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The Forgetting Moon: Volume 1 (Five Warrior Angels)

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An impeccably character-driven, grimdark story, that seems horribly underrated, “The Forgetting Moon” (The Five Warrior Angels Book #1) by Brian Lee Durfee was, in my opinion, an exceptional book. It’s so good that it could potentially figure in the discussion for my list of top SFF books for 2023.

When they tottered by a candlelit cottage, a whiff of woodsmoke swirled past Nail’s nose, the aroma clearing his mind of churning thoughts. There is war in the land of the Five Islands. The ambitious prince of Sør Sevier – Aeros Raijael – leads his army of fanatics from island to island, bringing nothing but suffering to subjugate the believers of the ancient Laijons religion. Somewhere in the lands, the orphan boy Nail is hiding. On him rests the secret hope of salvation. Jovan, the eldest son of the fallen king, rules over Gul Kana, possessed by ever worse delusions. Desperately, his two sisters try to oppose him. Jondralyn learns the fine art of swordplay with all the hardships and torments, while Tala uncovers a secret that is capable of destroying not only the family, but the entire country. Can the kingdom survive both the dangers from within and the threat of Raijael’s new religion? And does the fate of young Nail have something to do with an ancient prophecy?Your celebrated metatextual genre deconstructions are all well and good, but Brian Lee Durfee is here to make fantasy EPIC again. His debut novel The Forgetting Moon (the first in the Five Warrior Angels series), is epic fantasy turned up to eleven, a bracing reading experience that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. Durfee writes with admirable energy and verve, delivering a story that does absolutely nothing in moderation. Nail set his fork down. “You’ll soon be dancing with Gisela at the Mourning Moon Feast like man and wife.” He pointed a finger at his friend. “And you’ll ask her to dance even if I have to force open your mouth and move your lips about for you.” Tolbret’s priesthood robes are woven of silk, not iron, and certainly not magic. Tales of their holy properties are only fables meant to impress the children.”

Right, thanks.” The words felt strange on Nail’s dry tongue. He swallowed hard, still trying to regain his bearings. His satchel held his most prized possessions: prayer book, art supplies, collection of charcoal drawings. One feature that I really enjoyed were the epigraphs that started each chapter, providing samples of the religious teachings from the texts upon which the faiths are based, and from whence the prophecies sprung. I also have to complement the cover, which (in all the best ways for me) looks like it could easily be the cover of a heavy metal album. Richard Anderson has been creating fantastic images for genre book covers over the past few years and this one is no different in its’ power to draw the eye. What makes it even more “metal” is the shiny gold text of the title. I’ve Shawcroft’s permission, of course, to learn the fishing trade whilst he’s at the mines,” Nail answered, knowing his words were a lie. Shawcroft would have no clue if he went grayken hunting and would disagree with it strongly. But the man was working the mines for the week. The average grayken hunt took less time than that. Nail knew he would be in open defiance of his master. But he didn’t care. The man could be demanding, stubborn, disagreeable, and cruel. Nail was completely dependent on Shawcroft, yet at the same time, to be free of the man was his greatest desire.Epic World-Building. As the first book in a new series, this one needs to do a lot of heavy lifting to establish the universe of the Five Isles. Durfee doesn’t waste time: the opening chapters threaten to overwhelm you with eye-popping detail as Durfee introduces his point-of-view characters and the world they inhabit. It’s a setting both intimate and huge—geographically, it’s fairly contained, giving us an opportunity to orient ourselves. But the history and culture are sprawling, from a Christianity-inspired religion, to a social structure whose basis in familiar Western European-inspired hierarchies is only a staring point. He seeds in details that slowly blossom into something unique and refreshingly messy. Readers will play catch-up throughout the early chapters as a torrent of detail builds the world piece by piece—but it’s well worth the effort to follow along.

