Under the Dragon Moon

The Belamour Archives, Book 1

De: Mawce Hanlin

Narrado por: Richard Pendragon

To break the thread of weaver’s fate, those who witness must weave anew…

Mael Nguyen doesn’t believe in fate, but he does believe in magic. His entire life revolves around the study of the arcane—spells and rituals, potions and illusions. As far as Mael is concerned, all he needs is a book in one hand and magic in the other. Anything outside of his bookshop, hidden away in the streets of New Orleans, isn’t worth his attention. But when a strange human stumbles into his life and hires him for a job, bringing along his blinding smile and curious magic, Mael finds that Fate is just as dangerous as Magic.

Leo Greyson refuses to believe in fate, but he desperately wishes to believe in magic. As a small time rockstar, full time radio host, Leo has never been one to shy away from experience and adventure. He’s always lived his life on the edge—always moving, never standing still. But when his twin sister is murdered, and he gains custody of her strangely magical daughter, that constant motion comes to a screeching halt. Instead, he is launched into an entirely new world hidden right beneath his nose, and Leo finds himself wondering if Fate really does exist, and if she’s led him right where he needs to be.

A queer take on magic, murder, and romance, fans of The Dresden Files, Howl's Moving Castle, and A Marvelous Light will find family, acceptance, and a fantastical new world to get lost in within the pages of Under the Dragon Moon, the first book in the Belamour Archives.

©2024 Mawce Hanlin (P)2024 Mawce Hanlin

Great story, can't wait for book 2

This was a well written story and a good start to a series. Some of the content wasn't what I typically read but I didn't let that distract from a good story! I first read this in ebook form so it's good to see it come out on Audible as well.

Enticing, Sweet, Hot, Gay, AND Magical

In so many ways, this was an incredible story. The characters are INSTANTLY likeable, so easily lovable, and oh man I just wanna protect them so much. Literally countless points with insanely poetic descriptions, hilarious quips and lines, and hard hitting remarks that really make these characters nestle themselves into your heart. They did in mine. This story really captivated me, and I cannot wait for book 2. I have so many unanswered questions!!! So many bits and pieces to multiple puzzles that I'm so very excited to see come together and play out.

It also must be pointed out how beautifully written the parts of this story that involve things surrounding mental health. My heart ached for them when their hearts ached, and I felt both deeply seen and moved so so many times.

I also stomped my feet like an excited 15 year old who just got asked to prom by their crush so so so so so many times. This story is FUN and deep and thrilling in multiple points. It's interesting and fascinating. The magic is cool as all get out.

And the spicy scenes are TOP TIER, both the spice itself and how truly beautifully written the scenes are. It was hot, and definitely worth a read if you're more interested in a story based on quality of spice. It was super well written, and it didn't dominate the story.

One of my favorite books of the YEAR!

VERY WELL DONE

Accurate autistic and trans masc representation. Beautiful diversity. Poetic writing. Tremendous world building. And amazing voice acting. I am so glad I bought this book, I’m truly so excited to listen to the next installment.

Great fantasy romance!

I am obsessed! This was a great fantasy romance. There's warlocks, a search for a dragon's egg, the kid, a magical store, nickelback. What more could you want?

intricate and dazzling magical world, and yes, dragons.

Under the Dragon Moon by Mawce Hanlin

Move over "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll", this book is Sex, Magic, Memes, and Punk Rock!

It has an intricate and dazzling magical world, and yes, dragons (because honestly, who could resist dragons?). Throw in some mysteries, high-stakes heists, and steamy, poetic magical sex which pulls you in like a spell you can’t escape and then you’ve got a world so immersive, you feel like you’re living it.
Mael Nguyen, a hot warlock with magical tattoos, might look like he's in his late 40s, but he’s actually pushing 90. He’s got a grumpy exterior, but beneath that, he’s vibrant, sweet and compassionate, especially to his loved ones. Then there’s Leo Greyson, a late-20s punk rocker, radio host, and lyrical genius with a knack for creating memes and entire podcast episodes in his head, rating and reviewing his life’s wildest moments. Somehow, these two ended up as dads by default, and they’ve become the ultimate parental figures. Their personalities shine, and they fall into a beautiful, genuine love. Their banter is sweet, sparking with humor, and their chemistry is electric. The passion between them swept me right off my feet.
And let’s not forget Remy, the Kid, and of course, Potato! Oh, and Belamour, Mael’s sentient shop? She’s cozy, caring, and the ultimate guardian, always watching over Mael and the ones he loves. Their connection is so heartwarming, I couldn’t help but adore her. Every character adds something unique and magical to the story and together they are the found family they all need.

Every chapter had me giggling, swooning, and sometimes holding my breath. The whole story feels like stepping into an alternate universe where Howl’s Moving Castle meets Sherlock Holmes in the most magical of ways.

Flawless, no notes

The narrators for this were absolute perfection, and the story was equally adored. I loved seeing the emotional depth and evolution of our mmc, and the flighty contrast of the love interest. The story was attention-holding and I loved that the magic system was so ingrained in modern society while still being hidden. 10/10 can’t wait for this author’s future work!

Beautifully Written

This was such a beautifully written book with a perfect narration. I can’t wait to read more from this series!

Really unique urban fantasy with LGBTQ rep

The narration by Richard Pendragon was stellar—great voice work and depth of character.

This is an urban fantasy with spice, both things that usually aren’t for me, but this was done very well. I know it’s a rough comparison to make at this point as many people want nothing to do with them (myself included) but for me this was one of the most successfully integrated urban fantasy’s featuring an almost entirely secondary world since reading Harry Potter. In the same way The Soul’s Aspect by Mark Holloway captures the school essence from HP, Mawce has done so on our own city streets. Glamours or magically enhanced items do little tricks on human minds that keep them seeing “normal” things, but behind closed doors, the entire world is magic. And this is of course enhanced by the main character’s shop and home, the Belamour, being a magic entity itself!

It’s incredibly representative, with gay, bi, trans characters throughout—all in prominent roles that are NOT ruled by the inclusion of their orientation. And while sex scenes just are not my cup of tea in books, there was definitely a well built tension in the book leading up to the moment. For me though, maybe just a few less moments…as there are several.

There is also some disability and neurodivergent rep as well, with Mael suffering from autism and magical synesthesia. While the first made me think like wow, magical people from magical lands still deal with the same stuff as humans, the second felt like an even cooler blend. He can sense, picture, even see people’s magical aura through his synesthesia and I thought that was just one of the cleverest little twists ever. The rep in general is handled well by someone showcasing it (at least IMO) as it seemed to inform the character more than control them.

The plot itself involves a human, Leo, hiring Mael to help track down a stolen dragon egg. The dragon egg belongs to his niece, and it is a bond that is meant to secure her place in the magical world. This leads to some interesting investigating, although as Mael’s best friend, a vampire, is an actual magical cop, I almost found myself wishing for a little urban fantasy/crime fiction blend. As you can imagine, the amount of power and effort needed to steal an actual dragon egg means that whoever took it won’t give it up easily.

Regardless, there’s tension, there’s suspense, there’s action, and there is a hell of a lot of tenderness bled throughout this one. Absolutely worth checking out.