i had hope for this, i mean it has promise, but unfortunately this fell flat overall.
the character was intriguing and a cool character to follow.
the worldbuilding was never ending, the descriptions of the world and magic were really cool but sadly the never ending descriptions didn't properly explain the story to me. so many times we'd been in a scene in one location with a new character then quickly shot into a completely different scene with another new character but i didn't know anyone and was lost with the in between, having little time to process. i couldn't picture anything and found myself confused pretty early on. this might've been a case of the author knowing their world incredibly well but explaining it to a fresh audience has proven more difficult.
i was intrigued for this story from the prologue but ended up slogging my way through this. also, might be a my netgalley app issue but sometimes the formatting was near unreadable that it made the experience itself annoying and off putting but i don't blame the author for this, but it has impacted my experience.

First off, thank you very much for this eARC.
I must unfortunately admit that I DNFed, as it was hard to get into, and the worldbuilding was meh, and all in all, it did not manage to keep me interested enough, or make me care.

Firstly thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with this eARC!

I just want to start off this review by saying I really really wanted to enjoy this book. The synopsis is absolutely fantastic and ticked all the requirements that I want for a fantasy book. That being said, I found myself confused, frustrated, lost and unmotivated with reading this one.

The main character Eyolin is your standard main character in a fantasy novel. She’s cool, inspiring, powerful and likeable. But she just wasn’t enough of a positive for me to enjoy this book.

The main issue for me was the lore dump. The world and politics and magic system are awesome but there’s an abundance of info dumping during this book that leaves you confused. A lot. I found myself lost quite early on in the book and I had to reread certain bits which, even afterwards, I was still confused.

I found this really disappointing because the author has put so much time into creating this world but the way the story was written left me feeling like I was just not getting it.

I pushed through in the hope that I would understand it but I really didn’t. Which left me feeling frustrated at myself because I really wanted to get it

I may try to reread it in the future to see if it’s just my brain not getting it at the time of reading it. It’s a shame because as I said, the book overall is very much high fantasy and has everything you would want in this genre of book. It’s just the execution

I had a bit of trouble getting into the book at the beginning because it started rather ‘sluggishly’ and because of the worldbuilding. As a result, it took me a while to get used to the characters.

But once I really got into the book, I really enjoyed it. I think it still has more potential, but as it's only the first volume of a trilogy, I'll definitely get the second volume as soon as it's available.

eARC copy provded by NetGalley

I wanted to like to this, I really wanted to like this book. The description of the book, the characters, even the world seemed like it was going to be a fun read. However, the way information is presented in the book made the whole thing hard to follow. There were multiple times where I wasn't sure what was happening plotwise and had to reread various sections just to follow everything.

While I wanted this to be an easy read, it certainly was not.

I tried to like this but it was honestly so convoluted and just a bit too much. The characters were different shades of meh and the constant flashbacks and references to the past got annoying quick. Honestly, I skimmed my way to the end.

Description sounded better than the actual book and the story was hard to follow but I may try again in the future. I love fantasy and this book contains all of it but I had to go back and forth between pages to follow the plot

i had the chance to read an advanced copy of this book through netgalley and will review honestly

this book could be something amazing, the blurb and the cover art really drew me in, but at 61% i DNF’d the book. the premise and the magic within the world that Royce has created is very unique and could make for amazing story telling but i was so confused whilst reading this book 😅

i understand the book is set in a fantasy world but i was struggling to see it in my head, the world building is very overly detailed but also lacking (if that makes any sense) there were times the author referred back to a character by their name but hadn’t previously told us that characters name and i was left feeling lost in the story, and not in the escapism way i was hoping for.

the story feels convoluted, its overly complex and if it was stripped back a bit and the characters fleshed out a little more then it could be something amazing.

i will be keeping an eye out on the author and look out for any other books they may publish as there is so much potential there, i just feel like it wasn’t executed well in this particular book.

