A Moonlit Task: An Urban Fantasy Mystery Novel (End Gate Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

I’m pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I watch Tom’s YouTube channel consistently, and when I heard that he was publishing a book, I was curious and wanted to read it. The only work I had read from Tom was 3 paragraphs into his short story “Into the Void”, which I decided to put on hold until I finished this book, so I didn’t really know his writing style. What I found was a professionally planned and executed book that kept me interested until the last page.

We’ll start with the good parts. To begin with, Tom breathed life into his characters and his scenes. Nancy wasn’t just a librarian, she was a living being that Tom developed during the story. The other characters were described in just as much detail, and they felt like they had their own distinct personalities instead of being generic, reused characters. The scenes were described in just as much detail; for example I could visualize Nancy’s house and her neighborhood easily. Tom developed Nancy’s character well throughout the story, and in fact, the story was smoothly presented without any stagnation points (except in one or two minor cases).

Even though I liked the story, there were some minor details that I didn’t agree with. For example, I found one or two parts to be a little tedious to read. Also, some of his metaphors are worded differently than what I would have liked. Lastly, I felt that a few of the characters weren’t developed as much as I wanted. I understand why Tom put them in the story and why he didn’t describe them thoroughly, but it felt weird in light of the detail he put into his other characters.

All in all, I will rate this book a 9 / 10. I really enjoyed his book and can’t wait for the next one!

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book in return for an unbiased review. That being said, don't forget to support the author! I bought a copy anyways because it's an excellent read.

Truth-be-told, I didn't even know I liked Urban Fantasy until I read A Moonlit Task.

Nancy has stumbled upon her destiny some years after her husband has disappeared. What she finds on a back alley in Madison will set a chain of events in motion that will change her forever. As her new, inner drive (and some inner voices, too) pushes her to unwind the truth behind the horror she has stumbled upon, Nancy learns something about herself she could never have imagined.

Nanacy's stumble through the plot with her rambunctious, senior friend, Edna, endeared them both to me and I can see how people across multiple reading genres could thoroughly enjoy this book.

Wow. Peter. (That's all I'm going to say)

Hansen spins words like a seasoned pro who obviously has done, or has wanted to do, this all his life and I'm totally hooked. Iv'e seen he also publishes shorts and I plan to inhale every word through my eyes.

Top notch. MUST enjoy.

A Moonlit Task takes an older woman and her best friend. They could be your grandmothers or older aunts. After seeing the aftermath of a grisly mauling, their world is turned upside down. Tom paints a vivid world where there is always more than meets the eye. He is true to his characters. Nancy, still grieving over her lost husband, with a heart of gold, and spine of steel, and Edna, open minded to a fault and always looking for adventure, but intensely loyal to her friends.

With these two women as a core, Tom writes an exciting mystery with a good plot and excellent characters.

You know what the world of fantasy (indeed, the world of genre fiction!) needs? More senior citizens. As proved by Tom Hansen in his delightful debut novel, A Moonlit Task, using older characters provides a twist to the run-of-the-mill, every-day young man or young woman story. There are so many complexities and nuances that are added by older, more mature characters that add a layer of fun and reality that has been missing from too much fantasy lately.

In the spirit of full disclosure (and of bragging rights), I am a good friend of the author who got to watch this book go from the idea phase to publication. I also had the chance to read this book when it was still in draft form. My review is based on an ARC of the book provided to me by the author. That being said, I will attempt to be as unbiased as possible.

In A Moonlit Task, Nancy Moon and her friend Edna, two ladies in their sixties who want nothing more than to get home in time to watch Dancing with the Stars, are thrown into a world of magic and intrigue. Along the way, Nancy discovers things about herself that have been hidden for decades, and Edna provides much needed comic relief.

In this first book of what promises to be a fun series, the reader only gets glimpses into the larger magical world as Nancy and Edna battle a mystical tiger and try to protect a young man from abuse, but there are plenty of hints at more to come. Having had a chance to peek through a rough draft of the sequel, I can state that the world is as good as you can hope.

However, at least for me, the world plays second fiddle to the characters, and both Nancy and Edna are excellent characters. Nancy is a solid lead, with just the right amount of personality to make her interesting and more than enough hidden shadows in her life to make her intriguing. Edna, Nancy's wise-cracking friend steals the show every scene she's in and is a delightful companion on the adventure, often pushing Nancy when she needs it and stepping up when Nancy needs backup. The two make a great pair and their relationship is what really moves the story forward.

More than anything, it is Nancy and Edna's everyday lives and how they are impacted by the events of the novel that really make this story fun. Their reactions to the extraordinary events never seemed over-the-top or unrealistic, and their attempts to continue with their ordinary lives--making dinner, cleaning out an attic, and so on--make them feel like real people, an extraordinary thing in a world of fantasy that his helped in no small part by their age.

The mystery of what is going on is also intriguing and the climax is appropriately satisfying. While this book is obviously meant to kick off a series and there is more to come, it also has its own, stand-alone story-arc. As a reader who is tired of having to wait for the next book to have any closure, I really appreciate Hansen's ability to bring things to an appropriate end while opening the door for the future.

The senior citizen thing may worry some younger readers, but it shouldn't. These are delightful characters that you will recognize and a fun story filled with magic and danger. It is more than enough to satisfy the most ardent of fantasy fans.

In the end, I really like this book and can't wait to see where the series goes after this one. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and who wants to read something a bit different.