By The Pale Moonlight by Nicole Hayes
Rayne and the other Progeny inspire uprisings into an army against the Icari, an alien race occupying Earth and enslaving humans.
Nox, Icarean King, orchestrates demoralizing assaults on the resistance through his own armies and a cult of zealous humans dedicated to realizing his vision. On the verge of obtaining his most ambitious desires, he will stop at nothing to rule not only his home planet and Earth, but Rayne as well.
Rayne’s charged with generating a mutually beneficial solution for both races. To do so, she and her friends must travel to exotic worlds, solicit help from higher beings, and trespass on the most dangerous grounds to save her people.
Both worlds rely on them to prevent the impending escalation. If they’re successful, the surviving humans can heal and rebuild. If they fail, Nox will own Rayne and the two worlds.
By The Pale Moonlight Review
I was compensated with a small amount for my time and effort in reading the book and writing this review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and are based on my honest personal experience reading the book. Nor did the publisher in any way shape or form ever pressure me to give a positive review.
By The Pale Moonlight is the thrilling follow-up to Last of Daylight in Nicole Hayes’ Vast Collective Series. When the story resumes, Rayne and her comrades are still in shock from a close encounter and are dealing with the fallout from an extraterrestrial invasion that was planned by Nox, the Icari King. Tensions mount as the group deals with betrayal and the looming possibility of more attacks, filled with a mixture of worry and rage. While Rayne lies unconscious and bruised, her friends have to make their way through a dangerous situation to free Earth and their race from Nox’s oppressive authority.
Rayne confronts Xelan about his involvement in the events that are transpiring after learning more about his background and his relationship with Nox. Rayne is resolved to get revenge on Nox despite the chaos and betrayal, which will lead to a titanic conflict between the two universes. This is a book full of emotional upheaval, startling discoveries, and the unrelenting fight for survival against insurmountable obstacles.
My growing interest in the connections between the cast members is one significant way that this book improved over its predecessor. This improvement is mostly attributable to the book’s status as a sequel, which permits a more thorough examination of character relationships and story arcs. Having more screen time to dedicate to the characters allowed me to get even more emotionally invested in them and their relationships. This sequel offers a broader tapestry of interpersonal connections than the previous book did, bringing me closer to the character’s emotions and the complexity of their relationships.
The pacing is also a notable improvement. The fast-paced action and frequent chapter transitions that occasionally disrupted the original book’s flow are significantly lessened in this sequel. Even if some chapters are still brief, the transitions between them are noticeably more seamless and natural. A deeper connection with the story is made possible by this pace adjustment, which also makes for a more engaging reading experience. I was attracted naturally from one chapter to the next, not startled from one scene to the next. Each development felt like a logical step in the story’s development. This improved pacing makes for a more unified and captivating story structure, which keeps the reader interested from start to finish.
I also want to take a moment to praise the quality of the book itself, and the overall feel of it. The copy of the ARC that I received was noticeably better than the first in terms of polish, structure, and readability. It just feels a lot better in a lot of ways. The layout, font, and design feel quality and suggested major updates as soon as I laid eyes on it. Merely the visual appeal bore witness to the painstaking attention to detail that had gone into its creation. Even the book cover design got a massive upgrade.
The writing itself also had a fresh level of accuracy and clarity, with each sentence being painstakingly constructed. It was a much smoother and more pleasurable read because there was a strong sense of continuity and cohesiveness throughout.
Ultimately, my biggest praise for By The Pale Moonlight is it is an excellent sequel through both improving upon previous issues and expanding on underdeveloped areas. It builds on the world laid out in the first book and increases our emotional connection with the people and their interactions with better character development, well-executed pacing, and an elegant presentation. As a sequel it is an excellent addition to the series, and made my experience better for book 2 of the franchise.
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