As a Book Reviewer, I received a free copy of Festival of the Azure Moon by Larnce Hicks for my honest review.

Festival of the Azure Moon by Larnce Hicks is a fantasy story that is nonstop action, adventure, and battles. This book is well written, has fascinating characters, and includes lots of magic. It is the first book of “The Portal Mage” saga and has a striking cover.

The first two main characters introduced in the pages of Festival of the Azure Moon are referred to as the “bad guys” as they are breaking laws and being hunted down for their crimes. However, the way that Mr. Hicks chose to portray them endeared them to this reader and had me cheering for them. As the story progresses, battles ensue between these outlaws and their hunters. The stakes get higher and more sinister characters are revealed as the plot thickens.

The wonderfully created variety of characters, the adventure, explanations of the magic performed, and the battles held my attention from the very first page to the last. An occasional twist surprised me and one or two had me biting my knuckles.

I recommend Festival of the Azure Moon to all fans of fantasy stories that take place in well-developed worlds and that are packed with magic and all of the other exciting items I’ve already mentioned, as well as some unexpected twists and turns.

Though this is the first book of a series, the ending resolves enough and leaves a hint of more to come in a way that leaves the reader satisfied yet eager for the next book

Festival of the Azure Moon, in my opinion, is written for teen to adults due to some inappropriate language and crude comments scattered throughout, as well as some very descriptive and gory fight scenes. There is also mild reference to LGBTQ, but it is a very minor part of the story that never becomes a central focus and is tastefully written, and I did not find it offensive.

I give Festival of the Azure Moon 5 stars.