Lua and Audra couldn't be more different from one and other. Oji (firstborn prince) Lua is the most powerful Mage of the Song and Silence Moon Tribes, his magic so strong that no one save his bonded Anchor, his lifeline, can touch him; Audra is a lowborn Western master thief who'll do whatever it takes to save her brother and her people. Polar opposites. But their stories have a mutual beginning, each escaping confinement with grit and skill. Audra may be an expert at thievery, but even she manages to get caught stealing an artifact for her brother Ferin, landing herself in jail. Elsewhere, Lua finds himself betrayed by his Anchor and captured on a boat at the behest of his sister Selene, a Song mage so eager to take the Rajav seat of power for herself, she blatantly murdered their father to facilitate the transition of power during the Moon's eclipses.

After her escape, Audra ends up working on a smuggle ship; when a body is seen floating in the water, Audra grabs hold of the strange young man. As Lua regains consciousness, he is horrified to learn his off-putting female rescuer can touch him: his magic has Anchored her to him. She is too untrained and weak for this Anchoring be sustainable in the long run, and she frankly has better things to do with her time. They race against the clock, his sister's merciless General, and the rival Starling Tribe, making their way to the Silence Moon Tribe's monastery in order to break the bond before it breaks them.

The first volume in The Broken Bonds of Magic is a high stakes thrilling fantasy novel told from multiple third person points of view. This is an almost cinematic approach to storytelling which I think worked really well for this particular book, since we're dealing with multiple rival parties on their journeys to reach the same destination, all with very different motivations and end goals. The chapters are short, keeping the action and the plot moving at a steadily fast pace; because there are multiple PoV's, the reader is kept in the loop up to a certain point with regards to various motivations, with the chance to watch plans and betrayals unfold from all angles. The third person narration still allows for mystery, with many genuinely unexpected surprises being revealed along the way. Seeing all of these perspectives and discoveries come together in the end is explosive and quite satisfying.

The book's strength is its action-packed plot and the way it's told, but there is also a strong love story. I enjoyed Haskell's approach to the beloved magical bond trope: she doesn't glorify the concept. On the contrary: the author has Audra questioning the level of influence the bond has on her romantic build-up and tension with Lua, which makes the moments of gentle authenticity really stand out, lending their romance more credibilty (especially after the halfway mark). What worked best for me, is that while Lua is a very powerful man both in strength and position, Audra is extremely capable as well - and Lua recognizes that in her, gives her that recognition, and is not at all intimidated by her. That's the foundation. The love story is set up beautifully for the sequel.

On the other hand, Haskell does include the downside to a magic bond, highlighting the one-sided and not entirely consensual relationship between Selene and her Anchor Bolin. The latter already had a beloved before he was Anchored: Selene's General Xiang, a vicious man who will stop at nothing to protect Bolin.

Xiang is one of the most interesting characters of the book, because he's a protective man deeply in love, while capable of ending the world for his loved one. He's despicable, but you also can't help but sympathize with his desperation at times. And Selene is an excellent villain, perfect to root against in every single way, but with enough weaknesses and insecurities to keep her from being a one-dimensional character. As always, I give bonus points for female villainy. And this one is scarily cruel at times. The family drama aspect only makes her worse, in a good way.

The one thing I would have liked to see is more cohesion in the worldbuilding. Most things are clarified by the end of the book, but several things are explained a bit late, such as the meaning of the titles used by Lua's family. It would have been a more seamless reading experience had information like that not been dosed in bits and pieces the way it was, but given up front. What I also missed was more background information on the westerners and the Starlings, but I am quite confident we'll get that in subsequent books. Another point to note: scenes of brutal violence and self-defense are included, with quite a bit of gore. It did not bother me, but I can imagine this could be difficult for other readers. Please consult the (spoilery) trigger warnings I've posted below.

The Malice of Moons and Mages is a stunning series opener: the way the story culminates leaves open so many avenues for future books, and because the ending has thrown me for such a loop, I'm very eager to find out what happens next. That's what I want from a first volume: this hunger for more. Particularly now that I know this author isn't one for predictability. Can't wait to let myself be blown away by the next part!

Thank you NetGalley and Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

Following below is a list of potential (spoilery) Trigger Warnings: 

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Animal cruelty, child abuse/kidnapping, dubious consent (not between romantic leads), genocide, gore, parental death, patricide, several instances of (mass) murder, violence

This is the debut novel by N. V. Haskell (https://nvhaskell.com). The Malice of Moons and Mages was published in early April and is the first book in her Broken Bonds of Magic series. It is the 31st book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R.

