I unfortunately wish I loved this book more! I absolutely loved the house of night series including the spin-off. The magic system and Wren discovering her powers kept me reading, but the book felt more for a younger audience. Even if I didn’t enjoy I will still be recommending this to anyone between the ages 12 to 17.

As a self-proclaimed "friends to lovers" supremacist, I was so looking forward to this book. A magical school that revolves around MOON POWERS?!?! Friends to lovers?? A SECRET THAT NEEDS TO BE UNEARTHED??? This sounded like everything I could want and more!!

...and then I listened to the audiobook and was deeply disappointed. Now, I knew going into this story that it was going to be a YA novel. The characters are both freshly 18, so I was expecting it to feel a bit younger than a normal new adult/adult fantasy novel and was okay with that. What I wasn't expecting was for these characters to act as though they were in middle school/early high school rather than being ready to start their first year of college. The dialogue felt very juvenile, and really took me out of the story for the majority of the time I spent listening to this.

Wren definitely gave off a bit of a Mary Sue vibe at first just based on how she was described ("long, blonde hair so light it's basically white but with pink dyed tips" gave me Manic Pixie Dream Girl flashbacks, and the name Wren Nightingale???), but I was super excited to hear Lee's description since I feel like we almost never get good male main characters with a set of braids! A handsome black male protagonist in a fantasy novel is often unheard of and felt like a breath of fresh air compared to every brunette/black-haired white man with gray eyes we have in every romantasy. So while I didn't love this story, I don't want that to reflect my love of Lee (even if he did start getting on my nerves towards the end, but that wasn't his fault).

This story also has a LOT of miscommunication trope, which makes me want to pull out my hair. I abhor when teenagers think "I just won't tell this person until I have the whole story and I'll figure it all out myself". NO YOU WON'T!! It was very aggravating and made me want to stop the book at times.

Overall, I think this would be a better story for middle-schoolers or freshmen in high school - there is nothing sexual or spicy other than a few kisses here and there that are very chaste, so I think that other than a couple of traumatizing attacks the students have to deal with that are oddly described in truly horrifying, descriptive detail, it is suitable for 13-16 year olds to read.

Will I read the second? Maybe, but I don't feel like I need to know the ending to this story. Someone please recommend a better P.C. Cast story to read because I hate that this was my first introduction to their stories.

This was honestly entirely to juvenile for me. Its not that it was a bad book, but it was entirely too "young" for me. I saw another reviewer point out that there is a large disparity in YA novels. I read lots and lots of YA novels, some more mature than others, but this one I had a lot of trouble finishing. I think it has a lot to do with the pop culture references and general character immaturity.

I'm just 30 and this felt so pre-teen to me. I'm going to rate it 3 stars because I don't think its a bad book, I just really think it was too young for me as a reader.

The cover was beautiful, and the premise was interesting. It just wasn't for me.

This story didn’t really wow me. The characters felt younger than 18, and I just wasn’t crazy about them. I think this book could’ve been more suited towards a middle grade audience.

Kristen and P.C. Cast created such a unique magical world in Draw Down the Moon. I absolutely loved the idea that being “moonstruck” and born under a certain moon tells your powers. Plus, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

With Wren and Lee, I really like their dynamic and how they are always there for each other. However, in this book, they are 18 and starting college. Yet, I feel their relationship and the way that some situations are handled come off very young and forced. I would have liked to see them mature a little more.

This book also combines a ton of different elements. There is romance, lore, thriller-type situations, and fantasy all mixed into one. The ending is also a cliffhanger… so be ready for that. Overall, a unique start to a new series.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for my free digital copy for review.

Draw Down the Moon presents an immersive adventure that transports readers into the captivating world of the Moonstruck people. Set within the enchanting Academia de La Luna, the story unfolds amidst a backdrop of charm and mystery, intricately woven with personified elementals. The narrative seamlessly integrates this elaborate world, skillfully sidestepping any overwhelming information dumps, thus ensuring an engaging reading experience.

