Overall the plot stands out for its intricate exploration of the clash of faiths, the machinations of power, and the toll of war. It dives deep into religious prophecy, playing with the idea of predestination and free will. Again, it reminds me a bit of the philosophical questions posed in Steven Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen," provoking thought about fate, free will, and everything in between. All the while, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering if the prophecy would come to pass.

However, the plot isn't all grand schemes and epic battles. Durfee takes time to delve into the personal struggles and growth of his characters, lending a sense of authenticity and depth to the story. Nail's journey from an overlooked orphan to a pivotal figure in the fate of the Five Isles is particularly compelling, filled with trials, tribulations, and unexpected twists.

Despite its complexity, the plot is carefully structured, ensuring a coherent and engaging narrative flow. Durfee skillfully manages the pacing, balancing quieter moments of character development with high-tension sequences of action and revelation. Every plot point, every twist feels deliberate, culminating in a narrative that is as satisfying as it is thought-provoking.

“Trust is fleeting, while betrayal is timeless. Alas, life is crowded with lies. So be bloody, be brave, be happy. For at the end of every tale, nobody is who they seem to be. . . . —”

Characterisation: 5/5
Now, if there's one thing that really strikes a chord with me in Durfee's work, it's the characters. I mean, these folks are living, breathing, multi-dimensional beings that have leapt off the page and into my imagination. Durfee's characters aren't just black and white, good and evil. No, they're painted in every shade of grey, complex and unique, each with their own rich backstories and intricate motivations.

Take Nail, our orphan turned chosen one. He's not just a pawn in a prophecy, he's a real boy experiencing the world, wrestling with his identity, dealing with a myriad of emotions, growing, changing and becoming. He's a blend of innocence and grit that truly resonates. Then there's Jondralyn and Tala, the royal sisters, each distinctly compelling. Durfee masterfully explores their relationships with their mad king brother, their struggles for power and identity, their fears and hopes, all against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of war. They're not just royal figures but women who show strength, vulnerability, and resilience in equal measure.

And let's not forget the antagonist, Prince Aeros Raijael. He's not your typical fantasy villain. He's a zealot, a man driven by his religious beliefs to the point of obsession. He's charismatic yet terrifying, a blend that keeps you on edge.

“Face all challenges. Never run away from them. Especially if you are in the right.”

Writing Style: 5/5
Brian Lee Durfee's writing style in "The Forgetting Moon" is a symphony of words that strikes the perfect balance between rich, immersive descriptions and heart-pounding action. His prose captivates you, pulling you deep into a world that feels tangible and real, with a strong emotional core. Each page is a feast for the senses, as he weaves a tapestry of characters, settings, and events that are both detailed and vivid. But it's his ability to connect readers to his characters through raw, honest portrayals of emotion that truly sets his writing apart. In essence, Durfee's writing is not just about telling a story, but about taking the reader on a beautifully crafted, memorable journey.

Enjoyment: 4.5/5
I loved this book! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! I guess my only complaint is maybe that it fell into the (unavoidable) "first book in a series" trap of having to set the scene for later books to come - meaning there was probably less action than I desired.... But then I don't have to wait for the second book to come out, so who am I kidding!

Final Rating: 4.9/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

My favourite books of 2023 in preferential order
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕:
1. The Shadow of the Gods - (My Review)
2. The Lies of Locke Lamora
3. The Forgetting Moon - (My Review)
4. The Justice of Kings - (My Review)
5. Kings of the Wyld - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗:
6. Red Seas Under Red Skies - (My Review)
7. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
8. Empire of the Vampire - (My Review)
9. Assassin's Apprentice - (My Review)
10. Golden Son
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑:
11. Leviathan Wakes - (My Review)
12. The Winter King - (My Review)
13. Gardens of the Moon - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑:
14. Deadhouse Gates - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑:
15. The Song of Achilles - (My Review)
16. Red Sister - (My Review)
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑:
17. Babel: An Arcane History - (My Review)

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know but I seem to be getting a lot of 3 star books lately. Maybe I’m burning out 🤔. Most of my friends loved this book. I loved some of the characters but there were some things. I’m just tired of some things these days. I’m not wasting my time on some things after battling cancer last year. It definitely opens your eyes to get on with life and that includes books.

Cheers to all my friends that loved the hell out of it.

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second read is still 5 stars *****

Wow! Definitely one of the best epic fantasy books I have read in a long time. Characters, world building, and overall atmosphere of the story is fantastic. The pace was a bit slow in places, and there is a lot of info to digest. But it is definitely worth every minute put in.

There is a large cast of characters, so be ready to use your noggin when trying to keep up with them. They are each and everyone well fleshed out and it is easy to tell Durfee put a lot of time into each characters personality.

This story has a little bit of everything. Intense and suspenseful are just a couple of words to describe this book. Each chapter seems to reveal a new twist or turn. There is a lot going on in these pages, and it was an awesome adventure.

Besides a few of the main characters, it's hard to tell who's side everyone is own. This isn't your run of the mill good versus evil. A lot of the characters have their own motives, and it really spices up each scene. There is deceit and betrayal around every turn. It is one hell of a ride and keeps you on your toes the entire 763 pages. This is definitely a must read for all fantasy fans. I'm hooked and will be beginning book 2 immediately.

"For that which was taken in blood, can only be regained in blood."

Actual Rating: 5 stars *****

[Alex Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full video review here: https://youtu.be/yeDl9R7YUgE

What a brilliant surprise this book was and more people need to read it. The Forgetting Moon is a wonderfully crafted debut epic fantasy novel by Brian Lee Durfee and I am happy that I wrapped up 2020 with this book. The foundation of religion, character, world, politics and everything that is happening in this book is something special and I am very excited to continue with the series.

BIG shoutout to Tim Gerard Reynolds for his EXCELLENT narration as well. I did most of this book on audiobook and he knocked it out of the park. Also big shoutout to the incredible artwork for this series by Richard Anderson.

One more shoutout, Brian Lee Durfee himself. Thank you so much for sending me signed copies of both The Forgetting Moon and The Blackest Heart. This book kicked ass and I'm amped to continue.

The Forgetting Moon takes place in the Five Isles, where the threat of the Sør Sevier army looms large. The Angel Prince Aeros, who leads the army, seeks to conquer the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Like many other epic fantasy novels before it, you are introduced to an intriguing prologue to get the ball rolling before being introduced to our main character Nail. This is a multi-POV story that follows a great cast of characters that are all fun to follow.

Characters

Nail - Main character and probably the least interesting of the bunch, but was fun to follow and will clearly play a big role in the series.

Janko - He's a REAL dick. I loved hating him.

Liz Hen - Badass female characters, doesn't take shit from anybody and made me laugh several times.

Jondralyn Bronachell - Badass chick as well and probably the best POV character of the book. Her story and character was certainly the most interesting.

There are other POV characters and side characters that we follow, but I will save that for the video.

I will have many more thoughts in video review but this book is great and I recommend every reader of epic fantasy to dive into this one.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4.44 ***

"... “In life, as in war, more is lost when hope dies, than by a cold steel and slaughter. —” ..."

Now this is what I call a very strong and promising debut! I had no idea what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised by this author and his first published book of Epic Fantasy with some Grimm-Dark overtones. I am a fan of the genre, so you might think I would be easily pleased, but I assure you it is not so. Having read hundreds of books within the same genre, it becomes harder to find something that doesn't bug you one way or another... Yes, we learn all the usual tropes and even learn that little is truly new in its core, all being a variation on a theme, all trying to delve into the mysteries of the Human Experience... What is left to every author is to add their point of view to the Collective and hope to convey their unique take in the best possible way they can. I think, Mr. Brian Lee Durfee has gotten to a great start with this first book in a planned series of five tomes.

"... ““Trust is fleeting, while betrayal is timeless. Alas, life is crowded with lies. So be bloody, be brave, be happy. For at the end of every tale, nobody is who they seem to be. . . . —” ..."

The number Five is significant in the world he has created, weaved in its mythology and daily symbolism. This is a harsh world, shared by humans, humanoid monsters and other creatures, all used to a life of violence, since it seems the only way to survive and be seen as worth the notice of the gods is by fighting and earning your right to live by being on the side of the strongest. This is a world where war is a daily occurrence, but it becomes an even scarier place when a Warlord Prince puts his armies on a path of conquest, behind which a religious prophecy, which is seen as heresy by the mainstream church, seems to be the driving force. Different groups of people on different sides of the conflict, believe that they would be the fulfilment of the prophecy, or at least that they know who is involved and what the outcome should be. However, prophecies are a tricky thing, always vague enough to never have a real handle on them. Add to the mix preconceived notions, religious beliefs, retelling errors, who is telling the prophecy and what is their angle, who is reading the prophecy and what is their life experience and ability to relate or understand the context, and so on and so forth... Mix it in with the distance of time from when the prophecy was written and the moment those involved have decided it is time for its fulfilment, and you have a great variety of beliefs and translations, all having fanatical followers and creating numerous factions working against each other, making for layers and layers of storylines, people with diverging backgrounds and destinies, all weaving a singular epic adventure of war, torture, betrayal, political mayhem, duels, assassins, love, hate, youngsters growing up and old soldiers disillusionments, hope and complete despair... Everything we humans are, should and shouldn't be. And this is only the beginning!

"... ““human cruelty was to never be underestimated, always to be believed in,” . . . —” ..."

I would recommend this book to all who love the more Epic, Heroic, Grimm-Dark, and Militaristic Fantasy genres. It takes a while to get going, but it is mostly because the author is creating the foundation for a very big scale work in a world unknown to us. As a debut, this is very successful and the reader could see the author's growth even within this book. It is also one of the best looking and comfortable to read 800 page books I have ever come across. The publication and the art are awesome and I loved the experience of reading the actual book tremendously! I am going to order the next book right away and if I have a main issue with it, it is that only two of the five books have been published so far and I am not known as a very patient person, so I hope we get the rest published as soon as possible!

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a good book 🙂!

[Stefan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Forgetting Moon is Brian Lee Durfee’s first novel in Five Warrior Angels series.
I think I have much of yet to read and learn about heavy metal epic fantasy of ‘80s in order to appreciate this tremendous effort Brian made writing this book. So because of my lack of knowledge or experience - overall enjoyment while reading it - eluded me.

This book is great. In scope, mind you. In its immensely detailed worldbuilding and in its overwhelmingly, but sometimes even suffocating, deep history, religion and lore. And that’s coming from someone who’s an imaginary-history buff.
This world is carefully crafted and screams at you in its vastness - you’ll yet to explore in sequels to come, of course.

But this book is also boring. With needlessly convoluted plot of a stubborn mule that won’t move forward, and highly irritating characters which stupidity is so big it almost made me dropping this book at 80%.

Prose isn’t helping much either. One-sentence-long paragraphs were simply challenging. I don’t mind challenge. But sometimes I need a break. Especially if reading is a challenge similar to non-stop swimming in a river upstream.

There are bits and pieces, thrown here and there, that speak of great talent author has. For that, for one extraordinarily well written battle sequence, and one redhaired psychopath women, I’ll continue with this series. When it is finished, probably.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much more than I bargained for. Love the handling of religion here and the morale ambiguity was done very well. Looking forward to the next one.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread edit: just as good the second time around! Gearing up for the rest of the trilogy!

Durfee's debut novel, and the first of what will now be a trilogy, is pretty easy to get lost in, and I mean that in a good way. The Forgetting Moon is a dark, epic fantasy with many classic tropes any fantasy reader will recognize-- quests, religious wars, LOTR type creatures, fated individuals and so on. Yet, Durfee is not content to simply rehash these tropes and gives lots of twists to them along the way. This, coupled with complex characters and frequent, adrenaline pounding explosions of violence, gives the reader plenty to root for and really immerses you into this world.

