Review: A Fable of Moonlight and Memory

A Fable of Moonlight and Memory by Ashley Evercott is the second ARC I received from the upcoming Dungeons and Legends series. This book is closer to the LitRPG format that the series uses for its aesthetic than the first one was. It is also a retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood," which makes for an interesting combination. The plot reminded me of the storyline of Final Fantasy XIII, but with werewolves. Like the first book in this series, it's a fun, spooky read for Halloween with some darker themes and occultism.


Mira lives in an enchanted fae-like world and notices a dangerous rot poisoning the enchanted plants, which should be an ill omen for everyone living in her kingdom. The trouble is, nobody believes her or cares what she has to say about it. After her grandmother goes missing following monster sightings in the woods, she decides to investigate the disturbances on her own. Her search leads her to Falimir, a werewolf who knows the truth behind these mysteries and leads her to the source of the problem while restoring pieces of his broken moonstone.

This book is a spooky adventure story perfect for the Halloween season. Mira's journey through the dark forest is fraught with danger and mystery. She is a brave heroine with an even braver companion with a secret past. It takes place in a rich fantasy world full of fae, shifters, and RPG-style monsters. Fablemoor is a fleshed-out world with whimsical imagery and a delicate magic system that is maintained by a barrier controlled by outside forces.

As much as I enjoyed the whimsical setting, I found the lore difficult to follow at times. It uses a lot of Final Fantasy logic, in which the player must accept the rules of the world at face value and trust that everything will work out as long as they can defeat the next boss. The book had a few parts that really toyed with the reader's emotions, which is also in line with Final Fantasy and other similar games. Because of that, the romance felt a little forced at times.

Overall, this is a unique take on "Little Red Riding Hood" with some LitRPG elements that appear mostly in the second half of the story. It turns a classic fairy tale about avoiding strangers into an occult myth set in a mystical forest filled with magic and danger. I recommend this book to fairy tale fans looking for a spooky Halloween story that isn't too scary.
I have always dreamed of being a writer and creating the next great fairy tale princess heroine. Princesses inspire us to be our best selves. While you're here, feel free to follow my page on Facebook, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and check out my books. I'm also on Instagram and Twitter.

Would you like to contribute to The Princess Blog? Become a patron, and you could pick the topic for my next post!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Princess Anime for the Spring 2026 Season

Image
A new season has begun, which means there are tons of new anime shows available from Japan. Going over the long lists of new shows every three months can be overwhelming, so I'm here to curate the most princessy shows each season for you. This Spring brings us two unique princess shows and two villainess shows ,  which is a popular princess-adjacent genre with new offerings for every anime season. For me, the standout series of the Spring 2026 anime season is Always a Catch , which places a unique spin on the broken engagement trope . What makes Always a Catch unique is that it subverts the trope of modern princess anime shows that start with a wicked prince breaking off his engagement to a noble lady, resulting in her winning over a different prince. In this show, Prince Renato attempts to break off his engagement with Lady Aida, but he hasn't seen her in years and confuses her with her outspoken cousin, Mimi. As an apology for the mistake (and because he finds Mimi charming),...
Read more

Review: Winx Club - The Magic Is Back (Part 2)

Image
Part 2 of the Winx Club reboot  dropped on Netflix yesterday, and it seems like fans are completely disengaged with this franchise. No one is talking about it, and it was pretty poorly received in So Diva! Magazine . The latest drop was fairly short, with only six episodes. This batch of episodes focuses more on the Winx girls than Damien, who seemed to be the star of the initial drop. However, the reboot is stuck between old and new story developments with a lot of revisited material from the superior original series , and not all of the changes they made to it are for the better. The first episode of the drop, "The Truth About Bloom," threw me for a loop because the reboot didn't make it clear that Bloom didn't realize she was adopted. Those of us who have been watching the original series for years were well aware of this fact, and dragging it out slowed the reboot to a crawl. After Bloom learned that she was the secret keeper of the dragon flame, had a magical gui...
Read more

One Hundred Princesses for My 100th Post

Image
Today is a major accomplishment for me. I started this blog 100 days ago, and I've managed to write a new post in it every day since then. Some of the topics were easier to come up with than others. I also had to go back and edit some after the fact due to poor proofreading. Speaking of which, I'm really sorry about the disastrous short story from my first Story Saturday post . The whole thing was written on my phone on the way to a Mermaid Art Show event in San Diego, so I was a little distracted. I promise to put more effort into future Story Saturdays, which should be easier now that I will no longer be writing new posts every day. Don't worry, though. I will still keep everyone informed of the latest princess news and review all the new princess movies and specials. Without further ado, in celebration of my 100th post, here is a list of 100 princesses with all of the posts I've made about them (in no particular order). Thank you so much for reading my blog. 1-11:...
Read more

Ten Live-Action Snow White Interpretations Ranked

Image
Today is the day that Disney's live-action Snow White  comes out on Disney+, providing an opportunity for the many people who did not see it in theaters to watch it. In honor of this occasion, I have explored many of the previous live-action interpretations of this character that have come before. Although I still have strong feelings about remaking the first feature-length animated movie of all time in a live-action format, I did not think that Disney's newest adaptation was the worst one. Yet, it had so much competition from its predecessors that it did seem a bit unnecessary. Let's explore all the live-action Snow Whites that came before and see where this one falls. Please note that this is purely for fun and not an official ranking by any means. All opinions are my own. Feel free to share yours in the comments, whether you agree or disagree with my list.. 10. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) I tried to watch this movie again recently because I didn't remember i...
Read more

