Some books focus on the epic; stories spanning empires, cultures and continents. There’s nothing wrong with that by any means (in fact, I’m describing some of my favourite books when I say that), but the buy-in required from a reader to wrap their heads around the scope of epic fantasy is sometimes a hurdle. Red Harvest Moon goes the other way. Not that it’s a book lacking world building, but rather its scope is designed to follow a smaller cast of characters as they are developed through some bloody trials and tribulations. It’s that restraint in scale which is the book’s strongest point.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a throwback to the classic fantasy novels that captured my imagination with the genre so many years ago. Hurt paints a picture of a rich and detailed setting, with some features familiar to fantasy readers but made the author’s own with a unique perspective in this story filled with magic, monsters, old mysterious gods, and plenty of blood.
The principal antagonists, the ghuls, are orc-esque in their motivations. They are led by the relentless Krond, himself a villain reminiscent of Uruk-hai. But those similarities are enough to hint at familiar stories long since forgotten and different enough to capture interest as something new.
The plot focuses on the interactions of a diverse cast of characters over what is really only a period of a couple of days. The comparatively small stakes (at least for the fantasy genre) is actually a welcome change, and despite the limited scope of the plot, it is filled with action and excitement aplenty. The story moves quickly and purposefully but while still taking enough time to fully immerse the reader in the setting.
There are some aspects of the world building which have stuck with me and left me waiting for a sequel – I won’t detail them lest I spoil some aspect of it, but there’s tantalising glimpses of the broader universe which suggest that there’s plenty of interest awaiting readers in sequels.
Red Harvest Moon might be thought to be reminiscent of fantasy pulp, but I say that as a compliment in this context. There’s brooding anti-heroes reluctantly taking up the sword to defeat a menacing evil; the type of story that’s been told many times before and enjoyed just as much. It’s the equivalent of comfort food for the minds of life-long fantasy readers, and there’s always a place for good books like that.
You can get a copy of Red Harvest Moon on Amazon, where it’s part of the Kindle Unlimited program.
PJ Wilson Books 