For a guaranteed spoiler-free review, see my Goodreads review.
Ah, a content warning: Errance is tortured for around...70 years, and so he's pretty messed up. In later chapters, there is a paragraph per chapter that sums up where he's at mentally/spiritually (man did those paragraphs add to the atmosphere of the chapter.) Nothing is ever shown in too much detail since the POV charrie can't stand looking at them for too long, but there are points where some wounds and/or the smell of blood are mentioned, psychological tension is very much present, and he lashes out violently a few times.
Also, I am composing a majority of this post last-minute, and am on a device that doesn’t allow for linking. The links/images shall be updated/added/gifs properly formatted at most a few hours from this being posted (hopefully).
Summary
"It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me."
Seventy years. Seventy years the elven prince has been lost to the darkness, assumed dead by his people and endlessly broken for a book that connects to the hidden realm of his ancestors, a land untouched by evil.
And now a light in the shadows. A chance for freedom. But those willing to help him come from the unlikeliest of worlds.
The orphan girl, yearning for a loving family, and the boy who won't leave her side. A healer maiden given an unexpected chance for a life beyond narrowed expectations. A grieving creature flown far from home.
They all search for something and now their fates are tied to his. If their quest for life can pull him from the dark mire in which his soul drowns, then perhaps he can be saved.
Or else he will drag them all down to a fate worse than death.
The beginning of an epic saga, MOONSCRIPT is a journey of innocence, despair, and redemption.
Seven illustrations by the author exclusively included in the paperback edition!
Seventy years. Seventy years the elven prince has been lost to the darkness, assumed dead by his people and endlessly broken for a book that connects to the hidden realm of his ancestors, a land untouched by evil.
And now a light in the shadows. A chance for freedom. But those willing to help him come from the unlikeliest of worlds.
The orphan girl, yearning for a loving family, and the boy who won't leave her side. A healer maiden given an unexpected chance for a life beyond narrowed expectations. A grieving creature flown far from home.
They all search for something and now their fates are tied to his. If their quest for life can pull him from the dark mire in which his soul drowns, then perhaps he can be saved.
Or else he will drag them all down to a fate worse than death.
The beginning of an epic saga, MOONSCRIPT is a journey of innocence, despair, and redemption.
Seven illustrations by the author exclusively included in the paperback edition!
Purchase links:
Cover
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| Aaaaaa I can't wait for my physical copy! |
Review
SPOILERS AHEAD!
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5 out of 5 stars!
Let’s stick with the characters for this particular review, shall we? I hate to skim over the wonderful description, tidbits that added to the atmosphere, the inclusion of very relatable emotions/feelings that are often neglected in fantasy adventures, and how organically we’re introduced to the world of Orim (THERE WEREN’T A TON OF NAME DROPS RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND I WAS NEVER CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT WHY WHEN OR WHERE.), but I’m writing this on around 5 hours of sleep, a full day, and a very short while until my assigned day of the blog tour (technically just a few hours away), SO let’s get to it.
(Idk if this actually contains spoilers or not, since I didn’t have time to share all the snippets that made me cry/lol. I’ll have to look it over when I’m rested and see what on earth I wrote. :P)
Characters
Rendar, the wonderfully quiet, regal, mysterious, and Earth-shattering character. I loved him right off the bat, such a graceful paradigm of power and meekness...with a glimmer of bad-*$$ attitude (oh my gosh I can feel him half-smiling at me, wondering what he ever did to deserve such an odd description well here you are sir you can’t tell me that you’re not deserving of it because speaking the truth in the darkness is definitely bad-*$$).
“... There are no coincidences in the craft of this world.”
Calmly ignoring the fact that he’d shocked his entire retinue [several times, might I add], the king held out the necklace.
Tellie stared. She couldn’t speak. Finally, she squeaked, “You can’t be serious!”
“Do not doubt, child.” ... “There is much you will not understand. But you’ve been called to this for a reason.” ... “Even when your path seems to lose all light, know that darkness cannot endure forever.”
Also, since I don’t have time to cover a couple wonderful side characters (in this specific case I’m thinking about Leoren, but there are many others I wish to mention—maybe I’ll update this later to include them), I shall instead share a quote of Rendar’s that I was echoing almost the entire time:
“Poor Leoren,” Rendar said, patting his arm. “Always troubled about so many things.”
Errance. *sobs*
I can’t call him a cinnamon roll; I feel like that would be too demeaning/familiar. (Am I the only one who sometimes feels like I’m intruding on a character’s life like a creeper?). I can, I think, call him a diamond.
The prince stared, the sight of death beginning to stain his heart just as the blood stained the elvish livery.
“Listen, human, I might be a plaything for demons, but I will not be toyed with by mere mortal scraps.”
For being so wounded, he was remarkably insolent.
And then he laughed.
The snippets don’t make much sense out of context, but...Idk, they make me happy seeing them in that order.
