The Long Moonlight

For all my respect of the author as a long time fan, I'm perplexed how a story that doesn't even offer a personalized reason why its protagonist was where he was when the story's inciting incident occurred has a solid five star rating. For context, 'Mistborn' doesn't have five stars--most classic novels that're proven master works of human fiction don't have five stars. I'm frustrated that a book that pays such obvious homage to Robert E. Howard and Raymond Chandler could be so cognizant of its influences but so bereft of basic story structure. You can't have a story, Razor, without a lead with a unique want and need; Xerdes has neither when he enters the bar. While I love the clear inspiration from 'Out of the Past' (for the Saryss sub plot) and 'Fortress of the Pearl' (the ending was similar as nihilistic and bleak), and as much as I hate to reference such a touchy subject for you: but, come on, dude: You used rope arrows. You wrote Garret the Thief if he was being played by Robert Mitchum.

But can it be enjoyed? Well... it's not bad. But it's not particularly good either.I am a long time partaker of Raz0rfist's video rants on Youtube and across these here interwebs. His political and pop cultural commentary is second to none, and he has personally introduced myself and many others to video games, music, political figures, and pulp fiction interests that I never knew I had with his cunning prose and razor sharp wit.The self ascribed Excellence of Elocution can dish out criticism, but can he craft an aspiring creative work himself?Turns out... not so much.I have to admit, I expected better.Is The Long Moonlight a bad book? No. Nor is it a particularly enjoyable one. For a debut, however, it stands as a perfectly perfunctory work of creative fiction.Raz0rfist's debut work combines his love of serial pulp fiction with his interest in the Thief series of video games from Looking Glass Studios and Eidos Interactive. As far as inspiration for a story goes, Thief is a pretty good source to draw from. However, the inspiration ventures pretty heavily into plagiarism territory, with Long Moonlight antihero Xerdes being a straight ripoff of Thief series protagonist Garrett and plot elements of The Long Moonlight stolen straight from Thief. This is rather hypocritical of a guy who routinely rants about the popular Witcher stories being plagiarized from Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone.And Xerdes really doesn't hold a candle to Garrett. Garrett is a cool cat professional burglar who is slick as all get out and crafty to boot. Garrett is a fearless thrill seeker with a passion for his work and some admirable heroic qualities despite his apparent professional detachment. Xerdes is a petty opportunist who expresses fear at swinging across a gap on a rope and is solely interested in lining his coffers with ill gotten gains. He's also not above resorting to deadly extremes for the sake of personal vengeance whereas Garrett is simply a cunning survivalist. Both thieves hone their trade as their only way to make a living in a corrupt city. But whereas Garrett embraces his occupation with gusto, Xerdes seems to ply his trade as little more than a typical 9 to 5.Character relations are also sporadic, with enemies turning to friends in the span of paragraphs. Just a chapter prior, the female lead is threatening to kill Xerdes over a slain partner who she apparently never really cared much about in the first place. Next thing you know, they're working together like nothing ever happened.The plot is pretty basic, with Xerdes entering into the employ of a major crime lord to pilfer stolen valuables for fun and profit. That's pretty much it. There's something about a police inspector that ends up going nowhere and being nearly irrelevant to the overall narrative, and a basic mid story shakeup that changes the tone and the direction of things a bit but really only serves to do something different with the plot, not better.There are noble attempts at world building but it is all window dressing. None of the lore and world building has any relevance to the plot. If your chapters require footnotes to expand on your story's lore and fictional history then you're doing something wrong.Raz0rfist loads his paragraphs up with his characteristically flowery prose, but while his video rants are the stuff of verbal magnificence, his written prose just comes off reading as unnecessarily flouncy to a somewhat obnoxious degree.By the end of our tale, nothing really happens and nothing of any consequence is really gained or lost.

This is a fantastic, albeit short book. A gripping tale of intrigue. A fine way to start a new series. I can't wait for book two.

The lore building is just astounding. Even though many of the places and factions described in the book are all fictional you feel like each place and group has a rich history that plays into how events are shaped.The book almost feels like a retelling of actual events than a fictional story. It's really hard to put down, and once you do you simply want more.All in all. Loved it.

It may only be 115 pages long but each page paints a colorful picture of a world centered around shadows. I highly enjoy the illustrations within as well. A great way to start a new series and I highly recommend it.

I bought this because I am a fan of Razörfist and I love detective novels. This definitely falls in that genre. I love the colorful language and character driven story, although short. It does not disappoint. I look forward to the other novellas in this series... and that is what this is a true novella. Well done Mr. Fist.

Independent content creators like Razorfist are pioneering a new wave of science fiction and fantasy. This short homage to the classic pulps like The Shadow, was written with genuine love, injecting our dying Western Media with some much needed new blood.You heard it here first folks. WESTERN MEDIA IS BACK.

Just finished reading it. The basic story is quite generic (clear inspiration of the Thief games), and the book is too short (some chapters, especially the last three, could've easily been expanded), but I enjoyed it. Excellent writing style generally, with some good dialogue as you'd expect from Razor, and the writing is structured nicely for good casual reading to visually imagine and sequence what is happening in the story. As a fantasy story, it could've done with some exotic creatures and more magical elements in the mix. But I enjoyed this book enough that I look forward to future instalments in Razorfist's repertoire.

Bought this to read just before joining ship. Unfortunately it was so good that I had finished it in a week. Excellent writing, interesting characters and a fantastic setting.

Purplest prose this side of Menuvia. Razörfist casts a heavy Noir shadow in this fantasy noir tale from the underworld and steals away into the night. A morally grey charismatic and near master Thief, Xerdes expells snark like a Mist that engulfs you, ensnaring himself in the exploits of rival gangs and daring heists. the book includes illustrated vignettes of atmospheric, tense and ultimately crucial moments in the story, that felt heavy, brooding but intentional.Recommended for those interested in a stylish noir with nods to the Thief videogame franchise.

If you like trim, E. Howard style fantasy this is the book to read.