
Member Reviews

Listen, I wholeheartedly love the idea of non-linear intersecting timelines, where the person you cross paths with hasn’t yet been shaped by life’s later tribulations. I think if this device were used in a way that actually in any way addressed the central conflict, that could have played out in a really interesting way.
The conclusion did not have me feeling like the characters were successful at what they were cosmically ordained to accomplish. They accomplished no more than Sisyphus does rolling his boulder interminably uphill, and for this, the ending feels unresolved. Aside from this, there were quite a number of plot threads that lacked consistent logic - this is a fantasy, so I'm by no means expecting realism, but I do expect the world's logic to abide itself.
The romance itself was well-written and evocative. I liked the FMC and the MMC as individuals and their relationship with one another. This is best characterized as a character-driven or character-focused story, but because of that, I believe certain elements of the plot suffered.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Moth Dark was one of the BEST books I've read all year, easily. I loved the almost Godzilla/monarch-esque take on the modern world and the Maw/spots throughout the world where the dark is opening up. I loved the time aspect of the romance, it felt very star-crossed lovers, and the Intersex princet??? SOLD. Kika Hatzopoulou has the most amazing way of building worlds, and characters that are so fun and unique. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

Moth Dark is a YA fantasy romance following a young woman living in a world where large craters of a previously unknown parallel universe are encroaching into our world.
This book initially seemed to be very reminiscent of the movie Pacific Rim with monsters breaching a void and causing chaos on cities but it quickly turned into a pretty standard human enters a world of the Fae and falls in love with a Fae and discovers (gasp) the higher ups on Earth are up to nefarious deeds.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
This was all very run of the mill standard fantasy that would be good for YA readers who maybe haven’t ventured into the realms of the Fae before but for everyone else I would say this is probably a pass.

I’m sobbing as a write this review because this book was just so, so beautifully written. It’s full of love and longing and a desire for something more.
I’m always immediately intrigued when a book claims to appeal to fans of Laini Taylor because her books are so immersive and filled with so much thought and love. This book did not disappoint. The writing is full of whimsy and curiosity and the characters are all full of desires and wants. I was about halfway through this book and already grieving for the end to come.
We meet Sascia as she’s trying to figure out how to get her life back on track, she’s failed to meet the requirements of her scholarship and is just barely hanging onto a second chance that was handed to her. She struggles to focus on the academics because of her love and curiosity for the Dark and specifically her moths. Then one day, Sascia accidentally pulls a sentient being out of the Dark who recognizes and wants to kill her.
We watch as the story unfolds through this new discovery of humanoid beings of the Dark spreads and Sascia keeps having different run-ins with the same Darkhumanoid who is in varying states of knowing Sascia and alluding to things she doesn’t understand.
Overall, this is such a wonder-filled story and felt like a fever dream in the best possible way. It’s a story of constantly trying to make the right choice and fixing mistakes while also being a story of love and longing and a desire to do and be more than what you are.

“You asked me to kiss you.”
“No. I begged you.”
Where do I even start? I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book since last May when Kika dropped a hint during a Threads That Bind buddy read call, and I’m beyond thrilled to say it absolutely lived up to the hype! I’m giving it all the stars ⭐️
Moth Dark is a beautifully woven story told through fragments of past, present, and future. It has everything I could hope for, from a captivating dystopian/fantastical world, characters who make thoughtful and relatable choices, a slow-burn romance that’s tender and all-consuming, to a non-linear timeline that only deepens the intrigue. The genderfluid and queer representation is handled with care and feels essential to the narrative.
Kika’s writing style is as expected, whimsical, lyrical, and utterly enchanting! And can we talk about THE MOTHS? While I adore Sascia, Nugau, Danny, Tae, and the rest of the cast, Mooch the moth absolutely stole the show with pure adorableness!
The synopsis doesn’t quite capture the full brilliance of this book. It’s so much richer and more layered than it lets on. I truly hope everyone gives Moth Dark a chance because it’s an unforgettable read you won’t regret. It comes out on October 28th in the US and the 30th in the UK!
Will you be adding Moth Dark to your TBR?
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early proof 🫶🏻