At the heart of the story are the characters and their relationships, which take center stage. Through the perspectives of Wren and Lee, the narrative delves into their internal struggles from meeting familial expectations and a significant transition of their friendship to romance. Wren, a distinctive kind of Moonstruck and a pivotal figure in the prophecy, emerges as a compelling and intriguing character, drawing readers to champion her cause. The novel's mystery element adds depth to the plot, featuring hidden entrances, a magical book, secrets, and peril, ultimately delivering a fast-paced and engrossing narrative without any lulls.

While subtly hinted at, the story touches on environmental issues and the retaliatory forces of nature, adding a thought-provoking layer to the narrative.

The poignant and intense conclusion, coupled with a tantalizing cliffhanger, sets the stage for an enticing series. Overall, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

The book starts off fast paced and I was excited as we learn more about Wren and her abilities. Wren and Lee are whisked away to a camp to help them control their talents but the pace slows once they get to camp. The world is fleshed out but never fully made sense to me. They have class there but otherwise seem to be unsupervised. With so little guidance, why have them go to camp at all? The interesting aspect of the story is what Wren uncovers about the Council. The romance is lacking and all telling instead of showing. The characters themselves come across as much younger and although it doesn’t take from the story I had a hard time believing they would be allowed to go anywhere alone for the summer. The book has its intriguing aspects but I’m not sure it’s enough to overcome the weaker areas.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Draw Down the Moon
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Moonstruck #1
YA Fantasy
NetGalley ARC
St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: Apr. 2, 2024
Ages: 14+

Even though both of her parents were magickal, Wren wasn't born under a moon sign, so she was never gifted magick and was content with living a Mundane life taking over her uncles' bookshop when the time came.

While hanging out with her magickal best friend Lee, standing in the moonlight at the exact time she turned eighteen, she was moonstruck, and suddenly gifted with an unknown magick.

The future Wren had seen for herself was gone, and she was taken to a secret magickal school on an island off the Seattle coast with Lee by her side.


Starting off interesting, this story, while still good, became convenient. Her best friend was already going to the magick school, as was another one of her friends, and I could not help but compare this with the H.P. Books. The school is a castle, the kids are 'sorted' by their moon sign, there are 'ghosts', trials, etc.

I use the term kids because even though the characters are eighteen, they come across as much younger; fourteen through sixteen.

As to the magick system, it's creative, though not explained in depth. I get that Wren is the MC and it's her magick that's center, but to get the impact of her magick the others need to be explained better.

And on that note, the ending was rushed. I liked what happened but the execution was so lazy that I hated it, thus taking away a star. A hundred more words would've made it concrete, understandable, and believable.

Thankfully, while there is romance, it's not borderline unlike another of the authors' YA books, so it's suitable for readers 14+.

3 Stars

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is a fantasy/magical set in an academic setting. Geared towards young adults, this story reads a little middle grade in some places.

Wren Nightingale is not prepared to have powers. She has no idea how to wield them or what that entails. Raised by her uncles after her parents die, her best friends are born with moon power. She has plans. However, that change on her 18th birthday and she has to go to an elite and hidden academy that trains Moonstruck. Everything is not as it seems, though. Secrets, trials, and murder are all part of the game.

The world building of this story is great.
With a hidden island, elemental magic, and magic from the moon, this story makes an interesting concept. However, the romance between the main characters seemed a little forced to me. This book would have been good even without it. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see how the story progresses.

Thank you, Wednesday books for this book.

Unfortunately I ended up DNFing at the 25% mark.

As someone who grew up with and absolutely loved the House of Night series, I was extremely excited for this new series. However, it's clear to me that I'm no longer the target audience for this. I loved the unique magic system with the moon however everything else seemed rather generic. There was nothing about the characters or the world building that really stood out to me. Actually quite the opposite, I couldn't help but find similarities to another very popular magic school series. One where the main character also loses both parents, lives with an uncle and right before school starts they all of a sudden discover they have magic of some sort... I just wasn't wowed at all and feel like this just won't be the series for me.

This is probably my favorite PC/Kristin Cast book so far! It feels familiar to their style, especially with the magical kids going off to a magical school…but it also felt a little more mature than some of their previous books, which I appreciated. The pacing is quick and keeps moving through the events at a clip, no down time or meandering which worked for me, keeping my interest piqued in the story. And the cliffhanger ending has me looking forward to the next book!

