Wren Nightingale is used to being normal.
Even though she was born into a magickal family, and her two best friends are magikal, she is, and always has been, normal.
Until her 18th birthday, when suddenly and inexplicably, she is not.
Wren finds herself thrust into a dangerous world, as the academy that should be the safest place for these teens to discover and hone their powers suddenly turns on them, and Wren finds herself unearthing secrets, those in charge will kill to keep hidden.

I love a good Dark Academia, and this book did not disappoint.
This world, and the different houses, and abilities was so imaginative, and I am an absolute sucker for the "chosen one, prophesy" trope

I am so excited to see how this story ends!
I came for this absolutely STUNNING cover and stayed for the story!

I DNF’d this book at 18%

I don’t think this book was for me! Unfortunately I didn’t connect with it!
There was a lot of information dumping in the first chapters for me to appreciate the world building/magic system.

The female main character felt like was trying to hard to be cool, and the male character seemed to lack a back bone.

I enjoyed the writing style, but the story fell short for me.

From what I read, I didn’t have much interest to continue reading!

While the book is a captivating read, it occasionally leans heavily on familiar fantasy tropes. Some readers might find certain plot twists predictable. However, the strength of the characters and the richness of the world-building compensate for these minor shortcomings.

Years ago I was a huge fan of this author duo - and I keep wanting to rediscover that magic. Unfortunately, I think I might have aged out of the demographic, or my reading tastes have just changed significantly. Either way - I think it's time to admit that this author duo is no longer for me.

This was a DNF at 20%.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review! Unfortunately, this just isn't my cuppa.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

The author and the cover were first on my radar. Unfortunately it wasn’t what I was hoping for. The YA aspect seemed too juvenile for a YA classification.

Firstly, that cover is gorgeous!
However, something marketed as YA has a very broad spectrum I am learning; this story was for a younger audience than I was expecting. I found it difficult to connect or care about worldbuilding. It is friends to lovers trope. Honestly, I forgot the story as soon as I finished it. I won’t be continuing to book 2.
This book would be a good recommendation for someone at a middle school level.
It is nothing new for older readers.
Thank you to the publisher and the author and Netgalley for a eARC of this book.

I liked this story for the most part, it was engaging and unique enough to keep me guessing. I was not 100% behind the friends to lover romance, I could have done without that, but I am sure others will root for it. I enjoyed the female MC and her navigation of this new dangerous and secret-filled world, even while I wished she had been less clingy to the male MC. Her female bestie and their friendship is total friendship goals and I loved their interactions. I was a little angry by the male MC and his martyrdom towards his family, I wanted to shake some sense into him most of the book.
This book is perfect for those who like magical boarding schools, secrets and huge betrayals, a whole heaping of angst, romance that may not be, and the world's biggest heartbreaking cliffhanger ending. I will 100% be back for the next book and however this mess will play out.

P. C. Cast; Kristin Cast's The House of Night Series was one of my favourites when I was younger so I was so excited to read another book of theirs!!

Draw Down the Moon is an enchanting journey into a world where magic intertwines with destiny and love, this novel is set in the mystical Academia de la Luna. It introduces us to Wren Nightingale and Lee Young, two young adults whose lives are irrevocably changed by the powers of the moon and the secrets of their past.

The magical school setting was whimsical and captivating.

This book was truly magical. The characters were perfect, the plot was captivating and adventurous, and it has definitely become one of my new favorites.

I’ve always loved books by P.C. Cast in the past, but this one really did nothing for me. It did not spur any type of emotion and just sort of fell flat for me. Definitely a young YA book, with Wren acting like a typical unexperienced 15 year old, sporting strawberry lipgloss and all. She approaches relationships very naively and with a lot of insecurities about life in general.

I do look forward to the next book though, as I need to know what happens to this moonstruck young girl and see if she matures any.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in return for my honest opinion.