Thank you, NetGalley for an arc of this book. The premise and cover are beautiful, and the writing was promising. I echo other's reviews where I felt confused most of the time. There's something off in the book, and I'm not sure what. I'm hoping I can give it another try this year.

The Moon Tear unfortunately fell flat for me. While the premise had potential, the execution left me wanting. The world-building felt shallow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. The dialogue was often clunky, and the plot felt predictable. There were a few interesting twists, but they weren't enough to salvage the overall experience. It's a shame, because I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't deliver.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC of The Moon Tear in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.**

4.5⭐️

For once when a book says it's lore heavy like LOTR, they mean it! I was so happy to see such a YA high fantasy- truly a breath of fresh air in the current market. I think a lot of people forget that this is what high fantasy is- it is lots of world building and lore and it can be very slow, and the focus on romance is very little. I found The Moon Tear to have excellent characters and a captivating world, amd I cannot wait for the next installment in the series!

Unfortunately I had a really hard time staying interested in this book and DNF’d at 50%. The very beginning had me excited to read and I felt that I would be hooked, but alas I was not. There was a lot of information and world building that left me a little confused and struggling to follow the story enough to stay interested. The premise of the story was very interesting, it just turned out to not be for me. I may try picking this back up in the future just because I was initially so intrigued.

2.5 / 5.0

The Moon Tear by ME Royce is about an exiled elvish debutante that is hiding so her magik (just spell it normal or give it anew word) doesn't destroy the world.

If you read the blurb on the back you'll have a better time than if you try to read the book. The writing isn't there yet. There are too many info-dumps, too much telling instead of showing, and too much reiteration of themes/scenes/plot points... the read isn't composed of all idiots, some of us can pick-up what you set down without so many words.

I read about 50% of the book and skimmed the rest. It wasn't an easy read because of the prose, and once you're caught in what the author is trying to say, you lose focus on where the story is supposed to be going.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read the eARC.

Thank you for the ARC, this is my unbiased review!

"The Moon Tear" caught my eye because of the cover, at first, (i do, in fact, judge a book by the cover), I found it intriguing, and I wasn't disappointed!!

I was hooked from the prologue, the descriptions were quite good, it sealed the deal on my curiosity, and you can see them evolving throughout the story.
It is definitely a high fantasy, and it follows the general elements that I appreciate in the genre, although sometimes the information was a bit too much altogether, I really had to focus to not get lost in the explanations.

I appreciated Eyolin as a protagonist, she doesn't let things just happen to her, despite the way the vision she has for herself doesn't align with what the future has in store for her.
I enjoyed the way the relationships between the characters were built, it was interesting to read, as well as the way the plot comes together to set up for the rest of the series.

The story was a bit heavy information-wise in some parts, it slowed down the story sometimes, and it takes a bit to soak up all the details to become familiar with them, but once it's understood hin the story.
Other than that, I found the book fast paced enough, and it certainly does not leave you hanging when talking about action.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read, and a nice first book for a trilogy, so I will stay tuned for the rest of the series.

I had a hard time making it through this book, mostly because there is a lot of setup and world-building at the expense of the story at hand.

I didn't feel like I got to connect much with any of the characters because this book was so focused on the backstory. I did find it refreshing that the main character wasn't immediately involved in a romance and if there were any hints of one to come, it's sure to be a nice slow burn.

It seems like much of the action that occurs in this book doesn't happen until the last third or so, and feels crammed in even if it is pretty exciting once it gets going.

The society and system of magic that Royce describes is intriguing, so I may have to look into the rest of the series to see if it picks up a little more!

