What do you think?
Rate this book
The Book of Astea #2
Sundered Moon
The sun is rising…
And it shall raze the world to ash.
Astea’s Link is broken. Plague ravages the kingdom. Blood is made stone, and the fate of all life is sealed.
Kaido has finally donned the crown. In search of a cure, his army marches into Hecata’s Desert. Will they find his people’s salvation or their destruction?
Revolt brews in the west. Maisades and Izelle have rallied the followers, and their eyes are set on the throne. Otto has delivered them Mithras’ Link. Through her power, will they prevail?
Gods will be shattered. Blood shall be spilled. And from the crimson earth shall rise the heroes of Heartsong.
Open now the Book of Astea and learn what has been forgotten.
And it shall raze the world to ash.
Astea’s Link is broken. Plague ravages the kingdom. Blood is made stone, and the fate of all life is sealed.
Kaido has finally donned the crown. In search of a cure, his army marches into Hecata’s Desert. Will they find his people’s salvation or their destruction?
Revolt brews in the west. Maisades and Izelle have rallied the followers, and their eyes are set on the throne. Otto has delivered them Mithras’ Link. Through her power, will they prevail?
Gods will be shattered. Blood shall be spilled. And from the crimson earth shall rise the heroes of Heartsong.
Open now the Book of Astea and learn what has been forgotten.
- GenresFantasy
355 pages, Paperback
Published July 17, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 6, 2024
A beautiful story that concludes nicely. Thoughtful and imaginative world-building, great characterisations and a very good plot. Fresh and unique. Recommended.
July 17, 2024
This review was originally published on Grimdark Magazine
4.5 stars (rounded up)
Zammar Ahmer pushes boundaries and takes the concept of grey morality to a whole new level in Sundered Moon, the deliciously dark and exquisitely bittersweet finale to The Book of Astea duology. Full of both devastating losses and small hopeful victories, this exceptional story offers an altogether more nuanced, satisfying, and emotional twist on the grimdark genre.
Picking up seconds after the earth-shattering ending of Riven Earth, Sundered Moon reunites us with our compelling cast of deeply flawed (anti-)heroes as they have to grapple with the brutal consequences of their questionable actions. Nature’s threat to humanity grows ever more dire, a possible cure for the blood plague comes at a terrible price, dangerous revolts are brewing, and the wrath of the gods grows inescapable. Though even when faced with impossible odds and devastating moral dilemmas, the relentless fight for peace and balance continues, no matter how high the cost.
Now, as much as I love the satisfaction of finishing a series, I rarely find myself enjoying a sequel or finale as much as its predecessors because I often don’t feel genuinely scared for the fates of the characters. However, Ahmer brutally broke that pattern with Sundered Moon by uprooting all conventions, tropes and expectations to deliver an altogether more unique and engrossing story. I mean, ‘plot armour’ is clearly not a term in Ahmer’s dictionary, and I absolutely loved the high stakes and anxiety-inducing levels of emotional turmoil; these characters are put through the wringer, and absolutely nothing and no one is proven safe.
As impressed as I was with the character work in book 1, I think Ahmer just stepped up his game even more in Sundered Moon. We follow a large cast of incredibly complex and deeply flawed characters whose opposing goals and ambitions create a riveting sense of anticipatory dread, and rarely have I felt so conflicted on characters over the course of a series. They are all working towards what they think is right, but some of their goals are unattainable without hurting people; or should I say, without hurting the ‘wrong’ people, however they define that for themselves.
Though, while I loved getting a glimpse into the troubled minds of so many diverse characters, I do think the frequent POV switches (up to 8 or 10 times within a single chapter) sometimes slightly hindered my immersion. The pacing is already quite slow-burn, with most of the real action only taking place after the 70% mark, and I can see less character-driven readers than me starting to lose attention because of the slightly uneven pacing and lack of solid grounding at any given point.
