By: DTM Harris
Publisher: BookBaby
Publication Date: September 20, 2023
ISBN: 979-8-35091-427-6
Reviewed by: Katie Specht
Review Date: October 18, 2023
New science fiction writer DTM Harris has made her debut into the world of published authors with her first novel entitled Mosscroft: Shadows Not Forgotten, a thrilling story of a war based on electromagnetic pulses between the seven territories of Juno and the dynamic characters this war affects.
The story opens as we meet Ronan, who works as a Two Sider in the Chamber of Dissatisfaction and lives in the territory of Mosscroft. A Two Sider is similar to a judge in that they have the ability to exercise complete autonomy over rulings. It is a special day for Ronan as it is the day of his son Magnus’s Responsible for His Own Destiny (RHOD) celebration. However, before Ronan can even begin to enjoy the celebration intended for his son, his friend Jonas shows him an article in the community newspaper, The Mosscroft Chronicle. The article references a hearing that is scheduled regarding Dagmar, who has been exiled into the Lands of the Dismissed (LODS), and is now requesting re-admittance into Mosscroft. As a Two Sider, Ronan is required to attend this hearing. Both Ronan and Jonas wonder if there is an ulterior motive prompting Herschel, the Director of Orders, to call this hearing. Ronan’s day continues to become even more peculiar as his father, Rupert, rather than coming in person to attend Magnus’s RHOD celebration, instead sends a rather cryptic message to Ronan’s house explaining that he has been called away to an emergency meeting. Ronan finds this rather odd as Rupert has been retired for some time, and it makes him even more uneasy when he tries to call his father and he is unable to reach him.
After the conclusion of Magnus’s RHOD celebration, Ronan, along with Jonas, Quinn, and Magnus, make plans to go to Greisling to attend the hearing regarding Dagmar. Before they leave, they meet up with Franceska, who works with Ronan in the Chamber of Dissatisfaction, and learn that she, too, is making the journey to Greisling for the hearing. Unbeknownst to them, this journey will present them with more questions, challenges, and secrets than they thought possible while they learn who their true alliances are and a new war threatens devastation among the territories of Juno.
For a new author, Harris has written an impressive debut novel with Mosscroft. The sci-fi world is thoroughly developed, from the transporters that are used for travel, to the advanced weapons and computers, to their legal system and how they deal with criminals. The details that Harris included in her story were simply astounding, and this allows readers to more fully immerse themselves as they progress through the narrative. Similarly, Harris incorporated a rather large cast of characters in her story, which can sometimes be confusing. To combat this, however, Harris included a Cast of Characters index at the back of the book as well as a Glossary of Terms. Adding these two indexes was a very smart idea on her part, and readers will surely appreciate these supplements.
One minor drawback of Mosscroft was the number of typos that were noted throughout the book. There were numerous instances of missed quotation marks, incorrect punctuation marks or missed punctuation marks, using the incorrect version of “your,” using “whose” when it should have been “who is,” and using “than” when it should have been “then.” These mistakes were a bit distracting while reading.
Quill says: Harris has achieved a winner with the story of Mosscroft: Shadows Not Forgotten. This thrilling, action-packed sci-fi narrative will quickly draw readers in and keep them captivated until the last word is read.
For more information on Mosscroft: Shadows Not Forgotten please visit the website: dtmharris.com/
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