Title: Mancala Moon
Author: Asa Bowers
Genre: Contemporary, Magical Realism
Publisher: Independent
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Micah Thorne thought grief was the heaviest burden he would carry. But the forest waits, ancient and watching, offering visions he cannot explain—and a choice that could break the cycle of loss—or trap him forever.
Drawn into a mysterious forest where time bends and memory takes shape, Micah encounters a silent fox who seems to know his path and forces that test the boundaries of choice and inheritance.
Deep within the moonlit woods, an ancient game waits to be played. One decision may offer Micah a chance to break a generational burden—but only if he can face the darkness both around him and within.
Mancala Moon is a quietly mythic work of literary fiction infused with magical realism—a modern spiritual folktale that lingers between inner lives and ancient stories. Haunting and emotionally intimate, it explores loss, legacy, and the fragile courage required to heal.
Review:
This is a story about changing your fate and finding where you belong. Micah came from a long line of men who died before age 40. He had accepted his fate but he also went searching for answers. This is a magical realism story with a beautiful and vivid setting. I really liked how everything came together in the end.
Mancala Moon is a beautiful magical realism story!
Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!
Content warnings: death of parents, depression
Have you read Mancala Moon? What did you think of it?
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