The Moon Tear unfortunately fell flat for me. While the premise had potential, the execution left me wanting. The world-building felt shallow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. The dialogue was often clunky, and the plot felt predictable. There were a few interesting twists, but they weren't enough to salvage the overall experience. It's a shame, because I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't deliver.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC of The Moon Tear in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.**

4.5⭐️

For once when a book says it's lore heavy like LOTR, they mean it! I was so happy to see such a YA high fantasy- truly a breath of fresh air in the current market. I think a lot of people forget that this is what high fantasy is- it is lots of world building and lore and it can be very slow, and the focus on romance is very little. I found The Moon Tear to have excellent characters and a captivating world, amd I cannot wait for the next installment in the series!

Unfortunately I had a really hard time staying interested in this book and DNF’d at 50%. The very beginning had me excited to read and I felt that I would be hooked, but alas I was not. There was a lot of information and world building that left me a little confused and struggling to follow the story enough to stay interested. The premise of the story was very interesting, it just turned out to not be for me. I may try picking this back up in the future just because I was initially so intrigued.

2.5 / 5.0

The Moon Tear by ME Royce is about an exiled elvish debutante that is hiding so her magik (just spell it normal or give it anew word) doesn't destroy the world.

If you read the blurb on the back you'll have a better time than if you try to read the book. The writing isn't there yet. There are too many info-dumps, too much telling instead of showing, and too much reiteration of themes/scenes/plot points... the read isn't composed of all idiots, some of us can pick-up what you set down without so many words.

I read about 50% of the book and skimmed the rest. It wasn't an easy read because of the prose, and once you're caught in what the author is trying to say, you lose focus on where the story is supposed to be going.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read the eARC.

Thank you for the ARC, this is my unbiased review!

"The Moon Tear" caught my eye because of the cover, at first, (i do, in fact, judge a book by the cover), I found it intriguing, and I wasn't disappointed!!

I was hooked from the prologue, the descriptions were quite good, it sealed the deal on my curiosity, and you can see them evolving throughout the story.
It is definitely a high fantasy, and it follows the general elements that I appreciate in the genre, although sometimes the information was a bit too much altogether, I really had to focus to not get lost in the explanations.

I appreciated Eyolin as a protagonist, she doesn't let things just happen to her, despite the way the vision she has for herself doesn't align with what the future has in store for her.
I enjoyed the way the relationships between the characters were built, it was interesting to read, as well as the way the plot comes together to set up for the rest of the series.

The story was a bit heavy information-wise in some parts, it slowed down the story sometimes, and it takes a bit to soak up all the details to become familiar with them, but once it's understood hin the story.
Other than that, I found the book fast paced enough, and it certainly does not leave you hanging when talking about action.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read, and a nice first book for a trilogy, so I will stay tuned for the rest of the series.

I had a hard time making it through this book, mostly because there is a lot of setup and world-building at the expense of the story at hand.

I didn't feel like I got to connect much with any of the characters because this book was so focused on the backstory. I did find it refreshing that the main character wasn't immediately involved in a romance and if there were any hints of one to come, it's sure to be a nice slow burn.

It seems like much of the action that occurs in this book doesn't happen until the last third or so, and feels crammed in even if it is pretty exciting once it gets going.

The society and system of magic that Royce describes is intriguing, so I may have to look into the rest of the series to see if it picks up a little more!

