'Call Forth the Moonlight', by ZM Celestaire

Deubrise is a land blessed by the breath of the slumbering gods. Magíq lives within nature, powerful and beautiful. Few else can harness it besides the gryphons that reside in the mountains near Nico De Falco's home, and the rare magíqon like Nico's little sister. But magíqon are shunned and feared by modern society.

To protect himself from such treatment, Dr. Ackerleigh Sebring keeps his magíq a secret. Yet his ‘radical’ teachings of magíqal history gets him fired from Ravensbourne University. Desperate, he finds a gamekeeper job caring for an imprisoned gryphon. Finally, he can be his whole self.

That is, until Nico follows a misguided impulse and frees the gryphon, injuring Ackerleigh accidentally.

Their fates-and feelings-become entangled in their determination to protect the sacred magíq of the gryphon. Ackerleigh and Nico will stop at nothing for the sake of liberation.

It’s a huge privilege of being a reviewer when I discover indie authors that might otherwise have been overlooked.

A few years ago, I was approached by a first-time writer and illustrator with their book ‘Deny Me, the Nightshade Boy’. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but within a few chapters I was hooked well and truly into their beautiful world of love, magic and the challenges that came with both. I still don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it.

Fast forward to now and that trilogy is done - it’s time for something new.

‘Call Forth the Moonlight’ starts off very differently. This isn’t our world, but an alternate reality where magíq exists and is somewhat controversial in how it’s approached in society. Some users are esteemed, others villified. Academically, it’s studied in a manner akin to the scientific method, but at the same time seems as difficult and complex as quantum physics.

Upshot: magíq is strange, powerful and not as controllable as would be liked by those in power.

Then we have the Fabulous Beasts!

While this is a love story between two men set in the magíqal world, there’s so much more going on here that I’d hesitate to call it a straightforward romance. There is fast-paced adventure, social commentary, found family and the quest to find one’s own self amidst what is deemed normal.

I admit that I did find that ‘norm’ tricky to establish at first, with the first scenes being of abuse (non-explicit) and the consequences of escaping with almost nothing to your name. However, the power that comes when one is able to step away from what causes them harm starts to grow and blossom. Add in a friendly gryphon seeking its own freedom and we have a complex and nuanced tale that’s perfectly suited to these difficult times.

Ackerleigh is both immensely likeable and sympathetic as a primary protagonist, and all of the characters are so different from the previous tales that this book never falls into the trap of ‘just more of the same’. Instead ‘Moonlight’ resonates with freshness and the joy of exploring a new world.

ZM Celestaire has become an Auto-Buy author for me. Another example of how independent writers should never be counted out; on the contrary, they should be grabbed with both hands as they dare to show us what the big publishers never can!

I count myself lucky to have read this book early, and privileged to be able to share a unique fantasy author with you.