I really wanted to like this book. It started off strong. It is a Romantasy with many mythical characters. However the story was very slow to get to the point. Typically I don’t mind long Romantasy stories. This would have been better if it had moved the story a bit faster.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this great opportunity!!

As an avid reader and writer myself, I find myself a little more drawn to story building and character development. While the story had great potential, I found it very lacking in world building. I felt it moved very slow paced, almost giving toooo much information during certain areas, and not enough in others. As for character development, I felt it very repetitive, and I also didn’t like that the story switched between 1st and 3rd person.

For fans of:
- Zodiac Academy

This book includes:
- assassins and thugs
- morally gray heroes
- paranormal beings of all kids

I was so excited for this book, but sadly I felt that it was poorly written to the point of being a bit difficult to follow. The concept was great and I think there was something there, but an editor was needed. I will definitively give this author another shot in the future.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Thomashoff, and HLast Unicorn Press for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
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Kingdom of the two Moon is a story that starts slowly, makes you get to know the characters, become familiar with them and become attached. So don't be frightened by the number of pages, it will be worth it and you will want more. The main character in the story is Melody, this young girl who from an early age is forced to live for Lyrian. Melody is important to him because of her powers, she can sense the auras of others, their magic, but Melody, of the magical world, of her origins actually knows very little, just as she knows little about love.
"He showed me— drummed into me— not to show fear. Lyrian himself taught me how to lie, even under extreme pressure. Taught me to never show any weakness."
The book then gives us the point of view of two other characters, the first being Blair, this witch with long red hair who lives in the world of humans to seek out Melody herself. I loved Blair, despite the fact that witches are described as these evil women with no feelings for anyone who does not belong to their coven, Blair is different. She likes humans, she does not repudiate kindness, fun, a world that is not just about power thirst. So I liked that these two women who are so different, Melody and Blair, are nevertheless accumulated by feeling lonely, abandoned. Of course she is a badass, and some of her sentences were among the funniest.
"“You might not want to do that again.” Or I might bite off your head and call it an accident."
"Game over, bitch,” he snarled too close to her throat. “I’m a witch, you fucker,” she hissed. “Believe me, that one letter makes a big difference.”
Blair's journey then will intersect with Melody's, and from that moment on everything will change for the girl. First, we will be introduced to another character, Riven. I don't know if you watched Winx as a child, but this name should spark something in you. Riven is an Azriel who doesn't just give us crumbs, but tries to feed us.
“I want to have you in a way that erases all those who have touched you before....I will go down on my knees and stay until they are raw if you wish me to".
Another protagonist is Caryan. We can consider him as the antagonist of our Melody, a prophecy binds them, and we don't know if this will lead to the destruction of one of them.
I loved the magical world, there are so many creatures described, and the fact that our world, the one we know is separated from this magical one by a veil, allowing some kind of contamination, makes everything interesting.
I liked the dynamics between the characters, and mainly that the secondary characters are actually an integral part of the story, they have their own role, we can get to know them and understand why they behave in a certain way.
Riven and Caryan are the example. They are not good, they are not bad, they are typical morally grey charters. Caryan is what he is because of all he has had to endure. Does this imply that we should forgive him for all the times he is a pain in the ass? Absolutely not, i want to punch him, but not so much, punch him in a gentle way.
I also want to strungle Melody of course, but She Is so cute some times. She doesnt know who she really is, she finds herself in a world where she is looked at as a potential danger, she doesnt know how to blend in. Then let's not talk about the fact that she and Blair have the same taste in men.
Of course there are points I didn't like, first of all there are scenes - a few - that are so reminiscent of acotar, this can be liked and not, in my case I didn't like it. I didn't like that the whole thing was set at a slow pace and then went fast at the end, of course it wasn't rushed, but it was a surprise.
The surprise also comes in the last chapter, where I see contamination from other books, and I won't say which one so as not to spoil the surprise effect.

Unfortunately, I did not get very far into this book. The writing style was very cliche, and I felt like I was being told a series of facts rather than being immersed in a story. The prologue was much better than the opening chapter! Furthermore, I found the beginning far too sexual -- it was a little off putting. I don't have much to say about the story as I DNFed this one pretty quick, but it seemed like an interesting premise.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
3.5✨
It took me a while to write this review, maybe even a bit too long, because I could not decide myself on how to review this book.
The problem is that it was a good reading as a whole, but I struggled with some issues. First of all, the beginning was really slow for me, and the intricated worldbuilding took me a great amount of time to be completely understood.
I loved the couple, Caryan and Melody, because their chemistry was so good and well written, and they both as characters were deeply portrayed.
I think the fantasy, when you get familiar with the system, is good even if not really original, because if you are passionate of fantasy who will find similarities to other books of the genre. For me it lacked of something… which is why I can’t give more to this book. However, definitely a good start for a new writer!

