The Falling Of The Moon by A. E. Decker

Fans of the quirky, come hither, because Ascot’s story is just for you.

Title:  The Falling of the Moon
Author:  A. E. Decker
Series: Moonfall Mayhem Book 01
Publish Date:  October 27th, 2015
Genre:  YA Fantasy
Source: Provided by the author

Publisher’s Description:  If Ascot wants a Happy Ending, she’ll have to write it herself.

In the gloomy mountains of Shadowvale, Ascot Abberdorf is expected to marry a lugubrious Count and settle down to a quiet life terrorizing the villagers. Instead, armed with a book of fairy tales, her faithful bat-winged cat, and whatever silverware she can pinch, Ascot heads east, to the mysterious Daylands, where her book promises she can find True Love and Happily Ever After, if she only follows her heart.

Determined to win the hand of Prince Parvanel, Ascot storms the Kingdom of Albright. With the book’s guidance, she’s confident she’ll overcome any obstacles the imperious Queen Bettina Anna throws in her way, be they witches, evil stepmothers, or Big Bad Wolves.

Unfortunately, the book doesn’t cover reluctant princes, wolves who read Dostoyesvsky instead of blowing down houses, or a guild of Godmothers whose motivations may not be as pure as three drops of blood on a sweep of snow. Most annoying of all is the captain of the guard who swears he’ll see the moon fall before she weds Prince Parvanel.

There are stories . . . and then there are stories, and if this parade of shifty shenanigans continues, Ascot might have to rewrite her own tale lest she end most Unhappily Ever After!

Possible spoilers beyond this point.

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Kat Mandu says…

Half-vampire Ascot Abberforth is determined to find her Happy Ending. Armed with kindness, a group of strange but loyal friends, and a book she feels will lead her to become the prince’s future queen, she leaves her dark homeland and enters Albright to win Parvanel’s heart.

Instead she finds a competition of wannabe princesses who will do anything to make sure she doesn’t win, a queen with bad history of happy endings, silly and dangerous tasks she must overcome, and an enigmatic Captain of the Guard who challenges her every step of the way.

Filled with twists, turns, and great characters who charge the plot forward, Ascot manages to write her own happy ending – while remaining true to herself.

I particularly love competition among potential royals. Anyone who knows me knows I love princesses who are at each other’s throat. This story, just in the chapters surrounding the first dinner banquet, describes what lengths girls will go to for the prince’s heart. It was awesome. I also love the continual reference to fairy tales – big bad wolves, evil step-mothers, animals who will obey their master’s every order, and enchanted apples.

The creatures were a nice touch too. Although Ascot was half-vampire, she doesn’t feel the need to suck blood. She does have an allergy to garlic though. I loved that the shifter’s form was a sabretooth (a character whose name won’t be mentioned for spoilers). Dmitri and Moony also made quite a team and great allies to Ascot. Even Rags-N-Bones’s army of rodents were helpful at the best moments, often reminding me of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.

I was really looking forward to reading this – it arrived perfectly to fit my mood and my current request wish list. High fantasy is a favorite genre of mine and this quirky and cute story was just what I was looking for. It reminded me of the video game Fable at times, with a bit of Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman style) mixed in.  A great read for anyone looking for something cheerful to read. Five shiny stars.

Our reviews in this series…

• The Falling of the Moon, Book 01
• The Meddlers of Moonshine, Book 02

Other reviews…

• Girl + Book
• Goodreads

If you like this book…

Ascot’s story is humorous and silly, perfect for fans of Eva Ibbotson’s Which Witch, Kiera Cass’s The Selection, and Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede.