Moonset on Desert Sands - Family Drama with a Supernatural Twist

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Sherri L. Dodd returns with another gripping installment in Arista Kelly’s story. Arista is a very likable and relatable heroine, strong, determined, and resilient, which makes readers instantly care about what happens to her. Moonset on Desert Sands blends witchcraft, suspense, and family drama against the vivid backdrop of the Arizona desert, exploring Arista’s growing supernatural abilities as she uses them for good to combat evil and protect those she loves.

 

About the Book: Moonset on Desert Sands

After a traumatic year surviving a serial killer, Arista Kelly has settled into a quieter life with her Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. Working at a metaphysical shop and navigating a budding romance with local security guard Dakota, she begins to feel like life is finally returning to normal.

But fainting spells and memory lapses start to disrupt her life, prompting a return to her hometown of Boulder Creek to uncover answers. There, Arista must face past heartbreak and the dangerous machinations of her Uncle Fergus, who has now formed an even more sinister alliance. Deaths, stalkers, and supernatural threats test her courage, while the bonds of friendship and family are pushed to their limits. Her likability, courage, and use of witchcraft for good invests readers in her journey, eager to see how she overcomes these challenges.

 

BookHookup Review: Moonset on Desert Sands

Dodd masterfully intertwines suspense, paranormal intrigue, and family drama, keeping readers on edge as Arista navigates both external threats and her own growing powers. The desert setting adds a rich sense of place, heightening tension and immersing the reader in the story.

Arista’s determination and resilience are impressive, and her use of witchcraft to fight evil adds an empowering and morally positive element to the story. While her handling of personal loss sometimes feels understated, the plot is full of twists, mysterious deaths, and unpredictable threats that keep the pages turning. Her likability, relatability, and ethical use of magic make her a compelling heroine that readers will cheer for, deepening the suspense and emotional investment.

This book can be read as a standalone, though readers will get a richer experience if they start with the first installment in the series, Murder Under RedwoodMoon. I've already read, Hummingbird Moonrise (Book 3). The review coming soon!

 

⚠ BookHookup Note: PG 13. A word of caution to my readers who want to avoid profanity. It's not heavily laced with profanity, but does include occasional profanity (including the F word), mild sexual content and witchcraft themes integral to the story’s mystery. 

***

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from Black Tide Tours and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the Author: Sherri L. Dodd

Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. It was not long after that her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since.

Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father's passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one - Murder Under Redwood Moon - in March 2024. Book two - Moonset on Desert Sands - released in March 2025, and the final book in the series will release October 2025!

https://www.sherridodd.com
https://www.instagram.com/SolisRedhead

 

Enjoyed this review? Let’s connect!

I focus on clean fiction across genres—historical romance, suspense, crime, children’s, and more. When books include content that may not be suitable for all readers, I provide clear disclaimers so you can choose wisely.

• 📖 Read more book reviews on BookHookup 
• ⭐ Follow me on Goodreads for updates and reviews across all genres - Goodreads Books I've read
• 📸 Join me on Instagram for quotes, bookish highlights, and behind-the-scenes posts My Instagram
• 🐦 Follow me on X (Twitter) for quick book insights and discussion as well as news about my own books. On X I'm known as Birdiesquill
• 👍 Share this review with readers who enjoy thoughtful, clean, and engaging fiction!

Let’s explore great books together—one page at a time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast-paced YA fantasy/sci-fi, complex unpredicable plot

Crystal Shards by I.O. Scheffer is book 2 in the Fearghus Academy YA Science Fiction/Fantasy series. In book 1, I met a wide cast of diverse characters and I looked forward to seeing what magical adventures and threats they would endure in book two. I was not disappointed.

About the book: Crystal Shards

The series follows the life of Artesia Addison who, when the story opens, lived in 1864 London in an orphanage as a young teen. When adopted under unusual circumstances, she is taken to another earth-like world where magic is part of life. She attends Fearghus Academy, a school for students gifted with magical abilities. Chrystal Shards picks up where Book 1, October Jewels, left off. It presents a wide range of uniquely flawed characters in Artisia’s life including her best friend Eilam DeForest. Many of these gifted kids carry emotional baggage from life before Fearghus and it adds elements of external and internal conflict that leaves the reader cheering the kids on. 

Book review: Crystal Shards

Crystal Shards delves deeper into the mysteries of the past hinted at in the first book, but the theme is much darker. In some areas, the story may be too troubling for more sensitive readers, as the plot does include the torture of children. It wasn’t super graphic, but I’d say if it were a movie, I’d rate it PG13.