All that said, I think it is remarkable how, after reading hundreds upon hundreds of fantasy books, Ahmer managed to completely surprise me with his bold storytelling decisions in Sundered Moon. The way that this entire conflict played out was just magnificently done, and I loved how my own sense of morality kept being tested when faced with the deep complexity and raw emotional vulnerability of these characters.
Moreover, I really love the breathtakingly beautiful yet unforgivingly brutal world that Ahmer has created here, especially as the immersive and evocative descriptions make this world feel so vibrant and lived in. Similarly to R.J. Barker’s style of world building, the entire flora and fauna is entirely unique to this world, which just sparked such a deep sense of wonder and awe. Moreover, the depth of the history and lore is truly astounding, and I loved exploring how religion, faith and magic are so intricately tied together in this story.
And then add to all of that the subtle environmental themes that lie at the core of both Riven Earth and Sundered Moon, which make the beautifully bittersweet ending of this duology hit home so hard. Some of the resolutions and reveals, especially regarding the more ethereal aspects of the ending, could have easily felt like plot conveniences in the hands of a lesser author, but I think Ahmer nailed the execution of this story by masterfully planting all the seeds and delivering a tragically believable level of sacrifice and loss.
Though while this series, and especially this finale, goes down some disturbingly dark paths and features characters more morally ambiguous than any you will find in Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy or Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, I do think Sundered Moon offers a refreshingly inventive and more hopeful twist on the grimdark genre. The touching moments of hope and victory only feel so earned and impactful because we have experienced the deepest tragedy first; this is how you write a multi-layered and emotionally resonant story.
With The Book of Astea duology, Ahmer proves that a talented author doesn’t need thousands upon thousands of pages to deliver world building, character work, and emotional depth of the highest quality. If you like your stories dark, character-driven, and full of brutally bold twists and turns, then I can’t recommend Riven Earth and Sundered Moon highly enough. Ahmer has single-handedly raised the bar for any debut (indie) author with this duology, and I am truly beyond excited to follow along on his undoubtedly fruitful author journey.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4.5 stars (rounded up)
Zammar Ahmer pushes boundaries and takes the concept of grey morality to a whole new level in Sundered Moon, the deliciously dark and exquisitely bittersweet finale to The Book of Astea duology. Full of both devastating losses and small hopeful victories, this exceptional story offers an altogether more nuanced, satisfying, and emotional twist on the grimdark genre.
Picking up seconds after the earth-shattering ending of Riven Earth, Sundered Moon reunites us with our compelling cast of deeply flawed (anti-)heroes as they have to grapple with the brutal consequences of their questionable actions. Nature’s threat to humanity grows ever more dire, a possible cure for the blood plague comes at a terrible price, dangerous revolts are brewing, and the wrath of the gods grows inescapable. Though even when faced with impossible odds and devastating moral dilemmas, the relentless fight for peace and balance continues, no matter how high the cost.
Now, as much as I love the satisfaction of finishing a series, I rarely find myself enjoying a sequel or finale as much as its predecessors because I often don’t feel genuinely scared for the fates of the characters. However, Ahmer brutally broke that pattern with Sundered Moon by uprooting all conventions, tropes and expectations to deliver an altogether more unique and engrossing story. I mean, ‘plot armour’ is clearly not a term in Ahmer’s dictionary, and I absolutely loved the high stakes and anxiety-inducing levels of emotional turmoil; these characters are put through the wringer, and absolutely nothing and no one is proven safe.
As impressed as I was with the character work in book 1, I think Ahmer just stepped up his game even more in Sundered Moon. We follow a large cast of incredibly complex and deeply flawed characters whose opposing goals and ambitions create a riveting sense of anticipatory dread, and rarely have I felt so conflicted on characters over the course of a series. They are all working towards what they think is right, but some of their goals are unattainable without hurting people; or should I say, without hurting the ‘wrong’ people, however they define that for themselves.
