From the opening lines, I was immediately pulled into the world of Eye of the Moon. The cataclysmic battle between Mayari and Apolaki serves as an immediate introduction to the history of Kaluwalhatian and the divines living there, all of which comes to the forefront when events get underway towards the later half of the first chapter.
Ate Maarte is a great story teller in this way, intoducing information as you need it, all the while setting each scene with vivid descriptions and evocative language that brings the world and characters to life without being too flowery.
As I was reading, I could feel the soft sand beneath my feet, smell and taste the food shared between the Moonfinder and their parents.
The way the Moonfinder is handled—where you can play them as three different archetypes—allows the reader enough say on how they play while letting Ate Maarte comfortably write an established character who was raised in and knows the inner workings of this setting.
The characters all have established and believable relationships with one another, and it builds a sense of community and history amongst the pantheon. The reader can influence some of the relationships the Moonfinder has with the characters fhat have been introduced thus far such as their parents and, of course, Dumakulem.
When I play interactive fiction games, the flirt options sometimes seem a bit abrupt, or tacked on, or don’t seem to flow naturally within the scene. But reading the flirty banter between Duma and the Moonfinder felt natural, and was genuinely enjoyable to read and had me smiling at my screen.
Eye of the Moon is obviously written with love and care for the culture and storytelling of pre-colonial Philippines, and Ate Maarte has gathered resources that make it incredibly easy for readers unfamiliar with the culture to respectively participate.
This was an amazing and promising start to a story that promises adventure and intrigue and romance, and I’m so excited for where Ate Maarta’s going to take us next!