Review of The Crescent Moon

[Maduabuchi Okwiya N Eze]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Crescent Moon" by R.L. Lutz.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In the beginning, there are three worlds: Agarath, the world of human beings; Archonia, the world of Archons; and Nolagarg, the world of dark San and demons. These worlds are united by the Sardocelles, an ancient artifact, and there is peace, mutual partnership, and respect among them. This order is soon severed following the demons in Nolargarg crossing their boundaries. Quick action is taken to remedy the situation, but the process, unfortunately, is not completed. The mistake is exploited, and an object for the common good is soon perverted into one of mass destruction.

One thing leads to another. In Agarath, there is a cold war that is eventually resolved with the creation of a boundary called Teargarden to separate the Theram Empire from the Kingdom of Chadaar. Teargarden is soon turned into a lawless and miserable town. A Gaelolian named Gorvan travels to Teargarden with an Archon named Kalath and a guide named Dorneth to intervene in the conflicts in Teargarden and other human territories. They will first have to locate and destroy a dangerous artifact called the Abomination of Bethaldara, but they will also have to contend with Celina, the owner of a local tavern called Crescent Moon, whose nature and intentions have remained secretive and selfish; Rogart, a private spy; Therolim, a shrewd and powerful businessman; and Voram, the leader of San Shield.

The Crescent Moon: Teargarden The Rise Book One is written by R.L. Lutz. It is the first book in a planned series of three. First, the author did a nice job of giving this story a good start. The story began with a punchy sentence that got me curious. I found myself flipping page after page to satisfy my curiosity. Again, the author's ability to create a vivid picture of the deplorable state of Teargarden and go forward to show such with each following page is commendable. The art of showing, rather than telling, helped sustain my interest as I read on to discover what Gorvan and his men sought in Teargarden. In addition, the author did a great job achieving a harmonious narration despite the novel's complex plot and themes.

The character development was superb. While Lutz was ready to dig out for readers the thought processes of the characters, he wasn't willing to release everything at once. The effect was a perfect blend of "revelations and suspense." I could see through each character, yet I wasn't certain I knew everything about them or what they could do next. I couldn't predict such characters as Celina even until the end of this series. Celina's role is pivotal in this novel. Through her, other characters like Tulskin, Rogart, Edgar, Voram, and Mintam, among others, are introduced and fully developed.

The author skillfully utilized Celina's personality, most prominent of which was her subtlety, and social status to instigate problems between other characters. We see this play out between Rogart and Kalath, Voram and Therolim, and Voram and Gorvan, among others. This helped to give the plot the necessary tension it needs to create a satisfying denouement. The word choices made in this novel were simple and vivid. The storyline was action-packed and yet properly developed. I found just three grammatical errors in this novel, which suggested that it was professionally edited. I had a great time reading this novel, and I look forward to reading the sequel, The Scourge.

Lutz gave the story some fine touches with striking literary devices. For example, there was an artistic use of foreshadowing in the novel, especially in the form of dreams, which helped reveal, for instance, the identity of Celina and the fate of Gorvan. In addition, the author made skillful use of dramatic irony to create "sweet tension" in various sections of the novel. An example can be seen in the events involving Celina, Therolim, Voram, and Gorvan in chapters fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. In this novel, readers will also come across the use of magic, body shifting, and the demon dagger, among others. 

I don't have anything to complain about in this novel. However, I would have liked to know how Gorvan's bag got into Voram's possession. I am delighted to rate this novel five out of five stars because of the above positive points. I don't have any reason to deduct any stars from the rating. Lovers of well-written sci-fi and fantasy novels will enjoy this book. This is an excellent choice for those who like reading novels with suspenseful and vivid narration, a strong protagonist, and well-developed characters.

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The Crescent Moon
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[maycherono91]

This sounds like an exquisite read. I definitely want to read it. Great review.

[Amy Luman]

I am really fond of books that introduce me to mew worlds, even if those worlds are not perfect, especially so. There can then be a hero like Gorvan that comes in to save everything, despite te troubles.

[Ogunkoya Mayowa]

A book that talks about three worlds Agarath, Archonia, and Nolagarg. The book talks about how they were united and how war eventually break out among them. The book storyline was action-pack and well-developed. I would love to read this book. Thanks for the great review.

[Omneya Shakeep]

I love books with vivid imaginations, and this one sure has a lot of it. Creating a whole world for a book always fascinates me, and this sure will be one of my favorites. Great review.

[kcollins14]

Your description of the plot really got me invested: so many different creatures that must somehow co-exist. As it starts when Teargarden is made, I wonder how it develops to explain what once was. It's interesting how you describe the characterization. I guess sometimes not knowing everything or not knowing something about a character, with certain writers, could be a flaw, but here I could tell it made the characters seem more like real people with hidden natures you don't know.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging novel that starts the story of three worlds with well-constructed characters. Various creatures, revelations, and more are used to keep the suspense. I'll look into this series. Thank you for your great review!