REVIEWS

 5.0 out of 5 stars

A Hauntingly Beautiful Literary Reflection on America

Reviewed in Canada on March 9, 2025

     Once Upon a Waning Star is a profound and thought-provoking exploration of America’s shifting cultural and historical landscape. Written with lyrical prose and deep introspection, this book offers a captivating narrative that blends history, social commentary, and personal reflection into an unforgettable literary experience.

     The author masterfully captures the essence of a nation standing at a crossroads, weaving rich storytelling with sharp insights that make the reader pause and reflect. The themes of change, identity, and the passage of time are beautifully explored, making this book a must-read for those who appreciate literary depth and social critique.

     If you love books that challenge your perspective while immersing you in powerful, poetic storytelling, Once Upon a Waning Star is a masterpiece that stays with you long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended!

--Eva

5.0 out of 5 stars 

A Haunting, Theatrical Reflection on America’s Soul

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2025

     This book is a deeply introspective and powerfully written blend of literature, theater, and political critique. Through a mix of personal reflection, dramatic storytelling, and philosophical musings, the author dissects modern America—its fractures, its failures, and its fading ideals. The narrative moves fluidly between reality and performance, questioning not just the state of the country but the very nature of truth, art, and human identity.

     What stands out most is the writing itself—poetic, intelligent, and unflinchingly honest. The book doesn’t just tell a story; it makes you feel like you’re inside a grand, unraveling play where the characters struggle with both personal demons and societal decay. The themes of political disillusionment, loneliness, and the weight of history are particularly poignant.

This is not light reading, nor is it for those looking for a straightforward plot. It demands patience and reflection. But for readers who appreciate literary depth, theatrical storytelling, and an unfiltered look at America’s cracks, this is a must-read.

--Bread

4.0 out of 5 stars 

A Thought-Provoking and Literary Exploration of America’s Present and Future

Reviewed in Germany on 25 February 2025

     Combining literature, politics, and personal thought, R. Luce's Once Upon a Waning Star: A Literary Chronicle of America at the Edge of Time is a very reflective and provocative work. The book presents a distinctive narrative style, alternately between philosophical reflections, dramatic devices, and a perceptive criticism of the political and cultural scene of modern America.

     The strong, literary approach of the work is among its best features. Luce asks readers to consider the changing values and moral conundrums of modern America by combining historical study, personal debate, and narrative with challenge. Often reflecting on issues of disillusionment, power conflicts, and society degradation, the author's work is lyrical and vivid. The book feels like a play on the page because of the imaginative and immersive touch of theater components including monologues and dramatic staging.

     Though the book is intellectually interesting, its rigorous and abstract approach could not appeal to every reader. The reflective and occasionally fractured character of the story calls both careful reading and patience. Those seeking a simple political or historical study could find the literary approach somewhat difficult.

     For those who appreciate literary political commentary and thorough philosophical inquiry, Once Upon a Waning Star is an ambitious and engaging piece overall. For anyone interested in the junction of art, politics, and the human condition, this book inspires thought and conversation.

--M

5.0 out of 5 stars 

A haunting reflection on America’s soul: literature, politics, and the weight of truth

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025

     The author has crafted a book that is as unsettling as it is beautiful. This work of art doesn’t just tell a story—it interrogates the world around us, demanding that we pay attention. Once Upon a Waning Star is a novel that lingers, haunts, and forces us to question our roles in the grand play of existence. It is highly recommended for readers ready to engage in a literary journey that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant.

--OSteph

5.0 out of 5 stars 

Theatrical, thought-provoking, immersive drama

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2025

     This is a creative and powerful read that makes you think about where we’ve been and where we’re headed as a country. Ron Luce blends theater and storytelling in a way that feels fresh, almost like you’re sitting in the audience watching it all unfold. The mix of humor, drama, and raw emotion keeps you engaged, making you question history, identity, and the choices we make. That said, the story can get a little tricky to follow at times, especially with its layered structure. But if you’re up for something thought-provoking and different, this book is well worth your time.

