When the Moon Hatched (Paperback)

#1 Book for me! This one has touched my soul deeply, and I am forever changed. The FMC is written beautifully and you feel every emotion she has gone through. Raeve's inner dialogue is hysterical. Her thought process, feelings, and how she suppresses them are described eloquently. She has me laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what she is going to do next, or discover about herself next. The MMC, Kaan, is my #1!! He is everything you want out of a MMC. He is patient, clever, strong, loving, snarky, and willing to go to any lengths for the woman he loves. His tale, without spoilers, is heart wrenching and beautiful. He is everything you could ever want, and the match up between him and the FMC is something to behold. The world building in this story is done beautifully. I can feel the cold of the Shade, the blistering sun of the Burn, and the mystery of the Fade. The description of the dragons has me itching to find my very own Moonplume. This is a story you can't put down. It digs it's hooks into you deeply leaving you dreaming and on the edge of your seat for more. This is my third re-read while I await The Ballad of Falling Dragons. Sarah A Parker is instantly at the top for me! I can't wait to see how the next story unfolds. Do yourself a favor, and start reading this one now. You won't regret it.

✨ VIBE CHECK Think: Slaying the Vampire Conqueror meets The Plated Prisoner ⭐ V&V RATING Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️.5 Emotional Damage: I cried - a LOT (and I am not a crier when it comes to books!) Pacing: Perfect Writing Style: Very descriptive and detailed. There is a poetic style to the writing throughout the book, though it does not fall into the category of “purple prose”. Main Characters: FMC - Reave, MMC - Kaan Vaegor 📖 SUMMARY (NO SPOILERS) Knowing only a life of death and destruction, Raeve works as an assassin in the employ of the Fiur du Ath, a group of rebels looking to overthrow the ruling Vaegor family, in order to free the land from tyranny. When a mark goes wrong, Raeve finds herself captured by The Guild of Nobles and as she sits and awaits her fate, her memories begin to stir from a life forgotten. A mysterious hooded man from her past stumbles upon her in a dungeon, but what she doesn’t realize is that man is Kaan Vaegor, King of The Burn, brother to her sworn enemy and the only person who can explain why her heart is pulled towards someone she is supposed to hate. 💭 REVIEW THOUGHTS I loved this book, for so many reasons. First, I love reading about a badass FMC (hello Celaena Sardothian anyone?) - and Raeve fits the bill perfectly! She’s an assassin who is out taking out the bad guys, and really, who doesn’t love a black cat personality with a heart of gold? I also found her to be something other FMCs are not - funny! There is a sass level to Raeve that I fully support and applaud. It made her character feel more real. Second, the world that Sarah builds for us is beautiful and rich. Now, I’m not going to lie - when I opened the book and saw the glossary of terms, places, gods, creatures, etc. I was worried I’d be overwhelmed. Not only was I not frazzled trying to keep up with the amazingly lush, new world that was unfolding around me as I read, but kudos to Sarah for including that beautiful glossary (never used one more and loved every minute of it). Third, the MMC - Kaan Vaegor. May I just take a moment to say - MA’AM! The things this man would do for the woman he loves. Reading a book with a MMC like Kaan is just different; it simply hits your soul on a different level. The longing and yearning that comes from Kaan, as he attempts to warm the icy heart of our FMC, ended up melting my heart in the process (and earning him the number #3 spot on my most updated book boyfriend list). And Fourth, the mystery and the emotional damage. I love, love, LOVE a good mystery. When a dark romantasy can bring a bit of mystery and even chaos to my world - even better! This book brought all of that and more. I reached for the box of tissues more times than I think I ever have with any other book - it was shocking really. The way the mystery unfolds will keep you guessing and theories will abound as we await the second book in the duology. 🔮 FAVORITE ELEMENTS Favorite character(s): Kaan Vaegor (MMC) - morally grey with a delicious cinnamon roll center, willing to do ANYTHING for the woman he loves Best trope moment: The first time he drops the nickname “Moonbeam”, my heart melted Book boyfriend ranking (scale of 1-5🥵): 🥵🥵🥵🥵 This man is giving Slade Ravinger vibes…need I REALLY say more? Audiobook note (if applicable): Available, Dual Narration with Sarah Mollo-Christensen & Fajer Al-Kalsi. NOTE: I only listened to a sample, but found Fajer Al-Kalsi’s narration to be nice and may listen as my re-read before the second book comes out (and I’m picky when it comes to my audiobook selections). 🧢 COMPARABLE TITLES / FANDOM CROSSOVER If you like The Plated Prisoner series and Throne of Glass, or anything written by Carissa Broadbent - but with dragons and elemental magic and gods, then the Moonfall duology is for you.

