When the Moon Hatched Summary, Characters and Themes
When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker is an adult romantasy novel that kicks off the Moonfall series, set in a world where dragons ascend into the sky as moons upon their death, only to occasionally plummet back to earth in a destructive event known as a moonfall.
The story centers on Raeve, an assassin with a shattered past, who is rescued by Kaan, the enigmatic King of The Burn. As Raeve unravels the mystery of her missing memories, she must confront her emotional scars and rediscover who she truly is—all while navigating a world torn between gods, dragons, and the shadows of her past.
Summary
Raeve is an assassin working for the Fíur du Ath, a rebel faction opposing the oppressive rule of The Fade. In this world, dragons ascend to the sky upon death and become moons. However, sometimes these moons fall back to earth in catastrophic events known as moonfalls, leaving destruction in their wake.
The origin of these occurrences is unknown, but the gods suspect Caelis, the God of the Aether, and have imprisoned him in an Aether Stone that can only be worn by members of the Neván family.
Through brief journal entries, we learn of Elluin Neván, a princess of The Shade, who, after the murder of her family, is forced into an unwanted betrothal to the tyrannical Tyroth Vaegor.
Elluin’s true love, however, is Tyroth’s brother, Kaan, who becomes King of The Burn.
When Elluin becomes pregnant with Kaan’s child, Tyroth blackmails her into marrying him and claiming the child as his own. After giving birth to her daughter, Elluin mysteriously vanishes, her Moonplume dragon soaring into the sky, and she is presumed dead.
However, it is revealed that she survived but lost her memories and now lives as Raeve, an assassin for hire.
In the present day, Raeve has no recollection of her life as Elluin and poses as someone without magical abilities, though she secretly can hear the elemental songs of all four gods.
On a mission to kill a powerful man named Tarik Relaken, she also catches the eye of a mysterious stranger—Kaan, the King of The Burn. After her friend Essi is murdered, Raeve embarks on a ruthless killing spree, only to be captured and sentenced to death.
It is Kaan who orchestrates her rescue, revealing that he knows her intimately, even though she doesn’t remember him.
Kaan’s attempts to reconnect Raeve with her lost past lead them to the Johkull Clan, a group that believes she holds the power to stop moonfalls by marrying one of their own.
Raeve refuses, choosing to fight for her freedom instead. Despite being poisoned during the fight, Kaan intervenes, and they manage to win her freedom together. As Raeve begins to regain memories of her life as Elluin, she wrestles with her growing feelings for Kaan.
Meanwhile, Kaan’s sister, Veya, uncovers Elluin’s old diary and learns that the daughter Elluin gave birth to—Kyzari—is the current Princess of The Shade, though widely believed to be Tyroth’s daughter.
During a festival, Kaan urges Raeve not to erase her memories, hinting that there is someone who desperately needs her help, but before he can reveal more, a bounty hunter named Rekk Zharos arrives, seeking Kyzari.
As Raeve chases down Rekk to avenge her friend, the final chapters reveal that Kyzari has been captured by Arkyn, Raeve’s former master, who plots to seize the throne of The Burn, believing it rightfully his.
The stage is set for future battles, with Raeve’s past, her identity, and her future entwined with dragons and the fate of moons.
Characters
Raeve / Elluin Neván
Raeve is the protagonist of When the Moon Hatched, a deeply layered character whose journey revolves around rediscovering her past and healing from the trauma she doesn’t fully understand.
As an assassin for the Fíur du Ath rebels, Raeve is tough, determined, and fiercely independent, masking her vulnerabilities with a hardened exterior. Her fear of emotional connection stems from her deep-seated pain and the loss of her memories, which leaves her without a clear sense of identity.
Raeve’s present life as a null—someone who supposedly lacks elemental magic—is a ruse to conceal her true abilities, as she can actually hear the songs of all four elements.
Despite her inner strength, she feels untethered, navigating a hostile world with no clear recollection of her past as Elluin Neván, a princess of The Shade.
As Elluin, she was a gentle and loving figure, devoted to her family, especially her younger brother, Haedon. Her tragic past, including her forced betrothal to the cruel Tyroth Vaegor and her love for Kaan, complicates her character.
Elluin’s struggle is not just physical but emotional, as she carries the weight of her family’s murder, her lost love, and the blackmail she suffered.
The contrast between her lives as Raeve and Elluin highlights her internal conflict—a warrior with a fragile heart, forced to reconcile who she once was with the person she has become.
Kaan Vaegor
Kaan is the King of The Burn and one of the novel’s central figures, embodying a complex mix of strength, loyalty, and love. His connection with Raeve runs deep, rooted in their shared past when she was Elluin.