Though, while I loved getting a glimpse into the troubled minds of so many diverse characters, I do think the frequent POV switches (up to 8 or 10 times within a single chapter) sometimes slightly hindered my immersion. The pacing is already quite slow-burn, with most of the real action only taking place after the 70% mark, and I can see less character-driven readers than me starting to lose attention because of the slightly uneven pacing and lack of solid grounding at any given point.
All that said, I think it is remarkable how, after reading hundreds upon hundreds of fantasy books, Ahmer managed to completely surprise me with his bold storytelling decisions in Sundered Moon. The way that this entire conflict played out was just magnificently done, and I loved how my own sense of morality kept being tested when faced with the deep complexity and raw emotional vulnerability of these characters.
Moreover, I really love the breathtakingly beautiful yet unforgivingly brutal world that Ahmer has created here, especially as the immersive and evocative descriptions make this world feel so vibrant and lived in. Similarly to R.J. Barker’s style of world building, the entire flora and fauna is entirely unique to this world, which just sparked such a deep sense of wonder and awe. Moreover, the depth of the history and lore is truly astounding, and I loved exploring how religion, faith and magic are so intricately tied together in this story.
And then add to all of that the subtle environmental themes that lie at the core of both Riven Earth and Sundered Moon, which make the beautifully bittersweet ending of this duology hit home so hard. Some of the resolutions and reveals, especially regarding the more ethereal aspects of the ending, could have easily felt like plot conveniences in the hands of a lesser author, but I think Ahmer nailed the execution of this story by masterfully planting all the seeds and delivering a tragically believable level of sacrifice and loss.
Though while this series, and especially this finale, goes down some disturbingly dark paths and features characters more morally ambiguous than any you will find in Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy or Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, I do think Sundered Moon offers a refreshingly inventive and more hopeful twist on the grimdark genre. The touching moments of hope and victory only feel so earned and impactful because we have experienced the deepest tragedy first; this is how you write a multi-layered and emotionally resonant story.
With The Book of Astea duology, Ahmer proves that a talented author doesn’t need thousands upon thousands of pages to deliver world building, character work, and emotional depth of the highest quality. If you like your stories dark, character-driven, and full of brutally bold twists and turns, then I can’t recommend Riven Earth and Sundered Moon highly enough. Ahmer has single-handedly raised the bar for any debut (indie) author with this duology, and I am truly beyond excited to follow along on his undoubtedly fruitful author journey.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 27, 2024
Ah, Sundered Moon.
This book took me places I never expected to go. It is far darker than book 1, but I hope it is a worthy successor.
If you enjoyed Riven Earth but found it a bit light on the action, you won't be disappointed here. At the same time, I tried to stay true to these characters and do justice to their stories.
Only you can say if I succeeded.
For me, this is the best book I've written. I'm incredibly proud of it, and I'll never forget the feeling of finishing that final sentence. In that singular moment, at the journey's end, all was right.
This book took me places I never expected to go. It is far darker than book 1, but I hope it is a worthy successor.
If you enjoyed Riven Earth but found it a bit light on the action, you won't be disappointed here. At the same time, I tried to stay true to these characters and do justice to their stories.
Only you can say if I succeeded.
For me, this is the best book I've written. I'm incredibly proud of it, and I'll never forget the feeling of finishing that final sentence. In that singular moment, at the journey's end, all was right.
July 6, 2024
Zammar Ahmer returns with Sundered Moon, my highly anticipated sequel to Riven Earth, plunging readers into a world darker and more harrowing than before. As a fan of Ahmer's intricate world-building and morally complex characters in the first book, I eagerly delved into Sundered Moon, expecting a continuation of vivid landscapes and profound ethical dilemmas. What awaited me was a narrative steeped in darkness, where characters face grim choices that reverberate with shocking intensity, leaving an indelible mark on the series.
Picking up seamlessly where Riven Earth left off, Sundered Moon thrusts readers into an intense continuation of the saga. The character development remains a standout feature, with both familiar faces and new additions undergoing significant evolution. Ahmer continues to defy simplistic portrayals of good and evil, presenting characters whose actions blur the lines between heroism and villainy. Their struggles with identity, loyalty, and the consequences of their choices are portrayed with raw authenticity, resonating long after the pages are turned.