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. Many are unjust, sadistic, perverse, twisted, with some faint glimmers of humanity, but barely. Even the more noble ones show a lot of pettiness, self-absorption, and other negative character traits that may grate on some readers nerves, and BOY do they make a bunch of really questionable, outright foolish decisions! About the pacing ... That is probably the place where all the problems I have with this book meet. Beyond what I've already mentioned, Durfee has a tendency to over-describe things. Nearly all the time. And frequently this tendency teamed up with the info dumping, turning what might have been a fast-paced action scene into an excruciatingly slow narrative. It took me out of the moment every time it occurred. I love stunning visuals, but stunning visuals do not have to be lengthy, nor do I need a narrative aside about what happened years before while I'm in the middle of reading what is supposed to be important dialogue/action.Wonderful characterization firmly pilots this story. While Nail, Gault, Jondralyn and Tala are the main POVs, we are treated to perspectives from several more minor characters who are still integral to the overall plot. What I adored about these characters is that all are typically flawed, morally ambiguous at a minimum (save a scant number of more straightforward, innocent, noble-hearted ones), downright dastardly at the utmost end of the scale, complicated, very messy! Paul Di Filippo, in his review for Locus Online, described The Forgetting Moon as "[providing] plenty of well-crafted spectacle, thrills, suspense, blood, thunder and [a] general sense of wonder." [3] He continued, stating that Durfee included "no waste or overstuffing", further describing the story as "enthralling". [3] The story is squarely in the grimdark genre and "not for those who would rather spend the day dreaming in Rivendell." [3] Pay him no mind.” Stefan helped Nail stand. “You’ll be stiff on the morrow. Bruises for a moon or more. You put up a real fight, though. Gave us all a grand show.” And that is what, in part, Brian delivers: fantasy and adventure. At least that’s what I thought it was. However the deeper I waded in, I found myself swept up in unknown currents and suddenly washed up on unfamiliar shores. On the training field, Nail had bested Jenko on occasion. Jenko had also beaten him. Every conscript knew he and Jenko were evenly matched. But to spar in the village street was another matter altogether. In front of the Grayken Spear, Ava Shay could finally witness his prowess. At the same time, he could put Jenko in his place.

The action is scintillating, from training montages to deadly duels, and the tension rises to a crescendo as we reach the latter part of the book. It is in fact difficult to find any weaknesses in the writing. My favourite of all though, was the mystery and intrigue surrounding most of what happens in this first book of the series. It is gradually revealed over each chapter, and the ending wants you to immediately begin book 2. Hooked to the leather thong was a small carving of a turtle no bigger than the end of Nail’s thumb. He held the carving in his hand, admiring Ava’s delicate workmanship. Every display of her talents filled him with desire. The Forgetting Moon is a 2016 grimdark epic fantasy novel by Brian Lee Durfee, published through Saga Press. When a young boy, Nail, is orphaned and taken in by a gruff and mostly silent warrior named Shawcroft, you might have an idea that Brian Lee Durfee’s The Forgetting Moon is going to tread into the waters of Epic Fantasy. You’d be mostly correct, but the routes he takes are down some of the more shadowy, grim, and darkest roads traveled in this popular sub-genre of Fantasy. To say that The Forgetting Moon leans on the shady grimdark side of fantasy would be an understatement, but nothing else about Durfee’s epic novel (and saga) is understated. Cover Art by Richard Anderson Like fantasy giants such as Tad Williams, Durfee devotes a lot of time to building the characters, so the reader has a more fulsome idea of personalities, motivations, idiosyncrasies, feelings, thought processes, strengths and weaknesses.What does Shawcroft know of swordsmanship or archery? Nail knew there had been some tension between his master and the baron as of late. It had something to do with the gold mines. Nail thought it of little import. But Jubal Bruk had just now said his master’s name like it was poison on his tongue. That the baron wanted Shawcroft’s help with the conscripts seemed laughable in many ways. Every Gallows Haven young man of seventeen and eighteen, most still in some form of armor to impress the girls, was crowded into the tavern. It was tradition. After arms training, the girls working at the Grayken Spear Inn prepared a meal for the conscripts. Nail lived for the arms training with Baron Bruk and the hot meal at the Grayken Spear afterward. It was one of the few times Shawcroft allowed him to come to town—arms training was mandatory; it was the law. 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. Still, the barmaids were busy doing their jobs. And one young lady who worked here always had Nail’s attention—Ava Shay. She was his age, seventeen. Over the past year, when Nail could break away from working the mines with Shawcroft and come into town, they had grown close. At times Nail wondered if they weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. He found it nearly impossible to keep his mind off her. The world-building is excellent, a helpful map at the start helps you understand where the action is taking place, and while there are dwarves and elves (valle) and orcs (orghuls), there are other interesting creatures as well, from crazy battle horses to mer-folk, and dragons. Perhaps.

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