This is a classic action packed, alien vs military story, packed with fights, gore, betrayal and friendships.

It literally doesn’t stop from the first page, very very exciting. The main character is an arrogant, horrible, immature idiot, but not sure if that’s really who he is, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to mature into a better person in the next few books!

All in all, an exciting page turner!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest

This book was so unique and I really enjoyed reading it. Once I got settled into the story and the world of this book, I was hooked. I also really loved the ending, I thought it was going to go another way, but it surprised me and I love when that happens.

If you’ve ever read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, or if you’ve ever read the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, or the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, this book has some of those same vibes, in terms of brainwashing and propaganda and people being under surveillance about what they say or think. And I really loved that aspect of the story. Amat’s plans keep getting thwarted by people monitoring his conversations and he eventually learns how to turn that against them. I also loved that this ancient race of people are canine-like humans and they’re growling at each other, but they can fly spacecraft and have these advanced neurological technologies. It was just a really cool world that the author built.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me is that, while I liked the surprising way it ended, I thought the ending was abrupt. A lot of things happened back to back that I don’t think I had enough time to process and I would have loved a slower pace towards the end.

But otherwise, I think it’s very different from anything I’ve read in a while and it was refreshing. I also saw that this book won its first award, The International Review of Books Gold Badge and it just came out a few months ago, so congrats to the author for that and I hope to read more from him soon.

AWESOME!
What can you do when the menace to humankind are not only aliens but humankind itself?
I hope we have a sequel soon.

This book was not for me. The world is very well-realised, and the writing is highly descriptive, which helps create a sense of immersion.

The plot is driving, and sets up potentially very interesting next book, with several possibilities for how it is going to turn out.

That being said, I found it hard to get past the sheer unlikability of all the main characters. They were egotistical, and self-centred beyond reason. Where women appeared in the book, it was to weep as their soldiers went to war, or to be attacked (with the exception of May, who was solely there to make the main character seem attractive).

A shame, as the plot had potential, but even the villains were more tolerable than the lead.

An engaging premise and a "new" planet, THE ALTERED MOON is the debut Science Fiction and first I'm a series. I felt it to be "coming of age" Science Fiction, as the protagonist (first person narrative) is only fifteen (in his years) and because his troubled relationship with his father is a pivotal focus. Much of the novel involves Amat's character evolution, in the face of impending Planetary danger, and prepares the foundation for continuation of the series.