Told through the unusual lens of a sentient fungus inside a 12 year old boy named Ariel, the reader comes along on a coming-of-age quest to discover Ariel’s path and purpose on an Earth thousands of years in the future. The planet is now ruled by “dragons” that were originally created by humans to scope out the universe, animals lead, and many forms of technology are prohibited. What could have been a daunting narrative turns into a pleasant romp due to the endearing companions Ariel meets along the way that have created a compelling world that is both familiar and completely foreign. 

Would recommend to anyone who loved the Monk and Robot duology by Becky Chambers.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Robin Sloan’s other two novels are among my all time favorites, but unfortunately this one was not for me.

Moonbound is set thirteen thousand years in the future and follows a young boy, Ariel, on a quest. This book is a unique blend of science fiction and fantasy, but was too fantasy-heavy for my tastes. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters and where we were- there is so much going on! I felt that there were so many ideas put into the story, many taking us away from the central storyline, which made it difficult for me to follow.
I had really high hopes for this book, and I do think that it may appeal to more fantasy-minded readers than myself, but this one missed the mark for me personally.
I listened to the audiobook and I think the narrator was a good fit- it was easy to differentiate between the characters’ voices and she captured the atmosphere of the story well.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Moonbound is a truly high-concept sci-fi/fantasy book set on Earth roughly 11,000 years in the future. The story follows a 12-year old boy named Ariel as he sets out on an epic quest to maybe save the planet? stop dragons? escape a wizard? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. There is a lot going on in this book. I mean, the whole thing is narrated by a sentient symbiotic fungus (or AI?), and the weirdest thing about that is this is actually the second book I've read in the past month that has made that bold choice. The writing is genuinely funny, and the whole thing is bursting with overwhelming novelty and imagination.

I am such a big fan of Robin Sloan's previous novels, Sourdough and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, which are much more in the realm of speculative fiction. So, unfortunately, this ended up being a book poorly suited to my reading tastes. I was quite confused most of the time, having to re-listen to passages, and even though I genuinely wanted to know where it was all going, I had to throw in the towel about 2/3rds of the way through. Gabra Zackman does a great job with the narration and I enjoyed the inclusion of music in between major parts of the book. I do think that this will find its audience and I look forward to whatever Sloan thinks up and writes next.

I am so extremely disappointed by this book. I’m clearly in the minority, but after absolutely adoring Sourdough Mr. penumbra’s 24 Hour Book Store, I had such high expectations for this one. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I sincerely disliked it. I didn’t like the overall storyline, but maybe it’s just because I’m not a big fan of King Arthur? This was just such a departure from his previous works that I couldn’t even believe it was the same author.

Robin Sloan's literary universe is something to be amazed by. We had Mr. Penumbra and his world of books. We had the adventures of a sourdough starter. And we have this little record keeper AI nestled on this boy's shoulder. I'm just so happy to see that we are getting these universes in every new book

Ariel with his AI beauty spot on his shoulder was living happily every after in his little village run by a wizard. When wizard went rouge, Ariel ended up starting an adventure of his lifetime to save his village (and himself). There were dragons. There was Excalibur. There were many enemies and friends. It's a fantasy, a legend, and a mystery.

I liked the way the record keeper told the story and how his voice and perspective shaped Ariel's travels. He was Ariel's best friend and mind during his adventures. I'm so glad that I got to put a foot through this new world

