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Asa Bowers is a writer of quiet, emotionally driven literary fiction. Blending lyrical prose with psychological depth, his work draws on myth and folklore. His debut novel, Mancala Moon, is a haunting and emotionally intimate work that lingers between inner lives and ancient stories.
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Mancala Moon by Asa Bowers is a fantasy about breaking a cursed cycle of pain. The story is about grief, the overshadowing presence and influence of ancestral ties, and inheritance. Micah is a 21-year-old struggling with the loss of his parents. He can’t come to grips with his personal failures and is disturbed by the curse of premature death that is etched in his bloodline. He feels an irresistible pull toward a mysterious, ancient forest in Northern California, a place rumored to be known for disappearances and otherworldly phenomena. Guided by a fox, he experiences visions of his ancestors, becomes conscious of their sins and sacrifices, and the burden of the curse in his lineage. There is also the possibility of breaking that curse.
Asa Bowers made me feel as though I had stepped into a dream. Micah's grief is poignantly portrayed; his despair rubs off on you as you follow him. His adventure into the forest becomes something extraordinary. You feel for him, you are anxious for him, and you want to know what becomes of him. The plot twist and the ending were far from what I expected, and it was just delightful. The forest felt like a living being, and the fox was a character that I followed keenly. Mancala Moon has an extraordinary setting, and the worldbuilding is rich with symbolism, visions, and whispers. The author expertly blends myth with reality. This book is written in exquisite prose that lingers, even after you turn the last page.