The story opens with the clever thief Audra imprisoned on Callaway Island. She has survived by twisting the truth to her advantage or ignoring it altogether. Her people had their magic stripped away by the Moon and Starling tribes. She has no reluctance in stealing from either of them if it means survival. Audra makes her escape, but must crawl her way through the festering sewer. Once out of prison, she completes her escape by stowing away on the Requin, a ship leaving the port.

Lua is the most powerful mage, but he is also the most hated among the Moon tribes. He is haunted by the part he played in his father’s recent death. His father, the former Rajav, had teetered on the edge of madness and had brought chaos to the lands. When Lua encounters and kills others with magic, he grows stronger by absorbing their power. His closest friend betrays him, leaving his body floating in the sea.

The Requin comes across a man’s body floating in the sea. The Captain sends Audra, who is impersonating a man, into the sea to recover him. Their struggle in the water somehow magically binds the two. Both are recovered by the crew of the Requin.

Lua is being pursued by General Xiang. He intercepts the Requin, though by that time, Audra and Lua have fled ashore. They are heading to the Silent Monastery. Only there will they be able to find a way to break the magic that anchors them to one another. Lua must claim the throne before the approaching eclipse, or it will fall to his sister. Her rule would be even worse than the former Rajav.

The bond between Lua and Audra grows in many ways. Their magical abilities intertwine, and their feelings for one another grow stronger. Will they survive? Will Lua be able to take his rightful seat?

I enjoyed the 10 hours I spent reading this 362-page fantasy. I found the storyline of this novel somehat hard to follow. I do like the simple but colorful cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3.8 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

The first 50 pages were so confusing and there were so many explained worldbuilding details and plot coincidences that it was so clunky to read. I was completely lost.

Add that to the fact that neither of the main characters are likeable, and it left me with pretty much no reason to continue reading. So I had to leve this one unfinished, as there was nothing engaging me to read the next chapter, much less the next 300 pages.

This isn't a case of "good, but not my cup of tea," because this is exactly the kind of story I usually devour. And it's not a case of "fantastic premise but poor execution," because the fantastic premise was executed competently (objectively speaking). I think there is definitely a space for this book and I believe it will find its readers--I just am not going to be one of them, though I will recommend it to others who are interested in something original and evocative. Sometimes it just doesn't click, and the book can still be amazing for other readers even if it fails to connect to every single reader, which is why I'm leaving it at 3 stars.


***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

I really wanted to love The Malice of Moons and Mages—the title alone had me intrigued—but the clunky writing made it hard to stay invested. The story had potential and some cool ideas scattered throughout, but the prose often felt awkward or overly complicated, which slowed everything down. I found myself rereading passages just to figure out what was happening. There’s definitely an interesting world buried in here, but it was tough to fully enjoy with the writing getting in the way. A solid concept, just not the smoothest read. Thank you, NetGalley!

I read this book as an ARC via Net Galley

There is a lot that is going on during the first couple chapters as we switch between POVs and set the stage for this story. It's a bit overwhelming but still interesting. The worldbuilding feels a bit muddy, like I see some Asian influence and there's a mix of other stuff based on character names but it feels disjointed.

What caught my attention most was the magic system that involves the bonding between a mage and another person so that the mage can feed off the other for power. This magic bond affects the main couple Audra and Lua differently than most, and seeing their relationship grow & change was nice. It reminds me a bit of soulmate tropes, but not quite because in this book a magic bond doesn't automatically mean attraction.

When it comes to the opposing forces against Lua & Audra, I found Xiang to be the most interesting. He may have been the 3rd character with most POV chapters after our main leads, and I think it was well used because his story is compelling.

This is book 1 and I'm definitely curious enough to continue reading past this book.

I did not enjoy this. I will say the plot was interesting and had potential. That's about the only positive I can say about it.

The writing was so clunky I actually had to reread some passages and they still didn't make sense. The relationship between Lua and Audra had zero chemistry. It started as enemies to lovers and the thing that started softening her to him was him kicking rocks out of the road (???). They had little dialogue and by the end were in love somehow.

For the first few chapters I had next to no idea what was going on. So many names, titles, places, etc were rattled off with practically no explanation. For instance, the terms Oji and Oja are used liberally throughout and aren't actually explained until the 70% mark.

There was an attempt at world building toward the beginning, which just looked like word vomit that I decided to accept I wouldn't understand in the hopes that it would be expanded upon later.

The magic system was barely explained. One tribe ranks by stars and takes power from the moons, another has no ranking and takes power from the sun. The third I have no idea. They just have magic. And there are dragons.

The only character I liked was Audra's aunt. Most everyone else lacked a personality, and those that had one were evil, just cause.

