Review of Beneath the Crescent Shadow: A Captivating Prequel

INTRODUCTION

Readers won’t have to wait long for conflict to begin in Stephanie Cotta’s prequel to her compelling YA fantasy, The Conjurer’s Curse. In the first chapter of Beneath the Crescent Shadow (Monarch, 2026), there is a vicious storm, a shipwreck, and a cursed newborn baby. If that’s not enough to hook a teen or adult reader, I’m not sure what is!

Stephanie is no stranger to my blog. You may remember the cover reveal that I hosted for her novel, The Ghost’s of Gambit, and Kate Lundeen’s review of Heartsmith. Not only is Stephanie a prolific writer, she also illustrated and designed the cover, and drew the illustrations in the book’s interior.

Here is the illustration which invites readers into each chapter:

THE BLURB

REVIEW

After the gripping opening chapter, Naja’s story unfolds. Although she makes life choices that preclude marriage and motherhood, her life becomes woven into the albino child’s life–Rowan—who so mysteriously arrived in her village. In spite of her fierce desire for independence and the shaman’s dire predictions of the curse that Rowan will bring on her, Naja ends up being his fourth guardian-mother after the first three–her dear friends–die without an explanation.

Stephanie has created an immersive jungle world that includes vocabulary specific to Karahvel, religious customs and superstitions, and imaginative animals such an albino snake or the deadly twin-tail panther. Beautiful figurative language throughout the novels shows the world to the reader. For example, when the shaman predicts a curse on Naja if she doesn’t get rid of Roan as a baby, Naja thinks, Her words cling to me like leeches sucking at my blood. As he grows up and is made fun of by the villagers because of his light skin, Naja describes him, like a minnow tossed into shark-infested waters. While she is cutting a fish she caught she says,“The scorn people hiss as we pass latches onto him like a tangled net. No knife will cut it loose.“

Stephanie’s masterful use of language highlights the conflicts which the characters’ face and contribute to creating a believable story world. Similarly, the word “weave” is used creatively throughout the book. The word refers to each character’s life story and to story telling; it is a a verb which ties characters together; and it is a meaningful pastime which many villagers engage in.

Trust me. You won’t be able to put this book down.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

CAROL: Was all Rowan’s backstory in your mind when you wrote the first book?

STEPHANIE: It wasn’t. I’m what you call a pantser, so I often discover the story alongside the characters rather than outlining every detail in advance. Rowan’s backstory wasn’t fully fleshed out when I wrote The Conjurer’s Curse. That said, Rowan alludes to moments from his past throughout the book, and those references became guideposts for me when I later wrote Beneath the Crescent Shadow. They served as chapter cues that helped me uncover the larger story behind his childhood and upbringing.

CAROL: When did you decide to write the prequel? (It seems from the acknowledgements it was because of wanting to write his mother’s Naja’s story. Is that correct?)

STEPHANIE: I committed to writing this prequel back in March 2025, but the idea for Naja’s story had been with me long before then. My cousin and developmental editor, Ashley White, first suggested it after reading the earliest draft of The Conjurer’s Curse in 2021. She wanted to know more about Naja and how she became Rowan’s guardian-mother. That wish stayed with me. 

With every book I wrote in the series, my desire to tell Naja’s story grew stronger–-not only to explore her journey, but to pay homage to the four women who raised my “hero” in the Iron Kingdom series. Scenes and moments churned in my mind for years, but it wasn’t until I became a stepmom myself—wrestling with the insecurities, doubts, and worries that come with it—that I finally felt like I had a place to begin with Beneath the Crescent Shadow.

CAROL: I love how you weave similes into so much of the story. When and how did the weaving theme come to you?

STEPHANIE: The weaving theme came early while writing The Conjurer’s Curse. I wanted the remote jungle village of Karahvel to feel culturally distinct from the rest of the “world” in my fantasy books. Just as the Egyptians had hieroglyphs and the Norse had runes, I wanted Karahvel to have something ancient and foundational to its identity. That’s when the idea of weaving emerged—not just as an art form, but as a language and method of storytelling. 

