I loved Dark Moon Shallow Sea (The Gods of Night and Day Book 1) by David R Slayton. It’s an atmospheric epic fantasy book unlike anything I’ve read before. The fantasy world is dark and filled with creepy, blood-sucking ghosts, demons and flame-wielding knights of the sun god.
At the heart of the story is the conflict between competing faiths, told through the eyes of two young men trying to navigate events and stay true to themselves while learning the truth of their respective backgrounds.
Seth is an imperfect young knight of the sun god, Hyperion, struggling to prove himself among his brethren, who have been charged with hunting a fugitive. Street rat Raef is the last remaining scion of Phoebe, goddess of the moon, after she and all her priests were slain by the knights years before. Having rescued Kinos, a young man who is the knights’ quarry, Raef is striving to keep them both ahead of pursuit.
This is a beautifully written character-focused book (my favourite kind), with plenty of twists and turns and revelations, characters being manipulated, self-doubt and self-discovery.
It’s not a light-hearted read… there are some dark moments and both main characters have experienced past trauma. But it’s not overly grim either. The violence isn’t explicit and doesn’t last too long, and intimate scenes are implied. (There’s a sweet, burgeoning queer love story with the hint of more to come.)
I loved the gradual revelations about the world and its various deities — and the parts Raef and Seth have played and are yet to play.
And I loved the depiction of the dark, ghost-infested city of Versinae, where a former pirate rules as prince and enjoys sparring with the Hierarch of Hyperion.
Dark Moon Shallow Sea is a book that has stayed with me, and I’m looking forward to reading the recently released sequel, The Silent Paths of Night (The Gods of Night and Day Book 2).
Highly recommended!
This was my third completed read for the 2026 Indie Fantasy Addicts Summer Reading Challenge. I initially read the ebook, then listened to the excellent audiobook, narrated by Michael David Axtell.
Ellen Gregory 