Durfee's world here, 'The Five Isles', presents a rather typical quasi-feudal world relatively static for the last 1000 years. When humans originally arrived at the Isles, terrible wars among them and the native fey and 'demons' when on and on. Finally, a human leader emerged and ended the conflict and is now basically a god, with something like the Roman Catholic church pervasive. Yet, one of the Isles never really believed; they see this religion as lies and hold themselves to be of the true faith. After being bottled up for centuries, they now wage war on the other Isles and two have already fallen. Of the remaining two, one was ceded to the fey (basically elves) and the other is the strongest of the Isles and the headquarters of the church.

The war fast approaching the last human Isle is the backdrop for the story and is told from several POVs and populated with a vast cast of characters. Gault is a high ranking knight of the invading army and from him we learn about the invading force and its 'invincible' leader. We also have two princesses of the last human Isle, a 'fated' boy named Nail and his protector and some villagers from where Nail now lives. Given the complexity of the tale, Durfee makes it really easy to keep track of the story, especially given the rapidly shifting POVs. Kudos! Durfee excels at building complex characters, even the villains, and I really liked this despite the fact that many of them are teenagers, giving this something of a YA feel to it.

What I found most fun about this read is how Durfee kept moving the goal posts if you will. Just when you think you have things figured out, Durfee tosses in a surprise that makes you reevaluate everything. I will not go into detail due to spoilers here, but the author deftly employs rather standard fantasy tropes only to pull the rug out from underneath you. I was mixed on the ending, however. One the one hand, it was excellent, wrapping some some of the story arcs, but on the other hand, cliffhangers galore! I will say I am excited about the next doorstop installment and the last volume of the trilogy should be out this fall. 4 swinging stars!!

[Mike's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full video review here: https://youtu.be/hzVfdXxkHFQ

Don't be fooled by Brian's nice guy facade...he's brutal. And one hell of an adult fantasy writer.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up on audiobook when a fellow reviewer, Petrik (see his review HERE) gave it a really great score and said anyone who loved fantasy a lot should try it. Now, having read it, I can see why he gave it such a glowing review and I have to admit that whilst it's a chunky tome it's one with a lot of the good old fun tropes I enjoy, and some more modern twists (e.g. not all the women are just damsels in distress - YAY).

This is the story of the Five Isles and the final place which remains unconquered, Gul Kana. We follow a whole host of characters from both sides of the upcoming war, and they are all equally fascinating and horrific all at once.

*TRIGGER WARNING for TORTURE, GENOCIDE, RAPE & MURDER etc...usual fantasy warnings but pretty graphic at times*

I won't go into too much detail on the specifics of everyone, because that would take a while. but some of the key characters of note to me were Nial, Ava-Shay, Talia and Jondra-Lynn (ignore all my guesses for the spelling if incorrect, I audio-booked). I have to admit, I didn't always like all of them, as they are pretty frustrating and make some bad decisions, but then again they are all relatively young adults and teens and therefore they are bound to make mistakes.
We also have the Angel Prince, Gault, Spade and more on the opposing side as the conquerors. I have to say their conquering is BLOODY and GROSS and not nice to read about, but it was also one of the most realistic torture scenes I have read and for that the author has to get credit.

In terms of the world building there are plenty of things to get excited about because we span a large range of terrains and cities, villages, mines and beyond. There is nothing too 'original' but it is handled nicely throughout and I found myself enjoying seeing the journey between these places as we follow the characters on their adventures.

One element which I liked a lot was the secret missions that Talia ends up doing. I think this added a little more mystery to the story than some of the other plots and although she sometimes comes across as pretty young and naive I do enjoy her plot.

I also liked seeing the strife in Gul Kana between the King and his siblings as there is a lot of discord which leads his sisters down dark paths and to do dramatic things.

There is a big reveal at the end of the book and it feels very climatic which I liked after such a long read, but it is a bit of a slow starter and mainly this story is the foundation for what will come later in the series. With that being said I do hear very good things about the later books and I think I will have to go on to book 2 soon :) 4*s from me!

[Jake Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very ambitious and impressive fantasy debut, with a confusingly low average rating on goodreads.

I thought this was super solid, interesting and distinctive character, really good writing, prose, and dialogue, great internal conflict, and the crafting of a pretty unique world that puts a modern twist on classic fantasy worlds.

Especially the writing of the religion in this world was fantastic, some of the best I have seen.

I also want to praise the dialogue. The thing I want to praise is that Durfee often doesn't tag who is talking, and I didn't even notice this was the case, until I saw someone else mention it, because it was obvious who was speaking.





Sometimes I think authors are overconfident in there ability to write distinctive voice in dialogue, and so not tagging it just makes it a pain in the ass to read. Durfee however can back up his decisions to not tag dialogue.

Im trying to figure out why this has a goodreads rating below 4.

Maybe people found it was too much worldbuilding. I guess there are some info dumps early on, I always found them to be interesting info dumps though.

Maybe people don't like that some of the characters are pretty sexist, and that is reflected in their dialogue?
I think it was just good dialogue writing.

I guess if I had any criticism it is that there was something that I guess you would call a trope subversion, that was very realistic, but also somewhat anti climactic, and it led to it not hitting as hard as it could.


Also one thing I want to praise, is that armor is useful in this book, YAY.
All in all, a pretty great debut.
8.1/10

[LordTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis

A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it.

Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sør Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros’ greatest triumph.

While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths. Jondralyn, the older sister, renowned for her beauty, only desires to prove her worth as a warrior, while Tala, the younger sister, has uncovered a secret that may not only destroy her family but the entire kingdom. Then there’s Hawkwood, the assassin sent to kill Jondralyn who has instead fallen in love with her and trains her in his deadly art. All are led further into dangerous conspiracies within the court.

And hidden at the edge of Gul Kana is Nail, the orphan taken by the enigmatic Shawcroft to the remote whaling village of Gallows Haven, a young man who may hold the link to the salvation of the entire Five Isles.

You may think you know this story, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world based on lies.

