When the Moon Hatched
Summary
As an assassin for the rebellion, Raeve’s job is to complete orders and never get caught. When a rival bounty hunter shatters her world, Raeve finds herself captured by the Guild of Nobles – a group of powerful fae.
Crushed by the loss of his great love, dragon rider Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to quell the never-ebbing ache in his chest, a clue lures him into the capital’s high-security prison where he stumbles upon the imprisoned Raeve …
Together, they seek truths that threaten to unravel everything they knew.
Spoiler Free Review
“Don’t lie to me, Moonbeam. Lie to the world, but please don’t lie to me.”
When I tell you that I want, no, NEED a Moonplume! I’ve never in my life wanted a dragon more (except Toothless). I absolutely LOVE this book!!! Do you ever read something and you can just perfectly picture the world and the aesthetic and it just feels like you fit? Not as the character but as yourself? That’s how I feel with this book. It’s beautifully written. It’s lyrical & poetic, everything about this book further shows the aesthetic of the world and the story.
It’s a very rich and immersive fantasy world with magical creatures running around, (think Harry Potter-esque). It is a little difficult to keep the creatures, regions and rulers straight but I just kept referencing the very detailed glossary and by the end I feel like I got it figured out.
There’s a lot that this book doesn’t answer and it’s one where you don’t really know what’s going on until the end you really get to piece things together. We get flashbacks throughout so you get to start figuring things out and making up theories and guesses as you go. I love books that have this mystery where we’re in the dark like the FMC (though in this one we do get a little more information that she does). I really feel for Raeve, she’s a badass for sure, like all assassins FMCs but she has quite a mysterious and tragic past. I can’t wait to get the fully story in book 2.
I love the banter between our two main characters, it was witty but not overdone and didn’t feel juvenile like it often does. The romance in this one is heart wrenching! And the longing, OOF. I absolutely love it. This one definitely hurt my feelings but that makes me love it more.
Kaan has made it to my book boyfriend list! I absolutely love him. He’s so caring and thoughtful while still having that dangerous vibe we all love our book boyfriends to have. This man is the definition of “he’ll do anything for her.” And he does.
I do wish we had gotten more dragon time, so I’m hoping for that in book 2 BUT I 100% recommend this book! Don’t be scared of the glossary or the page count, this book sucks you in, you’ll forget you’re even reading.
UPDATE: I read this 6 months ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it.
Spoiler Filled Thoughts
“‘I think you and I were supposed to find one another,’ I whisper, peering into the Moonplume’s glimmering globes as another tear slips down my cheek...’No one will ever hurt you again.’”
I feel SO BAD for Kann. This poor man. He has to deal with Raeve not knowing her history after he figured it out and listening to her say that she’s leaving, that she doesn’t love him and that he doesn’t know her, when he does. They have so much history and he loves her so much & she doesn’t know any of it! And the fact he’s piecing HER MOON BACK TOGETHER. I cannot. That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard any book boyfriend do. I can’t handle it. He still loves her so much even after she broke his heart.
I also feel so bad for Raeve. She cannot catch a break. She went through so much and when she starts remembering things, or reads the diary, that’s going to be brutal. I hated how she kept pushing everyone away, her insistence on always being alone was getting a little annoying to be honest but I also get it. Everyone she loves dies. Her best friend who became like a sister, she lost her brother and her parents and gave up Kaan. There’s so much trauma in this book for these characters.
“He threads his hand around the small of my back, tucking me into his chest, warm lips brushing against my temple. ‘Come back to me Raeve. To us.’ Then he was gone. ”
We also need to talk about the fact that Kaan is not Kyzari’s Uncle but her father! She’s Kaan’s and Raeve’s CHILD! *GASP* I did not see that one coming. That’s going to be interesting (WILD) when everyone comes to know that fact. Kaan is going to be so mad and sad that Raeve did what she did at that time and her having to live through all that again…oof. But also she’s saved him some extra heartache, well….until it’s all revealed I guess.
It’s so heartbreaking, all of it! Raeve left the Burn and Kaan didn’t interfere, he just let her go, hoping she’ll come back and I know that’s so hard for him. It’s such a good star crossed romance & I love it, but wow does it hurt!
Love. This. Book.