Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: April 2nd, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, Witches, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal

Series: Moonstruck

Draw Down the Moon—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

New York Times bestsellers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast return with a new duology set in a dark and magickal world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance.

Wren Nightingale isn’t supposed to have any powers. Born of magickal parents but not under a moon sign, she was destined for life as a Mundane—right up until she starts glowing on her eighteenth birthday. In a heartbeat, Wren’s life is turned upside down, and she’s suddenly leaving her home for the mystical Academia de la Luna—a secret magickal school on a hidden island off the Seattle coast.

Lee Young has always known about his future at the Academia. He has one goal: pass the trials, impress the Moon Council, and uphold his family’s reputation. But he wasn’t expecting to be attending alongside the girl he’s been secretly in love with for as long as he can remember.

As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie’s gruelling trials, they quickly learn there’s something different–and dangerous–about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies–and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect–his family’s legacy, or the girl he loves.

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First Line:

I’m pretty sure that, at any moment, blue and red lights will flash and the local sheriff will tear down the street and stop me. Again.

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

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Important details about Draw Down the Moon

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Wren and Lee)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Draw Down the Moon contains themes of death, violence, blood, grief, death of a parent, murder, gaslighting, toxic friendship, injury & injury detail, bullying, classism, misgendering, *anxiety & anxiety attacks, death of a sibling, boating accidents, and knife violence. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

• Anxiety & Anxiety Attack—Lee remembers anxiety attacks that plagued him as a child while talking with Wren.

Language: Lost & Hound contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Series: Draw Down the Moon is the first book in the Moonstruck series.

Sexual Content: There is very mild sexual content in Draw Down the Moon.

Setting: Draw Down the Moon is set in Oregon (Fern Valley and Seattle) and on an island in the Pacific Northwest (Moon Isle).

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My Review:

I have been a big fan of P.C. Cast, having read her Tales of a New World series and loved it. So, when I saw that she had a new book, Draw Down the Moon, I knew I needed to read it, and I was thrilled when I got the widget from St. Martin’s Press in my email. Having read the book, I think it was an excellent start to this series.

The main storyline of Draw Down the Moon centers around Wren and Lee. Wren is born a Mundane in a world where magic is powerful. On the other hand, her best friend, Lee, is a potent healer and is going to the highly sought-after Moon Isle to learn how to harness his magic. But everything changes when, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, Wren suddenly develops magic. At a loss of how it happened, Wren soon finds herself on a ferry to Moon Isle. Once on the island, Wren is plunged into a treasure trove of secrets and lore. With the secretive head of the school seemingly watching her, the elemental assigned to her house protecting her, and her feelings for Lee growing daily, Wren must figure out what is going on. But the truth will have a cost, either breaking Wren or setting her on a path to right old wrongs.

The main storyline of Draw Down the Moon was well written. Even the fact that it was a dual POV didn’t bother me. The author could seamlessly go between Wren and Lee’s POV without disrupting the storyline. I also liked that while I figured out what was happening (around when Wren had the 2nd trial), I was still surprised at what happened and the fallout.

I did get some strong Harry Potter vibes during the chapters where the other students were assigned to their houses. But I did like how they were assigned (it was better than the Sorting Hat, and yes, I am prepared for backlash on that). The Harry Potter vibe got stronger when they entered the dorms. But, as soon as Wren got her room, those vibes stopped, and the book started to take shape. I will warn you, there is no kindly headmaster (actually, just the opposite) or teachers with an agenda (well, not that I saw). The only magical creatures are the elementals that allowed the school to be on the island, and they are dangerous.

I liked Wren. She was mischievous and not afraid to stand up for herself. She was also out of her element during the first few days in school. Her lack of magic did set her apart. But it was during the first trial that I noticed something about her power. That thought grew when the elementals started approaching and talking to her. I did wish that she and Lee weren’t so tight. I would have loved to see her interact with Sam or any other students she befriended more.

Lee was all right, and I felt terrible for him. The poor kid was under so much pressure to live up to the family name that he suffered panic attacks. Add in that his older sister was killed while at the school, and he was barely keeping it together. At times, I could see almost two different sides of Lee. There was one side where he was this carefree boy man who just wanted to hang with his girl, and there was the other side where he was this anxiety-ridden mess who couldn’t/wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his family name. I wasn’t surprised by any of his decisions. They were all done to further his family name. The only thing he couldn’t control was Wren or his feelings for her.

The fantasy angle of Draw Down the Moon was amazing. I loved that the author chose the magic system based on astrology. At first, there wasn’t much information about the different signs and magic. But, as the book went on, the author did start explaining the origin story of the Moonstruck and the other magic. I also liked that the author used elementals instead of the usual creatures featured in these books. The fact that the elementals were aware of Wren and were protecting her, but no reason was given, was frightening.

The fantasy angle also included a book Wren could not read (the writing was messed up). How she got the book was pretty funny, but she needed to decode it once she got it. All she knew was that Lee’s older sister wrote it, and it was something explosive. I wasn’t prepared for what it was and the fallout that happened. But I did like seeing the lore and the island’s past brought into better focus. It explained a lot.

The last couple of chapters of Draw Down the Moon were heartbreaking. While I like it when an author kills off major secondary characters, I was very heartbroken and surprised by who the author chose. While I had figured out Wren’s magic, I was not prepared for what happened at the end of the book. The revelations that were revealed were earth-shattering, as was the fight that went along with them. I also didn’t blame Lee for what he did.

The author ended Draw Down the Moon on a cliffhanger. There were so many questions that needed to be answered. And when I say so many questions, I mean it. I cannot wait to read book two and see what the fallout from the death and Wren and Lee’s actions have on the island.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, P.C. Cast, and Kristin Cast for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Draw Down the Moon. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

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