**4.4 stars**

*The Moon Tear* is a captivating fantasy that draws you in with its rich world-building and a heroine who is as compelling as she is dangerous. Eyolin’s journey is one of survival and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of a beautifully crafted world teetering on the brink of war. The tension builds as she tries to stay hidden until her twentieth birthday, knowing that the magik inside her could either save or destroy everything she cares about. Eyolin is a deeply relatable protagonist, struggling with the burden of her power and the fractured memories of her past. Her desire for a simple life, juxtaposed with the growing threat of war and the attention of the tyrant king Magnogogue, creates a gripping internal and external conflict. The stakes are high, and the pacing keeps you on edge, wondering what will happen when the magik inside her is finally unleashed. The supporting cast is just as intriguing, especially Kipp, the assassin from the Twilight realm, whose mysterious connection to Eyolin adds another layer of tension and intrigue to the story. The book balances moments of action with deep, emotional character development, making for a well-rounded and satisfying read. The only reason I’m not giving this a full five stars is that some aspects of the world-building, particularly the political dynamics and the history of the magik, could have been fleshed out a bit more. But overall, *The Moon Tear* is an enthralling fantasy with a strong, complex heroine and a plot full of twists and turns. It’s a must-read for fans of epic fantasy who love a story that keeps them guessing until the very end.

I think this is the worst luck I've ever had with picking my favorite characters...

The Moon Tear is the first novel in a high fantasy trilogy with elves and magic and plenty of other fascinating creatures. I've seen other reviews claiming this book was confusing, and I was prepared to devote all of my energy to not being confused...but I was. It definitely could have benefitted from a glossary and maybe some deeper worldbuilding? I hate saying I need to be spoon-fed the lore, but I'm stupid and apparently can't retain information unless I'm beat over the head with it.
Like I said, the plot was kind of confusing. The basic gist of the story is that Eyolin is an elf with a hidden destructive power that's been prophesized about, and everyone is trying to use her or kill her. It sounds easy to understand, but I think the issue I had with comprehension was that I had no idea where the story was going next. I struggled to grasp a rhyme or reason for anything...she was training, and then she was on the run, and then she was training again, and then all of a sudden, everyone was dying? It could be an error on my part (and, honestly, it almost certainly was), but I just didn't understand entirely what was going on at any given time. That being said, I liked the ending, and it sets up for an interesting sequel.I'm just not sure if I'll read it.
Another issue I had was that I liked the side characters more than the main ones, which is never a good thing (because they all die usually). Eyolin was fine as a protagonist, but she felt a bit cliche in the "chosen one with a power she'll never understand." Kipp spent most of the book drunk...and everyone else suffered because of it. I liked Jet and wish he got more page time, and the same goes for Dale. I hated Karok at first (because his name looks like Korok ... if you know, you know), but I grew to love him. The villains were pretty decent but not incredibly memorable - although, again, that might be a "me" problem.
The Moon Tear is a high fantasy story about a girl with the potential to destroy and what it means to defy one's fate.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.25/5

A wonderful High fantasy story full of intrigue and adventure. So many wonderful characters really make this story. Pick this one up FOR SURE. you won't regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley and M.E Royce for this arc. Unfortunately I havre decided to dnf this book at 32%, I tried to get into it multiple times but found myself stopping and restarting so many times. Therefore, I have made the decision to not continue with this story. All thoughts are only on the basis of the first 32% of the novel, which equates to 111/338 pages.

First, I would like to acknowledge that the premise is intriguing and definitely caught my attention. But I was confused. I spent the vast majority of the pages I read confused with what was happening and getting a vast amount of information overload. I understand the importance of a fantasy information dump but think that this one may need some polishing. I think that this book would benefit from more editing, some more readers who can give this the feedback it needs to be more readable. I just found myself constantly unsure of what was happening and it made my reading experience undesirable, especially when compared to others. The dialogue also could use work too. I apologise for the bluntness in this review, and mean no malice in leaving this review however it did leave me with these thoughts. I try my best to give a book the best shot I can, reading here and there until I’m done, but I just couldn’t get there with this one.

In the beginning of the book I was kind of confused because there wasn’t a whole lot of detail with the characters but overall it’s a pretty good book.

I DNF'd this at 25%. I just wasn't able to get into the story. Even though I generally enjoy fantasy, I had a hard time with the unfamiliar words and I felt the invented language was unnecessary. I found myself dreading picking up my Kindle to get back to this, so I decide to just give up.