Sundered Moon is notably darker than its predecessor, Riven Earth. It fully embraces the grimdark genre with its pervasive violence, extending beyond mere action scenes. The narrative is fraught with controversial acts and instances of abuse that provoke deep reflection. Some actions are relatable, while others compel readers to ponder the motivations behind them.
Amid the darkness, Ahmer maintains his masterful world-building, enriching the narrative with evocative descriptions of landscapes scarred by conflict and cultures shaped by strife. The settings feel lived-in and immersive, enhancing the sense of realism even as the story ventures into realms of fantasy. As Sundered Moon hurtles toward its conclusion, the stakes escalate dramatically, testing the resilience of characters and readers alike. Themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the cyclical nature of violence permeate the narrative, challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about power and its consequences. Yet, through it all, hope persists as a powerful force for change and renewal. Each character's journey is marked by moments of personal growth and self-discovery, where hope becomes not just a distant aspiration but a tangible source of strength in the face of adversity.
Ahmer skillfully portrays how hope manifests differently for each character: as a flicker of defiance in the eyes of those oppressed, as a quiet resolve in the hearts of those who have lost everything, and as a guiding light leading the way through the darkest of times. It's underlying theme of hope that elevates Sundered Moon beyond its grimdark trappings, offering readers a nuanced exploration of resilience and the enduring human spirit.
I gave Sundered Moon a well-deserved 5 star rating because it deeply moved me, evoking a genuine care for its world and characters. Zammar Ahmer crafts a hauntingly beautiful yet bleak narrative that expertly concludes The Book Of Astea, leaving an enduring impact that extends far beyond its final pages. This book resonated with me emotionally, and its impact will linger in my thoughts for a long time to come.
Readers who enjoy morally complex characters set in richly developed fantasy worlds will find Sundered Moon captivating. Fans of grimdark fantasy will appreciate its unflinching exploration of themes like power, identity, and resilience.
Sundered Moon releases on July 17th, 2024, and I extend my gratitude to the author and Book Sirens for providing me with early access.
Picking up seamlessly where Riven Earth left off, Sundered Moon thrusts readers into an intense continuation of the saga. The character development remains a standout feature, with both familiar faces and new additions undergoing significant evolution. Ahmer continues to defy simplistic portrayals of good and evil, presenting characters whose actions blur the lines between heroism and villainy. Their struggles with identity, loyalty, and the consequences of their choices are portrayed with raw authenticity, resonating long after the pages are turned.
Sundered Moon is notably darker than its predecessor, Riven Earth. It fully embraces the grimdark genre with its pervasive violence, extending beyond mere action scenes. The narrative is fraught with controversial acts and instances of abuse that provoke deep reflection. Some actions are relatable, while others compel readers to ponder the motivations behind them.
Amid the darkness, Ahmer maintains his masterful world-building, enriching the narrative with evocative descriptions of landscapes scarred by conflict and cultures shaped by strife. The settings feel lived-in and immersive, enhancing the sense of realism even as the story ventures into realms of fantasy. As Sundered Moon hurtles toward its conclusion, the stakes escalate dramatically, testing the resilience of characters and readers alike. Themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the cyclical nature of violence permeate the narrative, challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about power and its consequences. Yet, through it all, hope persists as a powerful force for change and renewal. Each character's journey is marked by moments of personal growth and self-discovery, where hope becomes not just a distant aspiration but a tangible source of strength in the face of adversity.
Ahmer skillfully portrays how hope manifests differently for each character: as a flicker of defiance in the eyes of those oppressed, as a quiet resolve in the hearts of those who have lost everything, and as a guiding light leading the way through the darkest of times. It's underlying theme of hope that elevates Sundered Moon beyond its grimdark trappings, offering readers a nuanced exploration of resilience and the enduring human spirit.
