Celebrating Indie Publishing with The Silver Moon Storybook @LoveBooksGroup

The second of my reviews today comes from a vastly different book, this time a book called The Silver Moon Storybook written by Elaine Gunn and illustrated by Megan MacPhie.

• Title: The Silver Moon Storybook
• Author: Elaine Gunn
• Publisher: Self published

Early copy received from the author for review purposes.

Description:

What darkness lies in the past of a little witch, cursed into the shape of a giant? Who will save a magical unicorn, imprisoned for generations in the castle of a tyrant? As the silver moon rises in the sky, an enormous clown and a powerful siren join a humble weaver and other enchanting characters in these haunting tales of illusion, discovery and love.

An exquisitely illustrated bedtime story for the age of #MeToo, The Silver Moon Storybook transforms themes of modern feminism into touching fables full of the magic and shadows of traditional fairy tales.

My Thoughts:

The words of Elaine Gunn are brought to life with the impressive artwork of Megan MacPhie in what I believe is Gunn’s first published book. And what an intriguing book this is, with a cast of characters that are crafted with detail and clear personalities.

Each of the tales within this book features a strong female character that found a sense of freedom from the ties that bound her in the beginning. There are also themes of love, loss and relationships throughout the tales, which make for thought provoking reading.
The notion that these are modern feminist tales will attract many readers, the magical creatures and wonderful illustrations will also appeal to the audience, but there is a feeling of reality in all of this. Stick with me on this train of thought, but even in a tale featuring witches, unicorns or giant spiders, there are characters who can rely on each other, support each other or just be allies in times of need. These characters can be all female, they can be all male or they can be a mixture of both sexes and show an accurate portrayal of modern struggles – therefore making this feel very current and real for modern life.

I this book would be worthy addition to any bookshelf, the tales themselves are magical and entertaining for readers who just want to read the story, but perhaps for those who want to read between the lines, who want to explore the themes and deeper meanings of the text then this is also an idea read. There are so many different things you can take from The Silver Moon Storybook. It’s one of those that I read at leisure, taking the time to enjoy each story, think about what I read and the meanings behind it before moving on to the next story. The handy note section at the back of the book providing ample space for me to jot down thoughts about what I had read, and means that when I undoubtedly go back to read this book again, I will be able to see if the story still conjures the same ideas as before.

I don’t often mention the cover of books, but in this case I want to make an exception. The Silver Moon Storybook is an exquisite book, from the beautiful purple cover, to the flowing silver image and font … it’s eye catching and hard to resist.