I love traditional fantasy and science fiction and I’m a sucker for a really well told fantasy story. There’s nothing that can quite compete with an epic tale where the story pacing keeps you engaged, the worldbuilding doesn’t feel clunky, and the characters resonate so well. I picked this story to read this month because the fantasy premise was just super interesting – dragons that turn into moons when they die?
So far, I haven’t met a dragon in this book though they appear in some form or fashion in almost every chapter, but Parker doesn’t disappoint with the main story. One of the common pitfalls of epic fantasy – too much telling through infodumps and lots of boring backstory – doesn’t exist here. Her worldbuilding leaps off the very first page; the book launches with a frame story about the gods in this world and then moves right into a fast pace that leaves the reader to figure out all the different terms and unique concepts through context alone. What’s a Fleshthreader? Well, someone you go to when people put holes in you, of course!
Some readers who aren’t familiar with the larger body of work in the fantasy genre might find this kind of storytelling hard to get into, but in my opinion, this is fantasy (and writing) done right – it’s a masterful storytelling technique that treats the reader as a character who already lives in this fantasy world. Usually, by the end of the story, this technique has such an immersive effect the reader isn’t just left thinking about a cool new fantasy world – they’re left wondering if it doesn’t actually exist somewhere and they’re just one dream or portal away from living there too.
Parker explores a lot of deeper themes through her characters in another strong character building technique that doesn’t slow the pacing to deliver backstory, but instead puts the conflicts at the forethought of the characters’ every actions. There’s Raeve, our main character, who is aware of her own flaws and sometimes seems to loathe herself for them, but is also completely uninterested in fixing them. Essi is Raeve’s found family/sister and represents the innocent, better parts of herself she feels are lost to her, and then there’s Sereme, Raeve’s employer, who is both jealous of Raeve and willing to use her to achieve her own ends. I get the distinct impression that Sereme is a dark mirror for Raeve – someone she needs but hates at the same time.
Make no mistake though, Raeve is the star of this story and I love her. She begins as the quintessential anti-hero operating in a very dark world – she’s an assassin, after all – and I love everything about this. Raeve wears all her complex, raw emotions right on the page and you bleed, seethe, and rage right alongside her. There’s a sense that she can’t fix her world and isn’t trying to – she’s just set on her own selfish path born out of deep grief and anger – and she won’t let anyone stop her from achieving her goals, no matter how many rules she has to break or bodies she has to leave behind. Yet for all her ferocity, she’s not invincible – and the grief and helplessness she experiences when she comes face to face with this is so emotionally real you can’t help but hurt along with her. You get to see Raeve’s struggles front and center while also recoiling from what she’ll do to push her own agenda forward. Not only do we rarely see women portrayed this way in fantasy and identify with them, but complex, anti-hero characters are my favorites. The grimdark themes Parker is weaving into the story here are so juicy and I’m so stoked to see how Raeve’s character develops!
There’s definitely a literary quality to Parker’s work; many have mentioned her prose is lyrical and beautiful. Her editing and ability to cut out the fluffy stuff in her words while still conveying clarity of meaning is top notch. Sometimes though, I felt Parker’s writing devolved into metaphors that were hard to follow. While Parker’s prose is lovely, the metaphors, switched up viewpoints, memories and flashbacks, etc, sort of bleed together to make a bit of mess for the reader to sort through. I wouldn’t normally have the patience to work through these for any ordinary novel, but because the rest of the story is so strong and engaging, I’m hanging in there. This may require a second read through to really grasp the whole vision of the book!
This book is marketed as a romantasy, but I’m on Chapter 15 and I’m still not sure who the MMC is. I’m not even sure I’ve met him on page yet. I didn’t realize it would be quite this slow burn but look, even if this wasn’t a romance, I’d read this story and love all of it. I think that really speaks to the quality of the story I’m finding within and how well Parker is blending the fantasy and romance aspects of this book. Is it a bit slower than a traditional romance? Absolutely. But I think it’s perfect for a FANTASY book.
I’m really pleased I chose this book and I’m so excited to see where this story goes!
Note: I’m co-reading When the Moon Hatched with my friend, @patienceinwriting, and reviewing this here and on Instagram. If you have any questions you’d like answered or want to share your own thoughts, drop me a comment on my Insta! And like/follow/check back weekly for updates on where we’re at with this book!
Want to read along or add this book to your TBR? Find it here on Amazon