DNF at 20%. I really tried to get into this story, but it was so convoluted and over-saturated with every fantasy species and aspect under the sun. An angel/necromancer/vampire?! I knew the moment I read the glossary this was going to be a mess. It didn’t define things in the way a glossary should. It was like reading mini-short stories of each species type, which would have been better placed within the story for world-building purposes, which this story severely lacks. The plot is disjointed. It switches from first to third person. The writing isn’t great, but that usually is not a mood killer for me. I like fun, off-the-wall stories, but this just didn’t hold my attention. I’m being generous with two stars for a book I DNFed because it had potential.

I am not the biggest fan of the cover, but you know what they say. This is a great romantasy and I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite my dislike of the cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This book had a lot of promise. I was excited to read this book even. But I ended up concluding that this book was not for me, as it's execution left me struggling to stay focused and struggling to make the switch. What switch? You might ask. Well, this book is written in a very odd mixture of first person and narrated third person. Normally, I quite enjoy third person and have a love/hate relationship with first-person writing.. but this book defied that. I resonated stronger with the first-person parts.

About the book. Melody, our FMC, is a half human, half silver elf who has spent her life as a captive because of her special skills. She thoroughly believes that she is human with a little extra spice. As it would turn out, our initial BBG was keeping her skills to make himself more powerful in a world that "has no magic"; he was also keeping her hidden from our two MMC'S, Caryan and Riven.

Like other readers, I felt that Melodys parts were very passive and quite uncomfortable (especially given that I am an avid dark romance reader). The romance dynamics within this book are.. odd? Flat? Lacking emotional depth? Lacking in real connection somehow?

Then there is Blair. Blair.. is Caryans ex-lover. And tbh, I spent a decent part of the entire experience going "who the -expletive- is Blair?!?!", forgetting that the FMC rescued her fairly early on. I could not connect with Blair. I just.. yeah. Blair's parts should have been written in 1st person, and should have been tied into the story more closely (even if they're flashbacks to how the MMC'S became who they are).

This book is decently well written. It just needed more connection into the current day storyline and more emotional depth & connection. The emotional depth and connection were a bit lacking, as I found myself distinctly wishing that I could be angry with our FMC. I didn't want to keep going for the "tea". I just wanted it to be over.

All in all, this was a very frustrating read. It was obviously not for me. Others may enjoy this.

Alexandra, please don't take my review of your book as being bad. It was just not for me, and I have read a decent number of books that were actually significantly worse than this one. Your book was well formatted, spell checked, and grammar checked. I am very grateful for the opportunity that you gave me (to ARC read and review).

--Shared on goodreads

Thank you to NetGalley and Last Unicorn Press Publishing for the ARC of this book. I went into this book with really high hopes. I did really enjoy this book but i also struggled to read it. I don’t know why because I kept wanting to know what was going to happen and really liked it but I had a hard time making myself pick it up to actually read it. It is pretty long but i didn’t feel like it over-explained things. It was just weird I have never had that happen before and maybe that is more just me than the actual book. However with as little spoiling as possible I’m going to be very upset if melody doesn't end up with a certain someone who isn’t Carryan. I had a really hard time connecting with him. I feel like he was written to be like Rhysand and maybe he will get better in the second book but I really don’t like him at this point. These books to me seem heavily based on Sarah J Mass’s books. And maybe that was why I struggled so much is because it didn’t seem completely original. Like there was definitely stuff in these books that are 1000% original but a lot of the characters seemed to be based off of Sarah J Mass characters. Melody - Feyre, Carryan - a cross between Tamlin, Rhysand, and Hunt, Riven - a cross between Rhun and Lucien, Briar- Mannon. Like there are a ton of similarities and that kind of bothered me.

My Review of Kingdom of the Two Moons by Alexandra Thomashoff

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I’ll be real—this book left me a little torn. On one hand, there’s a lot to admire here: a dark, intriguing fantasy world, a protagonist (Melody) who’s caught between species, destinies, and love interests, and a solid dose of emotional tension. On the other hand, the execution didn’t always live up to the potential.

Let’s start with the positives. The world-building? Ambitious and layered. I could tell there was a ton of thought behind the lore and structure of the world, even if it sometimes came across as a bit of a lore dump rather than a natural part of the story. Still, the setting is vivid, and the concept of a kingdom powered by magic energy that’s foreign to humans was cool.