It's a weird one, that's for sure. But, that's the sort of thing I've come to expect and relish about Robin Sloan's writing style. I'm really not sure how to describe this one, so I'm not going to try other than to say it's an adventure story. It made me chuckle, scratch my head, and say huh? a lot and I had a great time doing that! If you are a previous reader of other Robin Sloan books you will delight in the subtle nods to his other books, as well as many other fun pop culture references. I'm not sure what else I can say other than you should pick this up if you want a reading experience unlike anything else you probably read this year. Gabra Zackman's audio narration only serves to enhance the experience!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Moonbound is a magnificent story of the far future with echoes of the distant past dripping through every page. Building upon past and present storytelling masters like Le Guin, Tolkien, Vandermeer, and countless centuries of oral traditions, Robin Sloan manages to wrangle many of his obsessions into this jaw-dropping, joyful adventure story. Upon waking up in a story from a seeming Arthurian legend we quickly find ourselves catapulted forward 11000 years to find out we are on Earth, but much has changed. Hitting the precise kind of weird that invigorates a reading experience, we quickly come across bodyhacking wizards, talking beavers that are combo environmentalists/scientists/lawyers, ancient sentient bogbodies, AI dragons, and even a few measly humans. This is the first book in a series and there are actually moments that call back to Sloan's previous works in a delightfully David Mitchell-esque way. I cannot wait to see where we go from here in a world that has been as lovingly crafted as anything else we have seen since JRR roamed God's green earth.

This book was bonkers and I loved it.

First of all how does @ even come up with this kind of story and then execute it with such precision, cleverness and originality?! I want a tour of your brain.

Told 13,000 years in the future, from the perspective of “the chronicle” a sentient AI type being I guess we can say that is able to embed into its host and is a record keeper of sorts but also exerting a bit of free will and personality and aid to memory and time. And the future well it’s not at all what I expected, humans are more rare, talking animals and creatures are dominant and wizards are up to all kinds of mischief and political scheming. The chronicle has found a new host in Ariel, and his world, is in some kind of trouble and so an adventure, a quest of sorts is imminent.

Buckle up. This is a ride.

Fantastical and bizarre, funny and touching, an epic tale, an adventure of the grandest and most obscure perportions and I loved every solitary second. Sloan’s writing is palatable while also being inherently weird, there are very few authors I’ve read where they can pull off this kind of understandable madness. The characters are rich, unique, and the wisdom of our MC/narrator shines through in unexpected and delightful ways.

I don’t want to give much away this is a book for lovers of adventures and this book is an adventure unto itself.

Read if you enjoy quests, destiny, weird sh*t, fantastical beasts, found family, sentient creatures/beings, science fiction turned upside down and plain old fun.

As a longtime Robin Sloan fan, it brings me no joy to report that this did not work for me. There are some interesting ideas here but instead of feeling fresh and original it ultimately felt far too derivative - of <i>The Dark Tower</i> in particular, but it also reminded me of other writers (Vandermeer, Pratchett, etc.) who I’ve found to have threaded the needle a little bit better. My patience for the loosely threaded pop culture fantasy and new layers of whimsy every few chapters wore thin far quicker than I would’ve liked. Impossible to guess how I would’ve reacted to this if I hadn’t so recently delved into Stephen King’s magnum opus, but as is, I found myself ready for it to end by the halfway point.

That being said, there’s imagination here, and I think Sloan is a good writer. This just has too many ideas and unfortunately wasn’t novel enough to charm me. Alas. I still anticipate his next with great interest!

Thanks, as always, to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I don't read a lot of fantasy or science fiction, but something about this author is always a hit for me! This expands on his former work but also could stand on it's own. I loved the story and felt completely lost in it while reading.

📖🎧 Book Review 🎧📖 When my bestie who loves books like I do told me I needed to read Robin Sloan, I knew I had to pick this one up. WOW! Eleven thousand years from now and the future is like nothing we could imagine now. Moonbound is absolutely captivating- beautifully written and narrated in such a profound manner. I was especially grateful to read this book in the audiobook and print format for the full impressively amazing and immersive experience.

4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted and Goodreads and final review will be on instagram ahead of the publication date.

Every once in a while, I come across a book so masterfully crafted that it takes my breath away. Moonbound is perfect in every way, and I am infinitely grateful to Robin Sloan for creating this world and sharing it with readers.

Gabra Zackman's narration was 10/10.

I received an ARC/ALC from Farrar, Straus and Giroux | MCD / Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My piece of advice for reading this book is to just embrace the confusion and strangeness. Things will start to come together, but it is ultimately a bizarre book. A LOT can happen in 13,000 years!

This book has a similar feel to books like Piranesi, In the Lives of Puppets , and I Cheerfully Refuse (all books I’ve loved).

