Dragons, Romantasy, and World Building: When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker
Galaxies and Goddesses: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy BookcastShow Notes
In this episode of Galaxies and Goddesses, Andrea and Elizabeth dive into When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker, a sweeping romantasy filled with dragons, magic, and mystery. They unpack the novel’s intricate world building, discuss what defines epic fantasy versus romantasy, and share their first impressions, including how this hefty book compares to War and Peace in sheer size. From the protagonist’s haunted frozen lake coping mechanism to paper birds that come to life and shimmering aurora cycles, the hosts explore what makes this story and its world so unforgettable. They also draw comparisons to other epic and romantasy favorites such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, The Name of the Wind, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Spoiler warning! There are a few MAJOR mid-episode spoilers. 00:00 When the Moon Hatched 01:14 First Impressions and Book Size 04:41 Romantasy vs. Epic Fantasy 08:06 World Building and Unique Concepts 16:09 Characters & Tropes 19:29 Spoiler Alert! 23:21 Explicit Content 24:35 When the Moon _______ 26:29 Final Thoughts and Ratings
Other links and resources:
PBS segment on Romantasy https://www.pbs.org/video/romantasy-1706739868/
Romantasy: An Old Genre with a New Name, blog article, February 25, 2025 by Rosemary Jones, Science Fiction Writer’s Association https://www.sfwa.org/2025/02/25/romantasy-an-old-genre-with-a-new-name
Between Pages & Friends Podcast: Interview with Sarah A Parker https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sarah-a-parker-interview-when-the-moon-hatched/id1747110661?i=1000731947711
Sarah A Parker Instagram Post: Ballad of Falling Dragons to the Copy Editor https://www.instagram.com/p/DP40si9E_Vf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Tak: The boardgame from the world of Patrick Rothfuss https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/197405/tak
You can support this podcast and independent bookstores through purchasing the book When the Moon Hatched on Bookshop.org with the affiliate link below: https://bookshop.org/a/117783/9780063415805
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