Some books are good. Some books are great. And then there are the rare ones that alter your brain chemistry. When the Moon Hatched was easily a six-star read for me and without question one of the most unforgettable epic fantasy romances I have ever experienced. From the very first page, Parker creates a world unlike anything I’ve encountered before. Dragons don’t simply exist here, they shape the sky itself, becoming moons in death, their presence lingering as both mythology and mourning. The dragon lore is haunting, original, and deeply symbolic, adding layers of meaning that unfold slowly and deliberately. This is a story steeped in grief, rage, love, and memory. Raeve is not a gentle heroine. She is a weapon, sharpened by loss and survival, and Parker never softens her edges to make her easier to love. And yet, that’s exactly what makes her so compelling. Watching her confront truths buried beneath pain and political manipulation feels intimate and devastating. Kaan, the FMC is a mixture of our favorite main male characters. He’s a little Cassian, he’s a lot Khal Drogo with a splash of Rowan. What elevated this book into something truly extraordinary for me was the writing itself. Parker’s prose is lyrical, poetic, and immersive in a way that feels almost spiritual. I did an immersive read where I read and listened to the audio book at the same time, and it became an existential experience. And the romance…it burns slowly beneath the surface, threaded through loss, identity, and destiny. It doesn’t exist separate from the plot, almost like it is born from it. This is epic fantasy at its finest: vast in scope, deeply emotional, and utterly transportive. A story about grief and rebirth. About truth and power. About love that refuses to die. The ending leaves you wanting more and I’m highly anticipating book two to be even better.

I originally read When The Moon Hatched back in August 2025 and, for some reason, never reviewed it. Looking back, I think fate knew I wasn’t ready. I read the words, but I didn’t truly understand them. The story didn’t settle into me the way it was meant to. Fast forward to reading it again now, and I see everything differently. Because it wasn’t just the lyrical prose or the beautiful writing that stayed with me. It was the aching story woven beneath it all. Raeve is such a layered character. Her sharp wit, her compassion, her brokenness… you slowly realize that the reason she fights so hard not to feel is because she feels too much. And carrying the weight of a life she once lived but can no longer fully reach? Heartbreaking. And then there’s Kaan. Over 123 years of grief. Of longing. Of mourning the other half of his soul while convincing himself she’s gone forever. The depth of devotion he carries through every action, every choice, every moment… I found myself wondering: what must it be like to love someone with that kind of unwavering intensity? And while the story slowly unravels secrets of the past, it leaves you questioning everything you thought you understood about the present too. This reread reminded me that sometimes books find us at the wrong time, only to return when we’re finally ready to understand them. And this time? I understood. Now I’ll be impatiently waiting for The Ballad of Falling Dragons because I need more of their story immediately.

Spoilers! Unfortunately, it fell short for me for several reasons. My top reason being how much unnecessary information we are constantly given. The first 200 pages absolutely dragged and Veya’s pov chapters are completely pointless to me. Personally, I think a short summary of her travels could be written in a note and read through Kaan’s pov. When we finally do get one good chapter in (ch. 35) I was already 41% into the book and almost DNF. I decided to power through despite the lack of chemistry between the FMC/MMC and confusing timeline. There is a Glossary located at the end of the of book. It somewhat helped me to understand the timeline/phases a little better however, it’s still extremely confusing while reading (wish I knew/read this before finishing the book) Furthermore, I was highly disappointed with the pacing of the book. The synopsis states that this is a “fast-paced fantasy romance with a love that blazes through the ages.” I however, felt the complete opposite. The FMC and MMC lacked chemistry for the first 85% of the book. I was shocked when they finally did couple. The FMC is also unbearably stubborn to the point where I’m not sure why anyone would like her. I do think the synopsis should have mentioned that the action is fast-paced rather than the romance. I probably would have enjoyed the book more had the romance been speed up, and the banter between the MCs created more sexual tension. I did not care for their bickering. It had a ton of potential however, was poorly executed. Overall, this book is beautifully written. At the end of it all, this is what kept me powering through. Sarah A. Parker did a magnificent job with wording and world-building. I could grasp a clear imagine in my mind and fully immerse myself in Raeve and Kaan’s world. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon. I absolutely love how we are introduced to three different species of dragons (Moltenmaw, Moonplume, Sabersythe) each unique and beautifully depicted. Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