He is patient with her, recognizing her trauma and lost memories, and is willing to protect her even when she no longer remembers him. Kaan is not just a king but also a man carrying the burden of loss, having thought Elluin dead for years.
His decision to rescue Raeve from execution and the subtle ways in which he tries to help her remember their love showcase his deep emotional attachment to her.
However, Kaan is not without his own struggles. As a leader, he is caught between his duty to his people and his love for Raeve.
His past, particularly the role he played in Elluin’s escape and the subsequent fallout, complicates his position. He walks the fine line between warrior king and heartbroken lover, and as the plot unfolds, his motivations and decisions reveal his depth as a character who balances authority with vulnerability.
His love for Elluin, now Raeve, is the emotional core of his arc, making him both protector and partner in her quest for self-discovery.
Veya Vaegor
Veya, Kaan’s sister, is a character whose initial appearances hint at her being merely a supporting figure, but as the story progresses, her importance grows.
She is fiercely protective of her brother and their family’s legacy, which leads her to uncover crucial information about Elluin’s past, including the truth about Kyzari’s parentage. Veya is pragmatic, intelligent, and resourceful, willing to cross borders and face old ghosts to uncover the secrets that have been buried for a century.
Veya’s relationship with Raeve is complicated by their shared history, although Raeve doesn’t remember any of it.
Veya’s discoveries about Elluin’s life and the blackmail that plagued her reveal a sense of guilt she carries for not having known or intervened sooner.
Veya is also deeply concerned about the political ramifications of these revelations, as they could destabilize the power dynamics between The Burn and The Shade. Her arc portrays her as a strong, strategic thinker, one who will go to great lengths to protect her family but who is also haunted by the past.
Tyroth Vaegor
As the antagonist in Elluin’s life, Tyroth Vaegor represents the oppressive force that drives much of the emotional tension in the plot. A brutal and manipulative figure, Tyroth forces Elluin into marriage through blackmail, claiming the child she conceived with Kaan as his own.
He is a figure of control and domination, using his power to bend others to his will, which makes him a shadowy but constant presence throughout the story. His actions, particularly the forced betrothal and the murder of Elluin’s family, mark him as a cruel ruler who views people as pawns in his quest for power.
Though not physically present in Raeve’s life, his legacy lingers as a constant reminder of the trauma Elluin endured.
Tyroth’s oppressive rule over The Shade and his machinations extend beyond his personal ambitions, leaving a lasting impact on the characters, particularly Elluin, Kaan, and their daughter, Kyzari.
Tyroth’s ruthless nature and the consequences of his actions cast a long shadow, and his grip on the past continues to shape the present.
Kyzari
Kyzari is introduced later in the story as the missing princess of The Shade, believed by most to be Tyroth’s daughter but actually the child of Elluin and Kaan.
Her existence is a pivotal revelation, as it reshapes the relationships between the characters and the political landscape of The Burn and The Shade.
Though she is mostly in the background, Kyzari represents the next generation, a living embodiment of the love between Kaan and Elluin and the potential for reconciliation and healing.
Her capture by Arkyn sets up the conflict for future installments, as her fate will likely play a crucial role in Raeve’s continued journey of self-discovery and redemption.
Arkyn / The Scavenger King
Arkyn, also known as the Scavenger King, is a menacing figure whose actions in Raeve’s life add to the layers of intrigue and danger in the story.
He was once Raeve’s master, and his role as the half-brother of Kaan and Veya ties him to the Vaegor family drama in a way that complicates matters further.
Arkyn’s ambitions are clear: he wants to reclaim the throne of The Burn, which he believes rightfully belongs to him. His brutal nature is exemplified by his control over Raeve as the Fire Lark and his eventual capture of Kyzari, showcasing his unrelenting desire for power.
Arkyn is not merely a villain for the sake of villainy; he is a cunning strategist who plays the long game, manipulating events from the shadows.
His fixation on reclaiming the throne and his twisted admiration for Raeve as a former slave adds to the complexity of his character. As the Scavenger King, he is ruthless and calculating, positioning himself as a formidable adversary in future confrontations.
Rekk Zharos
Rekk Zharos, the bounty hunter who killed Raeve’s friend Essi, serves as a direct antagonist to Raeve’s personal vendetta.
His role in the plot is primarily as a disruptive force, driving Raeve to act on her thirst for revenge. His arrival in Dhomm with a mistreated Moonplume signals a turning point, as his pursuit of Kyzari and his violent methods bring him into direct conflict with Kaan and Raeve.
While Rekk is not the primary antagonist, his actions catalyze the final events of the novel, and his brutal nature serves as a reminder of the larger threats Raeve and Kaan must face.