I recommend Crystal Shards to readers who enjoy fast-paced fantasy/sci-fi, a complex plot written with multiple unpredictable threads, and young characters that develop, grow, and change as they learn lessons of life. I think fans of the Magical Arts Academy Series or the Blakemore Paranormal Academy Series will find the mysteries and adventure of Crystal Shards captivating.

 * * *

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Engaging and unpredictable YA fantasy

The story opens in 1864 London, where we meet a fifteen-year-old orphan by the name of Anna Addison. Her hopeless existence of living at an orphanage and working in a sewing sweatshop is brought to an abrupt end at gunpoint, and she is carried off to a new world where she learns she has magic powers and attends Fearghus Academy for training. 

This story is a true hero’s journey as she makes friends, grows in her knowledge and experience, and transforms into someone new with friends, powers, and challenges. The school sends its gifted students on dangerous missions to locate artifacts, but this transformation comes at a high cost–the loss of a good friend. The loss troubles her. She struggles with guilt, thinking that she should have been able to save her friend. Overcoming this is part of her transformation and growth. During the process, more questions are raised with underlying mysteries.

Fearghus Academy: October Jewels is an action-packed young adult adventure filled with magic, evil foes, and the normal challenges that come with navigating teenage life. The plot is engaging and unpredictable. I did find it challenging to keep track of so many characters introduced all at once, but I figure that’s about how it feels when you move to a new world and a new school.

* * *

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it.

 

Highly imaginative coming-of-age fantasy

When I first saw the title, Re-Birth (My Own Mythology) by Cristoph A. T., I thought it curious. I wondered about the meaning. It was enough to open the book and take a peek. From page one, Re-birth unfolds through the first-person point of view of the protagonist, Anessa. Introduced at her birth, it is instantly evident she is not an ordinary baby. Born with a history of a previous life and a grownup outlook rooted in Earth’s culture, she’s mentally she is a little confused, wondering what is going on. Anessa is no longer an Earth Dweller. Instead, she is the younger of a set of twins born (I should say, reborn) on the planet Anfang, and she can speak from day one. I was hooked and turned the page to keep reading.

 

 

Complex worldbuilding and unique sci-fi elements create the perfect backdrop for this original fantasy with a social structure comprised of mortals and immortals and those in-betweens growing and evolving. Starting at the age of three standard years and every three years after that until age 12, children visit the church of Nu Wa and experience an Awakening ceremony. If it aligns with the will of the gods and goddesses, the child may resonate with one of them. As Anessa attends her awakening, her innocence and growth as a character provide the perfect vehicle to learn the magic of Anfang as she walks away a changed person. 

 

It’s difficult to nail down the wide range of cultural and political themes embedded in this story without spoilers, but I will say Anessa’s parents are powerful–each in their own way. It takes her by surprise to learn her parents have other spouses, but it isn't cheating because Anfang is a Polyamorous society. Not only that, but marriage rituals and social norms result in her inadvertently collecting a few spouses of her own as a child, though for her, they are childhood companions with the title of husband or wife. With her earth-dweller background, it takes some mental adjusting.

 

Book review for Re-birth (My Own Mythology)

 

This book is a fresh read. Anessa’s journey of discovery is fun on many levels with this tiny girl with a grownup outlook and developing supernatural powers. A clever girl who grows more powerful each year but doesn’t let it go to her head. She’s compassionate but often mouthy and sometimes disobedient, but the more she learns, the heavier life becomes as she discovers how to navigate family dynamics, politics, betrayal, and loyalty. Who should she trust? Or, better yet, who can she trust?

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy books like A Thousand Li: the First Step: Book 1 Of A Xianxia Cultivation Series. Rebirth is a highly imaginative coming-of-age fantasy perfect for mythology enthusiasts who enjoy the portrayal of incredible events, danger, intrigue, characters with unusual powers, and a protagonist’s metamorphosis. This is the making of a new legend. 

 

As book one in the My Own Mythology series, Re-Birth ties things up nicely but leaves plenty of room for the characters to blossom and discover more about who they are and their roles in Anfang in book two. As a word of caution, some readers may struggle with the child marriage concept. I was wary when the book went in that direction, but in this case, think of it more as an arranged marriage with other children who get to know one another outside of a sexual context. I give this book a strong 4 stars.

 

* * * *

As Book Hookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received this book as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

About Author Christoph A. T.

Cristoph A. T. is the first author for Fantasy.Productions L.L.C.

He is also the author of the My Own Mythology series. Focused on bringing the world of cultivation, and all that it entails, to the west.

Find him on Twitter @cristoph_a_t