That concept formed the backdrop when I wrote The Conjurer’s Curse, but when I began Beneath the Crescent Shadow, I wanted to explore it more deeply. That’s when weaving evolved into one of the story’s central themes: everyone has a life’s weave, and our actions are threads shaping who we are and who we’ll become. From there, the world-building came alive. The village’s beliefs, customs, and even the characters’ dialogue reflect that philosophy in nearly every chapter.  

CAROL: This seems like a very personal story for you about becoming a mother in a different sort of way. Can you speak to that more?

STEPHANIE: I honestly don’t think I could have written it before becoming a stepmom. The opening line is: “I never wanted to be a mother.” I remember exactly where I was when it came to me. I was sitting in church during worship when the line suddenly entered my mind. I pulled out my journal and wrote it down, and what followed became the prologue and epilogue of the story. 

In many ways, I share a great deal with Naja. My ex-husband convinced me I would never make a good mother; and over time I let the dream of having children die. I know now that it was a cruel lie, but it left a wound deep within me. I’ve never considered myself naturally nurturing, either. My friends and siblings used to joke about how disciplined and strict I was. I laughed it off, but deep down, I carried a quiet grief of not having a family of my own. 

Then I met my current husband, who already had children, and the dream of a family became possible again. But stepping into the role of a stepmom was terrifying. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster—one filled with doubts, insecurities, and lessons in learning how to guide without controlling. So much of that journey found its way into Naja as she raises Rowan: the struggle to balance protection with the freedom a child needs to discover their own path.  

CAROL: Please tell us about about the illustrations.

STEPHANIE: I created all the interior illustrations on my IPad using Procreate. The portrait of Naja was one of the pieces I drew while drafting Beneath the Crescent Shadow. I was still experimenting with the program, but the piece turned out far better than I expected. Over the past year, I’ve learned new techniques and eventually reworked the portrait into the version that appears in the book. 

Rowan in the jungle was the second illustration I created. Because Rowan is ostracized and scorned by the village, I wanted to depict him in the jungle—the place where he feels most at peace, much like Naja. I enjoyed drawing the trees and experimenting with lighting and layering colors in that piece. With Rowan, I wanted to capture both his strength as a hunter and the sadness he carries from never truly feeling like he belongs. You can see that tension in his expression; there’s an unmistakable ache to belong in his eyes.

The most challenging illustration was the waterfall scene. I’m still very new to Procreate, and landscapes aren’t my forte, so it took me HOURS to draw all the foliage, texture the rocks, and get the waterfall looking right. Drawing Naja in the pool was the easiest part. But because that location holds deep meaning for both Naja and Rowan, I knew it had to be included in the book.  

CAROL: What was the most difficult part about writing this book?

STEPHANIE: What challenged me was how I chose to tell the story. This was the first book I’ve written in first-person present POV, which felt both freeing and difficult because it’s so different from my usual style. To help capture the fast-paced, immersive feel I wanted, I spent a lot of time reading books with the same first-person perspective. 

Another challenge was keeping the chapters short. Since I primarily write epic fantasy, I naturally gravitate toward longer, descriptive-rich chapters. But with Beneath the Crescent Shadow, I wanted the story to move quickly—almost like the reader was experiencing snapshots from Naja’s life. The book spans seventeen years, and I was determined to keep the narrative from ever feeling stagnant or weighted down. 

The editing phase brought its own challenges as well. My editor encouraged me to slow down in certain places and dig deeper into the emotional layers of the story. That pushed me to ask harder questions about my characters’ motivations and emotional journeys, which ultimately strengthened the book. 

Beneath the Crescent Shadow received a rave review from Kirkus and is part of Monarch’s Bloom and Nectar books for adults. The novel releases TOMORROW! and is available as an ebook on the Monarch website. It also can be ordered from Amazon or through your favorite independent book store.

GIVEAWAY

I am giving away both a print copy and ebook of BENEATH THE CRESCENT SHADOW (so that my friends who live outside the US can read it too!).(Note: There will be a slight delay in obtaining the printed version). Please leave a comment by June 13 and let me know which one you would like to receive.

If you are interested in reading more about Rowan’s journey, check out Stephanie’s Iron Kingdom series.