Moon Deeds : Star Children Saga

The idea of this book is an interesting one of blending science fiction and fantasy together so there is a tale that covers a dystopian world far into our future with aliens, a destroyed or depleted world and the wonder of magic.

Given how we're even now looking at the idea of humankind living on other planets? This doesn't feel too far fetched or at least things such as land deeds for the moon don't. (I would like to hope that if an alien species or ten do exist we won't find ourselves at war - I still have nightmares over The War of the Worlds)

The world building is indepth and wonderfully done, you can imagine yourself in this alternate not too distant future facing the multiple problems the remaining humans do thanks to the creativity of the author. This was the positive for me but then problems for me arose.

I went into this book hoping to be fully immersed in a story that had me never wanting to come up for air from it's 598 pages because a book that is that thick holds promise. Or it does to me normally - Moon Deeds did not do that for me; in fact I struggled with being drawn in and I wasn't sure exactly why. Let me explain what I do know; I wanted to read the story, I wanted to explore the 'sci-fantasy' which was new to me and I really wanted to know about the twins, Cassidy and Torr who unexpectedly (for them) are faced with saving the world they know and Earth itself.

All of that should have led to me being in my element but I was fighting with myself to finish the first few chapters, never mind the book. From the get go, it felt like I was overwhelmed with the fictionalised history of Earth in Moon Deeds: Star Children Saga. Whilst normally, I would welcome an explanation of how a fantasy or sci-fi world has come to where they are now; I was reminded rather painfully of sitting doing coursework and my professors throwing more and more information at me until I couldn't remember my own name.

I struggled with the balance of how desperate the situation was - Earth is pretty much ruined as a planet but half the time it didn't feel like that. There was a deep disconnect for me between the plot and characters especially the main two that was near on impossible to rectify. I do wonder possibly, if the book has been shorter maybe half the size, that disconnect could have been rectified and the reader would have been able to connect more with what was happening? After all as I've said, given the environmental impact of humanity on Earth as it stands - some elements of Moon Deeds don't feel so far fetched. There is sadly, a need to look for other planets (to ruin) to find suitable to live on and that fear should have been both relatable and palpable but it wasn't.

I also strongly disliked the plethora of swearing. I find myself having to stress, I'm far from a prude, I swear at times but I don't think there is a need for the amount of profanity that occurs throughout the book. Sometimes that level of anger or emotion adds something but it is rare - this was gratuitous and unnecessary.

This could have been so good but the author didn't seem to remember things that had been mentioned before or place the same relevance on it throughout the book. Events that happen don't seem to be fully recognised by the characters for example, if a tree branch fell and caused damage? It was barely acknowledged even if people were hurt which makes no sense.

I was really looking forward to this, and was hoping for a great tale but I think in truth, it needed more editing and perhaps being a little less (unnecessarily) in depth at times.

I could go on as to why Moon Deeds wasn't the book that I hoped it to be but I feel that would become almost an essay. No one needs that long a review of problems..