Unfortunately I’m SOFT DNF ing this book, I’m a big mood reader and I just can’t get into this one, the writing is good and easy to follow, the world building so far is not overwhelming and I feel like this one has a lot of potential, it starts with multi POV’s between Melody and Blair, I was expecting Melody but Blair was actually a surprise, she’s giving me vibes from Throne of glass since she’s a witch, but she’s cutthroat. So far I’m giving this 3 stars and hoping to jump back into when the feeling strikes.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and reciew this title.

This book is like nothing that I have read before. It has every character that you would find in any fantasy book out there. I was unsure in the beginning if it was actually something I would like but then around a third of the way through I got invested with the characters. It defiantly have lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing about what you think is going to happen, the end I did not see coming. Overall a good book and can't wait for the next one to come out to see what is going to happen.

What to expect:

Dark fantasy
Multi POV
Flashbacks
First and third person
Love triangle
Elves, witches, fae, vampires, sirens, dragons etc
Fated mates
Prophecies
Ongoing War


Kingdom of the Two Moons is told from multiple POVs. We follow Melody, a half-human, half-fae, in first person, while Riven and Blair's perspectives are in third. Blair also has flashbacks sprinkled throughout that add depth to the plot. This shift in POVs was new to me—and you know what? I didn’t hate it!

Melody is believed to be part of a prophecy that could change the tides of an ongoing war, as foretold by the oracle. She’s being hunted by Caryan, a fallen angel (The Dark Lord) and Blair, a witch. They want her to use her unique powers to find ancient relics lost to time. Caryan and one of the High Lords, Riven, find her first.

As the story unfolds, Melody begins to uncover secrets about her identity, her mother, and her magic—and she gets very close to both Caryan and Riven. This is a love triangle done right! I seriously don’t know who I want her to end up with more. Both? Yes. The tension is THICK and the slow burn? It was BURNING. I was flipping pages well past my bedtime.

I really enjoyed this book, and the cliffhanger ending had me screaming into a pillow. I’m eagerly awaiting book two.

And please, Alexandra can we have Caryan’s POV in book two?!?


Thank you NetGalley and Alexandra Thomashoff for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always find myself gravitating towards novels of this content, I love me a werewolf story line. I must say this read has really kept my attention piqued on the contents within. I do find it thoroughly entertaining and did quite enjoy reading this novel. I would recommend it to my friends whom are interested in this genre, as I am sure that they will love it.

Kingdom of the Two Moons
Overall Rating: 3.25/5, rounding down to 3 stars

This story has multiple POVs, but it is mostly centered around Melody, a half-human half-fae girl who is taken prisoner for her unique gifts by this dark angel king that is oddly attracted to her. It has a lot of high fantasy elements, but is at its core, a romance…a very lengthy romance.

The main problem I had with this book was its length. 700 pages?! The beginning was slow until we met Riven, and then I was HOOKED …until like page 500. The more the book went on, the less I found myself caring. I think the book could have been cut in half and been so much more enjoyable. The book was very heavy on worldbuilding, but the fact that you have to get 75% into the book before being introduced to a main plot point is a little ridiculous.

The book does a decent amount of things well, but I think it spent too much time trying to build the world instead of moving the plot along. I found myself only interested when Riven was mentioned. Riven treated Melody SO MUCH BETTER than anyone else in the book. If Caryan wasn’t a love interest, and the story was just Riven and Melody, I would have eaten it up ..but alas.

I loved Blair at first, but then her POVs became so inconsistent. Her badass personality turned to playing the victim the second she reunited with Caryan. It ruined all the character development for her. Instead of trying to do anything to carry out her mission, she immediately gives up and cries about how Caryan should pay more attention to her because they used to sleep together (like wtf). By the end she becomes much more bearable though.

Melody grew on me throughout the book, but her indecisiveness was frustrating at times. I did like her slowly becoming more confident in herself towards the end.

I did not like Caryan, which I think is why my enjoyment reading this book tanked about 75% in. He was such a great villain (very creepy and ruthless), and I could not root for his happiness. He has a soft spot for Melody, but being nice to one person while you literally try to take over the world is not a redeemable quality. What he did at the 90% mark of the book is unforgivable. Consent doesn’t have to apply to just sex. What he did was assault, and should not be glamorized. I cannot see a way he can possibly redeem himself from that.

