Book Review: When the Moon Hatched
A fantasy novel about dragons, magic, and romance. What more could I ask for? Here is my take on Sarah A. Parker's newest release When The Moon Hatched.
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The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.
They certainly did not expect them to fall.
As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught.
Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.
The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …
They’re too poisonous to swallow.
When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.
Warning! There may be potential spoilers ahead.
This book was so much more than I ever expected and I adored it. The romance was so deep and raw. Something that I haven’t read in quite a while. It’s been some time since I have found a book with a romance theme that hasn’t just dominated the plot. While I am not the biggest fan of the memory loss trope this is the first time that I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed that as a result of this, we get to see Raeve fall in love again and slowly start to open up to the world. Being able to follow along with her backstory and see her grow as a character as she learns more about herself and others around her. This is also helped by all of the different chapter POV’s.
“He’s fire and brimstone. I’m shattered ice. Our collision is steam and destruction, destined to dissipate, but I’ll gladly burn beneath him until the world comes crumbling down.”
The story is wonderful and while there is so much left open to discover, Parker does an amazing job of moving the story along without feeling rushed. It also is one of the few books I have read this year and the story has stuck with me for so long afterward. The imagery, the characters, the world, the structure, all of it is stunning. I do wish that there had been more information provided about the magic system and the gods. While we do get a chance to learn more about the dragons, I finished the book still not understanding how the gods and the dragons connect
The dragons. They are amazing. They are beautiful, and they can be so utterly soul-shattering. Parker did an amazing job with the imagery of the dragons and the history behind just them. The relationship she builds between the dragons and their riders is very well done and I love how it is family-coded. While we don’t necessarily get the telepathy that you see in other novels such as Fourth Wing, she builds that same bond without it, and it's amazing.
“Many call that particular moon Hae’s Perch. It’s certainly not the largest, nor is it the brightest, nor the most magnificent to look upon. But for whatever reason, I can’t imagine not being able to open my eyes each aurora rise, look out past the ever-vibrant clouds in this part of the world, and see that little wonky moon with the malformed wing.”
The banter and snark between Raeve and the rest of the world was fantastic. The dialogue between her and Kaan is very authentic and feels real. While there are factors of this novel that are high fantasy, the dialogue brings you in as if this story is set in the real world.
I am a sucker for novels that include diary entries. As someone who kept a diary for most of her life before turning to journaling, I appreciate when I see that in books I read. I’ve seen a lot of people elect to skip the diary entries, which I don’t recommend; the diary entries are essential to Raeve’s storyline. It expands her background as she slowly opens up to the world and that was a nice side-by-side development to see. It also gives a solid explanation as to why Raeve is so closed off to the world and an insight into some of the trauma she has faced, including the plot twist toward the end of the novel.
There are a lot of things I love from this world but here are a few that I adore. First off, the mail system in the world is so adorable and awesome. While some questions arise considering notes are living beings through the use of magic. (Which I don’t believe was fully explained at any point in the first book) They are so cute, and my heart almost completely belongs to Nee. I fell in love almost immediately and when Raeve sent her away it tore my heart out.
Another character that I adored was the Fate Herder. I can’t help myself but every time it appeared I kept picturing the Saber Tooth Tiger from The Croods. If you haven’t watched that film, you totally should, if not just for the Saber Tooth Tiger. I loved that the Fate Herder was considered this revered being who should have been a terrifying creature. But instead, it just gently shoved Raeve where she needed to be and sat there and was adorable. Did it add to the plot? A little bit. Was it that important? Not really in the grand scheme of things. Do I wish they were a real thing? Most definitely.
“Survival’s funny. Some wear it like a whisper, others like a scream. Mine’s a scorched skeleton of flame-forged rage that keeps me upright. Keeps me moving forward”
Finally, I have a little bit of a conspiracy theory about a character called The Other that we see pop up two times throughout the novel. At first, I didn’t quite understand what it was, but after discovering more of Raeve’s background and learning about her dragon, and the fact that she dropped from the sky. I think her dragon's soul combined with hers when she was brought back to life. I think it’s all deeply interwoven into whatever the gods do and there is so much more to learn as the series progresses. As of right now though, I’m sticking with that theory.
My general takeaways after reading When The Moon Hatched for the first time:
✨ Dragons. That is all I have to say.
✨ Romance that is authentically written and not overwhelming to the plot.
✨ Moonbeam is an awesome pet name. I will die on this hill.
✨ Memory Loss trope that is written quite well.
✨ Facets of high fantasy in easily consumable amounts, a great first Fantasy read for those who are sticking their toe in the genre.
✨ Trigger warnings include Sexual Assault, Domestic Abuse, Death, and Gore.
✨ Fate Herder is an amazing character and needs to appear in the second novel.
✨ Nee shattered my heart and healed it again, I am in complete adoration of their mail system.
✨ I CANNOT wait until the second book comes out next year.
I hope you enjoyed this review. Thanks for reading!