--Angel0x

Thank you for gifting that anthology about marginalized and struggling people from the Ohio Writers' Association, Should This Book Be Banned?  I got quite caught up in your contribution, "Thunder and Ice".  Your ability to imagine and sympathize with the psyches and circumstances of two people whose lives are compromised by poverty and drug addiction is quite arresting--it puts me in mind of Charles Dickens' ability to do so with the urban poor of his day.  You packed so much into just a few pages.  The great irony of the story is that Will and Bobby are not really bad people, and it would seem that Elma, the retired, experienced nurse, senses this too.  The surprise ending of Will Beesom slyly pick-pocketing the old woman who had been their benefactor was shocking, but I knew he did it out of love for his partner, for whom it seems Will is the strong one and caretaker.  The in-the-moment, in media res narrative full of understated emotional intensity and psychological inference reminds me of the short stories of Guy De Maupassant, who also is good at winning his readers' sympathies for the marginalized and outcast.  Though you employ a brisk, economic style, you still make it possible for the reader to develop sympathy for the love shared between the homosexual couple, the expression of which is the same as that felt between two heterosexual people who truly love one another.  Will Beesom desires always that his partner be safe and sound, and he will do whatever he can (within his limited means and random opportunities) to make that possible.  What I came away with is a mood of reflection on the domino-effect of marginalization, which may or may not be the reasons for your own characters' plight: a person is not accepted socially by mainstream society (in this case because of inborn sexual preference) and being driven to the societal margin, their options are fewer, their fear is greater, and one choice follows another into a life they might not have freely chosen--and sometimes the places where social refuge is sought are not always benign (or at least, not wholly so).  One can tell that Will would like to have a wholesome existence for himself and his partner Bobby, but he has gone down this road of enslavement to addiction, and he is reduced to survival.  His one jewel is that he has someone to love and to take care of.  Holding on to that, he still preserves a shred of his inmost humanity.

--Todd Bastin 

BookLife: 

   Plot/Idea: Star Late Rising is a kaleidoscopic mish-mash of drama, comedy and surrealistic literature. Ron Luce's confidently told story boldly raises pertinent questions about who we are as individuals, as a collective and as a society teetering on the brink of collapse. 

   Prose: Luce's text is presented as a theatrical play, with excellent attention to detail in the stage directions that help create an imaginative and provocative atmosphere. In addition, the effect of the narrator talking directly to the reader makes the text feel more personal and resonant. 

   Originality: Star Late Rising is an engaging, genre-bending novel which has a strong focus on drama and theatrical performance. Its interesting and offbeat presentation is its strength, although the format may not be to many readers' tastes. 

   Character/Execution: The narrator and the three professional actors who make up the cast of Star Late Rising are well orchestrated and engaging. And intriguingly, as a result of the book's unique format, it often feels like the characters are directly in conversation with the audience. 

Reedsy:  

   A novel, a play, a poem ... an experience! Bold, genre bending reading and theatrical experience that challenges sophisticated readers on many levels.    

   Three male actors--two of whom are gay--along with a middle-aged alcoholic actor who is trying to make a comeback, assist the narrator in weaving a complex story that honors readers as intelligent meaning-makers. 

   The narrator has written a play—a dramedy that attempts to make sense of life immediately following the insurrection of January 6, 2021. As readers move through this metanarrative, they experience the writer writing, the actors as performers, and the characters within the play they are performing as human beings trying to live their lives. This tour de force uses drama, comedy, reverence for history and literature, and a touch of surrealism to engage and challenge readers to consider basic questions of who we are as individuals, members of communities, and as citizens living within a democracy teetering between recommitment and collapse. 

   Luce brings the readers into essential questions about who we are as a collective, who we are as individuals, and how we are going to handle the colliding forces of our moment in time.    

   January 6, 2021, was a pivotal moment in United States history. Not only did some citizens try to overturn the results of a presidential election, but they did so under the guise of liberty and justice for all. Ron Luce attempts to make sense of the aftermath of such an event in Star Late Rising.   

    In the book, readers are given insight into the lives of three male actors. All three of them are searching for the essence of their lives while building careers as entertainers. Through dialogue, the reader learns how much the occurrence on January 6, 2021, has influenced the men and how the overall climate of the United States has deeply impacted their identities.  

   It is refreshing to come across an author who is unashamed to lean into creativity. Luce keeps the reader wondering exactly what he is crafting with words that sometimes come in prose and other times in the form of poetry. The over-arching theme of the men, who are actors, navigating the main stage of life becomes evident as Luce primarily formats the book as a play. It is pure brilliance to do so as offering the story as a play places the reader in the audience and opens the door for analysis and judgment. 

   The reader is not merely learning about these men. The reader is showing up to work, experiencing the highs and lows, and ultimately figuring life out along with them.    

   In all, Luce has created a deeply meaningful story that deserves to be read by anyone willing to think outside of the box.