I'll update this page as new information drops. Cover reveals, excerpt releases, tour dates, and my full review once I've read the book. Bookmark it and come back.

The wait is almost over.

The Ballad of Falling Dragons, the sequel to Sarah A. Parker's When the Moon Hatched, releases Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

If you finished book one and have been sitting with the weight of Raeve walking away from Kaan, with Rekk's blood still drying on her hands, with an identity she barely understands and a child she doesn't remember this is the book that picks all of that up.

I've been waiting for this one since I closed When the Moon Hatched, and based on the blurb, we're getting everything I hoped for and several things I'm terrified of.

Here's everything we know.

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Release date and editions

Release date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Publisher: Avon (HarperCollins imprint)

Page count: 576 pages

Format: Hardcover, ebook, and audiobook

Deluxe Limited Edition: Barnes & Noble has an exclusive deluxe limited edition with sprayed edges and full-color endpapers. This is the collector's hardcover. If you want it, grab it now because first-edition deluxe prints sell out.

📖 Preorder on Amazon | Barnes & Noble Deluxe Edition

The B&N preorder sweepstakes

This is time-sensitive the sweepstakes ends April 27, 2026.

Barnes & Noble is running a preorder sweepstakes for The Ballad of Falling Dragons. If you preorder through B&N before April 27, you're automatically entered for a chance to win:

  • A dragon scale egg
  • A long blue velvet hooded cloak
  • A set of four etched dragon wine glasses

I don't make the rules. I just report them.

See the official sweepstakes rules and enter here.

The official blurb

Here's what Avon has released about the plot:

"Moonbeam. A moonfall is coming."

Raeve's thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor, a staunch beacon from a past she's yet to face. With Rekk's blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the world will face its most devastating moonfall yet, forcing her to pick a path: Chase death. Or life.

Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan's crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out.

As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve's long forgotten past.

What we know about the plot

The blurb confirms several things that readers of When the Moon Hatched have been theorizing about:

Raeve is embracing her identity as Elluin Neván. The blurb describes her confronting "a past she's yet to face" and references Kaan as a beacon from that past. Book 1 ended with Raeve learning she's Elluin, the presumed-dead royal who was Kaan's great love, but choosing to walk away rather than face what that means. Book 2 is where she stops running.

Rekk is confirmed dead. "With Rekk's blood still fresh on her hands" no ambiguity. Raeve killed him in Bothaim at the end of book 1, and the sequel picks up in the immediate aftermath.

A catastrophic moonfall is coming. This is the central external threat. The blurb describes it as "the most devastating moonfall yet," which means whatever a moonfall is in this world's mythology, it's about to happen on a scale that threatens everything.

Kaan is in crisis. His "larks" the bird-messages from book 1, to friends and family are going unanswered. Something is wrong beyond The Burn's borders, and Kaan is running out of time and options.

New enemies are emerging. "Enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own" suggests new antagonists beyond the political players we met in book 1. With Rekk dead and Cadok's regime destabilized, the power vacuum is attracting new threats.

The biggest secret is in Raeve's past. "None so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve's long forgotten past" this is the hook. Raeve's suppressed memories aren't just about Elluin and Kaan. There's something else buried in there, something bigger than the identity reveal from book 1.

What I'm most excited (and terrified) about

Look, I need to be honest with you about where my head is going into this book.

Excited about: Raeve finally owning her identity. The Kaan reunion that book 1 set up and then cruelly denied us. 576 pages means Sarah A. Parker is giving this story room to breathe. And the worldbuilding in book 1 was so intricate that 576 pages of expansion could be extraordinary.

Terrified about: Kaan's unanswered messages. That detail in the blurb is doing a LOT of work. If his allies are going silent, something catastrophic is already happening off-page. Also terrified about Kyzari, Raeve's child with Kaan, whom she doesn't remember, and what Arkyn has been doing with that leverage while Raeve was gone.

The question I need answered: Does Raeve get her memories back? Book 1 gave us the truth of who she is, but not the memories themselves. If book 2 restores them, if Raeve remembers loving Kaan, remembers their child, remembers the life she lost the emotional payoff could be staggering.

Series reading order

The Moonfall Series should be read in order:

  1. When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall #1) out now
  2. The Ballad of Falling Dragons (Moonfall #2) May 19, 2026

Sarah A. Parker has not confirmed the total number of books planned for the series. If a third book is announced, I'll update this page.

If you need a refresher on book 1 before diving into the sequel, my When the Moon Hatched recap covers every major reveal, character, and the ending explained in full.

Do I need to reread When the Moon Hatched?

Honestly? It depends on how long ago you read it and how much you remember.

If you read it recently and remember Raeve, Kaan, the three kingdoms, and the Elluin reveal: you're probably fine. Jump into the sequel.

If it's been a year or more: yes, I'd recommend a reread or at minimum reading my When the Moon Hatched recap before starting The Ballad of Falling Dragons. Sarah A. Parker's worldbuilding is dense. The elemental songs, the Aether Stone, the Vaegor brothers, the Neván family connection, Líri and book 2 is 576 pages that will build on all of it. You want the foundation fresh in your mind.

Where to preorder

📖 Amazon Kindle and deluxe hardcover

📖 Barnes & Noble Deluxe Limited Edition with sprayed edges and full-color endpapers (sweepstakes entry included with preorder, ends April 27)

📖 Bookshop.org Support independent bookstores and get the Deluxe Limited Edition

My review and coverage plan

I'll be reading The Ballad of Falling Dragons on release day, May 19. Here's what's coming:

  • Spoiler-free review the week of May 19, as soon as I finish reading
  • Full spoiler discussion & ending explained within 3-5 days of release
  • Theories & book 3 predictions the following week

If you want to read along and scream with me in real time, follow me on Instagram @inkandimaginings and Threads @inkandimaginings where I'll be posting live reading reactions on release day.

Subscribe to The Weekly Bookmark to get the review in your inbox first.

Frequently asked questions

When does The Ballad of Falling Dragons come out?

May 19, 2026. Hardcover, ebook, and audiobook will all be available on release day.

Is The Ballad of Falling Dragons the sequel to When the Moon Hatched?

Yes. It's the second book in the Moonfall series by Sarah A. Parker.

How many pages is The Ballad of Falling Dragons?

576 pages in hardcover.

Is there a special edition?

Yes. Barnes & Noble has a deluxe limited edition with sprayed edges and full-color endpapers. There's also a preorder sweepstakes (ends April 27, 2026) with prizes including a dragon scale egg, a velvet cloak, and etched dragon wine glasses.

Do I need to read When the Moon Hatched first?

Yes. The Ballad of Falling Dragons is a direct sequel and picks up immediately after the events of book 1. If you need a refresher, my When the Moon Hatched recap has everything you need.

Who is Elluin Neván?

Elluin Neván is Raeve's true identity — a presumed-dead royal who was Kaan Vaegor's long-lost love. Raeve discovers this truth at the end of When the Moon Hatched. The Ballad of Falling Dragons explores what happens when she embraces that identity.

Will there be a book 3?

Sarah A. Parker has not confirmed the total number of books in the Moonfall series. I'll update this page when we know more.

Where can I preorder?

Amazon, Barnes & Noble (deluxe limited edition), Bookshop.org, and Libro.fm (audiobook). Links are above.

Further reading

Last updated: April 10, 2026