Title: Blood Fugue (Moonsongs #1)
“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”
Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried.
Life has pummeled her heart into one big, lonely callus. She has no siblings, both parents were dead by sixteen, and her last grandparent—and caretaker—was in the ground before she turned twenty-one. She’s the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thinks…
“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.”
Suddenly, instead of burying it with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.
Title: Witch's Nocturne (Moonsongs #2)
After receiving an ancient tribal journal from her grandfather, Jenny is sent on a mission of discovery in an attempt to unravel clues to her family's monster hunting past. The journey becomes more than academic when she is asked to confront a coven of dangerous witches who plan to cast an insidious spell on the plains of West Texas.
Witch's Nocturne is the second of the Moonsongs Books, a series of paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley. These stories contain language and content better suited for mature readers.
THOUGHTS:
It's become a recent pasttime of mine to browse articles about the genre of New Adult, and to my displeasure, I've found out that most people tend to associate this relatively new genre with sex scenes. While I believe that that notion couldn't be more incorrect, that discussion is for another blog post and another time. So to the people who believe that New Adult is all about sex scenes, the above-mentioned novellas are for you - The Moonsongs series, while under the general umbrella of New Adult, is not even remotely focused on romance. Instead, we have a heroine who has violet hair, fixes computers for a living, and basically kicks ass. There, I've gotten you interested, huh?
Both novellas are around 40 to 50 pages, and believe me, they're a quick read. It would be impossible not to finish them in one sitting, because not only is the series' premise interesting, the pacing is relatively fast-paced too. I've been told that there are some who panned the artwork featured on the covers, and I honestly have no idea why. I think they look amazing, and they're actually related to the stories they cover, so that's a plus in my book.
I didn't think it was possible for this short a novel to be able to get me invested in a character, but I couldn't be more wrong. Blood Fugue introduces us to Jenny - antisocial almost, no living relatives whatsoever, but she does have an awesome best friend named Marshal. In her little town, Jenny is a bit... unique. She looks different, she acts different, and she doesn't give a damn what other people think. While Jenny doesn't really have the desire to fit into society's perfect picture, it really cannot be denied that some part of her is lonely - she's lost all the people she cares about, after all. Moreover, she's ridden with guilt - she wasn't able to establish a relationship with her grandmother while the latter was still alive, and that fact is slowly grating on her. I liked what I know of Jenny - I admire how in tuned she is with herself, and at the same time, I sympathize with her regrets, and I can't wait to learn more about her.
After meeting with her supposedly dead grandfather and agreeing to a task that could get her killed, Jenny learns that there is something more to her heritage than she was led to believe. Things get shocking really fast. I really don't want to talk more about the plot since I will likely give out spoilers if I continue to do so, but just trust me on this, you want to read this series. As a matter of fact, something about The Moonsongs reminds me of the way the Nancy Drew novels were marketed - you know, those mystery novels we all collected as kids and tweens? Like Nancy, Jenny learns more about herself and her capabilities as the series progresses, and each novella focuses on Jenny helping a particular someone who needs her. Unlike Nancy, however, Jenny does get to know a bit more about her heritage as well.
I'm not entirely sure how long this series is going to be, but I definitely see myself riding it out until the very end. If you're tired of how your recent reads have all been about romance, why not give this series a shot? You'll probably enjoy it as much as I did.
Rating: 4 Stars
It's become a recent pasttime of mine to browse articles about the genre of New Adult, and to my displeasure, I've found out that most people tend to associate this relatively new genre with sex scenes. While I believe that that notion couldn't be more incorrect, that discussion is for another blog post and another time. So to the people who believe that New Adult is all about sex scenes, the above-mentioned novellas are for you - The Moonsongs series, while under the general umbrella of New Adult, is not even remotely focused on romance. Instead, we have a heroine who has violet hair, fixes computers for a living, and basically kicks ass. There, I've gotten you interested, huh?
Both novellas are around 40 to 50 pages, and believe me, they're a quick read. It would be impossible not to finish them in one sitting, because not only is the series' premise interesting, the pacing is relatively fast-paced too. I've been told that there are some who panned the artwork featured on the covers, and I honestly have no idea why. I think they look amazing, and they're actually related to the stories they cover, so that's a plus in my book.
I didn't think it was possible for this short a novel to be able to get me invested in a character, but I couldn't be more wrong. Blood Fugue introduces us to Jenny - antisocial almost, no living relatives whatsoever, but she does have an awesome best friend named Marshal. In her little town, Jenny is a bit... unique. She looks different, she acts different, and she doesn't give a damn what other people think. While Jenny doesn't really have the desire to fit into society's perfect picture, it really cannot be denied that some part of her is lonely - she's lost all the people she cares about, after all. Moreover, she's ridden with guilt - she wasn't able to establish a relationship with her grandmother while the latter was still alive, and that fact is slowly grating on her. I liked what I know of Jenny - I admire how in tuned she is with herself, and at the same time, I sympathize with her regrets, and I can't wait to learn more about her.
After meeting with her supposedly dead grandfather and agreeing to a task that could get her killed, Jenny learns that there is something more to her heritage than she was led to believe. Things get shocking really fast. I really don't want to talk more about the plot since I will likely give out spoilers if I continue to do so, but just trust me on this, you want to read this series. As a matter of fact, something about The Moonsongs reminds me of the way the Nancy Drew novels were marketed - you know, those mystery novels we all collected as kids and tweens? Like Nancy, Jenny learns more about herself and her capabilities as the series progresses, and each novella focuses on Jenny helping a particular someone who needs her. Unlike Nancy, however, Jenny does get to know a bit more about her heritage as well.
I'm not entirely sure how long this series is going to be, but I definitely see myself riding it out until the very end. If you're tired of how your recent reads have all been about romance, why not give this series a shot? You'll probably enjoy it as much as I did.
Rating: 4 Stars
GIVEAWAY
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Thanks so much for sharing the Moonsongs Tour (and me!) on your blog, Lyra. Warmed my heart to hear your thoughts on New Adult, and to know there are people who understand the category is more than romance/sex.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the kind words you offered for Blood Fugue in your review as well. :-)
~EJ
Oh I love how you point out that NA isn't all about sex or romance. Its not like everyone turns 18 and suddenly their life is focused on a relationship or romance or sex. Some people have bigger problems. Like the supernatural. ;) Not that those other romance books aren't good, but its nice to see something different.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting a tour stop and sharing your thoughts. I'm so glad you enjoyed these stories!
These novelettes are not my usual fare, but I enjoyed them very much. EJ's writing is good. I love the humorous lines he throws in. They make me laugh even though the story is scary and emotionally weighted at times.
ReplyDeletethx u so much for INT giveaway :)
ReplyDeletethanks for the INT giveaway :)
ReplyDeletesunshine_pinkystar(at)yahoo(dot)com