3.5/5 Stars

Wren Nightingale and Lee Young are bestfriends. Lee has magical abilities, where Wren has no powers. However, on her 18th birthday, Wren suddenly gains magic, marking her as moonstruck, and is able to attend Academia de la Luna with Lee. This school hosts trials to determine who will join the Moon Council. Lee is determined to earn a spot on the council, but he also wants to protect Wren, the girl he's secretly loved since childhood from the secrets that seem to be uncovered daily.

I loved The House of Night Series when I read it, and they were the books that truly got me into reading so I was excited to pick up this new book from these authors. I wouldn't say this was anything new or groundbreaking, and it is quite similar to the premise of House of Night, but it was entertaining while I read it. It is definitely geared toward a younger YA audience, and the characters felt on that younger side as well. I liked that we got both Lee and Wren's POVs, as I think it helped understanding both characters on a deeper level. I really liked the magic system in this new world, and thought the school setting was a lot of fun.

I'm definitely intrigued to see where the story goes in the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this ARC!

"Draw Down the Moon" by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is a captivating blend of fantasy, romance, and supernatural intrigue. Set in a world where witches and vampires coexist, the story follows Selene Warren, a powerful witch who must navigate a dangerous alliance with a vampire prince, Nikolai Dragomir.

The Casts' writing is immersive and filled with rich detail, creating a vivid world where magic and politics intertwine. The characters are dynamic and well-developed, with Selene and Nikolai's forbidden attraction adding layers of tension to the plot. The narrative is fast-paced, with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and guessing.

Themes of power, loyalty, and destiny are explored through the protagonists' journey, as they confront enemies and uncover secrets that threaten their world. The authors seamlessly blend romance and adventure, making "Draw Down the Moon" a compelling read for fans of paranormal romance and epic fantasy.

Overall, "Draw Down the Moon" is an exciting start to a new series, promising a spellbinding tale of love, magic, and danger that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Draw Down the Moon was a very typical YA novel. The plotline moves much like a YA novel, slow-fast-slow, and the characters feel 18. It's a decent read, but I think to be an older reader reading this you're going to be slightly disappointed.

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+.

Experience the captivating journey of Wren Nightingale and Lee Young as they venture into a world brimming with enchantment and peril in the enthralling novel, "Draw Down the Moon." This spellbinding tale, filled with magic and mystery, offers a refreshing and alluring take on the beloved young adult fantasy genre. After being whisked away into this extraordinary realm, readers will be left eagerly anticipating the next installment in this enthralling series.

This did not live up to my expectations. I had alot more to think about and it just did not keep my attention the way it should have.

Wren Nightingale is "moonstruck" when she turns eighteen. So rather than living a life as a Mundane, she is bundled off to Moon Isle for the summer with her friends Lee Young and Samantha Hopp learning to control her magic. Despite having magic, these are still people with all the faults, flaws, and lust for power. Wren and her friends need to learn who and what they can trust while figuring out who they want to become. A decent first volume in the magical academy trope.

Hmmm finally finished and I think it was because I had trouble connected to the characters in any way. They felt much more juvenile than I thought and that is a big pet peeve of mine when reading books from authors who walk a fine line between wanting to be mature and not actually displaying that in the story. The story was cool, but I'd hope to see it "mature" in some way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having reread the "House of Night" books a year ago, I definitely see a lot of similarities between the two series. The biggest thing being that the main character reads soooooo much younger than their stated age. While the book had an interesting storyline and one of my favorite tropes (friends-to-lovers), I didn't connect too much with the characters and had a hard time really losing myself in the story. I would still probably give any future books a read and recommend this book, just don't have too high of hopes when reading!

This book read really young, even thought the characters are 18.
Possibly just my opinion, but i thought it was marketed older.

It wasn't bad though, and the characters were well written.
Plus this cover!
I just expected a higher maturity to the characters. I think if you know that going in, you might like it better than i did!

I absolutely loved this beautiful story filled with romance, magic, and mystery. I love the way the authors wrote their characters. They’re relatable and easy to connect with. I found them intriguing and really enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the story. This was a first read for me from P.C. Cast and I really loved it.