4.0
Moon Dark Smile
ByPublisher Description
The fate of an Empire lies with a headstrong Heir and a restless demon in this lush young adult fantasy that’s a “tapestry of self-discovery, redolent with vivid imagery…[s]ensual and strange” (Kirkus Reviews) for fans of Laini Taylor and Girl, Serpent, Thorn.
Ever since she was a girl, Raliel Dark-Smile’s best friend has been the great demon that lives in the palace. As the daughter of the Emperor, Raliel appears cold and distant to those around her, but what no one understands is that she and the great demon, Moon, have a close and unbreakable bond and are together at all times. Moon is bound to the Emperor and his two consorts, Raliel’s parents, and when Raliel comes of age, she will be bound to Moon as well, constrained to live in the Palace for the rest of her days.
Raliel is desperate to see the Empire Between Five Mountains, and she feels a deep kinship with Moon, who longs to break free of its bonds. When the time finally arrives for Raliel’s coming of age journey, she discovers a dangerous way to take Moon with her, even as she hides this truth from her travel companion, the beautiful, demon-kissed bodyguard Osian Redpop. But Osian is hiding secrets of his own, and when a plot surfaces that threatens the Empire, Raliel will have to decide who she can trust and what she’ll sacrifice for the power to protect all that she loves.
Ever since she was a girl, Raliel Dark-Smile’s best friend has been the great demon that lives in the palace. As the daughter of the Emperor, Raliel appears cold and distant to those around her, but what no one understands is that she and the great demon, Moon, have a close and unbreakable bond and are together at all times. Moon is bound to the Emperor and his two consorts, Raliel’s parents, and when Raliel comes of age, she will be bound to Moon as well, constrained to live in the Palace for the rest of her days.
Raliel is desperate to see the Empire Between Five Mountains, and she feels a deep kinship with Moon, who longs to break free of its bonds. When the time finally arrives for Raliel’s coming of age journey, she discovers a dangerous way to take Moon with her, even as she hides this truth from her travel companion, the beautiful, demon-kissed bodyguard Osian Redpop. But Osian is hiding secrets of his own, and when a plot surfaces that threatens the Empire, Raliel will have to decide who she can trust and what she’ll sacrifice for the power to protect all that she loves.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities7 Reviews
4.0
AllyEmReads
Created 7 months agoShare
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Torin Tims
Created 11 months agoShare
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“when i saw the names of the characters i thought they were silly so i opened the book in order to heckle it. The first paragraph and i was done for, this book was written beautifully and the names and the meaning are something i fell in love with. i will now go and read the first book. i adored this story and its characters”
Wren
Created over 1 year agoShare
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“This was a compelling follow up to Night Shine. I struggled a little to connect with the main character, which made it hard to fully immerse myself in the story, and there were a few times when the romance got SERIOULSY creepy and I couldn't tell if it was on purpose or not (I think it was...?), but overall I enjoyed it. I really liked Osian, which I think was part of the problem - it opens with him and I wanted to see more of him! But Raliel was a complex character with a lot going on, and I really loved Moon's journey over the course of the book. And great writing from Gratton, as always.”
sabsey
Created over 1 year agoShare
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“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I am now a Tessa Gratton fan possibly forever. This is probably my favourite fantasy read of 2023 so far. Although Moon Dark Smile is a sequel, I went into this without having read the first one and it was very accessible. Moon Dark Smile is very hard to talk about without spoilers, but all I can say is that I can't believe more word hasn't spread about this series.
The magic system is intricate and deftly woven, the world-building thoughtful, and it's my favourite kind of fantasy where gender and sexual diversity is the norm.
Our main character is Raliel Dark Smile, and her journey of loneliness, isolation and identity was so thoughtful, and so delicate. I could feel her pain radiating off the page, and the way this author built in all different types of love and relationships to counteract her darkness was achingly wonderful.
It's hard to talk about this too much more without spoiling it, so I'll just finish by saying that this book also has two of my favourite things of all time, which is demon possession - and a main throuple pairing.
I'm very, very excited now to go back and read the first one.”
artsybrea
Created about 2 years agoShare
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About Tessa Gratton
Tessa Gratton is genderfluid and hangry. She is the author of The Queens of Innis Lear and Lady Hotspur, as well as several YA series and short stories which have been translated into twenty-two languages. Her most recent YA novels are Strange Grace, Night Shine, and Moon Dark Smile. Though she has traveled all over the world, she currently lives alongside the Kansas prairie with her wife. Visit her at TessaGratton.com.
Other books by Tessa Gratton
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