💚The Malice of Moons and Mages💚
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (rounded up to 5)


Get ready to be thrown into the deep end in the best possible way! The Malice of Moons and Mages starts with a flurry of questions, forcing you to unravel its intricate world as you go. As a seasoned fantasy reader, I can tell you, finding something truly original is a breath of fresh air, and this debut absolutely delivered!

The heart of this story for me was the relationship between Lua and Audra. Their journey from enemies to lovers is masterfully executed, feeling utterly authentic and paced for a true slow burn. You genuinely believe in every shifting emotion and growing connection.
Beyond the captivating romance, the world-building shines, weaving together diverse countries, religions, and unique magic systems into a rich tapestry. And can we talk about the dragons?! So many questions, so much intrigue!

This is an incredible debut novel, and I'm already buzzing with anticipation for whatever this author cooks up next. If you crave fantasy that challenges you from page one and delivers on a truly satisfying slow-burn romance, pick this up!

Thank you to the author and NwtGalley for my ebook copy!

The Malice of Moons and Mages is a moody, imaginative fantasy that showcases N.V. Haskell’s knack for crafting complex magic systems and morally gray characters. The world-building is immersive, with magic tied to lunar phases in a way that feels both mythic and grounded. I especially enjoyed the layered dynamics between the mage factions and the way celestial forces played into the plot.

Kaelen’s journey from reluctant apprentice to something far more dangerous was one of the highlights for me. Maera, too, was fascinating—her internal conflict added real emotional weight. Haskell’s prose is sharp and occasionally poetic, never overstaying its welcome.

I’m docking a star mainly because the pacing dipped a bit in the middle. Some of the political maneuvering dragged, and a few secondary characters didn’t quite come alive the way the leads did. Still, those are small flaws in what’s otherwise a standout entry in the dark fantasy genre.

If you like your magic with a side of menace and mystery, this one's worth your time. Looking forward to what comes next in the series.

The Malice of Moons and Mages was a fun read that won me over with its interesting magic system, characters that are morally complex, and a plot that is high stakes. The world building started off dense, but it was worth it for the depth and tension that came with it. I liked to see how Audra and Lua's alliance developed over time, along with their slow burn connection. This book had a great balance of action and emotion, so I will certainly be reading the next book when it comes out.

Firstly, I got given this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review (albeit being a little late!)
I went in not having heard of this author and not particularly in the mood for an arc, but can honestly say I really enjoyed this book!
The writing was great, and the pacing was also great.
There is minimal romance, hard world building and dragons!
Not gunna lie - it took me a few chapters to get my head around the world building because there’s so much going on - but once I did it was better to follow.
The magic system is really intricate and unique, and one I’ve not seen before.
You’ve also got the “touch her and die” trope which is 🤌🏻 is classed as enemies to lovers, but I would have liked to see the enemies part for a little longer as it seemed to fizzle out very quickly - however I’m guessing that the way the bond was created is going to play a part in the next book so in a way I’m guessing this was intended?

Either way this was a great book and I’m looking forward to book 2!

4.5 stars - I really enjoyed this. I loved how morally gray almost all the characters were - they were so rich, complex, and incredibly interesting. It was nuanced too - their motivations were slowly unspooled, paired in a rich, interconnected manner with other main characters. The world building was a bit hard to grasp at first, as a result of this unspooling. But ultimately it made for a richer experience that I think paid off. And I truly enjoyed that magic system. I loved the fluidity of the characters and how normalized it was in their society. This was super well-balanced, fresh romantasy book with a cliffhanger that made me want to scream. Those tend to be the best ones, though. When is book 2?!

The Malice of Moons and Mages was a very interesting read with a magic system I have never seen before anywhere else. The world was rich and interesting with a base in ancient Asian influence. The characters were all complex and driven by all different needs, which we got to see with the changes of point of view.
Overall, while it was a cool system, the world was not fully explained. I found myself checking to see if this was a sequel, as it felt like I was expected to know what was going on without any explanation. I felt like only halfway through the book did I have a kind of understanding on the different types of mages, and even then I was struggling.
The changes in POV gave more insight into each character and did make the pacing move quite well. It took a minute to get used to it but, by the end, I thought it was absolutely necessary.
The Romantic aspect did feel a little unearned, as the characters knew each other an extremely short time and didn’t like each other for most of it. The change from dislike and mistrust to absolute love was a little jarring. I couldn’t quite root for their romance.
Overall, I’d pick up the sequel as I’m interested to learn what happens.

The Malice of Moons and Mages is a fast paced read with an interesting magic system. The multiple POV's are a big confusing. I believe this story has potential. I will most likely pick up book 2.