This was my first book by Kika Hatzopoulou and it did not disappoint!
I enjoyed this book so much! I was consistently captivated enough to want to keep reading and I was very interested in seeing how Sascia and Nugau's stories ended.
What drew me in to this book was the darkness and the Darkworld and that was definitely a big part of what made me want to keep reading. I thought it was so cool how the creatures literally came out of the dark and were basically made up of the dark/shadows.
Although it was a bit confusing at times, I really enjoyed that their timelines didn't line up. That definitely made the story more intriguing.
I'd say there was the perfect amount of romance in this book (although I need more of Nugau & Sascia together in another book). I enjoyed seeing the progression of their relationship, especially since they met multiple versions of each other. I also like that they both got to experience the other's world, even if for just a bit.
I need more of Sascia and Nugau (and Mooch). Would definitely recommend this to fellow fantasy readers!
<i> Thank you to Penguin Young Readers and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. </i>

What a fascinating and creatively built book this was. I was drawn into Moth Dark right from the beginning, its eerie atmosphere, poetic tone, and unique blend of fantasy and myth were all incredibly intriguing. Sascia's curiosity about the mysterious Darkworld sets the tone for a story that feels dreamlike, unsettling, and original.
Worldbuilding is one of the strongest aspects here. I really enjoyed the strange and vivid creatures, the lore surrounding the Maw, and the idea of a shadow realm bleeding into the human world. The concept of the princet Nugau—gender fluid and shifting across dimensions was also refreshingly different and added a lot to the story’s charm.
That said, the reason this wasn’t a five-star read for me comes down to how the plot developed. While the beginning hooked me, the middle felt a bit uneven. There’s a sudden shift when Sascia enters the other world, and the story veers into a different arc involving trials and romance. While I appreciated seeing her and Nugau connect, it felt almost like a second book was placed in the middle of this one. It distracted from the original thread about the Darkworld’s threat to the human realm, which I thought would stay the central conflict.
Another point of confusion was the inconsistency in how Nugau is addressed. While it's mentioned that they use “they” in the human world and a different term on their own, Sascia refers to Nugau with different pronouns throughout (he, she, princet) which became disorienting and made me unsure whether it was intentional or an oversight.
Additionally, some characters (especially the fairies) felt underused. They appeared briefly but didn’t seem to have much impact on the main storyline beyond a few scenes.
Still, despite the bumps in pacing and clarity, Moth Dark remains a unique, atmospheric fantasy with strong themes around identity, balance, and the unseen forces that shape our world. Readers who enjoy lyrical prose, nonlinear structure, and moody, romantic fantasy will likely find this one rewarding, especially if you’re looking for something a bit different.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of Moth Dark.
<b>Review Summary:</b>
Moth Dark is an action-packed, queer YA love story featuring blood-thirsty elvish courts and balls, time travel, parallel worlds, magical fauna and flora, and lots of fights and battles. It's enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers, with the intricacies of time travel meaning that our two main characters spend as much (or more!) time fighting as they do falling in love. You also get family conflict and resolution, and an adorable magical sidekick, aka the moth-God Mooch.
Moth Dark has some amazing concepts, but I felt that it didn't explore all the fun things it set up. The ending, for me, was disappointing, and it had some pacing issues, with about a third of the book spent on magical trials in a hostile camp.
I still think that a lot of readers will enjoy Moth Dark, especially if they enjoy enemies-to-lovers romance and fae courts. I also loved that the elvish world treated gender-fluidity as standard. But, for me, Moth Dark fell short of the expectations it set up. I felt cheated by it, as if I'd ordered a beautiful cake only to receive a loaf of bread.
<b>In More Detail:</b>
Moth Dark's main character Sascia is criticised for always wanting more, and in this, I felt just like her. There are so many exciting things that are mentioned in the story and that I thought were going to make an appearance — but they never do. For me, it was a case of Chekhov's gun not being shot. (Which is ironic, given how many guns were in fact shot.)
That's not to ignore all the things that I did love in the book: the delightful queer and gender-fluid rep, the amazing magical plants and animals (the darkmoths? the darkmoss and darkvines? the references to darkdragons and darkgriffins? So cool!), the loveable band of teenagers attempting to save the world, the critique of war industry and human-made climate change...
And there's the whole concept of travelling between two worlds, but never knowing if you're travelling to the other world's present, past or future.
But, we never go to that other world. The book's title is literally the name of that world, and we never see it. The same as we don't see the darkdragons and darkgriffins, and most of the time-travelling is at the beginning of the book. I wanted more interactions with the past and present versions of the elven princet! And the ending left me really disappointed because <spoiler>one, we don't see the worlds being saved through working together (which is meant to be the whole point of the interconnected worlds). And two, the romance — despite both characters confessing to being in love and now able to travel to parallel worlds whenever they want — doesn't get continued.</spoiler> I finished the book and asked myself "so what was the point of everything they did, then?".
I also felt like the beginning and end of the book were the strongest parts, while the middle dragged. From 35%-67% of the book, Moth Dark reads more like a book about fae courts than about time travel (but it's still set in our world for the entire section). Minor spoilers: <spoiler>Our main character becomes a voluntary prisoner of the elven army living in the city's disused metro stations and tunnels, and she trains for battle, attends balls, fights through labyrinths, is protected from assassination attempts, and watches a cruel elven queen set elf against elf, at times in fights to the death, for reasons that didn't make a lot of sense to me.</spoiler> And that would have been fine had it been a book primarily about this, or had it been a shorter section of the book, but I found the other sections of the book to be more compelling.
However, I will say that it's refreshing to have an elvish love interest that's roughly the same age as the protagonist. And I loved the elvish religion and mythology. I just wish that this section hadn't taken up the entire middle-third of the book (or that it had at least taken place in the elvish world).

