The Forgetting Moon

Written by Brian Lee Durfee

Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it. Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sor Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sor Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros' greatest triumph. While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths. Jondralyn, the older sister, renowned for her beauty, only desires to prove her worth as a warrior, while Tala, the younger sister, has uncovered a secret that may not only destroy her family but the entire kingdom. Then there's Hawkwood, the assassin sent to kill Jondralyn who has instead fallen in love with her and trains her in his deadly art. All are led further into dangerous conspiracies within the court. And hidden at the edge of Gul Kana is Nail, the orphan taken by the enigmatic Shawcroft to the remote whaling village of Gallows Haven, a young man who may hold the link to the salvation of the entire Five Isles. You may think you know this story, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world based on lies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980029762

Brian Lee Durfee

Brian Lee Durfee is an artist and writer raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Monroe, Utah. He has done illustrations for Wizards of the Coast, Middle-Earth Enterprises, Dungeons & Dragons, Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust (Denali National Park), and many more. His art has been featured in SPECTRUM 3: Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Vol IX. He won the Arts for the Parks Grand Canyon Award and has a painting in the permanent collection of the Grand Canyon Visitors Center-Kolb Studio. Brian has written one epic horror novel along with the fantasy series, Five Warrior Angels. He lives in Salt Lake City. 

Reviews for The Forgetting Moon

[Kevin Wilcox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don’t give out 5 star ratings for many books but this one deserves it.

[Marsden Family · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book. There a few times it felt a little slow and not enough story development. I was sorely disappointed with the ending. I was hoping for something much more grand. I felt like after all the time spent on the book I certainly felt unsatisfied. Great characters and story.

[Lou · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible plot. AMAZING characters. This is how epic fantasy should be!

[wdbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

1*-10* The Forgetting Moon is an 8* read.

Talk about an epic fantasy!

The good -
An awesome debut book.
Fairly well written.
Long but with a steady supply of action.
Twists and turns.
Interesting characters.
Interesting story.
Hints of much more to come.

The "meh"-
Some things are fairly predictable.
There are a few actions that stretch the "I can believe this" aspect.
Religious extremism irks me, though it's key for the story.
It's a story with a Northern European core that seems to toss in an Oriental flair, and the two clash. I suspect later books will show a reason for this odd mashup.

Overall I found this book to be a really enjoyable read, it had a little bit of grimdark'ish flare at times, though it isn't as rough on a readers soul as one might find Abercrombie or Erikson.

I've seen some say that the book is bloated and could use some reduction in size. Yes, it's long, however it really didn't give me a feeling of being padded, everything for the most part was useful and had a part to play.

Bring on book #2!!!