Themes
Identity and Memory
At the heart of When the Moon Hatched lies the theme of identity, particularly the complex, evolving nature of selfhood. Raeve’s fragmented memories and forgotten past as Elluin create an intricate exploration of what defines a person—memories, choices, or experiences.
As she navigates a world where her past life is gradually resurfacing, Raeve is forced to reconcile the fractured pieces of her existence. Her journey from Raeve the assassin to Elluin the princess, and the internal conflict this shift creates, highlights the fragility of memory and how it shapes identity.
The novel suggests that while memory may be the foundation of self, it is the choices we make in the present that truly define who we are. Raeve’s resistance to emotional connection and her struggles with the trauma of her past further emphasize this theme, as she must ultimately accept her identity as Elluin in order to heal and move forward.
Love and Emotional Connection
The story delves deeply into the fear of vulnerability that accompanies love and emotional connection. Raeve’s emotional walls are a significant barrier throughout the novel, rooted in her traumatic past and the loss of her memories.
Her fear of getting close to others, particularly Kaan, mirrors her internal conflict between her desire for independence and the longing for intimacy. Kaan’s patient yet persistent attempts to remind her of their past love and his care for her, even as she denies her feelings, reflect the novel’s central message about the healing power of love.
The eventual rekindling of their relationship, though fraught with tension, demonstrates that vulnerability is not a weakness but a necessary step toward healing. The novel explores how love—whether romantic, familial, or platonic—can be a force for both redemption and destruction, especially when tied to power struggles and political ambitions.
Betrayal and Trust
Betrayal permeates the relationships and political machinations in When the Moon Hatched. The betrayal of Elluin by Tyroth Vaegor, who manipulates her into a marriage and claims her child as his own, sets the stage for much of the novel’s conflict.
This personal betrayal is intertwined with the larger theme of trust and deception in a world full of dangerous alliances and treacherous power plays. Raeve’s distrust of Kaan, despite his evident care for her, reflects her difficulty in distinguishing genuine intentions from ulterior motives.
The betrayal by those closest to her, particularly in her former life, underscores the importance of trust—both in others and in oneself. By reclaiming her lost memories, Raeve is also reclaiming the ability to trust those who truly care for her, suggesting that while betrayal can be devastating, trust is a key to survival and personal redemption.
Power and Control
The theme of power—both political and personal—runs through the novel’s veins. From the control the gods exert over the world to the power struggles between the factions of The Fade, The Burn, and The Shade, the story presents a world governed by complex systems of dominance.
Raeve’s role as an assassin is deeply intertwined with her search for autonomy, as she navigates the oppressive forces around her. The Johkull Clan’s belief that her offspring could tether the moons to the sky permanently places Raeve at the center of a struggle for control over the natural and divine forces that govern their world.
Kaan’s rulership and his attempts to balance his political duties with his personal desires further complicate the idea of power, presenting leadership as both a burden and a source of identity. Raeve’s reclaiming of her own narrative, in defiance of those who wish to control her, is a powerful statement on the importance of personal agency.
Sacrifice and Redemption
The novel is steeped in themes of sacrifice, where characters repeatedly make choices that require personal loss for the greater good. Elluin’s decision to marry Tyroth to protect Kaan and her family highlights the sacrifices made in the name of love and duty.
Similarly, Raeve’s journey involves constant sacrifices, as she battles to reconcile her past with her present, often at great personal cost. Kaan’s protective actions toward Raeve, even when it means letting her go or putting his own kingdom at risk, add layers to this theme, showing that true sacrifice often requires selflessness.
The theme of redemption is closely linked to these sacrifices, as Raeve’s arc is one of seeking to reclaim not only her memories but also her place in the world. By confronting her trauma and unlocking the mysteries of her past, Raeve moves toward redemption—not just for herself, but for the future of her world, as she stands poised to protect it from the forces of destruction.
Fate and Free Will
In a world governed by divine beings and mystical forces, the tension between fate and free will plays a significant role in the characters’ lives. The moonfall phenomenon, driven by the mysterious deaths of dragons-turned-moons, represents the uncontrollable forces of fate that shape the world.
Raeve’s destiny as Elluin, her royal lineage, and her role in the ongoing conflict are often presented as inevitable. However, the novel also champions the importance of free will.
Raeve’s choices—whether to fight for her own hand in marriage or to reject the power struggles of those around her—demonstrate her refusal to be defined solely by fate. The balance between destiny and autonomy reflects the larger philosophical questions that permeate the story: while the world may be shaped by powerful, unseen forces, it is the decisions made by individuals that ultimately determine their paths.