Review

So, I received a signed copy of The Forgetting Moon (The Five Warrior Angels #1) from the author about a year or so ago after winning a contest he posted on Facebook. While the synopsis was intriguing and the cover by Richard Anderson gorgeous (as are all of his book covers), I was a bit intimidated by its sheer size and weight. At 800 pages, this behemoth is a man among boys with most of today’s epic fantasy novels, especially knowing it is just the first of a five book series. It is a book that I have had gnawing at the back of my mind since I received it, getting lost under Mt TBR and new releases coming to the forefront.

But, when Saga Press sent me a review copy of The Blackest Heart (The Five Warrior Angels #2), I figured it was time to see just how Durfee’s epic fantasy vision stacked up with the big dogs. Needless to say, I don’t know why I waited so long.

Have a GoT hangover? Tired of George R. R. Martin letting you down, leaving uncertainty broiling in your mind as to when The Winds of Winter (The Song of Ice and Fire #6) is going to be released? Look no further. Durfee has established himself as an epic fantasy novelist that needs to be taken seriously. He is up there with the John Gwynne’s and Brian Staveley’s of the world. The Forgetting Moon is one of THE best epic fantasy debuts I’ve ever happened upon.

Faith, war, and destiny are the heavy-handed players that play huge roles in this series. While trope-ish, Durfee spins them in a way that feels new to the die-hard and casual reader alike, but also comfortable in a way. On top of that, the world-building is top notch. Sure, you probably expect there to be a massive world in such a thick tome, but I feel like we are just touching grains of sand on a beach. We are also introduced to a vast array of characters that are all fully fleshed-out and come with a variety of emotions, flaws, and end-game goals that are sure to leave you loving some, hating others, and see-sawing on the rest.

While you come to expect there to be some slow parts in books of this size, they weren’t overdone and led to some insight into the characters’ real determinations. It is also hard to complain when there is plenty of death to be had. My only slight criticism is that I feel that there was some fluff that wasn’t necessarily needed, pushing the book to be a little longer than it should have been. But overall, I was enraptured throughout and started Book 2 on its heels.

If you are a fan of epic fantasy, this has to be on your radar. Even if you aren’t, The Forgetting Moon has plenty to love for those who just want a good story or somewhere to turn now that Game of Thrones has left a bad taste in your mouth. I guess I can also thank the Weiss and Benioff for laying an egg this season and giving me a reason to search out new epics.

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuine question: how do you review 752 pages of pure remarkable because I know not!? Haaaalp!

The Forgetting Moon is truly one of the most satisfying fantasy books I, personally, have read. It was by no means an easy read because I highlighted more passages than I ever have before- so detailed and fully formed out was the worldbuilding and its intrigues that I had to use my brain. Turns out, it enjoyed being used again! 😀 It was like receiving the whole of civilization in a perfectly bundled 700+ page edition with all its wisdom within it.

Religion and faith are what form the overall plot and the main conflict in this book. With the scene set, the wide cast of characters takes over to form the journeys we embark on as readers in this tale of life and loss, discovering truths and uncovering lies, testing of loyalties.

Absolution…

There are those that bring Absolution- for they believe they have the right to do so; those that await for it- for they believe what comes after will benefit them; and those who wish to avoid it- for the threatening Absolution is nothing but a lie and harbinger of death in its wake.

One big, juicy Absolution coming right up!

Basically, take one of the most epic fantasies you’ve read, buff it up a notch and you got yourself The Forgetting Moon. A motherload of epic.

I know, you’re reading this review and by now are probably thinking- cut the crap, girl and tell me what makes this book so epic!

Everything… The characters, the writing, the scenes, the descriptions, the pace, the fullness and richness of it all…

Each and every character is imperative to the story and to the progress of storyline. Their personalities, decisions, actions push the story onwards with great momentum. Each with their own special brand of common sense, narrow-mindedness, wisdom, stupidity, madness, vileness, cruelty, kindness… Chapter to chapter, character to character the exploration of minds, agendas and aspirations is so fulfilling I could not help but be swept away into the whole web of life and death, blood and tears, guts and gore…

“Yet the truth was, in battle, most men, some even fully knighted, were a disgrace. They pissed themselves, shat themselves, then found themselves stuck to the pointy end of a better man’s sword.”

There are royalty and common folk, bishops and a vicar (cough- asshole– cough), there are soldiers and fishermen, merfolk, grayken and fey, gladiators and oghuls… there are even ‘turbocharged’ horses- I kid you not! People both young and old, fierce and weary. Imagine a world full of people- you have it. Imagine a world full of emotions- you got it.

As for character development- there is tons of development with some, like the princess Jondralyn who wants to burn the dresses (not literally!) and become a gladiator. There’s also Nail, whose development is slow going in this book but over the course of the series I imagine it to be the most magnificent, indeed. Good things take time!

Other characters are so set in who they are and what they do that they fit their bill perfectly without any further developmental requirement… And because this is a book surrounded by the great religious conflict, you can only imagine the clash and the reluctance of some of the characters to… you know… take on board anything other than what they were brainwashed with. I love it!

So, to summarise the characters in this book- they are all equally important, not only in how much/often they appear in the storyline but with how they influence the plot and progress of the story. After all, you can’t play a game of cards with an incomplete deck. I got to know each and every one of them- I can visualise them and tell you what each of them are like. I can tell apart the struggling youngster trying to make sense of it all, I can tell you the ones with big hearts, I can tell you who’s most likely to make you laugh, the ones who will make you cry and cringe and spit in anger…

What a great start to a series The Forgetting Moon is… the story starts from many frayed ends and fronts and as such there is a lot to take in… Imagine a jigsaw with its pieces fluttered about various locations- they all have their specific importance and they all need to come together to form that complete picture. Hand on my heart- information is delivered with perfect timings at all times. I had no problems following who was where and why- it was easy to follow and because it was easy to follow, the consistent feeling of foreboding never left me. Not once. It still hasn’t left me because dayum- I need to know what happens next!

