At her birth, Neoma was dubbed the Child of Prophecy by the Order of the Moon. A title with great and terrible ties to it. One that should grant her magic enough to take on the vengeful God Aurinko and His army. One the people of Manena put all their hopes into.
When her lack of magical aptitude becomes abundantly clear, Neoma resents being in the mage classes. As her 18th birthday approaches, she learns the Sisters will force her to go through the Anointing Ceremony in order to join the Sisterhood in the Order of the Moon. Will the Moon Mother forsake her in front of her fellow graduates? Or will Her blessing cause a series of events that might just break Neoma?
One thing is for certain: war is on the horizon and the Child of Prophecy is far from ready to face the might of Aurinko.
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This is book one of the Child of Prophesy series.
Characters
The main character is Neoma — the story is told in the first person through her point of view. Her mother is dead, her father has abandoned her, and everyone believes she is the Child of Prophesy destined to save the world. However, she hasn't awoken to her magic and there are no indications that she still might as her eighteen's birthday rapidly approaches.
I found her a likeable and interesting character. Her abandonment issues, insecurities and panic attacks were portrayed in what seemed a realistic and respectful way. She is her own person and has her strengths that not many people know about, but she's also vulnerable and somewhat dramatic.
Other important characters are Vivia — Neoma's sassy best friend and a powerful mage, Luka — Neoma's friend and love interest and Hemi — a new boy who becomes Neoma's insta-friend. I do believe friendships need time to develop, however, there is a believable enough explanation for the relationship between Neoma and Hemi to start the way it does, and I think it might be a subversion of the insta-love and the love triangle tropes (he seemed to be a good candidate to become Neoma's another love interest), so it was unexpected and enjoyable.
We don't get to know these characters too well, but they feel like real people with distinct personalities nevertheless.
Plot
The plot is straightforward and gripping. There are a few plot twists and unexpected events, some action and drama. There is also lots of angst between Luka and Neoma. They love each other, but for reasons unknown to Neoma they can't be together — Luka knows something and does everything to distance himself from her, even though he's clearly attracted to her. He's also very protective of her, and she melts every time he's close (which is a lot).
World-building
There is a solid magic system, hierarchy of gods, belief system and political structure. Not everything is explained in the story itself, but there is enough for the world and events to make sense, and there is a glossary at the end that can answer more questions if someone wants to gain a deeper understanding of how everything works. This is a well-structured world that works according to its internal logic.
Impressions
I had lots of fun reading The Child Of The Moon! It had a smooth flow that made reading effortless, the characters were likeable and the events kept me invested and intrigued. It was a fast, easy and pleasant read. I was always drawn to the book when I had a moment and curious what would happen next. I'll definitely read the next books in the series, as they promise more exciting adventures.
You might enjoy the book if you like YA fantasy adventures with some classical tropes and are looking for an easy, entertaining read.
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Find the author Audrey Simmons on Twitter and Goodreads.
Featured image by msufyanali.