When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker has taken the book community by storm, especially on Booktok. I picked it off of the Barnes and Nobles shelf without knowing I was about to dive into one of the most intricate and captivating fantasy novels of the year. 

Prior to reading this, I had never once read a fiction book with its own glossary. Sarah A. Parker, however, remedied that notion by using the first twenty or so pages of her book to include one. At first, I was completely baffled at this and spent the better part of thirty minutes trying to read the definitions of different dragons and terms. Looking back though, I definitely think the glossary was a good idea as the amount of elements in the fictional world would have taken another 100 pages to explain if the glossary was nonexistent. 

Being 736 pages, this book was one of my longer novels of this year. One of my criticisms, in fact, was in regard to the novel’s length. I thought that there were a lot of scenes that were, in essence, pointless. For example, there were many chapters about the main character, Raeve, monologuing in her head about things the reader already knew. I truly believe that the author could have gotten rid of 100 pages if she edited those chapters out. 

Despite this, I greatly enjoyed the book when the chapters were involved with the plot. The plot itself was filled with exhilaration, mystery, and romance. I connected with most of the characters, and I absolutely loved the setting of this magical new world. 

The author does an amazing job at bringing the reader into this world. Whenever I opened the spine, it felt like I was transporting myself into the book as my eyes skimmed the words inked on the page. I do feel, however, that the author did a little too good a job at crafting such an intricate place. I was often left confused about certain details, especially when the author just threw names of people and places in your face without any explanation. I think there could have been a little bit more explanation so that the reader could fully dive into the world-building aspect of the novel. 

I liked the many twists and turns that the plot offered, and it often led me to sit on the edge of my seat. Conversely, the romance is in every essence a slow-burn. After 500 pages of it feeling like there was no emotional development in the relationship between Raeve and her love-interest, Kaan, it did get a little annoying. 

I rated this book a four star.