I thought this was such an interesting book! The worldbuilding and character development were so complex and Rocye's descriptive prose is so immersive! I was hooked on the mysteries and can't wait to see what happens next!

Look, hear me out, i'm a sucker for a great cover! Unfortunately a little less of a sucker for this book. Honest, I just dont believe that im the audience for this novel. Im less absorbed into the whole fantasy genre, being very picky about the world building and characters 'realness' as it were. Unfortunately I felt no pull towards the book nor the characters, that doesn't mean it wasn't fun, but I found myself dragging my feet to remind myself to read the book.

If however, you're a big fan of fantasy; I imagine this would be a wonderful book! I can appreciate the writing voice and style, and also recognise that I am not the audience for this one.

Best wishes to the author though.

eARC Review

Book: The Moon Tear by M. E. Royce
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

I received this eARC from NetGalley for an honest review (but this book is published now so GO GET IT!!)

The Moon Tear is a vastly detailed and richly crafted novel. Royce builds an intricately designed world and magic system with a lovable cast of characters. She has created such a vibrant world and executed it so well, with so many layers to the plot.

Our FMC, Eyolin, was a joy to read. She is strong, capable, smart, and I adore her never-give-up attitude.

Our MMC, Kipp, had the mysterious morally grey baddie vibes down to a pat (and who doesn’t love that? 😍).

This novel was so lush in its design, details, characters, I thoroughly enjoyed my read-through. The Moon Tear has magic (magik), political intrigue, different races (& therefore racism), social classes (& therefore classism), platonic friendships (Karok, love 🥺), and what I believe is building to a slowwwwwburn romance.

If world building gets to be too much for you, you’ll want to take your time with this one as it might be confusing for some. Luckily I have a brain built for world building and I had no trouble keeping up! I’ve seen some people say the world building left them confused so just putting that out there.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and an incredible debut novel. A true work of art that deserves to be praised and highly regarded.

I highly recommend you read The Moon Tear!

I have to say that this book was a lot to get through. I loved the story beneath it all. However the world building and similarities in names and species had me confused at so many spots. Eyolin’s feelings, emotions and motivations needed fleshing out. I also feel like I don’t have a good understanding of how Kipp and her story intertwined.

Was really interested in this book but the beginning was super confusing for me as there was just a lot to understand about the world and keep track of the names and everything ! Was almost too confusing for me to continue :( Will maybe give it another chance soon

Gorgeous cover, beautifully designed world, great concept. Sub-par execution. Needed some serious content editing to make the story flow better. And also someone to say “a lot of these words are almost identical to Tolkien’s elvish… maybe we don’t do that.”

This story follows Eyolin, a young elf living in the capitol Aideil. Ever since the loss of her family, she has lived on her own. She works as an assistant to a herbalist and as a server at an elvish bar just to get by. Thankfully, she'll soon be free of the magic that haunts her, which means she finally has a chance to be free. But people have wanted her for her magic for a long time, and as the world prepares for war, Eyolin will be forced to make drastic decisions to survive.

To start off, the prologue in this story was beautiful. It set up tension that hooked be immediately and created an amazing, intricate world that I wanted to know more about. I also love the idea of a city developed on a gigantic tree and how that setting was described as Eyolin was introduced.

There are some passages that were difficult to follow, such as when a lot of the elements were introduced in the prologue or when Eyolin discussed the scariyai race in the beginning chapters. I got the impression that this world was big and lots of elements were at play, but reading about several of them all at once was a little overwhelming at times.

If you like elves, mystery, and magic, I recommend that you check this book out!

Such an interesting world and premise. This book is alot more high fantasy than the description makes clear - maybe more romance in the following books could change my mind. Unfortunately, the writing style just fell flat for me. There's a lot of telling instead of showing in this writing style which just doesnt connect with me. The build up for the next books in the series does seem promising though and I would be curious to see what happens next if the writing style was more to my liking.