The side characters did help make the world feel less flat, and I liked the inclusion of different races and sexualities. I just wish I knew more about them, and they were involved more in the story. All I know about Nidaw is that she is a siren and good at bathing and styling Melody. I feel like after 700 pages I should know more than that.

I honestly would have preferred to see more spice in the book. It frequently mentions intimate encounters, but there are only 2 spicy scenes involving the FMC. You would think there would be more spicy scenes based on everyone’s lustful thoughts.

Overall the book had such a good premise, but drug on longer than I would have liked. I would be open to reading the next book in this series because I feel invested in the story (given how it took me 3 weeks of reading to finish this tome of a book).

Thank you NetGalley and Alexandra Thomashoff for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hello, I am so so sorry that I skipped this step! It’s been a rough few months! I also just realized today, that my goodreads review never fully posted.

I genuinely really enjoyed this book! I guessed early on that her a Caryan were mates, but it was nice that they’re both dumb and were like hey this special thing means nothing and Riven is just like yea imma ignore that. The romance was a bit tough, especially the sex scene in town, there was info skipped, and it all got jumbled and mildly confusing. What I mean by tough, is that if Riven truely hoped she was his possible mate, then I really expected more tenderness I guess? It felt a bit like ok you’re telling me they like or love each other but I’m not exactly seeing those corresponding actions entirely on page.


Caryan giving her his tattoos!? Are you kidding me! I did not expect that at all and I love that it drove her to run away and in full melody fashion she takes Blair. She knows there’s a connection but she won’t take that even if it’s to keep her safe. Man’s a psychopath (we still love him)
I am genuinely VERY excited for book 2

I went into this novel only knowing the description that was placed on Netgalley, and man I am so glad I read it (even if my review is a bit late. I'm a SAHM of two small children)
Kingdom of the Two Moon really pulls you into the romantasy drama, I was sucked in the whole way through and while I'm not a big "love triangle lover" this was executed well and I enjoyed the emotions this put me through.

The world building was top tier and the magic system was interesting. This book is definitely something most Fourth Wing/ ACOTAR readers will enjoy!

Thank you Netgalley and Alexandra for the ARC copy! I definitely plan on rereading in the future!

This story unfortunately fell flat for me. I couldn’t get myself to care much about the plot nor the characters.
The writing has a lot of potential, and it was really easy to read.

There were a lot of over explaining, a lot of what I felt was unnecessary world building, and just way to many mythical creatures in my opinion. It felt like the book took all the creatures from all fantasy books ever and brought them all together. For some people this might be exactly What they are looking for in a fantasy, but I felt like it was too much and just couln’t get into it.

The only relationship I enjoyed reading about was the one between Caryan and Riven, their bond and love for each other was my highlights for the whole book. I didn’t really care for the love triangle between Melody, Riven and Caryan, but this may be something others really enjoy! I will say that I really liked Riven, he was hands down my favourite character.

Overall the book had a lot of potential, it was easy to read, but it was sadly not for me.

A Dark and Twisting Fantasy Debut That Leaves You Craving More


Kingdom of the Two Moons, Alexandra Thomashoff's debut novel and the first installment in her Fallen Angels series, is an immersive, dark fantasy ride that pulled me in from the very first chapter. I received a review copy via NetGalley and am happy to say this book has left a deep impression on me, despite a few minor issues that kept it from being a full five-star read.


Kingdom of the Two Moons ♦ Alexandra Thomashoff - A Review


Opinion

Told through three distinct points of view—Melody, Blair, and Riven—Kingdom of the Two Moons weaves a complex story of trust, betrayal, power, and longing. Thomashoff handles multiple perspectives with a deft hand. Each character’s voice feels authentic and layered, and their relationships are fascinating to follow, especially given that none of them fully trust one another. This ever-present undercurrent of suspicion adds a satisfying tension throughout the novel.


Melody, a young half-human, half-Fae woman, starts off as a strong and resilient character despite her trauma. However, as the story progresses, I found her becoming a bit too compliant, especially considering the fierceness hinted at in her internal monologue. I would have loved to see her push back more often instead of only thinking about it. Still, her growth arc remains compelling, and I’m curious to see how she evolves in the next installment.


