Eye of the Moonrat has its fair share of fantasy tropes and while Cooley's writing style is rather simplistic he has created a complex and interesting world that you want to learn more about. The main character, Justan, is your standard fantasy teen who is struggling to live up to the reputation of his father. He is trying to qualify for entrance into the battle academy and despite putting significant effort into his training he just doesn't seem to have what it takes to get in. However, Justan does have some compelling abilities that make him unique and this book slowly reveals just what he could be capable of. There is more to Justan than meets the eye and some influential individuals have taken notice of him and begun to manipulate his destiny.
While Justan as a character isn't overly unique, there were some other characters that I found myself wanting to know more about. They include Deathclaw, the wizard-modified reptilian creature who no longer knows exactly what he is, as well as Fist the ogre, who is a lot smarter than the other ogres and rejects their mindless blood thirst for more intellectual pursuits. Along with the multiple story lines Cooley also plants some interesting "seeds" that do not bear fruit in this book: There is a mysterious rune that is etched into Justan's chest, a book given to Justan by an undead creature that nobody can read because they become nauseous and sick when they try, and the Bowl of Souls where some of the greatest warriors and wizards go to see if they are worthy of being given their true name. All of these things combine to create an appetite for the rest of the series.
For audiobook fans, James Foster does a decent job with his narration and the different voices; however, I had a real issue with his voice for Lenui the dwarf. It was just bad and did not fit the fantasy theme for me at all. It certainly kept me from being immersed in the story whenever Lenui was involved so this is one where it might be better to read the book.
So is this a must read/listen fantasy book? No it isn't but it also isn't terrible. The writing style is simple but the story is complex and there is enough potential here to encourage you to move on to book two and see where it all goes.