Book Review: Symphony of the Moon I: Homecoming by Matthew Knight

When it comes to reading, I love most genres out there whether it is an epic fantasy novel, a captivating historical fiction, a scary horror thriller, or a heart-wrenching love story. In todays post I want to share my review of Matthew Knights first fantasy novel Symphony of the Moon I: Homecoming.

The book was quite an enjoyable read and I was very pleased to have received a free copy in return for an honest review from the author. There was a lot of fascinating aspects and elements to Knight’s novel that aren’t easily found in most. The world he created is quite an engrossing one.

Now for a quick note, I have just enrolled for the new semester and school will be starting back up at the end of the month, so I am not sure how that is going to affect my posting but hopefully as my workload this semester is pretty light, there will be still plenty for me to share. The exciting thing is that I am taking some fundamental writing courses and Advanced creative non-fiction which will be very helpful towards my writing skills as a whole.

Alright, well without delay, on to the promised book review….

My first thoughts of Symphony of the Moon is that this is not reading for the feint of heart. If what readers seek is a quick casual lighthearted read then this one isn’t it. Knight’s novel is an incredibly deep story with intricate cast of characters set in a vastly complex world that suck you right in.

The book managed to capture my interest right in the prologue. Readers get to see an immediate sense of foreboding dread when the story opens to a normal average woman and her small son at home in their house preparing for their dinner in the kitchen while waiting for the husband to return to work. A knock at the door alerts readers to something being not quite right.

The emotion and anticipation of what is going to happen is solidified through the characters actions and words. An example of this are just subtle hints, like the young mother’s worrying over the a strange knocking at the door so she grabs her husband’s sword before answering the knock.

Knight’s strong writing skills comes from the fact that he allows the characters to carry the weight of the story. They show us readers everything that is important to know. The author has no need for explaining or spelling anything out to the readers because the characters do this incredibly well all on their own. In my opinion, this is the shining example of a talented writer. It’s important to have strong characters that make the story matter…

My favorite part of Knight’s book is the mystery I got to see unravel and play through while Androma, Tilica, and other characters work their hardest to figure out why certain families are being murdered and targeted.

There is a lot of stuff going on that are at play in this book, characters with mysterious past coming back to make them face it, a crime thriller that will keep you interest, and fantasy journey with elements with lots of magic, creatures, and everything a reader could want all in one package.

Without dropping any spoilers for those who haven’t read, this book is a long ride that is well worth it the time because everything connects and has meaning. It was quite fun to see how where everything winds up by the end.

I highly recommend giving this book a go but be prepared for a long read. I really enjoyed it and am even thinking about giving it a second read. The story is so big and vast, I am certain that I missed things and found the book interesting enough for another read so I can really take it in again before Knight releases the second book for the series.

Book Synopsis:

“This is what we become, all the children of war!”

A blood red moon threatens to rise on this night, dragging a disgraced Aethenguard captain back to the place that he swore he would never set eyes upon again.

Androma Illaerion, ex-captain of the city’s Aethenguard, is forced out of his retirement to investigate the brutal murder of a family of aristocrats which has shaken the upper class district of Quenstria to it’s core. This tragedy would not be the last. As each new body lands, evidence of a long-forbidden sorcery silently spreading it’s way through the city comes to light.