Blair, the witch, steals many scenes with her femme fatale persona. She's a strong, independent woman, but what makes her truly shine are her vulnerabilities and self-doubt, which Thomashoff handles beautifully. Blair’s flashbacks, while briefly pulling the reader out of the current timeline, deepen her character and shed necessary light on Caryan, the mysterious fallen angel who feels more morally gray antagonist than outright villain.


Speaking of Caryan, he is a standout character precisely because of his enigmatic nature. His true motivations remain clouded, keeping both the characters and readers guessing. Riven, the High Fae Lord and classic bad boy with a soft heart, rounds out the main trio nicely. His inner struggle between loyalty, survival, and longing for connection is both touching and believable.


One of my few critiques is the inconsistency in narrative style. While Melody’s perspective is told in the first person, Blair and Riven’s are in third person. This discrepancy created a slight disconnect for me, especially when intimate knowledge of Blair's or Riven’s inner thoughts were presented alongside Melody's very personal narration. It gave the impression that Melody was telling their parts. But how could she possibly know these details? This occasionally pulled me out of the story.


Additionally, at over 600 pages, there were sections that felt overly detailed. While the rich world-building is undoubtedly one of Thomashoff’s strengths—the vivid imagery of the Court of the Two Moons is breathtaking—some descriptions bordered on excessive, slowing down the pace unnecessarily in places. A bit tighter editing could have kept the tension even higher.


That said, the mystery at the heart of the novel is exceptionally well executed. Just when you think you understand the characters’ motivations, another layer peels back to reveal deeper secrets. The ending leaves enough threads tantalizingly unresolved that I am already eager for the sequel.


Conclusion

Overall, Kingdom of the Two Moons is a dark, atmospheric, and emotionally charged fantasy debut with flawed but fascinating characters and a richly imagined world. Alexandra Thomashoff shows enormous potential, and I’m excited to see where the Fallen Angels series will go next.

Highly recommended for fans of morally gray characters, slow-burn tension, and intricate fantasy worlds!



This review was first published at The Art of Reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'll be honest, I almost never rate negatively because I feel like as long as the author clearly showed effort, they deserve at least a 3 for that. I couldn't bring myself to do that for this book. From the jump, there is so much information being thrown at you with almost no time to absorb it. The story drags in some places and doesn't linger long enough in others, PLUS the writing/dialogue felt super repetitive and jumped between first and third person every other chapter. Normally I can follow that writing style super easily and don't mind POV changes at all, but this book was so frustrating when that happened. I almost DNF'ed it, but I'm not a quitter so I pressed on and was thankful when it was over. Overall, it was super disappointing to me that the book turned out like it did because the plot seemed so interesting and fun, but the execution was just not it at all. This book read like a wattpad novel without the fun that comes with being a wattpad novel.

Kingdom of the Two Moons is a book for fans of Crescent City, Zodiac Academy and When the Moon Hatched.

We follow the story of Melody- our half human, half fae FMC who has been imprisoned her whole life because of her magic. After many escape attempts, she encounters someone new, someone more powerful than her capture, someone who promises her safety. Riven. Riven takes her to his King, Caryan. Is Caryan her saviour or is he just another person who has become her captor?

This book is definitely a work of art, literally. The story is so well fleshed out that you feel immersed into the story every step of the way. The writing is beautiful and easy to follow without being confusing as you learn about the lore of the kingdoms and the different fae, demons and creatures that live in this well crafted world.

The story at times was slow paced but not boring, I was engaged throughout. Even when the action wasn’t happening at the forefront of the story the world building and lore was woven in to keep me entertained and wanting to read more to learn more. The multiple POV storyline was really a great addition in my opinion as I loved reading from each characters perspective. It really added to the story an extra depth.

Melody our main characters was funny, sassy, realistic and relatable. She’s thrown into this journey with us and learns about her life as we do as the story progresses. I actually liked being on this journey with Melody, I felt more attached to her, more sympathetic with her and her feelings, I understood her and her actions on a new level because we went through it together.

Riven, the right hand of Caryan. The sweet soul who promises to protect Melody against anyone and everyone. He constantly proved his word and was one of the most honest characters in the series. I genuinely love his character and can’t wait to read more of where his story goes.

Caryan, the mysterious, morally grey MMC who you want to hate but don’t because you just want to understand him. He’s bad, evil and only wants one thing, more power. He’s the unstoppable force. A complex character that I’m still unsure how I feel about but I’m excited to know more.