5⭐
I absolutely devoured this book.The world was fascinating and unique. This is a truly gorgeous story. An epic, timeline-crossing love story that is going to stay with me. The world building was incredible and I loved the concept of the Dark. It was SO cool and complex but so easy to understand and immerse yourself. The pacing was fantastic and kept me hooked from the start to the finish. And it stands alone so well. As much as I’d adore more from this world, I really loved how it ended.
The story follows Sascia six years after the human world erupted with darkness. In New York City, the Maw is a pit of the Dark where Darkcreatures and plant matter emerge. But unlike others, Sascia finds the Dark fascinating and thrilling. She has an inherent connection with Darkmoths and spends her days studying the creatures. When she pulls a person from the Dark, her entire life is spun out of control. Nugau, heir to the Darkworld, attempts to sentence Sascia to death for betraying their people in a war that hasn’t happened yet. She manages to escape, but Sascia and Nugau are bound together in ways they don’t understand and as they grow closer, they must put aside their differences and fight for peace.
Sascia is a phenomenal main character. She truly felt so real and complicated. I was rooting so hard for her and the growth she goes through was perfect. Nugau was such a fascinating and swoony love interest! The whole concept of gender and sexuality in the Dark world was so interesting and so poignant to current events. I The romance between Sascia and Nugau was perfection!! I’m obsessed with them.
Thank you netgalley for the arc

What an interesting read this was!
I honestly went into this book expecting a YA romantasy (in part because of the description, but also because of the GORGEOUS cover). And yet, this book ended up being so much more than that. To me, this read like a YA contemporary fantasy with a heavy emphasis on romance and some dystopian/sci-fi elements mixed in too. Ultimately, I enjoyed this genre blend a lot!
First off, the writing was lovely. It was poetic without having too much purple prose, which I personally love because it was easy to follow along with while still being beautiful. And I found a lot of the imagery and descriptions to be just stunning!
While this is a character-driven story, I appreciate the detail that the author put into this world. Not only did I feel like I was in New York City as I was reading, but I loved how we were introduced to the dark world (i.e. the fantasy realm) as well.
Having said that, the story was a bit slow sometimes, especially towards the beginning, just in terms of pacing. But there was some more action once we got to the middle and end, which I loved and appreciated.
The story was mainly about Sascia and Nugau and how they are fated to each other, even as their worlds are on the brink of war. Overall, I enjoyed reading about how they are interconnected, and seeing where their relationship would take them. I also loved the exploration of gender fluidity in this book!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin for allowing me to read the digital ARC!

