There are several good reasons to read Kindling the Moon and the most important one of them is the likable nature of the protagonist. Arcadia Bell is, well, not a perfect but a very good example of a balance of confidence, vulnerability mixed with stubbornness and some other faults that keep her human. She is very easy to like and empathize with. In fact, apart from her not so normal magical powers, she may as well be someone you know. Another good reason, and a surprise at that, is the relative normalcy of the romance aspect of the novel. You kinda expect something swoony in UF where the romantic hero is concerned. It’s practically a written rule by now. Bennett takes a bit of a different approach, however, by juxtaposing the swooniness with something very normal. The love interest is quite a bit older than the protagonist and he’s a single father – he’s also not human. Okay, we’ve seen both of these things in love interests in various other UF but that’s usually when the love interest is a vampire and that age issue is somehow not addressed except in quaint and faint ways that never really get to the point of it. In Kindling the Moon, there is an understanding of the age gap and it is addressed, not exhaustively but enough (excuse me while I go kill the dog next door, ugh, it won’t stop barking) (okay I’m back).I also really liked Lon’s kid who gets more page time than I would have thought and gives a far more accurate representation of his age group than I would have expected. My point is, Bennett’s characters are well developed and their relationships with each other are dynamic and work to progress the story in an interesting manner. Oh and the sexytimes? Are sexy as hell so rawr. However, I must point out that the synopsis is misleading when it says that Lon has an expertise in sexual spells – he doesn’t. I only mention it because the synopsis tries to make the novel seem a lot edgier than it really is. It is edgy, gritty but at the same time, it has a completely different feel to it than say Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer series. The difference evolves from the presence of Lon and his son and it is, in no way, a bad thing. I liked the novel precisely because it brought something different to the table.Also, there was no love triangle. Yes, no love triangle. I may have heard angels singing. Hah. Anyway, moving on to the plot. I thought it was pretty gripping and for once, I was not able to predict how it would play out ultimately. Well. Okay, I did have some predictions but they were wrong and I was flummoxed at the end when things came to light. I’m not sure how I felt or how I was supposed to feel. To be totally honest. While the world building was good, it could have been better and I feel that the author could have prepared us for the conclusion a bit more than she does. However, when all is said and done, I did enjoy this novel and I do recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new and engaging UF series. One that does not (as yet) have werewolves, fairies or even vampires. Magicians and demons ftw!
