Review: Harvest Moon
Harvest Moon by Krista D. Ball
Synopsis
Dancing Cat angers her Ancestor, whose harsh punishment teaches her that true strength comes from the spirit within.Cursed, abused, and desperate to know her future, Dancing Cat sneaks a glimpse inside her tribe’s Sacred Bundle, a powerful source of spirit magic. Instead of the future, she sees her most powerful ancestor, Small Tree and incurs her wrath. Small Tree strips Dancing Cat of everything – her home, her identity, even her gender – and drops her in the middle of enemy lands.
Injured, and in a strange, new body, she is befriended by Bearclaw who is on a spirit quest. He offers her assistance and asks for nothing in return; a kindness Dancing Cat had forgotten existed. She struggles to weave a path around the obstacles of friendship, identity, and longing in order to survive her eventual return home to face even further punishment.
And she does it while wearing someone else’s skin.
Review
I wasn’t really sure what to expect before I picked this book. While it may not be something I would normally read, based on the synopsis, it did sound interesting, and I’m glad I gave it a try.
Dancing Cat has been shun by her tribe. They believe she is cursed, and this causes her great distress. Unsure what is left for her or what path her life should take, Dancing Cat calls upon the spirits of her ancestors for answers. Instead she is given a new body, a male’s body.
From there an unexpected adventure for her begins when she befriends Bearclaw, a warrior from a neighboring tribe. Together, they discover hard truths about themselves, which helps them accept each other.
I could feel Dancing Cat’s pain and the unfairness of her situation. Bearclaws kindness to her was sweet, and it was something that she very much needed. The relationship that developed between them was exciting to read about because it seemed so forbidden.
This novella is a quick read, and one I would recommend. The only complaint I have is that it ended too abruptly for my taste. I wanted more. I couldn’t help wondering, what happens next? Will things work out? Still, the writing was good, and overall, I did enjoy the unusual love story and light humor.
Sounds interesting. I can see interesting places where the author could go. Hmm… maybe she'll take your advice and produce a full novel with this idea. Nice review!
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The summary didn't really draw me in, but your review did. I'll have to check this out.
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The summary didn't do much for me but I have to say you made it sound interesting. I love Native American books, I can't read enough of them. I will have to check it out!
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Thanks for taking the time to do the review and for posting your thoughts. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Krista
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