It’s also weird how much I related to him...I mean, I haven’t been tormented by demons for 70 years, but his brokenness...it’s something that, I think, we’ve all felt at one point or another, in differing amounts of severity.
I CRIED A LOT. There are many many blue highlights regarding his state of mind and the tension of his decisions.
Tellie, the wonderful heroine. Sweet, wounded, and determined to help heal the brokenness in the world around her—starting with Errance. She’s not ready to take on the world by any means, but she—well, she grows. She also doesn’t have to take on anything on her own. (I’m sorry I wanted to say more but I’m tired and my words are beginning to fail.)
I cried with her, I laughed with her, I laughed at her a couple of times (I’m horrid I know), and there were many times her thoughts echoed my own.
She never dreamed anything like this would happen to her—did such things really happen outside of stories?
She wouldn’t cry, she told herself. Crying never helped anything, it just gave headaches.
She’d always imagined having a dramatic speech in a storm, but it really wasn’t so wonderful after all. It was in fact, wet.
Kelm. Is. Adorable. Adventurous. And despite being flustered at a few things, he takes things very much in stride, is inventive, loves stories (I think I got most of the references the author slipped in there XD), and has a realistic/long-term view of things.
“Well, this is all splendid,” Kelm said. “But I have a question of my own now. Is this the privy bucket?”
“Is there a way to retract my wonderful idea?” Kelm asked in a squeak.
He also has a side-goal, which added to his adorableness determination and courage.
“Golly no!” ... “I don’t want Tellie to think of me as a brother!”
The Daisha (prepositions are important: “Make sure the ‘The’ is attached, I won’t respond otherwise.”). Majestic, furry, and fierce, and, uh, very, very hungry (“That’s a surprise,” Kelm muttered. ... “He means you’ve gotten fat,” Errance said.)
She’s Protective of Errance, to the point that she seems to be the embodiment of Errance’s fanbase. As a reader, who had already cried over the characters several times, I was exceedingly glad and for once didn’t feel like I wanted/had to crawl into the book in a futile effort to protect my darlings, because someone much more capable than myself was already there expressing all of my protectiveness.
She’s amazing.
“If any danger comes near my elf, why I’ll...curses! Curses! The most abysmal of curses on all who have hurt him! May their teeth fall out and may their wings wither! I shall tear them all to shreds!”
“Try to talk some sense into this obstinate creature! If he doesn’t get reasonable soon, I’m picking him up and carrying him back to camp—upside-down! See if I don’t!”
She doles out wisdom with as much force as her blunt advice/observations and blistering threats. This is the main bit of one such nugget of wisdom, because otherwise I’d be posting an entire scene that made me tear up:
“Freedom is terrifying.”
In conclusion:
Realistic characters, wonderful world, plot that has plenty of grip and foreshadowing (and oh my goodness I didn’t even get to the villainous characters, but I have quotes and thoughts on them as well)...
So prepare to have your heart stomped on (in a good way of course).
Also, I couldn’t help but imagine that the author might have hummed this to herself while her characters were being emotionally tried (because it sure felt like it :P):
Author Bio
From the beginning, H. S. J. Williams has loved stories and all the forms they take. Whether with word, art, or costume, she has always been fascinated with the magic of imagination. She lives in a real fantastical kingdom, the beautiful Pacific Northwest, with her very own array of animal friends and royally loving family. Williams taught Fantasy Illustration at MSOA. She may also be a part-time elf.
You can check out and follow William's art page over here: https://hsjwilliams.wordpress.com/
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
May 7th
H.S.J. Williams—Tour Launch
May 8th
Light and Shadow—Book Spotlight
E. E. Rawls—Book Spotlight
May 9th
Elizabeth’s Universe—Book Review
Grace M. Morris—Book Spotlight
May 10th
Allison’s Well—Book Spotlight
Amelia Nicole—Book Spotlight
May 11th
Ester S. (Instagram)—Book Spotlight
Imperial Scribis—Book Review
May 12th
The Labyrinth—Book Review
May 13th
Dreams & Dragons—Book Spotlight
Bookish Musings—Book Review
May 14th
Unicorn Quester—Author Interview
Embers Reviews—Book Review
May 15th
Unicorn Quester— “3 Reasons Why” Video Review
Writing in Rivendell—Book Spotlight
Sarah, Plain & Average—Book Review
May 16th
Jane Maree—Book Review
May 17th
Jemma the Dragon Slayer (Tumblr)—Book Spotlight
The Bookish Raven—Book Review
May 18th
Words of Hannah Kay—Book Review
Purely by Faith Reviews—Book Review
May 19th
Functionally Fictional—Book Spotlight
Jenelle Schmidt—Book Spotlight
May 20th
Beka Gremikova—Book Spotlight
Seven Billion Smiles—Book Review
May 21st
Today by Bryn—Tour Conclusion & Art Gallery
You can check out and follow William's art page over here: https://hsjwilliams.wordpress.com/
