Despite all appearances, Kaden and Cynthia are twins—born on another world and raised apart for most of their lives on Earth. They also wield unique otherworldly powers of magik. And just as they’re settling in from their last adventure, things are getting strange again. They’re joined at school by their old friend Alec, as well as Korrie: the granddaughter of their old enemy, Iblis Arrayal. But Alec and Korrie won’t be visiting Earth for long. All four of them have been summoned for a quest. Their journey to rescue an imprisoned ally takes them to the planet of Deluvium, a watery world encircled by three moons. In order to free their friend, the teens are told, they’ll need the power of an unformed artifact known as the Seventh Water. To create it, they must unite the Six Waters under the rare triple solar eclipse known as the Moon’s Eye. There’s just one problem: finding even one of these magical items is considered the quest of a lifetime, and they have six weeks to do it. But as this quest comes to an end, the story is just beginning. Can Korrie be trusted? What is the true purpose of the Seventh Water? What are the true natures of Kaden and Cynthia’s unique, dangerous powers?

Blake Miller’s DELOS: The Moon’s Eye follows the author’s DELOS: The White Tree, and it’s evident from the very first pages that these characters are coming in with a vast, detailed history. Fortunately, Miller takes plenty of time to immerse the reader in what came before, front-loading the events of the first story and spinning his world’s unique magic system throughout. While the author’s prose is strong and his characters are beautifully multifaceted and believable—a challenge in a large cast—the worldbuilding serves as a strong launchpad for the story. The universe of the DELOS novels is powered by “magikas,” which has its own complex but approachable system: simple enough to understand, but broad enough to build and expand upon. Miller’s storytelling shows satisfying range, too, moving from adolescent romance to gory combat to existential philosophy. Once the foundation is laid, the story sweeps the reader up in it, refusing to let go until the epilogue rolls in. It’s an enticing, enthralling read. And while it gives a sufficient summary of what came before, new readers will feel drawn to go back to the previous book to fill in the blanks for themselves.

Blake Miller’s DELOS: The Moon’s Eye packs war, love, family drama, prophecy, and humor into a fast-paced (and  satisfying standalone) world of quests, magik and deceit. A must-read for fans of sci-fantasy, and one that will bear readers easily along to its next port of call.

~Kara Dennison for IndieReader