How does an author create a masterpiece of epic proportions? Well- by thorough research, by having a clear view and idea of what it is they are trying to create. And if they can write with purpose and soul- all the better. Durfee really managed to squeeze it all in there- the pain, the joy. The humour, the mourning… Descriptions of scenes, settings, and even dialogue offered me many layered observations.

The gladiator matches, all and any battle scenes, trudging through the mountains, dealing with assassins, learning how to fight- Durfee has simply mastered moderation. Don’t get me wrong though, when a scene is gory, it’s bloody gory! What I mean by moderation is- how often and how lengthy the scene is. Detailed yet not overbearing. My favourite kind of balance.

“The ground was a-littered with the drift and crimson carnage of a human storm.”

What more can I say? I had an absolute pleasure to be able to read this book and if ever there is a comparison with authors such as Lawrence and Martin done right- this is it! Epid, dark, grim fantasy. I couldn’t even possibly begin to tell you about each character in detail- we’d be here forever. I couldn’t even begin to tell you of all the adventures, battles and scenes- we’d be here forever and a day. And yet- again- everything is seamless and purposeful!

I worried starting this tome of a book whether it was going to manage in keeping my interest. I needn’t have. The Forgetting Moon took me on a hell of a journey, and I am hungry for more. MOOOAAARRR I say!

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great beginning to a truly epic fantasy series. I haven't read a true straight-forward epic fantasy series in over a year, and it was nice to get back into one. I appreciated how Durfee, in telling this work of modern fantasy, still embraced a lot of the traditional fantasy archetypes that too many modern authors dismiss. Although I felt the book a tad bloated, and some elements of the conclusion predictable, I nonetheless enjoyed this and look forward to reading book 2!

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often find it hard to do these reviews because I have a difficult time always putting into words exactly what I felt reading a given book. I can know I like or dislike something, but it's not always easy for me to explain why. This is particularly true with books that are great reads that I want to recommend because I feel like the reasoning should be sound before someone jumps into an 800 page book. This is true of The Forgetting Moon. So before I get to rambling too much let me just say up front that if you like epic grimdark-ish fantasy told from multiple POVs you need to stop sleeping on this series and pick up The Forgetting Moon, the first book of the Five Warrior Angels.

I found out about these books from You Tube where the author, Brian Lee Durfee, has his own book review channel (you should watch his videos). His videos are fun and quirky, lots of energy, and he has diverse tastes like myself. There's not too many of us that like both Wheel of Time, Bosch, and something like Jack Carr's James Reece series. So I was intrigued to read Mr. Durfee's epic fantasy series, The Five Warrior Angels, to see what it brings to the table. The answer is a lot.

The series is set in a very well realized fictional world called The Five Isles at time of upheaval with religious conflict and military conquest carrying the day. The story is told from the perspectives of several characters on different sides of the conflict, and it starts in a way that is familiar to fantasy fantasy fans by following characters in a small rural village that may have big roles to play. From there it takes off and starts to upend some of those familiar tropes like "the chosen one" and puts a new spin on "political maneuvering" and "prophecy". That brings me to one of the best and I felt most unique parts of this story. Brian Lee Durfee has written religious conflict into this story in a way that I really haven't seen done in fantasy. Yes you can see parallels with maybe some aspects of Christianity, but the way Durfee twists it and creates different warring factions was one of my favorite aspects. That, along with some bad ass creatures that I'm dying to know more about, really made the worldbuilding sing for me.

Durfee's writing style is really a sweet spot for me as well. I'm certainly no expert on prose, but I think his writing is descriptive and beautiful without going into purple flowery territory. If you are fan of Sanderson-esque window pane prose you won't find it here though. To me Durfee strikes a nice balance between beautiful writing and being easy to read.

Also, I thought all of the characters were great and each had a unique voice. There was really only one POV I didn't quite vibe with, but by the end even that POV is engrossing due to it's importance to the story. Also, there are no Mary Sues or Gary Stus in this universe. Everything is earned and Durfee isn't afraid to have his characters fail. The villains are well realized also in ways that are both horrifying and realistic. They think they are doing the right thing so the mustache twirling stereotype is avoided. Make no mistake though this is a brutal world and the violence is dished out in ways that can make grimdark fans shudder.

If there are any drawbacks I would say that even though I enjoyed every chapter I think this is very much what seems like a set up book to the series as opposed to being a more self-contained story. That bothers some people more than others, and typically I don't mind that as much. But this is very much the beginning of a large arc and definitely a character driven story. Maybe it left me wanting slightly more answers than what we get by the end of the story (and left some big big questions), but I'm confident we'll get those in the following books.

So final thoughts. I whole heartedly recommend this book and series to epic fantasy fans that love stuff like A Song of Ice and Fire, Wheel of Time, and any such like. Those are clearly Durfee's influences and he doesn't hide them. What he does is take those influences and create a world and story that is all his own. I'm looking forward to see where it goes.

[Kimberly Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

”The forgetting moon” by, Brian Lee Durfee

I’m just gonna get right into it and say that I loved, loved, loved this book!!! Okay, in “The forgetting moon” you will get the following:

*Kick-ass warriors
*Bloodwood assassins (scary as hell!)
*Oghuls (Gross and strange)
*Dwarves (Who doesn’t love them?)
*The Valle (Elves & great fighters)
*Mermaids (Seriously…Flesh-eating, creepy, baby mermaids).
*Evil and corrupt kings.
*Dragons (maybe…?? Please!!)
*Enchanted stones and weapons.
*Castles with secret passages.
*Plenty of war, battles, and gore.

So “The forgetting moon” is the beginning of an epic fantasy that will take you on a wonderful journey. This first book is 763 pages of pure enjoyment. From the moment I opened the book and began to read, I didn’t want to put it down. The characters came to life in my head and I felt all the pain, anguish, hope and sorrow right along with them. Some of the characters you will meet are:

*Nail-The orphan, who only wants a place in the world.
*Aeros-The Angel Prince, who will destroy anything or anyone who gets in his way.
*Enna Spades- One of the vilest characters I have ever encountered.
*Gault Aulbrek-A tormented and weary soldier.
*Ava Shay-A tragic and broken girl.
*Shawcroft-A rough around the edges hero who I love.
*Jovan, Jondralyn, & Tala Bronachell- The twisted king and his sisters. Jondralyn wishes to be a soldier and Tala just wants things to be simple again.
*Roguemoore- A tough as nails Dwarf.
*Hawkwood-A trusted friend.
*Squireck Van Hester-A fierce warrior and faithful man.
*Val-Draekin-A super cool Elven warrior.
*Beer Mug-The faithful dog, friend, and fighter.