Blair, our witch. I LOVED Blair’s chapters. The way we got to learn about characters past and understand some backstory to the world was amazing. I loved Blair’s attitude and badass behaviour. I loved her soft heart even though she denied it constantly. I wish she had more chapters, honestly.

I won’t spoil anything but the romance in this was steaming, unpredictable and enjoyable.

I am very excited to see where the story goes and watch this world expand and grow, I’ll definitely be continuing with the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this Arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

The plot and the idea felt pretty original and fun, however the execution and characters fell a little flat for me. Blair is very Manon-coded and while I love Manon and SJM it definitely felt less original because of it. I also was not a big fan of the immediate switch up from first person to third person point of views. I think it would have worked better if we’d gotten to know Melody better and spend more time inside her head first to really establish her as the main character before jumping headfirst into other characters POVs

Chaotic and dark, everyone’s a villain. The interpersonal relationships are complicated and layered from start to finish, with no clear answers about motivations. Lore is often dropped abruptly and the writing style/grammar felt off sometimes. I didn’t enjoy the master/slave dynamic, which felt unnecessary with no clear contribution to the plot. That being said I kept rooting for all the main characters to redeem or prove themselves, and the plot and world have a lot of potential.

*Kingdom of Two Moons* is a beautifully written and emotionally rich fantasy that swept me off my feet from the very first page. With lyrical prose, vivid world-building, and characters that feel wonderfully real, this book delivers a story that’s both magical and deeply human.

The dual moons set the tone for a world that is both mysterious and enchanting. The political intrigue, ancient prophecies, and the inner journeys of the characters are all woven together seamlessly. I especially loved the way the author explored themes of identity, destiny, and the price of power without ever losing sight of the personal stakes.

The main character’s growth throughout the story is authentic and compelling. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way, and the relationships—romantic, platonic, and familial—felt genuine and nuanced.

If you're a fan of lush fantasy with strong emotional undercurrents, *Kingdom of Two Moons* is not to be missed. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Kingdom of the two moons was a book I was really excited to read. I love me some shifter fantasy but I had a really hard time getting into this one and had to force myself to finish it. I struggled figuring out what was going on and the writing style and formatting was hard to follow.

Kingdom of the Two Moons by Alexandra Thomashoff

I’m obsessed! I absolutely devoured this book. I loved the fresh twists on classic mythical beings—like witches who ride wyverns instead of brooms. The love triangle was done so well. I genuinely loved her dynamic with both love interests and was constantly torn (in the best way) about who she had true feelings for. I’m so curious to see how it all unfolds and who she ends up with, if she even ends up with either of the two love interests, in the next book. This was an incredible debut that completely captivated me, and I can’t wait to devour the sequel!

Thank you to Alexandra Thomashoff, NetGalley, and Last Unicorn Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

For fans of morally grey/dark characters- this is the book for you! A half-human, half-elf female Melody is thrust unasked into the fae world and finds herself in a tangle of vicious immortals and political machinations with dark leader Caryan at the heart.

MMC Caryan reminds me so much of Kingfisher although I would say he is even darker than grey, reading more as an antihero. He was a very mysterious character and I just wanted to know all about his past and what made him the lethal ruler he is today (hoping that underneath it all there was a soft centre). Melody is a really strong FMC who has gone through a lot of trauma and finds herself trapped in Caryan’s palace. I kinda wish she had more agency and could do more to help herself, rather than running in circles half the time. Witch Blair was probably my favourite character, abandoned by her lover Caryan many years before yet she still holds a candle for him. She has done unspeakable things but always for a good reason and so Blair's actions are relatable and justifiable (IMO).

Overall I am curious to see what will happen in the next book and I loved the surprise twist at the end.

Trigger warnings:
Torture
Imprisonment
Mentions of rape
Dubious consent
Self-harm
Suicide

Wow! This was such a great read and definitely gave me ACOTAR vibes! I honestly was thrown off at first with the multiple POVs, but I found that it added so much more to the story! There was so much world building and depth that it really took me into a dark and twisted ride. Congratulations to the author for this book! I can see it blowing up in the BookTok and Bookstagram world!

Loved this book. Similar to work of a SJM. Well written not repetitive. A good fantasy book for you to get lost in. Mythical creatures, love triangles, witches fallen angels need I say more.

The world building and pacing was done great with lots of details to really help build the world but it didn't feel over the top. However, this book is not as spicy as I expected.