Moonlight War - Act 1 (The Realmers #2)

After the catastrophic events of book 1, Evan and Brooke are trying to come to terms with recent revelations. However, it isn’t long before their duties as Venators throw them back into action.

Whilst Evan faces a deathly trial to advance further in his training, Brooke embarks on her very first mission, which sees her embroiled in a war between the vampires and werewolves of London. If the werewolves and shifters baying for her blood wasn’t enough, Brooke also has to face a starkly changed Arantay.

Meanwhile the Dark-Venator forces are rising, whilst Evan and his friends contend with the mysterious disappearances of several Venators. Could they have been kidnapped? Evan also faces backlash from many of his fellow trainees, who hate or fear him. Evan thinks their reactions are bad now, but it would be nothing if they discovered his secret. His peers may even try to kill him if they learned the truth.

Evan knows he has to pass his trial to gain his first mission as a Venator, but he may never make it that far if his hidden powers aren’t controlled. Across the realms, a terribly malignant force has learned of Evan and Brooke, and plans to strike.

*May Contain Spoilers*

William Collins delivers an action packed novel in Moonlight War - Act 1, the sequel to A Darker Shade of Sorcery. The attack on Veneseron has just ended and the chaos is over, but the war has just begun. This book picks up exactly where the first left off, allowing readers to refresh their minds and re-align themselves with the characters. 

Brooke and Evan are still the main characters, but more of the supporting cast is included and even focused on in this sequel. After Brooke and Evan learned they were half-demon, they were sent back to their studies, filled with worry, guilt, and fear. Readers can understand, and witness, that Evan and Brooke are terrified they'll hurt someone and that their friends will turn against them if they know the truth. The backlash carries throughout Veneseron, as fellow students blame Evan for the attack. 

Whereas the first book was focused on introducing the world of Veneseron and the training for demon hunting, this book is nearly all action. From trials to first mission, missing venators and dark-realmers, Moonlight War - Act 1 sets up many combustible situations. 

Readers will build on their relationship with Evan as he attempts to become a Mid-Realmer and handle the dirty looks and mean spirited whispers of his fellow students. The fears of rejection and uncontrollable powers that Evan has is understandable and readers will undoubtedly support him. Readers watched as Evan found his place in this new world and they'll push for him to keep it. 

The relationship readers have with Brooke will also flourish, as she prepares for her first mission as a Mid-Realmer. Just before the assignment comes in, Brooke and Arantay share a moment of raw emotion. Brooke's feelings of rejection cloud her sunny disposition. It doesn't get easier as her mission partner is revealed as Arantay. They're assigned to locate an insane werewolf and try to heal him before he kills anyone else. If they can't succeed, then they'll be forced to kill him, an act that will surely ignite a war between the wolves and the Venators. 

On top of the action with Brooke and Evan, there are Venators disappearing and more demon-spawn being discovered. There's also another dread lord/disciple trying to locate Evan and Brooke, which brings a certain evil someone from Brooke's past into the present. The one downside of this book is it's the first act. It creates and shares a lot of problem situations, but it doesn't solve any of them. It's a book that promises entertaining and exciting conclusions with an often disliked phrase, 'To Be Continued.'  

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Read the review of Book 1 - A Darker Shade of Sorcery

A Darker Shade of Sorcery (The Realmers #1)

The lonely and grieving Evan Umbra is the newest Venator to enter Veneseron, the school for demon hunters.

A Venator is a wizard, a spy and a demon hunter rolled into one. They’re taught how to wield their sorcery and enchanted weaponry by orcs, elfpires and aliens alike.
Their missions range from battling monsters and saving countless lives in the multiple worlds, to the more peculiar, like wrangling killer unicorns and calming down drunken yetis.
In their free time Venators enjoy goblin soap-opera’s and underwater bubble travel, but they also understand that every new mission they’re given could be their last.
Whilst learning how to manipulate the elements, summon magical creatures and shoot Spellzookas, Evan meets a girl who makes him feel nauseous; but in a good way.

He makes the first friends he’s ever had in the carefree Jed and the reckless Brooke. Whilst Jed gets on the wrong side of a rival Venator, Brooke finds herself falling for the enigmatic demon hunter who brought her to Veneseron, not knowing he isn't quite human. But it soon becomes apparent that Evan is more than just a Venator. Everyone wants to kill or capture him, from demons to Dark-Venators and even people he’s supposed to be able to trust.

Evan reckons he probably won’t survive his first year at Veneseron.

*May Contain Spoilers*

William Collins creates a universe that contains many different planets, realms, races, and threats in his novel, A Darker Shade of Sorcery, the first book in The Realmers series. Demon hunting has been taken to the extreme as people from all over the universe, who have the power to perform sorcery, come to Veneseron to train. They train to fight demons and dark-realmers, students who have been turned evil. Among the new recruits are Evan and Brooke, two teens from Earth who have no idea how special and unique they are. 

Evander, Evan for short, hated his life. His Gram, the woman who found him abandoned as a baby, died and there was nothing he could do. Living in the orphanage, Evan was often attacked by a group of teenage thugs. Until the day he finds out that he has a bit of magic within him. And by find out I mean, of course, kidnapped by evil demons who want to convert him. Luckily, he is saved and taken to Veneseron to train to be a demon hunter. Though he is still hunted, even as a student. Evan is a young man who is given the chance to rise above his fears. He's unsure of himself at first, but readers will see his confidence grow as he trains. Evan is loyal, friendly, and strong. His old fears push him to be braver and better than he was before. Readers will undoubtedly like Evan as he grows into a courageous fighter. They'll also understand his fears of putting his friends in danger, since the demons only seem to want him, yet they'll kill anyone who tries to get in their way. 

Brooke was ignored by her family, often feeling alone and a little lost. When she's found by the Realmer team, ordered to take her to Veneseron, her fear of the unknown and leaving her family freezes her into indecision. Yet, she accepts that she has been granted magic and vows to study and train to be a demon hunter, though the thought terrifies her. Brooke's a young girl who is nice, understanding, and curious. Readers will witness her falling in love for the first time and see how it affects her. They'll also see her grow into her abilities and find strength through training. She also displays a bit of loyalty, standing by Evan as he is fearful of being hunted by the demons. 

The plot involves Brooke and Evan training at Veneseron, exploring the new world, and forming friendships. It's also focused on the hunt for Evan, hinting that something bigger is at play. The descriptions and details that Collins gives the readers are incredible. Everything is new and unique that even during the down time of the novel, readers will enjoy learning about Veneseron and the possible magical abilities. I couldn't help thinking that it was like Hogwarts for demon hunting, reminiscent of Clare's Shadowhunter series. Readers who enjoy fantasy and supernatural genres will thoroughly enjoy A Darker Shade of Sorcery, with all of the twists, surprises, and revelations. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (228)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



A Darker Shade of Sorcery (Kindle p.127 )
   - William Collins

Late in his room one night, he sat on his bed, palm outstretched as he concentrated on trying to make fire appear in his hands again

No matter how hard he tried, nothing happened.

What's Next, Wednesday (19)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to... 

A Darker Shade of Sorcery by William Collins. Evan is on track to becomes a demon hunter. It's dangerous work but someone has to do it. Things get heated when Evan is the object of everyone's murderous intentions. Seems like there's more to Evan than even he knows about.