Sol & Lune by Kathryn MoonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book starts with the arrival of General Dominic Westbrook and his troops at the Manor of Lumen Fenn, the last of her family to survive the decades long war between the gods of Lune and Sol. Westbrooks’ usual method of taking manor houses is to strip them of assets whilst enjoying the company of any young women to take his fancy, before passing them onto his friends Gideon Jones, his second in command, and Finley Brinks his medical officer. All three men have been hardened by their lives, none of them in the army by choice and they have lived most of their lives killing people and holding control on hard men who live by killing others. It’s a hard and difficult life and they are hard and difficult men.
Lumen refuses to leave her family home, handed to her on her mother’s death after generations of following the matriarchal line. All she wants to do is protect her people and her home. She knows she will be taken by the General and will have little choice in it.
Lumen loves her Mother Goddess, Lune and worships her with her whole heart, every full moon telling the truth all day and every new moon spent in fasting and meditation and in silence. She finds peace and beauty in her worship. When the General takes her she accepts her fate and tries to continue living her life according to Lune’s dictates including nursing the injured soldiers, using all her hard learnt knowledge passed on by her mother’s expertise and patience.
Lumen’s ability to show tenderness and compassion to her enemies and to sacrifice herself without bitterness draws the General and his two friends to her life moths to a flame. Sharing her body opens her up to sharing her heart and risk it breaking.
This is a heartbreaking and beautiful story, which is delicately nuanced as it explores the passion and emotions of those in a war they don’t believe in. It catalogues the erosion of society during the bleakest of times.
This is fantasy novel, but it explores things that are relevant to modern life, especially how people behave in war. It’s beautifully written and ripped my heart out several times. Lumen is stunning character who is forced to explore her feelings and beliefs to the point of fracture and her beautiful soul shines through every page.
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