Review / Recenzie Blue Moon Café: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks by Ioana Vișan

   Hello everyone! I'm so happy to present you one talented romanian author, Ioana Visan, who wrote Blue Moon Café: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks. She contacted me a while ago and offered me a free copy of her book in exchange of an honest review and I'm grateful she did it because I really enjoyed reading her stories.

 
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
 "The were-eagles and our kind have been at war since the beginning of time. Well, it’s more like fifty years since we’d decided to move into town, but it feels like an eternity already. And they’re not were-eagles, just like we’re not werewolves. They’re more like crows, and we look more like dogs. Mutts, they call us.

Times are changing and we do what we can to adapt in order to fit in. When you’re like us, social acceptance really is a problem. But we still have claws and fangs, and they have beaks and talons that can rip their enemy to shreds in seconds. Maybe it’s in our genes. Whenever we meet, it’s a miracle it doesn’t end in a bloodbath. It’s a good thing we rarely die, or there would be dead mutts all over the streets. Dead crows too. We’re a good match."

In a city where two shifter clans reside, the Mayor is struggling to maintain peace while keeping the population safe. Through a series of short stories, we discover what happens when intruders appear, humans get turned, the Mayor's reputation is at stake, an invasion is planned, and not everything is what it seems.

Biliangual Review

 English
When I first read the description of the book I thought of ”Hanul Ancuței” (Ancuța's Inn is my translation for those who don't understand what I'm talking about) written by Mihail Sadoveanu, because these two books have one thing in common: the action happens in the same place, but with different characters. So here we have the Blue Moon Café. Nothing bad until now. Then we have supernatural creatures and everything changes, we meet werewolves, vampires, were-eagles and some other great shifters. And my attention was captured.

I don't want to start talking about the action, because there will be no fun left for you, but I will try to show that you need to give it a shot. All I can say is that I really liked it. After every story that I finished, I felt I wanted more. Every character has charm and I almost believed they were actually my friends and even real people. My favourite was Jo, the mayor's wife who was independent, a heroine and an inspiration for me. She is capable of many things to help the ones she loves and to serve the purpose she believes in.  

I really enjoyed being part of the town, knowing their inside problems and jokes. I also liked that Ioana left out all the drama behind the classic stories and these superhumans try to adapt, no the other way around. They really act like normal people and that makes them real. 

I recommend it to all of you who love fantasy and humor in the same cup.

   

Descrierea în română AICI.
Română
Când am citit descrierea cărţii pentru prima dată m-am gândit la Hanul Ancuţei, culegerea de povestiri scrisă de Mihail Sadoveanu, deoarece aceste două cărţi au un lucru în comun: acţiunea se petrece în acelaşi loc, dar cu personaje diferite. Aşadar aici avem Blue Moon Café (Cafeneaua Lunii Albastre). Nimic rău până acum. Dar apoi avem de-a face cu creaturi supranaturale şi totul se schimbă, întâlnim vârcolaci, vampiri, oameni care se transformă în vulturi şi alţi shifteri grozavi. Și apoi atenția mi-a fost captată.

Nu vreau să încep să vorbesc despre acțiunea în sine, deoarece nu veți mai avea nicio plăcere când veți citi cartea, dar voi încerca să vă demonstrez că trebuie să îi acordați o șansă. Pot spune că mi-a plăcut foarte mult. După ce am terminat fiecare poveste în parte, mi-am dorit mai mult. Fiecare personaj are magie și aproape am crezut că sunt prietenii mei și oameni adevărați.  Preferata mea este Jo, soția primarului, deoarece este independentă, o eroină și o inspirație pentru mine. Ea este capabilă de multe fapte pentru a-i ajuta pe cei pe care îi iubește și pentru a servi scopurilor în care crede.

Mi-a plăcut să fac parte din oraș, să aflu problemele din interior și glumele lor. De asemenea ador faptul că Ioana Vișan a lăsat de-o parte dramele poveștilor clasice, iar acești superoameni încearcă să se adapteze lumii în care trăiesc, nu invers. Ei se comportă ca niște persoane obișnuite și astfel devin reali.      

Recomand această carte tuturor celor care iubesc genul fantasy și umorul puse împreună.

                                                            About Ioana Visan:

                                                     
Ioana Visan has always dreamed about reaching the stars, but since she can't, she writes about it. Her stories have been published in several Romanian anthologies and magazines. Her English debut came with the short story "Unhinged Reality" published by Every Day Fiction. "Human Instincts" is her first novella in English and she also has a story included in "Evolution: Vol. 2" anthology published by Evolved Publishing. She is currently working on a fantasy trilogy.

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