When the Moon Hatched

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Synopsis

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. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

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.

Synopses source: StoryGraph

Review

Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance
HB&W Rating: 3 stars, 4 flames
View on StoryGraph, Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon

I have mixed feelings about this one. I’d heard so many good things about it being the next big fantasy series, and I was super excited to find the audio available on Hoopla, but I’m on the fence. That said, I was also on the fence after reading ACOTAR for the first time (the first book, not the whole series) in an “I could take it or leave it” kind of way.

On the one hand, you have a sassy, badass, female assassin for the FMC, a missing block of memories, dragons, magic, and the promise of romance. On the other hand, it was all pretty derivative (several Throne of Glass parallels), the dragons were more peripheral than central story elements though they are supposed to be very important in this world, a world that I can’t tell you much about except that one place is cold and one is hot. Also, I kept imagining Kaan as Khal Drogo because, more parallels.

I wish there had been more examples of Raeve’s badassery shown or more scenes with the Other, but what really cinched my frustration with this book is that it yields one of my least favorite tropes: miscommunication – specifically, willful ignorance. It went on for far too long and while WE know what she doesn’t by the end of the book, she does not, nor does she show signs that she wants to find out. Honestly, I’m not sure I cared enough about ANY of the characters in this one. Not yet anyway. Maybe Kaan because that torch he held for his love is pretty romantic. Tragic, but romantic. 

Still, I find myself intrigued by a few things in the story and am curious to see how the story unfolds. My first read of ACOTAR got a 3.5 star rating which I knocked down to 3 upon my re-read because I was so annoyed by the FMC. Since I’m in the same boat with Raeve, I’m giving this an even 3 stars. Doesn’t mean I won’t read the next one in hopes that, like Feyre, Raeve pulls her head out of her butt.

Until next time,

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