3-⭐⭐⭐

"The one thing I know for sure - Moon Isle will change my life."

Draw Down the Moon is the first novel Young Adult Paranormal Romance series, Moonstruck, which follows characters Wren and Lee as they are sent to the mystical Academia de la Luna in order to learn about the magic within them. Lee has always known he is destined for the Academia and yearns to show his mettle there, especially given the legacy left my his family and his determination to honour his sister. Wren, however, thought herself to be a Mundane until her 18th birthday when someone strange occurred. Together they must navigate the perilous trials in the school and prove their worth...but also be wary as prophecies, murder, and secrets threaten to tear them and their worlds apart.

I have mixed feelings here. This read was my attempt to give the author a second chance after the rage inducing twist in the book Hunted (House of Night series) that prompted me to quit the series and never pick up for years.

I would say this book has many of the same vibes as the House of Night series so if you have enjoyed the previous works of the author this will be up your alley with the academy vibe, exploring hidden secrets, and uncovering prophecies that shake the world.

Wren and Lee start off as friends and it is very obvious they love each other and just are unable to reveal the their feelings which rubbed me the wrong way - especially when they become distanced at the academy. Lee is the more studious one looking to impress people and I felt that put a wall up between him and Wren. Wren is the secretive one who struggles to share and trust. Their romance starts off sweet in the first chapters but as the book progresses they feel more at odds even when they become a couple. I have trust issues here as a result.

The story itself follows a pretty traditional routine. They are competing in these trials to show their magic and receive rankings but also attending classes and exploring the world. I would have liked to see more of the classes aspect as I am not sure what the goal of the academy and trials are at this stage. I felt the elementals were a cool touch and also the magic system is very intriguing - especially surrounding Wren. This book plays very much into the YA feels so the drama sometimes feels over the top for.

My big thing was the ending. It gave me the same anxiety and tension that had me stopping books like Vampire Diaries and the House of night series as the characters lock up communication, which makes the situations ten times worse. Based on the ending I do not see me continuing because I just can't handle it and I feel I will get another rage inducing twist down the line.

Overall I feel this embodies the YA paranormal romance dramas that many readers will enjoy alongside fascinating magic, a headstrong female lead, and secrets to unlock. For me, I just can't handle the characters and their inability to communicate.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the arc.

P.S. This book has no spice. Just kissing at this time.

I do not want to say this is a DNF just yet. For now, I am putting it off to the side. I only got to 15% in before deciding to put this book aside.

I've only read one PC Cast book, but I have not read any books by Kirstin Cast and PC Cast. I know the mother-daughter duo has been writing popular books since I was in middle school (around '06-'07).

When I was approved for this eARC and was sent a physical ARC from Wednesday Books, I was excited because this book sounded amazing, and was from a popular author who has been around for a long time.

So far, this book has not been for me. The FMC is supposed to be an older YA, but comes off juvenile and seems more like 12-14 years old when it comes to the inner dialogue and when they are speaking to others. The writing was lackluster and felt once again on the juvenile side. If the character ages were lowered and this was marketed as middle-grade, then this would be fine and be enjoyed by a more suitable audience.

Wren was born a mundane despite having two magical parents. She’s had her entire life to come to terms with not having magic until she manifests moon powers on her 18th birthday. After that, she’s whisked away with Lee to the secret, magic school, Academia de la Luna. Lee has always known he would attend the Academia with the singular focus of impressing the Moon Council. At the Academia, Wren and Lee are forced into the trials designed to determine the strongest magic wielders. However, there are dangers lurking at the Academia this year which will come with deadly consequences. Can Wren navigate the secrets someone is desperate to hide? Lee will also have to choose between protecting his family and Wren.
✨
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This book had such promise but unfortunately, ended up falling mostly flat. Starting with the good — the magic system and the plot. I really enjoyed the moon magic and different types of magic attributed to the various lunar cycles. The intrigue surrounding the elementals was also fascinating, and I’d love to learn more about them in book two. I also enjoyed the overall plot. There was enough intrigue between the determining the truth of Wren’s powers and the prophecy the elementals kept hinting at in regard to Wren. What didn’t work for me were the characters. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough build up to the relationship between Wren and Lee. They were friends for years, but we’re dropped in to the middle of that without seeing the build up only being told it’s there. As a result, there was no real chemistry between the characters at least in my eyes. Even amongst the friends group, I struggled with the connecting to the characters aside from Wren and Sam. I did find the story interesting enough to want to read book 2.