These characters are only the tip of the iceberg of the great cast of people that you will meet in this story. I have so many favorites and I can’t wait to see what happens to everyone as their journey continues in book two. The world building in “The forgetting moon” is also on point. I felt as if I was traveling through the villages, snow covered hills, castle passages, and shark infested seas right along with each and every character. Every page painted a vivid picture for me and left me feeling that I was living the story with the characters I love.

Now for those of you who are lovers of fantasy I’m going to touch on a couple other aspects of this story. First this book has a very war focused story and because of that you will encounter some very gruesome battle scenes. I felt that they were very well written and important to the growth and development of the characters. Next, many people wonder about romance when they are beginning a new fantasy series. In “The forgetting moon” we see touches of some romance but it is subtle and not by any means a main point in the story. That may change as the books progress, but from the feel of the first book I doubt it. It just doesn’t seem to be the way that the series is going and in my opinion it isn’t needed as this story is fantastic without it.

Okay, to sum up I think it’s pretty obvious that I loved this book a lot. The only criticism I have is that I would like to read the second book now and it isn’t out yet (I hate waiting). Anyone who loves fantasy, epic fantasy, well written books, fantastic reading experiences, big books, books with cool covers, books by cool authors, books with heroic dogs in them, epic series, books who have been recommended by cool people (me) should absolutely pre order “The forgetting moon” by Brian Lee Durfee immediately. Now, do it now.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll add a rating later because I really hate giving debuts 1 star when they have few ratings, but this was Bad. *rolls gaze heavenward*

**Finally adding a longer-ish review.

Thought it was pretty poorly written, terrible female POVs, tons of tropes ....but none of them flipped in any new exciting way? Female villain was a joke. Lots of really needless/out of place sexualized description in female POV chapters. World-building was same old same old vaguely medieval European shit-for-women setting w a little added meat on its bones. Elves and orcs (with different names ofc) were thrown in but really interesting? Not really. Figured I'd give it a go because I love Saga, but this was my biggest disappointment this year.

I really went in on this on Twitter when I read the e-arc and I don't have the energy to do it again but... ???

And thanks to S&S for the e-arc.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was terrific! Classic epic fantasy at its modern day best. Everything I’m looking for in my fantasy reading is here - great world building, characters I could get behind, mystery, thrilling action, adventure, battles, war and a wonderfully crafted story that twisted at every turn of the page. I cannot wait to continue with the next book in this series. I really hope this author writes more books as I’ll be in for them. 5/5 stars!

[Scot Glasgow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall - 8.5 / 10
Worldbuilding - 9/10
Characters - 9/10
Prose - 8/10
Plot - 8/10

Brian Lee Durfee's The Forgetting Moon, Book 1 of The Five Warrior Angels Series is a thoroughly entertaining epic fantasy masterwork. It is book 1 of a planned 4-book series, and does a fantastic job of introducing the reader to the world and its characters. As a character-driven reader, I will primarily be focused on reviewing the characters (which are very well realized and distinct in voice and motivation.) However, I will say a tiny bit about setting/worldbuilding, prose and plot as well. I will do my best to stay spoiler-free throughout, focus only on the necessary points to have a broad and general understanding of the book.

Setting- The Five Isles is a well-realized and clearly well lived-in world that is made up of the following:

Sør Sevier - Westernmost of the Isles. The home of the invading army in the novel (which we'll learn about below in the character section.) The ruling family is the Raijels.

Wyn Darrè - To the east of Sør Sevier - The home of the dwarves. Conquered by Sør Sevier. Ruled by the human family the Raybournes.

Adin Wyte - North of Wyn Darrè - Conquered by Sør Sevier 5 years prior to the main events in the book. The ruling family is the Van Hesters.

Gul Kana - East of Wyn Darrè. The largest and (I'm assuming) most populous of The Five Isles. The theater for many of the events within the book. Sør Sevier is attempting to conquer Gul Kana as it has Wyn Darrè and Adin Wyte. The ruling family is the Bronachells.

Val Vallè - Easternmost of the Isles. Home to The Vallè race - an elf-like species. We have a few named characters among the Vallè that will be discussed below.

Worldbuilding - Durfee has done a fantastic job of building religion, philosophy, lore, history, prophecy and destiny into this world. By quoting sections of the 5 sacred texts and citing the date at the beginning of each chapter, information is slowly parceled out throughout the story that the reader assimilates and makes sense of.

Prose - Durfee writes beautiful, easily understood prose. With dialogue, characters have unique voices that don't even need to tags to follow who is speaking.

Plot - A large thrust of the plot revolves around the Sør Sevier invading Gul Kana, particularly the town of Gallows Haven. In parallel to this, we are in the 999th year of Laijon (who we'll learn about below,) and on the brink of his return and the Fiery Absolution, the great and last battle.

Characters - With ASOIAF being my absolute favorite fantasy series, I was thrilled to see that Durfee utilized a similar structure in the beginnings of his chapters, each with a unique POV that we follow. Here are the primary POV's:

Major POV characters - Nail, Tala and Jondralyn have 4o of the 54 chapters.

Nail - If you have watched any of Durfee's videos, you know that he has a soft spot for orphaned bastard characters (Rand al Thor, Luke Skywalker, Jon Snow, to name a few.) Nail is such a young man - 17 at the time of the events of the story, and living in Gallows Haven, Gul Kana. He is also introduced to us in the Prologue and has the first 3 POV characters.