The Malice of Moons and Mages was an interesting read. It started off strong with our FMC Audra engaging in shenanigans and thievery. I was very interested to see what she needed to accomplish and how her journey would pan out.
The MC Lua was determined and brutal in accomplishing his goals. Unfortunately for our FMC, when they eventually met, that meant she had to come along with him first before she could finish what she started. I found their romance a bit lacking, often overlooked by the world building. The author gave us a unique magic system, but it felt a bit complicated and when coupled with the political machinations and history of the world I found myself needing to reread certain parts and then eventually having to move on, still not fully sure I remembered everything that was just explained.

The story felt like it went super-fast yet at the same time it read very dry when discussing the history and politics. I liked the LGBTQ+ representation and enjoyed the secondary characters and their motivations for their actions. The sister was actually not even remotely redeemable which was different.

Overall, the book was good, with a decent plot and moderately interesting characters. I felt like the confusion from the lore and politics made the story take way longer to read. I probably would have rated it 3.5 if I did half stars but I did finish it and it’s certainly memorable, so I bumped it up to a solid 4 stars. Would I pick up the next one? It would depend on my mood and how long my TBR is.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this Arc.

Grade
4/5 ⭐ overall
3/5 💗 romance
2/5 🌶️ spice

Thank you to NetGalley and to Cursed Dragon Ship publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me in a chokehold from the very beginning and all of the twists & turns had me completely engaged and utterly immersed until I reached the last page and let out SUCH a big sigh because it was over. The magic system was VERY unique and the DRAGONS! Did I mention the DRAGONS? I squealed and kicked my feet like a bit of a dork when I realized that there were dragons!

The LGBTQIA+ representation was AMAZING and I just loved all of the couples so much.

The multiple POV's were the downfall for me as there were SO many characters and I really, really struggled with that element. I also was immensely confused about the politics and I still find myself being a bit confused now that I am done with the book. Hopefully that will be cleared up in the next book!?

The Malice of Moons and Mages has an intriguing premise, and what I read definitely caught my interest. The worldbuilding and storytelling showed promise, and I enjoyed the parts I did read. However, despite its potential, the book just didn’t manage to hold my attention all the way through. It’s not that it wasn’t good; it simply wasn’t the right fit for me at this time.

That said, I haven’t ruled out picking it up again in the future. Sometimes it's all about timing, and maybe later it’ll click differently.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC, for the opportunity to read this title.

If this is any indication of my review let me start it with this, when is book 2 coming out???

This story had a great story line that had a beautiful romance, detailed history showing the war and the division of peoples, wonderful character development, and honestly so much more.
The world building that felt so complex, yet was accomplished so seamlessly not weighing down the storyline at anytime. It is honestly one of the most flawless in my opinion. I can't wait to continue to learn more, as I see us learning more locals.
I also felt that the magic system was well done, it was easy to understand, but felt appropriate in the cost of the magic itself. I can't wait to explore further the interaction of the different types of magic in further books.

My one complaint about this book, the tears I shed at the end that will never truly dry until book 2 is in my hands. How dare you leave me in limbo like that! (Okay I love it, keep it up!)

Thank you to Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing for the early release copy of this book.

This fantasy book was intriguing — it gave me vibes of Trials of the Sun Queen meets Avatar the Last Airbender (with the strained sibling relationship but without elemental magic). The beginning’s world-building kinda threw me for a loop (with the several moons and magic systems), but it was a nice change from the usual fae magic in a lot of romantasies. I liked all the different perspectives and how well-woven the plot and character relationships are. I wasn’t completely sold on the enemies-to-lovers (the enemies made sense, but the lovers dynamic felt a little odd). Overall, a solid 3.5 🌟 read.

Great book that had me hooked by the first chapter. Twists in it that I didn't see coming. I don't normally read books like this one but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. Can't wait for the next book, because it cannot end like it did.

Thank you to the publisher, which provided me an ARC copy. The thoughts in this review are unbiased.

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A strongly engaging story with fast pacing, interesting characters, and an intriguing world. This book had me hooked from the start thanks to both the romance or the exciting plot that was unfolding. It’s a great read for a fast-paced light fantasy that borders just a bit more on the adult side of young adult.

Told in multiple perspectives, we are able to get a sense of many characters and perspectives while also keeping the plot moving across the board. While this is engaging and fun, it also is a bit jarring when nearing the end, where chapters get short and many perspectives must be shown as the story climaxes.

Overall, the book leaves you wanting more—and not just in the “this is the first book in the series” kind of way. The world is intriguing and fun, but we breeze through the setting in favor of plot advancement and other things, leaving the notion of a slightly shallow environment.

The characters also feel slightly flat, again in favor of plot advancement, and it feels like we could get a stronger hold on who they are.

I give this a 4/5 because I enjoyed reading it, but I would say it’s a solid 3/5 due to trying to do too much in too few words.