This was fun! The writing was really easy to read, and it gave me the vibe of an early 2000's mystery romcom. With that being said, I guessed who was behind certain things pretty easily and I cringed at the romance every now and then.

I don't think that I will be continuing on in this series.

Thank you to Wednesday books for an ARC!

DNF

First, I have only read one other book by these authors, and that didn’t go well because it was more sci-fi, so I hoped that this one being fantasy would be more to my liking.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t. While the concept was an interesting concept, what kept holding me up was the writing. I was not vibing with the writing style at all. Despite the characters all being eighteen, this read much younger than that, more towards a middle grade audience than a young adult one.

I love prose and descriptors, I just felt that the way it was written in this book did not work for me. I also struggled to get into the characters as they kept falling flat, they didn’t feel like there was a lot going on with them.

Honestly, I hate to say it, I was cringing as I read this, and as much as I wanted to continue this book, I couldn’t. It just wasn’t for me.

If you love magical academies you might enjoy this book!

This book reminds me of why I fell in love with P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. The characters are beautiful and well written. The pacing of this book is fantastic. The plotline draws readers in and keeps them captivated. More importantly the writing and storyline in this book feel like some of their first novels and I could not be more thrilled. This is a series that I could get lost in any day of the week, and I am so excited to see what happens next.
Thank you so very much to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this fantastic novel.

The Cast ladies are back with a new dark academia duology. Wren Nightingale (what a name) was born to magical parents who were moonstruck, however, she has never manifested powers of her own. That is, until her 18th birthday, when she suddenly "draws down the moon." Anyway, she, along with her best friend, Lee Young, who has always been magical, head to a hidden magical island off the coast of their small Pacific Northwest town called the Academia de la Luna, to learn how to use and wield their magic. As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie's grueling trials, they quickly learn there's something different--and dangerous--about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies--and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect--his family's legacy, or the girl he loves.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

This was not the book for me. DNF'd at 25%

First off, I thought this had an amazing start to introducing the main characters and was intrigued by the dual POV's of Lee and Wren.

But as soon as the powers were introduced, it just went downhill from there for me.

This book had such a slow start. There was a lot of dialogue that happened between characters and an plethora of internal dialogue of descriptions of people and buildings. It wasn't until 20-25% into the book that you actually get to the school. You got introduced to so many different characters and their descriptions that I wasn't there at the school. I was there trying to understand who we are talking about and why are we even being introduced to these kids in the first place.

One thing that really bothered me was no introduction of the Moonstruck magic system. It's "she now has it and off to school you go!" there was no POV of Wren taking any time to process what just happened and she suddenly had magic when she thought she was a Mundane.

Another thing, this books attempt to be like Harry Potter. Didn't exactly work for me. It felt forced and didn't really flow in my opinion.

I have really struggled with the multiple POV's in this one. For the life of me, I couldn't connect with Lee's character. It felt flat and emotionless. I was able to connect to the story once I got back into Wren's character but it felt like I constantly missing something. The transitions between the characters POV was rough. It didn't feel like it flowed and felt forced.

All in all, I think this had a great idea, just didn't work for me.

This definitely qualifies as young adult, on the younger side of that genre. Being that it’s the first book in the series though, I suppose the rest of the books could become more mature, we’ll have to wait and see. Despite that though, it was still an enjoyable fantasy romance. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read about a magic school, but it was a fun read! Even though I’m definitely not a young adult any longer, I’ll still read the remaining books to see where this goes! I found myself fascinated by the Elementals, and would like to see more of them!
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.