The Moon Tear
by M.E. Royce
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Pub Date 1 Jul 2024 | Archive Date 15 Dec 2024
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Description
"She must never come to use magik, or she will destroy us all."
If Eyolin can stay hidden until her twentieth birthday, she will finally be free. A castoff from elvish high society in the tree city of Mainwood, Eyolin seeks out a meager existence as a black market herbalist’s assistant. Her family is dead or missing, her memory is fractured, and a power lurks within her that she cannot control.
But one more year—one more year and the magik burning inside her will be released back to the land. Freed of its influence, she can finally make an ordinary life for herself.
Yet, the realm of Alagana tilts toward war, and the tyrant king Magnogogue has taken a special interest in Eyolin. So have the assassins of the Twilight realm, particularly Kipp, whose connection to Eyolin may run counter to the contract he’s magikally Bound to complete.
Soon, Eyolin will have to choose her allies and assume her place in the world. Does she come to the aid of Mainwood’s downtrodden human population? Or follow in the footsteps of the Master of Magik who believes Eyolin will be at the heart of a coming calamity? In this kingdom ruled by men who all want her power for their own, only one thing is certain:
All that Eyolin touches, she destroys.
- - -
THE MOON TEAR is a Young Adult, High Fantasy Epic full of magik, power, and fantastical creatures.
Advance Praise
Kirkus Review
"Evil wears many faces in this absorbing fantasy tale.
In Royce’s fantasy novel, an elven woman learns that sometimes a gift is also a curse.
Amid the familiar tents and taverns of Aideil, an otherworldly war is brewing. At its heart is Eyolin, a beautiful elf burdened with a terrifying gift. Imbued with nigh-unstoppable “magik,” she blames her abilities for the death of her mother and disappearance of her sister. Pursuing a life of anonymity, she longs to flee to a place without magik. But there are those who hunger for the power she eschews—and they are closing in with malevolence. When a vicious attack pushes her into the hands of Tequerra Arendt, Master scariyai of Aideil, she becomes a reluctant guest of The Great Hall, where her past and future are revealed: Once believed to be dead, Eyolin Kyenz is the orphan of powerful magik-wielders. But more important to the High Court than her noble blood is the hope that Eyolin is the “Fifth Sarom,” a being of immense magik who may mold Fate itself. Sought by a necromancer King for the power she conceals and bound to an assassin with dark plans of his own, Eyolin learns that there are few she can trust. As innocent elves begin to die, she must learn to master her gift to stop the encroaching evil. When she identifies the dark presence that stalks her dreams, Eyolin confronts her greatest nightmare: her own destructive power (“There will always be monsters. It is when they show their face in the light, we realize that we knew them all along”). Weaving elements of magic and mystery, Royce offers a satisfying story with more suspense than many mainstream fantasy works. Slowly revealing the truth behind the death of Eyolin’s mother, the author deftly guides readers through shocking twists, leaving them guessing until the final page. Dark in tone, the work is frequently frightening and violent. (However, these moments are seldom graphic, and the work is appropriate for most adult readers.) The story ends on a cliffhanger; readers will be on the edges of their seats awaiting the unfolding of Eyolin’s future and the fate of the realms that seek her power."
BookLife by Publishers Weekly
Royce raises the stakes with breezy efficiency, finding fresh life in some familiar fantasy beats. Hunted by supernatural terrors, prodded by telepaths, and plagued by flashbacks, Eyolin soon finds sanctuary in Aideil, the capital of the High Elves. There she is given the moontear, a gem that holds the key to her magik, and taken under the wing of Tequerra Arendt, an ancient elf master who will train her in the art of controlling her powers. The narrative blends the personal, especially questions of identity, with sorcerous suspense, as Eyolin, targeted by a god and a king alike, must stay undercover to evade an evil necromancer, Magnogogue, and perhaps even greater threats.
