2 out of 4 stars
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What would the world be like if elves actually existed? E.J. Michaels attempts to give a fictional answer to that question in The Size of the Moon. At around 450 pages, this science fiction would be enjoyable to fans of supernatural creatures like elves, vampires, and dwarves.
Soulless beings called strigoi (closely related to vampires) create havoc in the world. Supposedly, a cure is being created by a dark elf called Mordravin. However, he isn't known for doing anything from the kindness of his heart; it seems that something more sinister is happening.
Marcus finds himself wrapped up in the world of the strigoi and elves, though he is a human. Autumn has been tasked with killing strigoi by the mayor, and Marcus is her contact. With a new threat on the scene, the two must work together to find out what Mordravin is really after.
This is a book that I really wanted to love. After all, the book starts off with how elves actually could have existed at one point; there is some archaeological evidence that I found fascinating. Plus, there is plenty of action to keep the reader engaged. What got to me, though, was the abundance of characters.
The characters were overwhelming at the beginning. I made note after note, wondering if I would ever be able to get them straight. With names such as Draekafiel and A'nyiavera Rhealianna D'Sur, who could blame me? Plus, most of those people also had a second name. For example, A'nyiavera Rhealianna D'Sur is most commonly known as Autumn. It took a little longer than I'd like, but I did, finally, get the hang of them.
After the initial confusion, the action and plot drew me in. I felt hooked. Again towards the end, though, I found myself extremely lost. This person was related to this person in this way, who was related to this person because of that. I read sentences two or three times trying to make sense of it, but I eventually gave up. Honestly, it made me feel stupid, and I never did fully understand how everyone was related.
In addition, the book takes place in Bucharest. As such, there were often words and phrases the author used but never explained. Some of the words might have been Romanian. Some were probably elvish. Most of the time, I figured out enough to know they were cuss words. That wasn't always the case, however, and it was frustrating. For example, the author refers to how elves bond as "fer l'amare alkawari."
The book was not professionally edited either. I mostly found homophone errors, but I did see misused words as well. For example, the word though was written instead of thought. These errors were consistent throughout but weren't necessarily overly distracting. It was enough to know that the book was not professionally edited, though.
One final note on the ending - it's definitely a cliffhanger. There were major plot points that were not brought to a conclusion. It seems there is a second book planned, but I won't be reading it.
Overall, I have to give The Size of the Moon 2 out of 4 stars. The editing caused one star to be taken away. I subtracted the other star due to my confusion. If the characters had only been confusing at the beginning, I would not have subtracted that second star. I would recommend this to those who love a cast of numerous fantastical creatures and are quick to pick up on relationships as well as foreign words. If you are easily confused, this is one to skip.
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The Size of the Moon
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