Member Reviews

Claire Legrand is a master of emotional and heartfelt storylines. I love the evolution of the romance in this one, it was sweet and rooted in a longing for love on both sides. The audiobook was exceptionally well done and really pulled me into the story. 10/10! Excited to read/listen to the next installment and see how the ladies fare in the end!

Was this review helpful?

This was the perfect mesh of magic and romance! The vibes were giving on this. Farrin Ashbourne was a mesmerizing main character that kept me enthralled the entire time. Ryder Bask is her rival and their chemistry was delicious. I am excited to keep reading from this author!

Was this review helpful?

"A Song of Ash and Moonlight" is a captivating second installment in Claire Legrand's Middlemist trilogy. Legrand's world-building is truly immersive, with rich details and a palpable sense of history and magic. The characters, particularly Farrin and Ryder, are complex and compelling, their personal struggles and evolving relationships adding depth to the story. The chemistry between them is undeniable, making their interactions a highlight of the book.

While the world and characters shone, I did find it a bit challenging to get fully invested in the plot initially. This was mainly due to the time that had passed since reading the first book. I'd forgotten some of the intricacies of the plot and the nuances of the magic system, which made it a little difficult to jump right back into the story. However, once I reoriented myself, I was quickly drawn back into the narrative and eager to see where Legrand would take these characters next.

Overall, "A Song of Ash and Moonlight" is a worthy continuation of the series, showcasing Legrand's talent for crafting immersive worlds and compelling characters. While the time between books may have posed a slight challenge, the strength of the story ultimately won me over. I'm now eagerly anticipating the conclusion of the trilogy!

Was this review helpful?

Claire Legrand can do no wrong in my eyes. I love everything about this!! She weaves in mental health so beautifully. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review!

Was this review helpful?

I didn't know that this was the second book in a series. I tried reading the first before reading this one, but I didn't like it and dnf'd it.

Was this review helpful?

I love Claire Legrand’s writing style and this book was no exception. The story was very interesting and I loved the romance in this book.

Was this review helpful?

As an eldest daughter…I feel called out. I feel like I connected really well with Farrin and how she internalized her trauma and it made this book more compelling emotionally. I think parts of this came of as more predictable but that may have been more because of the FMC s nature. Overall I really enjoyed this continuation of the series!

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately this was i dnf for me. I was finding it hard to stay invented the the series from book one amazing though in audiobook I would be more present. I did find the imagery beautiful but was unable to stick with the series. The person doing the audiobook was very great. This was just personal preference.

Was this review helpful?

Claire Legrand has such a way with characters, I am finding I really enjoy her books. Even if you don’t like a character, you’re still going to grow to appreciate them, you just can’t help it. That’s how I felt about Ryder. A Crown of Ivy and Glass did a fantastic job setting you up to dislike Ryder, but in this book you learn more and really get to learn more about him and why he is the way he is.
The same goes for Farrin. She’s set up in the previous book as the unapproachable and cold older sister. This gives you another look. It’s kind of heartbreaking but absolutely wonderful watching her grow in this book and finally getting the things she really does deserve.

This book was magical. The world is unlike any other and it’s really a must read. It’s a LONG book but I really struggled putting it down once I started it. It is another must have for our school library.


A huge thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Claire Legrand, and Evelyn Rose (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of A Song of Ash and Moonlight in exchange for an honest review.

A Song of Ash and Moonlight is the second installment of The Middlemist Trilogy, preceded by A Crown of Ivy and Glass.

Where the first novel is told from the perspective of Gemma, this second installment follows the first person narrative from her sister, Farrin's, perspective. The novel begins with a bit of information regarding Farrin's time in the mists, where she spent much of her childhood. Upon her return to help delineate a family feud and bring down a malicious demon, she find's herself in the midst of a task regarding the Queen and the Middlemist because of numerous disappearances.

Farrin wants to be stronger, and she seeks training and guidance from her house rival, Rhyder. Of course, this becomes an enemies-to-lovers romance, as she is meant to hate the man that supposedly set her house on fire when she was a child. But there is more to his story, and she is learning that rather quickly.

While the story does follow Farrin in her adventures of romance, family history, and magic, it goes deeper as she discovers secrets about the world that were once unheard of or thought as myth. Old gods and new are revealed, and Farrin finds herself tangles up in the middle, a house war that goes beyond family name into the roots of the world.

This novel is an exciting second installment, though the romance isn't quite as intriguing as the first. It answers some questions only to open up a whole can more for the reader to expect closure to in the final book of the trilogy. The use of song as power has been seen in books before, but Legrand's craft and characterization offer a unique take that makes for a powerful female protagonist.

Fantasy and romantasy lovers will devour The Middlemist Trilogy!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this. I am so glad I was approved to listen; seriously what an amazing read. The narrator was superb

Was this review helpful?

Claire Legrand is a fantastic author that showcases some of her best work in the second book of the Middlemist trilogy, in a song of Ash and Moonlight. Farrin and Ryder take you on a journey, with enemies to lovers, magic, and heartbreak. This is a longer book, almost a little too long, but leaves you ready for the next book. The character development is good, and the plot is fantastic. I look forward to (hopefully) seeing Mara’s story next in the last book.

This book is for fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Was this review helpful?

I was absolutely desperate to get my hands on the book that would give us an Ashbourne/Bask romance, from the first moment Ryder and Farrin were in the same room. I loved every interaction between them and seeing their love grow. If anything, I wish I could get more! I'm also so excited by this book because it has been super keen for the next Ashbourne sister coupling (don't worry, no spoilers!). I did have the chance to read this via text and/or audiobook and in my personal opinion the story shines especially bright via audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

I feel like I want to love this series more than I do, but it’s more of a middle of the road romantasy for me.

I think the idea is fun and fresh and new. But I think the books are unnecessarily long. I actually could have used more of the romance/interactions between Ryder and Farrin. And a slightly better ending of the book for the two of them.

Will I probably read book 3? Yes because I’m curious to see what happens. But I think I’ll go in knowing a little more of what to expect.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the early reader copy!

Overall I did enjoy this story, but mostly only because I could just play the audiobook in the background over the weekend while doing chores. It's not bad by any means, but there's a lot of room for improvement.

I had issues understanding the audio book at first because it was the same voice actor but we now follow Ferrin instead of Gemma from book one. Because of this I kept getting confused at who was talking. I also found Farrin's character confusing, her flaws weren't explained and don't really make sense for what we've seen of her character thus far and throughout this book.

The story felt like the romance was forefront with the plot happening when needed. A lot more effort felt like it was spent building up our "enemies to lovers"(sort of) then the actual big bad motivations.

This book had a lot of telling without showing, especially the ending where Farrin just speed run explains the big bad motivations to wrap everything up for the final book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank You Netgalley for the Audio Arc. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the narrator. Although this book was a bit better than the first book, I still wish they changed narrators since it was for the other sister. I liked the plot of Gods waking up and creating havoc among the worlds. Farrin was fun from the beginning with her haughty and hate attitude. Ryder, broody and sexy was a perfect match. Very Romeo and Juliet love. Such a very long book though.

Was this review helpful?

Again, I have mixed feelings here. My biggest complaint for the first book was pacing, and sadly that did not change here. Especially with the length of the book. Several times the story dragged and I had to force myself through. However, the plot was EXCELLENT. So that is were it is tough. The story is so dang good, when it was flowing and moving I couldn't put it down.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the first book and the second did not disappoint. I discovered this author a while back and have been devouring any book I can find. She will be an auto buy for me!

Was this review helpful?

I did not get to finish this book in the allotted time as I did not realize it was book 2 and wanted to read book 1 first. Total mistake on my end and i still want to read it.

Was this review helpful?

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This installment follows Farrin, who if you have read book 1 you will remember as the oldest of the Ashborne sisters. The first book followed Gemma, and if the trilogy follows this trend I expect the next book to follow Mara, the third sister. That being said I don't feel like you can really read this as a stand alone, you really need to read the first book in the series, as it sets up events in this book and introduces you to many of the characters.

This was hard for me to get through as the main character was very hard for me to connect with. She was so angry all of the time. The audiobook is just shy of 23 hours, so you really need someone you can root for. I felt like she never wanted to solve the problems and only wanted to whine and wallow in her own issues and block everyone from moving forward. She never actually had any suggestions to move the plot forward and always acted emotionally, admitting that she let her emotions get the best of her in every situation. That being said this is very romance heavy and I found that the romance between Farrin and Ryder lacked chemistry. She is always so mean and distrusting of him that I found it hard to believe their attraction and affection.

I liked the plot and the setting, but the length of the book and the lack of connection with the characters really had me putting this book down more often than I wanted to pick it up. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements when we get them, the creatures and lore are really unique in this series. Much like the first book this is more character driven and there are long periods where the characters are interacting or having inner monologues and the plot isn't advancing. Then there are periods of fast paced action where alot happens all at once and you learn quite a bit of information. I'm interested to see how the series concludes as I actually enjoy the plot, and if Mara is the focus I think she will make and interested main character.

Was this review helpful?