The characters were interesting, especially Caryan, who walks that perfect antihero line—messy, torn, but deeply compelling. Melody had her moments too, especially in her emotional arc. The romance was dark and slow-burn, which I usually love, and I was invested in the tension between Melody and Caryan. The love triangle added that extra kick of drama, even if it did feel like it edged into chaos at times.

Where the book lost me a bit was the pacing and writing. The narrative switched between first and third person, which made the reading experience jarring at times. I got used to it eventually, but it pulled me out of the story early on. The writing itself had moments of depth, but it also suffered from repetitive conversations and overused phrases. Some emotional beats didn’t land as hard because they were repeated so often they lost impact.

So, overall? I think this is a book with strong foundations—great premise, high emotional stakes, and rich world-building—but the execution was uneven. If you love complex characters, messy love stories, and dramatic fantasy worlds, this might work for you. Just be ready for a bit of a slow burn (and I mean slow) to get to the good stuff.

Rating: 3.5/5 rounded up to 4 for ambition and vibes.

"This book was an absolute page-turner, filled with rich characters, vivid storytelling, and a plot that kept me hooked from start to finish. A must-read for anyone who loves immersive fiction!"

Tropes:
-fantasy romance
-vampires
-witches
-wyvern
-angels
-demons
-Fae
-hidden identity
-forced proximity
-love triangle
-shadow daddy

I devoured this book as quickly as I could. I loved it so much. For a debut, this was fantastic. Was it perfect? No, but when I finished it, I was giddy. I haven't been this excited about a fantasy series in a minute. I can't wait for more! I have a feeling this is going to be an incredible journey. Is everything in this original or unique? Also, no, but the way she brings it all together and delivers the plot is exceptional. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

I love triangle was well done, but I will need her to either make me hate one of them or make the next one why choose. Because right now, I love them both.

I highly recommend this book. It is available on KU. I hope you read it and love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think!!

In a high fantasy realm, torn between duty and desire, Kingdom of the Two Moons is a tale written with loyalties corrupted, uprisings crushed, and a love that shines like moonlight on the waters at midnight. The book follows Anya, a highborn woman whose life is de-railed when her sister vanishes during an politically arranged wedding. Anya steps in, substituting for her sister, and travels to the dark and feared Kingdom of the Two Moons to fulfill the betrothal in her stead.

There, Anya meets Prince Alexius—a dark and brooding prince whose secrets can shatter the tenuous thread of peace between their two kingdoms. As Anya navigates court politics and whispers of rebellion, she must protect her heart and her identity as well. As secrets begin to surface, she learns that the Kingdom is more than royal weddings and political marriages—it is a nation with ancient magic, centuries-old grudges, and eyes that can see through deception.

The slow-burning tension between Anya and Alexius drives the plot, building a simmering tension as emotionally compelling as it is narratively dense. Pacing prompts readers to become intimate with the inner lives of characters as stakes become ever more dire. There is no end-of-the-world war or contained fight; instead, tension is finely woven through character decision, shifting dynamics, and secrets lurking in the shadows of moonlit hallways.

Anya
Anya is the heart and soul of this story. Her inner struggle is a compelling combination of fear, determination, and uncertainty about who she is. Having assumed her sister's identity in a politically arranged marriage, she is forever torn between right and obligation, head and heart. Anya isn't just brave—she's human in every way that really matters. Her lies eat at her conscience, and her compassion often struggles with the role she's forced to play. Smart, perceptive, and unflinchingly loyal, she's a contradictions mix that makes her growth not only plausible but quietly compelling. Watching her grow from girl concealing fear behind duty to woman claiming her own fate is deeply satisfying. Alexius

Alexius is your typical dark prince with a twist—he's vulnerable under the armor.
Closed off, arrogant, and distant on the surface, he reveals himself in fits and starts. The more time Anya spends with him, the more his humanity seeps through: his pain, his intensity, and his longing to be truly seen. His inner conflicts—torn between political duty, familial scars, and his lust for a woman he knows is deceiving him—are what make him one of the more compelling romantic heroes of recent YA fantasy. The sexual tension between him and Anya doesn't just sizzle—it hurts, and that's what makes it so good. Side Characters

The secondary characters provide depth rather than distraction.
Prince Dorian, the brother of Alexius, presents an interesting foil—charming, laid-back, and charismatic to a fault. He provides levity where Alexius provides gravity. Then there's Katya, the best friend of Anya, providing a sorely needed female presence, offsetting Anya's growing isolation. The King and Queen also present interesting but contained threats—authority figures whose love for their kingdom could be bordering on ruthlessness. Every character exists for a reason, has a depth, and has something to lose. Power underlies the relationships within this world, and they are dealt with realism and tact. Anya and Alexius' relationship is especially complicated. Alexius holds power over her at some points, but Anya's intelligence and growing confidence begin to balance their scales. The push and pull of power in their relationship is the pivot of its emotional growth.