4.5 ⭐️ 🌶️🌶️.5 1st person Multi POV Epilogue written 3rd person POV There’s just something about a fantasy world that refuses to hold your hand, and this book absolutely throws you into the deep end. The lore is dense, the world building is intricate, and for the first few chapters I felt like I was piecing together fragments of a forgotten myth. Last year I attempted reading this and ended up doing a soft DNF (I knew I was going to try to read it again at some point). It does start off slow, so give it time and make sure your mind is fresh to read lots of world building. Raeve (FMC) is sharp-edged, stubborn, emotional, and honestly exhausting at times… but I think that’s what made her feel real. Kaan (MMC) is my kind of book boyfriend who’s caring but will absolutely destroy anyone and anything who dares to hurt Raeve! The slow burn tension, the longing, the banter, the “would burn the world for her” energy was EVERYTHING! What I loved most was how emotional this story felt beneath all the fantasy elements. At its core, this is a story about memory, grief, identity, love, and survival. The romance doesn’t overpower the plot and it’s woven directly into it. The pacing occasionally felt a little slow for me, which is the main reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars, but the ending completely pulled me back in and now I desperately need book two! Tropes + atmosphere: Slow burn Forbidden romance Morally gray MMC Stabby FMC Touch her and 💀 Character with amnesia Hidden identity One dragon (like one horse) Dragons + gods High fantasy Lyrical writing This book is worth the hype, but caution to how it starts off slow. Happy reading!

***5/14/26 Reread - OMG I love this book so much more after my reread! I understand what is going on now. The emotional rollercoaster I went through this time around. OMG! I love Kaan. He's so awesome. Hands down one of my favorite MMCs. If you need a the definition of yearning Kaan Vaegor is the standard. I'm obsessed. Everyone is in such a precarious spot at the end of this book. And book 2 is coming in 5 days! I cannot wait! 5 stars! What I was thinking before I have no idea. But I am locked in! Even though I didn't know what was going on half the time I actually enjoyed this book. It was a different world. Different types of characters. Very high fantasy with a lot of romance and yearning. Even though it was one sided half the time. I'm very interested to see what happens with these characters. It's also interesting how everyone is connected. I fear that this series is set up to cause emotional damage. I do want the physical book and I'm annoyed that the pretty hard covers are out of stock. Also the audible version is very good. It's hard to get a good audible experience these days so this is one I will recommend. I hope Raeve and Kaan find each other.

I’m a vibes reader, I admit. But, I have read this book three times and fall deeper into the world each time. Should I have caught onto some of the foreshadowing the first read? Absolutely. But it is still a remarkable story whether you read for vibes or for the deep intricacies. This story tears at my heartstrings each time I read it.

5 BIG STARS* WOOOW. SOOO GOOD. Sarah Is a Queen. She blew me away with WTMH and TFAWF this month. WTMH was a masterpiece. I know that it’s going to be one of my favorite read in January. It had everything for a fantasy book: intriguing, immersive and complex world building (there is a glossary at the beginning of the book. I went back to it once), fast paced, unique magic system and dragons! I really feel that the story was different and truly unique. And the characters… *Chief* work. They were so realistic, I felt like I know them. I connected from the start with our FMC Raeve. She is fierce, strong & sassy. I loved her so much! I loved how complex she is, how much she suffered… She even made me cry. Her and the MMC became my whole personality. The romance between them : P E R F E C T I O N. The star-crossed lover trope was top tier. I HIGHLY and always will recommend this book. I think it’s a must read for all fantasy & romantasy readers.

Not an easy Read, but a gorgeous story. Its gonna be a long want for the next one, i’m afraid….

This is not the special edition. Which was reason enough to send it back for me. It was also slightly damaged at the dust cover.

Seeing the Amazon rating, this book may not get sufficient credit. The "Bad" reviews seem to mostly concentrate not on the story but e.g. damaged book. This should be taken into account when considering purchasing the book as the story itself is good. As I am not a native English speaker it was a bit difficult to get into the book at the beginning. This was also due to missing (sufficient) explanations of the magic system or creatures in the book. It would have been a great help if i would have found the glossary at the end of the book in the beginning of reading it... The world building is vast. The characters are interesting, esp. as the story of the FMC is built through the book. At the end the character still holds some mystery that the FMC seems to also not be aware of, as well as her complete back story leaves us with some questions. The MMC is rather straight forward due to the story line. Personally I hope that the MMC will get more challenged, showing us more depth to his character as he will get sucker punched in the second book by some news. The stroy leaves us with quite some open questions and big potential for the story development in different directions. Trying to categorize the book, its a good mix of fantasy and world building with good plot and romance story behind it, basically emerging in all directions which can make it a good read for lot's of people, but therefore may also not be the absolute strongest in a specific category. Overall i absolutely recommend to give it a try. Note: it might take half the book to get into it, for the world to build, connections to make, etc. - but it's worth it.

Theres really weird finger prints on the front and back that won’t come off….not great for a “new” book