Royce’s storytelling is immediately compelling, alive with rhythm, depth, and a sense of what compels lovers of the genre. That goes for her worldbuilding, too. Magik in Alagana may have a lot of rules, but at its core this story is about finding and being true to oneself. Eyolin’s budding friendship with the human servant Dale is funny and heartbreaking, while scenes of dark suspense startle as the story heads to a surprisingly gritty climax. Royce proves as well-versed in writing horror as fantasy, and an engrossing cliffhanger ensures readers are hooked for the next chapter in Eyolin’s quest.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798990006508 |
| PRICE | US$19.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 469 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1196636
My mind is a flurry of thoughts after finishing this book, but I’ll try to organise them.
The fmc, Eyolin, starts off as a nobody, who just wants a simple life and is willing to try anything to make it happen. This just happens to take her to unimaginable heights. She is strong and smart despite everything and works hard to achieve her goals, every moment had me rooting for her!
Kipp is a mysterious character, bound to Eyolin through magik, though she doesn’t know that. He’s assumed to be dangerous, and proves it many times, just not to Eyolin, he has his own agenda.
Dale and Karok are both humans, seemingly mundane but truly incredible in their capabilities and loyalty.
Royce spun a tale of friendship for someone who never had friends, camaraderie and deception. And did it wonderfully. The world building is thorough and well executed, bringing to life an enchanting and intriguing world full of wonderful and dangerous creatures. The relationships between characters are beautiful and complex, with multiple layers and potential outcomes. Many times I found myself feeling a certain way about a character only for it to be revealed that they were the complete opposite!
This book perfectly sets up the narrative for the books to come, leaving me with so many questions, thoughts and theories! Will there be a love interest in the next book? If so, with who? Who won? Why did they end up there?
The Moon Tear is definitely full throttle fantasy, rather than a cute romantasy, with action, friendships and intrigue. The fmc is independent and headstrong, but learns to lean on the people around her, in order to become her best self, a nice reprieve from fmc’s who are strong until the man arrives to save them.
Beautifully done Royce.
Thank you for the EArc in exchange for my honest views and opinions.
Nicole W, Reviewer
Ok…I’ve got a lot to say about this book, but let me start with an introduction.
Eyolin is an orphan, left with no family in Alagana. In this realm, certain elves are gifted with magic, and if they do not manifest it and gain their gemstone, they loose it by their twentieth birthday. Eyolin is determined to do just that, as she tries to live out the rest of her life with what small and meager memories of her family she has left, and be free. However, with only one year left, those plans are derailed when the tyrant king of a neighboring kingdom becomes…interested with what she can do. In order to protect herself and learn to defend against this king, she is forced to access and accept her powers, and is thrust into this world of politics and magic that she so wanted to stay away from.
This is very much a high fantasy book. There are inklings of romance, but I would not say that this is a romantasy in any sense of the word, at least with this first book. If the romance develops with the next two, then possibly. This was a slow read just due to the amount of world building and heavy fantasy elements within. While I loved this aspect, it just made it more of a slower read. Hoonestly, this world seems very interesting, and the political dynamics seem to play a very important role in how each of these characters proceed with their paths. I love how fate and one’s predestiny is used and abused in this book, and I hope that continues with the next ones! I do recommend this to high fantasy readers, who prefer/don’t mind there being almost no romance element in it :)
Jen M, Reviewer
OMG I loved this book!! I was fortunate to be able to read an arc through net galley before the book comes out and I am so happy I did. This book has a great story with awesome characters. There were a couple parts that were a little confusing and but it makes more sense as the book goes on and more of the story unfolds so just stay with it and you will be glad you did. The book does end on a cliffhanger which sucks but super excited to read the next one!!
Harmine K, Reviewer
**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.
Autumn D, Reviewer
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!
Cydney W, Reviewer
I am kind of mad at this book, the cliffhanger is very unfair - I will riot on behalf of the FMC because she deserved so much better in this book. I love the connections she built, but these connections had her slowly dropping her guard and this opens her up for threats.
Book 1 was brilliant, the world building and the different types of magic were intriguing. I look forward to the next book but the FMC best get her justice!!
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