Identity, truth, duty, and freedom are the governing motifs of this novel. Anya's hidden identity is a mirror of the political mask everyone is forced to wear. Every individual is a facade—royal or servant—and the novel explores the cost one pays for living a lie, even for virtuous reasons.

Trust and betrayal go hand in hand. Anya's deception, although born of love, makes her more and more aware that it is so easy for a human being to be destroyed by secrets. Love in this novel isn't instantaneous or safe—it's something that is won, slowly, painfully, and is jeopardized at every turn by unspoken truths.

There's a recurring motif of light and dark, especially in the imagery of the two moons—one gold, one silver. They seem to represent duality: two sides to the same world, since Anya leads two lives. The duality is present in every facet of the story—two kingdoms, two loves, two choices—leaving the reader to wonder which reality is more honorable.

Undertows of destiny vs. choice resound in the distance. Is Anya a pawn in a game of another, or is she forging destiny with every step she takes further into a life she was never meant to lead?

Alexandra Moody's writing is descriptive, lyrical but not purple. Her prose maintains a balance between elegance and simplicity, evoking mood with sufficient detail to involve the imagination. Pacing is slow—slow by design at the start, but that allows emotional resonance to build. Dialogue rings natural, and is frequently quietly barbed, especially in the interactions between Anya and Alexius.

The book is first-person, and so readers share every heartbeat, every hesitation, every lie that Anya tells. Moody is masterful at internal dialogue, at divulging the internal struggle of a woman living an unreal life as she hunts for truth and love.

Her figurative language is soft, romantic, and passionately emotional. Imagery—moonlight glinting on a sword, a palace in darkness—serves both beauty and menace. World-building is atmospheric rather than encyclopedic; she doesn't get bogged down in politics or magical systems but constructs the mysteries of the kingdom through character interactions and adventures.

Kingdom of the Two Moons is a rollercoaster ride that breathes new life into the arranged marriage trope in its precarious balance of romance, betrayal, and political intrigue. Alexandra Moody crafts a slow-burning narrative that smolders with each chapter, exploring how love and identity can blossom where trust is a luxury.

While the tempo might be sluggish for readers requiring immediate high-stakes action, those who persist will be rewarded abundantly with relationships of emotional depth, character intimacy, and the kind of love story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

This novel doesn't shout; it sings, and in doing so, it creates space for tenderness, tension, and truth to unfold under the light of the moon.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
World-Building: ★★★★☆

Trigger Warnings:
Kidnapping / Abduction
Identity deception
Implied emotional abuse (royal family dynamics)
Mental manipulation / Gaslighting elements
Loss of agency
Political oppression

Recommended for readers who enjoy slow-burn fantasy romance with morally gray characters, royal court politics, and a female protagonist who must balance self and duty. Readers who enjoyed The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller or The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen will enjoy the same themes but in a softer, more introspective voice.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
Unfortunately, this book is a big DNF for me. I sadly found so much things copied to SJM and I can't get it down. I love romantasy but this book failed to capture me, I think it was also because of the love triangle trope.
I could not connect with the characters.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kingdom of the Two Moons
Author: Alexandra Thomashoff

Thank you so much Alexandra, and Last Unicorn Press for this copy of Kingdom of the Two Moons! It was really good. It was definitely more on the dark fantasy side, and the author does a very good job of expressing trigger warnings in the beginning of the read. We have multiple POVs but our main character is a prisoner named Melody, who has a rare magic she does not really understand. She is captured by a fae named Riven who brings her to his court that is ruled by Caryan a fallen angel. All of these characters are messed up. I was super confused who the love interest is supposed to be, and after finishing the book I am still confused. 😂. However I really enjoyed the writing style, the world and the magic. The characters are super interesting and I find myself needing to know more. I loved all the different magical creatures in this book. I loved the demons, and the dark magic. Overall I’m intrigued and need to know what happens next! Thank you again for this copy. 😍

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This review contains spoilers.

The premise, the cover and the shadow daddy (I love me a good shadow daddy) made me really excited to read this but overall it just fell flat.

I'll start with the pros because there were definitely some things I enjoyed. The supporting characters, although some were only fleeting in their appearances, showed such potential to be interesting characters. I really liked Riven as a character and his backstory and the brief glimpses of Ronin made me curious to his story. The world building itself felt original and immerse without feeling overly confusing.