My only complaint would be with pacing. I flew through the first half, but found the plot kind of dragged after that.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves high concept sci-fi with a wacky, cozy feel.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wacky and delightful, as Robin Sloan always is. This was a bigger jump into sci-fi and fantasy than his previous work, and it felt reminiscent of both Tress of the Emerald Sea and the Murderbot series. I do wish the plot had a little more drive and a more satisfying conclusion, and while the world-building was incredibly unique it was also inconsistent at times. Still had a blast with this one!

Who would've thought a story set 13000 years from now would include a young boy fighting a wizard dictator with the help of a relic but not evil AI? I was pleasantly surprised by how fun this fantastical story that merges light sci-fi, Studio Ghibli, and Arthurian legends. While not devoid of themes of friendship and camaraderie, I love that MOONBOUND is a celebration of stories and all its possibilities. Consider picking this up if you're looking for an epic summer adventure with magic, dragons, and AI!

Moonbound is a story mixed with fantasy, and Sci-fi swirled together. When Ariel, a young boy, fails a wizard's test, it propels him on an epic journey. Ariel's adventure begins when he discovers an artifact from an ancient civilization—a conscious, record-keeping artificial intelligence. The AI becomes Ariel's ally and is the narrator of our story. The AI creates an interesting POV for the story. It protects the boy for its own preservation. Ariel wakes to a world made of talking animals and master artists that remake you into whatever you want, kind of like plastic surgeons. He faces challenges, mysterious enemies, and a quest to save the world.
I loved Ariel, his honesty, and his authenticity in nature. The story had unique ideas and elements that were new to me. The author brought concepts of modern culture under a microscope and made me think about current human behavior differently. I recommend you read Moonbound, and you will enjoy the time adventure.

I received an ARC audiobook copy from Netgalley and MacMillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

An artificial intelligence narrates this story of a boy on a quest to save his brother. Some “Sword in the Stone” adventures with dragons, beavers, robots, and other sentient beings. A girl awakens from suspended animation circling the planet.
I’m sure I missed many of the literary references employed by the author, but I still enjoyed this sci-fi adventure novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the advance audiobook for review purposes.

Moonbound follows Ariel, a boy from a small town under a wizard’s rule. When he fails to follow the wizard's agenda by failing to extract a sword from a stone, he must flee for his life. Embarking on a quest to save his home from the clutches of the malevolent wizard and liberate the universe from the control of the dragons.

This novel is a fun combo of sci fi, fantasy, Arthurian legend, and epic quest. Taking readers away into a world ruled by dragons.

I so enjoy the intricate world building, clever humor, whimsical characters and nods to Arthurian legend.

All in all, "Moonbound" was a great story!

I'm a BIG fan of Robin Sloan and until now his writing was mostly sci-fi/fantasy-lite. This one is definitely a divergence from that because there were a lot of sci-fi and fantasy elements in this one. Those elements are still on the cozier side, reminiscent of In The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune and the humor had me thinking of Futurama oftem. It's a huge nod to Arthurian stories and hearing all those connections were entertaining for me. While it might be a bit strange at first, trusting Sloan leads to a rewarding and entertaining story. I think this will be enjoyed by the right reader which might not fully overlap with fans of Sloane's previous work.
Despite the fantasy and sci-fi elements, I thought this one was easy to follow on audio. It's good to pay attention to the chapter names and dates. Gabra Zackman did a good job with the narration of this one.
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one!

The marvelously innovative mind of Robin Sloan has delivered another fascinating novel! Although I don’t read a lot of sci fi/fantasy, I’ve loved Sloan’s previous books so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of the audiobook of Moonbound. It is the story of Ariel, a boy living far into the future, and his epic quest. With references to Arthurian legends, Homeric myths, and 21st century popular culture, this is an amazing story filled with thoughtful and imaginative ideas, and a wide cast of varied characters. I loved the audiobook format because the narrator does an excellent job of giving each character a distinctive voice. I was drawn into the story and captivated by the world that Sloan has created—and I know that others will be too. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.