**4.4 stars**

*The Moon Tear* is a captivating fantasy that draws you in with its rich world-building and a heroine who is as compelling as she is dangerous. Eyolin’s journey is one of survival and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of a beautifully crafted world teetering on the brink of war. The tension builds as she tries to stay hidden until her twentieth birthday, knowing that the magik inside her could either save or destroy everything she cares about. Eyolin is a deeply relatable protagonist, struggling with the burden of her power and the fractured memories of her past. Her desire for a simple life, juxtaposed with the growing threat of war and the attention of the tyrant king Magnogogue, creates a gripping internal and external conflict. The stakes are high, and the pacing keeps you on edge, wondering what will happen when the magik inside her is finally unleashed. The supporting cast is just as intriguing, especially Kipp, the assassin from the Twilight realm, whose mysterious connection to Eyolin adds another layer of tension and intrigue to the story. The book balances moments of action with deep, emotional character development, making for a well-rounded and satisfying read. The only reason I’m not giving this a full five stars is that some aspects of the world-building, particularly the political dynamics and the history of the magik, could have been fleshed out a bit more. But overall, *The Moon Tear* is an enthralling fantasy with a strong, complex heroine and a plot full of twists and turns. It’s a must-read for fans of epic fantasy who love a story that keeps them guessing until the very end.

I think this is the worst luck I've ever had with picking my favorite characters...

The Moon Tear is the first novel in a high fantasy trilogy with elves and magic and plenty of other fascinating creatures. I've seen other reviews claiming this book was confusing, and I was prepared to devote all of my energy to not being confused...but I was. It definitely could have benefitted from a glossary and maybe some deeper worldbuilding? I hate saying I need to be spoon-fed the lore, but I'm stupid and apparently can't retain information unless I'm beat over the head with it.
Like I said, the plot was kind of confusing. The basic gist of the story is that Eyolin is an elf with a hidden destructive power that's been prophesized about, and everyone is trying to use her or kill her. It sounds easy to understand, but I think the issue I had with comprehension was that I had no idea where the story was going next. I struggled to grasp a rhyme or reason for anything...she was training, and then she was on the run, and then she was training again, and then all of a sudden, everyone was dying? It could be an error on my part (and, honestly, it almost certainly was), but I just didn't understand entirely what was going on at any given time. That being said, I liked the ending, and it sets up for an interesting sequel.I'm just not sure if I'll read it.
Another issue I had was that I liked the side characters more than the main ones, which is never a good thing (because they all die usually). Eyolin was fine as a protagonist, but she felt a bit cliche in the "chosen one with a power she'll never understand." Kipp spent most of the book drunk...and everyone else suffered because of it. I liked Jet and wish he got more page time, and the same goes for Dale. I hated Karok at first (because his name looks like Korok ... if you know, you know), but I grew to love him. The villains were pretty decent but not incredibly memorable - although, again, that might be a "me" problem.
The Moon Tear is a high fantasy story about a girl with the potential to destroy and what it means to defy one's fate.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.25/5

A wonderful High fantasy story full of intrigue and adventure. So many wonderful characters really make this story. Pick this one up FOR SURE. you won't regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley and M.E Royce for this arc. Unfortunately I havre decided to dnf this book at 32%, I tried to get into it multiple times but found myself stopping and restarting so many times. Therefore, I have made the decision to not continue with this story. All thoughts are only on the basis of the first 32% of the novel, which equates to 111/338 pages.

First, I would like to acknowledge that the premise is intriguing and definitely caught my attention. But I was confused. I spent the vast majority of the pages I read confused with what was happening and getting a vast amount of information overload. I understand the importance of a fantasy information dump but think that this one may need some polishing. I think that this book would benefit from more editing, some more readers who can give this the feedback it needs to be more readable. I just found myself constantly unsure of what was happening and it made my reading experience undesirable, especially when compared to others. The dialogue also could use work too. I apologise for the bluntness in this review, and mean no malice in leaving this review however it did leave me with these thoughts. I try my best to give a book the best shot I can, reading here and there until I’m done, but I just couldn’t get there with this one.

In the beginning of the book I was kind of confused because there wasn’t a whole lot of detail with the characters but overall it’s a pretty good book.