I gave Sundered Moon a well-deserved 5 star rating because it deeply moved me, evoking a genuine care for its world and characters. Zammar Ahmer crafts a hauntingly beautiful yet bleak narrative that expertly concludes The Book Of Astea, leaving an enduring impact that extends far beyond its final pages. This book resonated with me emotionally, and its impact will linger in my thoughts for a long time to come.
Readers who enjoy morally complex characters set in richly developed fantasy worlds will find Sundered Moon captivating. Fans of grimdark fantasy will appreciate its unflinching exploration of themes like power, identity, and resilience.
Sundered Moon releases on July 17th, 2024, and I extend my gratitude to the author and Book Sirens for providing me with early access.
July 6, 2024
Disease spreads & ravishes. Desperation drives purpose. Opportunity channels a call to seize. The land itself trembles.
Grim & bleak, thought provoking and emotional. Incredible end of a highly original duology. Excellent!
Much thanks to the author for this ARC
Grim & bleak, thought provoking and emotional. Incredible end of a highly original duology. Excellent!
Much thanks to the author for this ARC
July 28, 2024
I had the immense pleasure of reading this book earlier this year as a beta for Zammar. Much like book one, Sundered Moon absolutely sundered my heart. The complex character narratives and relationship threads wove so tightly together in the book, with everyone impacting one another on a scale that was so minute, but so catastrophically large at the same time. I truly believe that the fantastical world (as cool as it is) is secondary to these extremely real people he has crafted, and that the environment is just the stage for their lives and love. It was a gorgeous book, in both imagery and heart. If you're a fan of high fantasy (but maybe want it to be a little more fast paced), then this is the duology for you.
June 26, 2024
Got an ARC copy - thanks Booksirens.
Book 1 was great, book 2 was amazing. Things hit the fan and it got dark. Couldn't put it down.
Book 1 was great, book 2 was amazing. Things hit the fan and it got dark. Couldn't put it down.
July 16, 2024
Sundered Moon is a great follow up and conclusion to Riven Earth, which I loved. In particular the multiple POVs really shine in this, I don’t think there is a bad one in the bunch and they all work together to create great pacing and drive the plot forward. Ahmer even managed to
The world building also continues to be really strong with many of Ahmer’s own animal creations. Understanding the world he has created is a big plot point for the characters and will definitely intrigue the reader. These worked really well as two books and there is even a bit of symmetry in how the plot unfolds which adds a nice stylistic element.
The world building also continues to be really strong with many of Ahmer’s own animal creations. Understanding the world he has created is a big plot point for the characters and will definitely intrigue the reader. These worked really well as two books and there is even a bit of symmetry in how the plot unfolds which adds a nice stylistic element.
July 19, 2024
This is a fantastic novel and a worthy conclusion to the Book of Astea. I found it darker, grittier, grimmer, and more powerful than the first book, but also with a surprising depth to characters I’d previously written off. Beyond just the epic worldbuilding, the betrayals, the mythical creatures, the magic, the battles, the mysteries—there’s a compelling story of human emotions, willpower, and desires in this book that was incredibly satisfying. I was very impressed at the depth of characterization for the various POV characters, as well as the way the plot resolved in unexpected ways. I want to read much more from this world, but I’m fully satisfied with the story arc we’ve been given and have only the highest praise for the duology. Highly recommended.
July 16, 2024
Sundered Moon delivered in an explosive, dark and unexpected way in the conclusion to this intriguing new fantasy duology. It took everything from the first book and cranked it up to 11, cover to cover, more action, more magic, more revenge. I couldn’t put the book down. My only disappointment now is that it’s over and I’m left waiting to see what he comes up with next.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 8, 2024
An amazing follow up to Riven Earth. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the conclusion and ended up reading it all within a week. The characters are just as impactful as the first and their developments were more exciting to read than before.
Thanks to the author for the ARC
Thanks to the author for the ARC
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews