In the Light of a Broken Moon, Episode One by Bri Spicer

I had the absolute pleasure of receiving an eARC of this book from Pride Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Reading the synopsis of this book I was so intrigued by its premise: A science fantasy serial novel exploring grief, loss, polyamory, and LGBT relationships in a sprawling stellar empire full of swords and sorcery and starships. And I’m so happy to say that I loved this book even more than expected!

This story takes place in a universe reminding me of Star Wars. There is the evil and corrupt Empire that has conquered most parts of the world, and there is the resistance fighting for The Great Library, a magical homeworld famed for protecting the powerless and preserving all knowledge. But there is so much more! There’s magic, eternal bonds, polyamory and sapphic relationships, grief, depression and PTSD, and a long-lost love, returned from his own grave with a message that cannot be ignored.

The magician Selena, who was once destined to become a Librarian for The Great Library, is now a fugitive, hunted across the stars by the Empire and their megacorp allies and shadowy crime syndicates that support them. Her only companion is her knight and protector, Demya, who spends her days in underground fighting rings to earn the money they need to survive.

Both Selena and Demya are such wonderful characters that I immediately rooted for. They are both wounded and grieving the loss of their world and future and their friend and common love interest Aleskan. The love between Selena and Demya was so beautifully described in the way their souls connected. It reminded me a lot of the “I see you”-scenes in The Avatar movie, it was the same kind of serene love. I also really enjoyed the bond between Demya, Selena and Aleskan and can’t wait to learn more about their polyamory relationship.

Since In the Light of a Broken Moon is written as a serial novel, each episode is only about 150 pages long. But it’s amazing how Bri Spicer manages to introduce the complex world building and describe the characters and make you root for them so completely on those few pages!

All in all, this was a wonderful start to the serialized novel and I can’t wait to read the next installment to find out what will happen to Serena, Demya and Aleskan and their fight to protect the Librarian sanctum. I’m also so excited to learn more about the whole magic system that I’m sure will get even more intriguing onwards!

Rating:
4.5 magical stars rounding up to 5

Get your own copy:
Amazon

​Author info:
Bri Spicer