Tala Bronachell - A princess of Gul Kana and sister to the king. Tala is 16, extremely adventurous and loves to solve puzzles and follow clues.

Jondralyn Bronachell - A princess of Gul Kana and sister to the king, older sister to Tala. Jondralyn is 25, and wishes to be a warrior in a world that doesn't allow women to fight. She is also happens to be my favorite character.

Minor POV Characters:

Shawcroft - Nail's ward, introduced to us in the Prologue.

Gault Albreck - one of the five Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier. A hardened warrior and master of the blade.

Sterling Prentiss - captain of the Dayknights, guardians to the king in Amadon, Gul Kana.

Ava Shay - 17yo server at the inn in Gallows Haven.

Lindholf Le Graven - 17, twin to Lawri - cousins to the Bronachells.

Non-POV Characters that I particularly love:

Enna Spades - 27yo Knight Archaic from Sør Sevier. She is absolutely pitiless, absolutely heartless, and absolutely loves to maim and kill whomever she chooses.

Beer Mug - The best boy in the tale. A fiercely loyal shepherd dog.

Roguemoor - A Dwarf ambassador. For you ASOIAF fans, these one gave me some Tyrion vibes (could be a me thing.)

Hawkwood - A highly competent warrior. A traitor to Sør Sevier, and a good friend of Roguemoor.

Squirek Van Hester - 28, A prince of Saint Only, Adin Wyte. A prisoner and would be gladiator during the book due to events that took place 2 years prior.

Seita - Daughter of Vallè ambassador Val-Korin and princess.

These are just the characters that most appealed to me. In all, the glossary mentions 104 named characters. I am mildly irritated that Beer Mug didn't get a mention.

Things I want to know more about / see in The Blackest Heart and the remaining books in the series (it looks like it was originally planned to be 5 books, but Durfee has made revisions to make it 4):

1) The Merfolk - I was very excited to see mermen and mermaids in an early Nail chapter, but then we never see or hear from them again. Would love to see some merfolk pov's (probably won't happen.)

2) How will the Warrior Angel descendants embrace their destinies?

3) How much more Beer Mug am I going to see? In competition for the best boy in fantasy (though Mouse in Dresden Files and Nighteyes in Farseer are tough to beat.)

4) Seita's character is one I hope to see a lot of. Her character went in an entirely different direction than I anticipated (again, could be a me thing.)

All in all, Durfee really put something special together here. I have read widely in the genre, and this is quickly becoming one of my more cherished series.

[Laura Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Durfee has said that his literary inspirations are Stephen King and George R.R. Martin. Both influences can be seen in THE FORGETTING MOON. Martin’s inspiration leads to a sweeping, epic fantasy tale that spans a thousand years and five continents, while King’s inspiration leads to evil twists, treachery, supernatural influence, and gore. Lots of gore.

It has been nearly a thousand years since the death and supposed ascendency to heaven of Laijon, King of Slaves, one of five legendary Warrior Angels; history is mute on the fates of the other four: the Princess, the Thief, the Assassin, and the Gladiator. Since Laijon’s death, nations have divided into warring factions worshipping either Laijon, his son, Raijael, or his wife, The Blessed Mother Mia. Now, prophesies near fruition as the followers of Raijael plow a bloody track across the Five Isles, and the infamous weapons of the Five Angels have been rediscovered. (The doctrines and religious fervor that fuel the war remind one of the endless schisms and wars fostered by the Abrahamic religions of our world.)

The story follows those who may or may not be the prophesied descendents of the Five Warrior Angels: Aeros Raijael, the White Prince, sociopathic leader of the invading army; Nail, an orphan from a remote fishing village; Jondralyn Bronachell, sister to a cruel and paranoid king; their sister, Tala Bronachell, who is following an anonymous assassin’s clues to save her cousin from poison; Gault Aulbrek, a disenchanted knight; Ava Shay, prisoner of war and Nail’s one-time girlfriend; Hawkwood, a deadly Bloodwood assassin; Squireck Van Hester, a political prisoner forced to fight in the gladiatorial arena; siblings Zane and Liz Hen Neville, Nail’s hometown friends; and their dog, Beer Mug. The reader should heed the motto of the Brethren of Mia: “Trust no one.”

Multiple points of view show the story from all sides of the conflicts, including both the “good guys” and the “bad guys.” This will appeal to fans of George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and Brandon Sanderson, although this book is definitely for an adult audience, with explicit language, sex, and violence.

[Liene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mixed bag.
I was forewarned about some of the things in this book, which is good, because they did bother me, but I went in expecting it and had preemptively given it a bit of a pass as long as it could deliver on other elements.
This book is very violent, has a lot of SA, and is info-dump heavy due to the extensive worldbuilding. I personally am a character driven reader, and characterization is not a strong suit of this book - perhaps that improves in the next installments. I tend to intensely dislike info dumps about worldbuilding, but am willing to forgive them if the info being dumped is interesting enough. Luckily for this book, the worldbuilding IS interesting enough for me to forgive a lot (not just the info dumps).
Reader be warned: if male-gazey descriptions of females, most of whom experience some kind of sexual violence, is going to be deal-breaker for you - steer clear. But, if you, like me, can overlook that when a world/mystery are intriguing enough, then consider giving it a go.
What I've heard about the next book makes me very interested to pick it up, and I hope that it will also be better about characterization and representations of female characters.

[Hamad]

Awesome Cover: ✅
Thick book: ✅
Synopsis with Angels and War and cool stuff: ✅

I need to get this and read it ASAP!!

[Abby Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP7Tw...

[Shawn Robertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started with a strong first chapter, or at least strong visuals. It felt epic, and I felt good about where the book might go from there. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed.

First, let me say the good stuff about this book and its author. The world-building shows passion--or at least a lot of time invested in it--and the same goes for Durfee's characters and story. While I may not have liked book, there is no denying the effort the author put into it.

That being said, I thought the book could have been a lot better. This is a great example of a volume that could have benefited from a skilled and ruthless editor. While the grammar and spelling are generally free of errors, there are an enormous amount of redundant adjectives, making the entire work appear melodramatic at best, and filled with filler words at worst. Also on the subject of redundancy, there are quite a few times where the same description (almost verbatim) of a location or person is used more than once; I understand paraphrasing a few words of description in different ways each time a specific person/place is used, but this was like seeing a copy-and-paste when it occurred.

Another point regarding the redundancy is that Durfee seems to make it a point to use the full name of things long after we already know what they are. This is particularly noticeable with the "The Way and the Truth of Laijon," which is a holy book within the world. You might assume that , at some point, the characters who have lived in this world their entire lives would eventually simply refer to this tome as "The Way and the Truth." Nope. "The Way and the Truth of Laijon," every ... single ... time. When it is said multiple times a page at points, it gets annoying fast.

Another enormous turnoff for me with this book is the ungodly number of info dumps and their length. I get it--believe me, I get it--it's a fantasy work, and info dumps are a necessary evil of the genre; you just have to have them at some point, to explain the world to the reader. But they really should fit within the flow of the story, and be kept as streamlined as possible, not interrupting the pace of the scene you're in the middle of.

About the pacing ... That is probably the place where all the problems I have with this book meet. Beyond what I've already mentioned, Durfee has a tendency to over-describe things. Nearly all the time. And frequently this tendency teamed up with the info dumping, turning what might have been a fast-paced action scene into an excruciatingly slow narrative. It took me out of the moment every time it occurred. I love stunning visuals, but stunning visuals do not have to be lengthy, nor do I need a narrative aside about what happened years before while I'm in the middle of reading what is supposed to be important dialogue/action.

Speaking of dialogue, the dialogue was ... bad. There's just no other way for me to describe it. Characters frequently flip from one emotion to another seemingly opposite emotion. It's as if most of the cast is bipolar. Not to mention that more than a few snippets of dialogue actually just seemed utterly out of place, as if the author had forgotten what was being said, or maybe a particular bit was meant to be cut and the conversation to go a different direction. Also, Durfee does the intelligent thing and attempts to impart some of his info dumps via dialogue, which is awesome, but unfortunately he does this in the same manner as his narrative voice, regardless of which character he is speaking as. And these moments often regurgitate information already imparted during an earlier info dump.

The bottom line for me is that I feel like there is a good story in a good world here, but it is buried too far down for me to have enjoyed this book.

[Pranav Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In life, as in war, more is lost when hope dies, than by cold steel and slaughter."

The Forgetting Moon is a great debut and introductory novel to this world and cast of characters, setting up a lot of elements for further exploration in sequels. It's refreshing to read something reminiscent of classic fantasy that manages to keep things interesting without retreading familiar ground. There are dwarves, Valle (elves), merfolk, a wide variety of familiar races that play a significant role in this world.

The writing style isn't overly complicated and is quite easy to read. The epigraphs before each chapter were a definite highlight, being excerpts from various in-world religious texts. They felt like verses from scripture, with each manuscript having a distinct feel. There were instances where the sentences felt awkward in their use of conjoining adverbs, but that's a very minor nitpick and not something that significantly affected my reading experience. There were also occasional lulls in pacing, but it never got to where I was finding the book boring.

I enjoyed the varied cast of characters and their development. Most of my favourite parts of the book are set in the castle of Amadon with the royal family. Jondralyn is the character I liked reading about the most, her drive to distinguish herself and prove her worth as a warrior when surrounded by high-ranking people who looked down on her due to her gender made for a very compelling arc. Tala's chapters, while not having the most development, were the ones I looked forward to the most. It involved a lot of politics and spying and intrigue, sneaking around the castle making insidious discoveries, and I had a lot of fun with that. It also had a large impact on the overall politics of the region.

Gault was another character I was intrigued by, his thoughts on war, his complicated relationship with his conscience, and the things he allows to happen as a result of his indifference and desensitization to cruelty provided an interesting look into a veteran soldier's mind. I was the least invested in Nail's perspective as he seemed to be a very traditional classic fantasy protagonist with a slightly bland personality, he did have compelling moments and scenes but I preferred reading the other PoVs over his. I did like how his plotline converged with a few others in the end and the revelations about Nail and other mysteries that had been set up previously.

Religion is a major part of the world, involving the Five Warrior Angels in particular. I thought the way religion was portrayed in this book was very well-done. There are various factions with different goals clashing over the truth of their religions and interpretations of various holy texts. There are prophecies talking about war and fiery absolution, how different sects are for or against the acceleration of inter-kingdom wars, religious institutions influencing how people in power act, and the twisting of history and interpretations of certain texts to suit people's selfish interests. It isn't portrayed as being outright good or evil, just something that exists in this world that majorly affects how people make decisions. This also serves to flesh out the world and the mythology and lore of the Five Warrior Angels in addition to the non-human races. Overall, this is a great first book that has a varied cast of interesting characters and an intriguing plot involving religious and political conflict. I am definitely looking forward to reading the subsequent books to see how the story progresses.

[Planxti's Imaginary World · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 Stars

Damn wraiths and dragons!

This book is a hidden gem. I seem to have good luck with epic fantasy lately, as Durfee hits all points I crave when seeking Fantasy. History, plot, pacing development, it's all here in this book. I literally couldn't stop - and that never happens with me - despite the incredible volume of the story.

His descriptions left me in a perpetual state of awe and wonder without slowing down the pace. I don't know how Durfee did it.


I listened the excellent narration by Tim Gerrard Reynolds.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one EPIC book. As in a tome big enough to use as a doorstopper, plenty of characters and POVs and a world that gets bigger the farther you get into the book. There's some of the good old standard tropes in there - but in a way that felt comfortable to me, not annoying or boring. For me it felt like a mix of the old traditional epics with a dash of grimdark and some modern twists.

I was well entertained all the way through, even though a few things felt over the top unrealistic to me, and some characters were a bit too black and white for my personal taste. I like them to be all sorts of grey - and there were a lot of grey areas too, so I didn't mind the few stereotype characters too much, still it's a reason for me to go for 4 stars instead of 5.