{"id":7436,"date":"2026-10-02T10:16:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T10:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=7436"},"modified":"2026-10-02T10:16:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T10:16:37","slug":"by-moon-and-star-by-goldeen-ogawa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=7436","title":{"rendered":"By Moon and Star by Goldeen Ogawa"},"content":{"rendered":"

A suspense-filled urban fantasy where three divergently willful women take an episodic trek across the American west to face a myriad of otherworldly entities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Between aloof sword-wielding Clara Nordstern, hardened shotgun aficionado Selene Shields, and forensically-armed skeptic and science student Jill Hamilton, an eclectic trio forms\u2014one that\u2019s complementary in purpose, if not method. Their genesis occurs in New Mexico when independent hunters of the supernatural, Clara and Selene, competitively converge to vanquish a chimera responsible for a number of deaths, including that of Jill\u2019s boyfriend Christian.<\/p>\n

Along with the emotional toll, the experience shatters Jill\u2019s scientific worldview when she sees the non-human killer with her own eyes. Academic instincts allay her grief with a compulsion to learn more. She liquidates her possessions to fund hiring the other two, formally as bodyguards, but more as resources to explore and document an unnatural world that fascinates her.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Their post-chimera adventures begin in California and proceed eastward through various states as they detect inexplicable anomalies. They encounter ghosts, vampires, demons, werewolves, aliens, mythological characters, and even avengers of unicorns. For Clara and Serene this is their calling, as the latter puts it:<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery urban legend you\u2019ve ever heard has roots in something that really happened\u2014most of the old legends do too. They\u2019re rare\u2014people don\u2019t see them if they don\u2019t want to\u2014and they don\u2019t work by our rules. If the government knows about it they\u2019re not doing anything about it, which leaves people like me\u2014and [Clara]\u2014to clean up when it starts making messes.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Clara and Serene are expertly efficient not only at diagnosing paranormal activity but also assembling plans and precise weaponry to eradicate the problem. It\u2019s second nature to them.<\/p>\n

But this can be frustrating for Jill. Her intent is to document it all for science, including gathering samples; whereas the other two just want to get the job done without leaving a trail. Clara and Serene, used to operating incognito, struggle with Jill\u2019s openness, including a willingness to involve authorities. Since they\u2019re employed by Jill, who also covers expenses, Clara and Serene usually compromise. Except when situations get dangerous. Which they do. Often.<\/p>\n

Over these adventures the women strive to mesh, to not let their differences interfere with their missions. The need to become a cohesive team becomes paramount as the culmination of their journey brings a cumulatively apocalyptic level threat in St. Louis.<\/p>\n

The ongoing dynamic between Jill, Clara, and Serene is terrific. The coming together of three such distinct women, while sudden and coincidental, feels naturally destined. As does how their tension shifts, grows, recedes, but is ever present. That provides the dramatic spine through nine episodes of this large book, bringing unity to beyond the chronological sequence and occasional references to prior episodes. Other than the startling exposure to Clara\u2019s past in \u201cSons of Fire,\u201d individual character development is limited. Though their personalities, including their growth, do come out indirectly via their interactions.<\/p>\n

Jill\u2019s novice perspective to unnatural worlds familiar to Clara and Serene provides ample opportunity to reveal the intricacies of those worlds as she learns. The encounters are described with great energy and the scenes in which they battle unnatural forces come alive. They\u2019re supplemented by vivid multisensory descriptions that feel convincingly authentic.<\/p>\n

Those parts distinguish By Moon and Star<\/em> as a book. The rest could easily fit within a screenplay or teleplay. Indeed, the collection as a whole could be considered a season in the vein of a show like Criminal Minds<\/em>, with standalone novella length episodes carrying through lines for the main characters. It\u2019s a generous onslaught of compelling urban fantasy, fueled by strong storytelling.<\/p>\n

Because of its size, it is a tough book to digest in one go. While the individual stories aren\u2019t inordinately long, in a bunch they can feel that way. Each could benefit from some trimming, especially a number of dialogues not centered around the phenomena.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the experiences of this improbable trio are consistently captivating. And despite the often violent, grisly situations faced by Jill, Clara, and Serene, the suspense and mystery make By Moon and Star<\/em> a fun book. There\u2019s something to hit the sweet spot for any fantasy fan.<\/p>\n

The post By Moon and Star by Goldeen Ogawa<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A suspense-filled urban fantasy where three divergently willful women take an episodic trek across the American west to face a myriad of otherworldly entities Between aloof sword-wielding Clara Nordstern, hardened shotgun aficionado Selene Shields, and forensically-armed skeptic and science student Jill Hamilton, an eclectic trio forms\u2014one that\u2019s complementary in purpose, if not method. Their genesis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7436\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}