REVIEW: The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee

The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee
Publishing information: Paperback; 800pgs
Publisher: Saga Press; 30 August 2016
ISBN: 978-1481465229
Series: 5 Warrior Angels #1
Copy: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

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."

When I first learned of this book I was intrigued. I love a good book that deals with two opposing ideologies that are marching towards conflict. In The Forgetting Moon, the Sør Sevier army has conquered the majority of the known world and are bearing down on the last island that stands in their way of controlling the world and removing the center of the religion that opposes their belief that their general is the reincarnated embodiment of the god both islands believe in.

The novel has a fairly good cast that is used to provide view points on both sides of the coming conflict. Not only is there is a lot of juggling of characters, there is a lot of political maneuvering going on both out in the open and behind closed doors. You have the royal family that is divided and a religious leader that has a stranglehold on the inner council and the newly crowned king. There are also assassins hot on the trail of the king's sister looking for revenge for captivating the last assassin sent to eliminate her.

Durfee does a great job of creating interesting characters, all of his main characters that have a point of view in the novel are exciting. Nail is a young orphan being guarded by a mysterious and crabby miser named Shadowcroft, who is more concerned with digging in an abandon cavern than the welfare of his ward. Nail knows that he is at the mercy of Shadowcroft, yet dreams of joining a whaling vessel and forging his own destiny. Of course there is a hidden reason for Shadowcroft's protection and while we get a glimpse of it towards the end of the first novel, we have to wait for the second to truly see why Nial is so valuable and what he is capable of.

Jodralyn is the king of Gul Kana's sister. Rumored to be the most beautiful woman in all the isles. She is slowly coming to the realization that her brother, the king, is just a puppet of the ruling council and the religious elite. She knows she must take an active role or everything her family has done for the citizens of Gul Kana will come crumbling down. She is not just a pretty face but an intelligent and capable woman who wishes to prove herself as a leader and warrior.

Her sister Tala is on the cusp of womanhood and has uncovered a secret that could unravel it all and she can't do it alone and enlists her friends to help unravel the mystery she has discovered.

My favorite character is Gault, part of the invading armies elite warrior class. While he may be the enemy his backstory is the most interesting and he shows himself to be not just accomplished swordsman but also an astute nobleman who believes in his lord but also must adhere to his personal code. It would be a great edition if Durfee were to write a novella featuring Gault that shows how he came to be part of the Knights of Archaic and one of Lord Aeros' trusted advisors.

The Forgotten Moon does an excellent job of world building as the novel contains elves, orguls, (ogres) and dwarves. There is a rich history of the various kingdoms and previous wars that have set up the current course of conquest. At the beginning of each chapter are excerpts from the religious texts of the two opposing ideologies. One that believes Lord Aeros is god reborn and the other that awaits for armageddon to arrive so that their lord will return to the world. Durfee is also very descriptive, there are times where I enjoyed his detailed explanation of things and people and other times, I felt it was a bit much. However, this is the only minor quibble I have about the book.

The Forgotten Moon is a doorstopper. My advanced copy came in at 777 pages and it looks like the final copy comes in at 800 pages. It takes around 50-75 pages before you really get in to the story and start to get a handle on all of the players, once you do, it really grabs you. The Forgotten Moon is an excellent debut novel that should find a lot of fans. I for one cannot wait to read the second book in the series. The Forgotten Moon is one of my top reads for the year and I have no doubt that it will make it on many reviewer's best of the year lists.

Overall 8.5/10