There were, however, more cons than there were pros. The first issue I had was how wordy and repetitive the writing was. It felt like we were told describing details over and over with not real reason for the repetition. The amount of times we were told that Blair's wyvern was "phantom" or "half solid" was too many. There were also too many times where I believe the author was trying to make the inner monologue of the character feel relatable but it ended up just becoming repetitive. In the end after being bonded to the dragon Aris, she said "demon, dragon, whatever" too many times. The next con was Blair. I don't understand the point of her character and there wasn't any development there other than finding out they were potentially "linked" but that was so quickly glossed over. We heard more about Blair's pining for Caryan and how much she loved him than her connection with Melody. Blair's chapters and the general wordiness made this book almost 200 pages longer than it needed to be in my opinion.

The plot itself felt all over the place. It felt like it was going in the direction of helping Caryan find these elven relics and once we got into the heart of that around 70-80%, they were there for like 2 pages of the book and then they left. The lead up to this whole adventure lasted for 2/3rds of the book and then was over in less than a chapter. The last 5% honestly made me angry and dropped my rating from 2/3 to 1. The bonding of the dragon was fine, that's been done many times before. However, the series of events afterwards felt so much like a FW and TOG ripoff with how things were worded. "It's been my honor" (chill out dragon, you've been bonded for like an hour) and "I will not yield" just felt so out of place in their current state and felt like she took two fan popular phrases from those books and shoved them in there even though they didn't really fit. Also the interactions between Aris and Melody felt too similar to Tairn and Violet, and while I know the sassyXelder grandpa bonding pair isn't anything RY invented, it still felt off in this scenario and like the whole bonding thing was thrown in as a last minute edition to give the story some action it desperately needed while also feeling extremely out of place. That was the first time we had really been introduced to the dragon/demons as what they were, previous times they were "demon cars" (...?) so them being thrown in at the last 5% did not feel planned.

The back and forth between melody/caryan and even melody/riven was getting tiring as well. Melody was an inconsistent FMC where she tried to be all badass and strong only to be trembling and crying over the smallest inconvenience. This series of events happened too many times: melody talks back -> Caryan/Riven threatens her -> she cowers in fear -> Riven feels bad, Caryan moves on like she doesn't matter. There were too many times she tried to call Caryan's bluff, he went to do exactly what she said he wouldn't and she cried/begged/tried to make a bargain with him not to. She didn't feel like an inspiring FMC that I was rooting for or even wanted to root for throughout the book. I had no attachment to her whatsoever and didn't feel any sense of fear for her life (besides knowing she's the FMC and won't die) nor did I really care if her character died. The only character I kind of get this feeling for is Riven and his outcome after the events of the final few pages.

While this was a debut novel and there were quite a few flaws I personally saw to it, I do feel the author has potential and room for growth. I will be curious to see how her future works are.

This was a solid story concept with a gripping start—the opening poem and prologue completely hooked me. I found myself immediately asking— WHY? and needing to know more.

The worldbuilding was just right for pulling me in and keeping the momentum going. I didn’t quite connect with the characters as much as I’d hoped, which made it a bit harder to stay fully immersed through to the end, but overall, still a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc!
Honestly, this one wasn’t for me. I’m a big romantasy reader and while there are some tropes I eat up every time, this missed the mark. The major thing that bothered me (personal problem, really) was the switch from first person to third person.
There’s a love triangle, which again not my favorite, but most of the romance felt forced and over the top.
Overall, this book had an interesting concept that was enough to pull me in. But it didn’t keep me interested and engaged.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

From the first pages it immerses you in a realm brimming with dark magic, hidden agendas, and characters whose destinies are more intertwined than they initially appear. Blair—once heir to a stolen throne—remains fiercely defiant despite her turbulent history with the black-winged angel Caryan, who only grows more formidable as the plot unfolds. Meanwhile, Melody feels an unavoidable bond with Caryan, even though prophecy looms over their connection like a sharpened blade.

Their tense dynamic comes to a head when Melody stops Caryan from killing Blair, then plans a risky escape—urging Blair to run with her. The journey that follows is a whirlwind of shifting loyalties and new alliances, including a demon who steps in to aid Melody and, in the process, absolutely stole my heart. I was also torn between Caryan’s magnetic pull and Riven’s unwavering devotion (though I remain firmly on Team Riven!). And just when you think you can catch your breath, the story ends on a cliffhanger so steep it left me desperate for the next installment.

If you relish fast-paced fantasy layered with moral complexity, simmering romantic tension, and game-changing secrets, Kingdom of the Two Moons won’t disappoint. With formidable foes, surprising allies, and revelations at every turn, it’s the kind of tale that grabs hold—and doesn’t let go until the very last page. Now, I’m on pins and needles, waiting to see what happens in Book Two.