Find Me in Paris Has Its Last Dance

Image
Only one month after my recent obsession with Find Me in Paris , the time-traveling ballerina princess drama dropped its third and final season on Hulu today. Though somewhat predictable, this season offered a satisfying conclusion to the show's unique concept that combined dance with science fiction and tied up all remaining loose ends from the previous seasons. We finally learned the truth about Lena's birth and why she's always being chased by anyone remotely interested in time travel. Nearly every character got paired off at the end, even if it meant some questionable decisions on behalf of the writers. The season also offered some of the most beautiful dance sequences in the show yet for its key story moments. While I could have done without the repetitive recap sequences, the final episodes made it clear that this was always meant to be the end and gave the cast and crew many happy memories to look back upon. The final season of Find Me in Paris incorporated the ...
Read more

Review: Sofia the First - Royal Magic

Image
It's been four years since the announcement of a new Sofia the First series. Today, that series is finally available to watch on Disney Jr.  and will be coming to Disney+ tomorrow. Sofia the First: Royal Magic  is everything I hoped it would be, with callbacks to the original show and most of the original cast and crew returning alongside many new faces. Sofia is back with her iconic purple dress, magic amulet, and the same sweet and cheerful personality that we all know and love. The show's pilot included a cameo from Rapunzel that referenced a "council of princesses," but this hint to additional Disney Princess  adventures is not mentioned again in the rest of the eight episodes that premiered today, so we will have to wait and see how she encounters other classic princesses in the future. Sofia the First: Royal Magic does an excellent job of blending new characters and settings with the ones from the show's initial, welcoming new audiences without alienatin...
Read more

Ten Live-Action Cinderella Movies Ranked

Image
If there's one fairy tale that's been adapted more times than most people can count, it's "Cinderella."  With a rumored Disney spinoff on the way , this timeless rags-to-riches story has even more film adaptations than "Snow White." That's not even counting books , musicals , television , and other media ! Therefore, I thought it would be fun to rank ten different movie interpretations of the beloved tale, including some you might not be familiar with. In fact, I just learned about my number ten spot earlier this week! As always, my rankings are subjective and may change based on my mood, so don't take them too seriously if you don't agree with all of them. 10. The Glass Slipper (1955) The Glass Slipper  is a lesser-known Cinderella adaptation, and for a good reason. This film lacks many of the qualities that make Cinderella movies great. There's one mediocre song, and the main actress was cast more for her ballet abilities than for her...
Read more

Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade XX

Image
Have you ever wished you could put on a princess dress and fly away to a magical realm where anything is possible? The  Labyrinth Masquerade Ball  is the closest thing you can get to that, and it just came back to  the Millenium Biltmore Hotel  here in Los Angeles for its twentieth year! My husband I had the pleasure of being among its may attendees last night. As a bonus, it even gave me a rare excuse to wear my wedding dress again. I was surprised how many compliments I got on it, considering how many elaborate fantasy and faery costumes there were. Beginning in 1997, the Labyrinth of Jareth was inspired by the  masquerade scene  featuring the late David Bowie in Jim Henson's 1986 film, Labyrinth . In order to recreate the dreamlike quality of the film, the event requires all attendees to wear either formal attire and masks or elaborate fantasy costumes. People go all out for this each year, donning tons of glittery, enormous wings, face paint, ...
Read more

Review: Descendants - Wicked Wonderland

Image
The first Descendants  movie  premiered in 2015, with two moderately successful sequels  that proved nobody cares about continuity when it comes to Disney as long as it's fun. The franchise took a five-year-long break from 2019 to 2024 and came back with The Rise of Red , which introduced new characters, a new storyline, and tons of new plot holes. Featuring the daughters of Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts, The Rise of Red  was one of the weakest entries in the franchise, giving Disney ample opportunity to redeem themselves with the latest sequel, Wicked Wonderland . Did they succeed? Surprisingly, yes, at least in my opinion. Though it's a direct sequel to The Rise of Red , Wicked Wonderland  could not be more different in terms of story and production values. Chloe and Red are significantly more fleshed out as protagonists, and Pink, Red's little sister, is a wonderful new addition. The movie has better music, set design, writing, and characters, overshado...
Read more

Sofia the First Brings Back Rapunzel, Mermaids, and More!

Image
Five new episodes of Sofia the First: Royal Magic  launched during World Princess Week , and they contain quite a few nostalgia-based throwbacks to a number of different properties. Although the fast-paced reboot lacks the heart of the original series , it's still a wholesome and magical adventure that gives fans a taste of what they've been missing since it stopped airing. The first episode of the reboot teased a visit from Rapunzel , who returned briefly in the new episode "Crown Chaos." Yet, the return was lackluster at best, particularly due to the lack of Mandy Moore , who originated the character in both the Tangled  film and series. In the original Sofia the First series, princess cameos were a huge deal. They were rare and often appeared during hour-long specials, accompanied by songs and important guest stars. With Royal Magic's 10-minute episode formula, there's barely enough time to get excited about a princess's appearance before a new story be...
Read more