Moonset

Book:  Moonset (Legacy of Moonset #1)

Author:  Scott Tracey

Publisher:  Flux

Date:  Available now

Source:  Publisher via Netgalley

My grade:  A

Moonset, a coven of such promise . . . Until they turned to the darkness.

After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started.

A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason the Congress relocated them . . .

Initial reaction

It was refreshing to have a book narrated by a boy……plus the coven politics were fun!

Cover story

I love this cover.  It is what drew me to the book to begin with and the title is intriguing. This is definitely a cover that would not send boys running away as fast as they can.

What’s the Story?

So, there were some elements that reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, but not really.  That doesn’t make much sense, but let me explain.  No, there is no time to explain, let me sum up…..(sorry, can’t resist Princess Bride references.)

There has been a war in the wizard community.  The coven of Moonset, which had many talented witches, turned dark and tried to usurp power.  They were defeated and destroyed with the exception of their 5 children.  So what does the magical community do with these kids?  They ship them around from place to place and they shun them.  And that, dear friends, is where our story begins…

You can see the original premise is similar to the HP plotline, but the execution is completely different.  I really enjoyed this book, a lot!  I think that the idea of who is “bad” becomes very nuanced in this book, and I won’t be surprised if later on in the series, we find out that Moonset wasn’t as evil as it’s been made out to be.

This was a book that I had a hard time putting down.  There was a touch of romance, but really it was more about the plot and action.  I really liked watching develop as a person and a young man.  In many ways, this was also a coming-of-age novel for Justin.  He really learned to stand up, be strong and protect his family.  At the beginning of the novel, he was very insecure and felt that other members of his family were more dynamic and interesting.  But Justin has this sort of quiet strength that makes him very likeable.  I’m really glad this story was narrated from his point of view.  If it had been from his sister’s, I think it would have gotten on my nerves.

The nice thing about narration from the boy’s point of view is that we get a bit of humor and macabre mixed into the narrative.  That was true in this book.  Justin is, at times, just a boy and his thoughts and reactions reflect that and it kept the book from getting bogged down in a depressing story.

Some of the other members of the witch community were interesting and I’m not sure about Quinn, the guardian that is assigned to the 5 siblings.  I am curious to see how he develops as a character in the next book.  At first I thought he would become Jenna’s love interest, but I’m starting to wonder if he is more like a mentor character for Justin.

All in all, I think this was a solid start to a new series.  I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

The Soundtrack

Witches Dream by Mason Jennings (the lyrics don’t really fit, but the feeling of the song does, and it’s about witches.  ::shrugs::)

Season of the Witch by Hole

Welcome to My Life by Simple Plan

Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day

We Are Family by The Corrs

Keep Holding On by Glee cast

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book is an A.  This is a solid first book for what looks like a very interesting series.