Firstly, thank you to netgalley for providing a digital arc of this book to review. It’s been a while since I ‘netgalleyed’ and this was a great reintroduction.
Moth Dark is a YA urban fantasy, based in a version of our world where the ‘dark’ has created chaotic pockets, occasionally releasing seemingly mythological monsters that have wreaked havoc in some of our major cities. All over the world small patches of dark release ‘dark animals’, versions of our creatures (think moths, rats and birds) that thrive in the shadows and are harmed by light.
Sascia is a gifted student who works in team that research the dark, and the creatures who come from it. She has a particular affinity for moths, and a backstory plagued by mysterious interactions with a figure in black. One evening, she encounters a humanoid dark creature that blames her for an event that hasn’t happened, and tries to kill her. The book revolves around this ‘person’, the dark and Sascia’s moth friends.
I enjoyed this book! I have read Kika Hatzopoulou’s Threads That Bind duology, and liked that too (overall rated 4 stars). Ultimately, that’s what i would rate this too. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and wanted to know what would happen next when each chapter ended. There is a cool blend of urban fantasy and almost-dystopia.
It is not a five star for me because I felt like the story was a bit rushed and compacted - I don’t know if this is going to be a duology (it has the type of ending that could standalone or be expanded) but felt this book itself could have been made into a duo. With a little more space, the relationships between characters could have been expanded on further, and some rather large events (that didn’t end up standing out because they were just one of many ‘big things’) could have created more tension and suspense in the story.

First of all, this cover is stunning and immediately drew me in. I also really love fantasy, but haven't really delved into YA romantasy, so this was something new for me to experience. It was so original, strange, weird, beautiful, and imaginative all at the same time. The Darkworld, with its magical creatures like dragons, moths, fae like beings, time rifts, and dystopian elements are so richly built, mysterious, and immersive. I really felt like I wasn't just in a book, but in a world that felt so real. Kika Hatzopoulou does such an amazing job at making the world of this book so vivid and even ethereal.
One of the main highlights for me was the genderfluid and queer representation. I felt like these topics were handled so respectfully and naturally, and were not just side plots, but central to the story being told.
The romance was so emotional, tender, and also a really good slow burn, which I truly love. There was SO much yearning and tension too. I was waiting with bated breath during every chapter, but it made the journey that much better. What really enhances the romance is the time travel, the mistaken timelines and the fact that they were enemies from the first time they met.
Another highlight is the fragmented timeline and "meeting in the wrong order". It's really unique and such a cool concept, and it especially works within the fantasy element. It's emotionally compelling, even if at times it could be confusing. The time jumps really raise the stakes emotionally, making love and choices feel like they're in the balance but in a fated way. It's a dark and twisty book, with many dark parts, but it's also hopeful. I also loved the political commentary and how the main theme was to choose peace over violence. I feel like it's a book for the times!
Kika Hatzopoulou's prose is so rich and lyrical. It's emotional for sure, but it's also poetic and made me feel so much. So many of the lines and quotes will stick with me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kika Hatzopoulou, and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the eARC of this book.

Moth Dark by Kika Hatzopoulou is a story you get lost in with the poetic writing. The writing was atmospheric, deeply emotional and bursting with imagination. It felt dreamy and mystical. This is definitely a MUST READ YA Fantasy, possibly sci-fi with it's blend of fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian vibes. The cover art is just as stunning as the writing. The visuals I experienced while reading thisere
Sascia has been obsessed with the Dark since it first appeared in her world six years ago, but what she doesn't expect to find in all of her exploration is a person. Most especially not an heir to the Darkworld who claims that Sascia has betrayed them. Sascia is such a chaotic and obsessive protagonist. Inset Nugau, bringing his mysterious yet soft nature into the dynamic making their connection messy, painful, and a slow-burn lover's dream. Sascia and Nugau are connected in ways neither of them anticipated or understand, and their worlds are bent on war.
This is a character-driven novel, which means that the protagonists and the dynamics between all of the characters are very complex. This story is compelling, atmospheric, deeply emotional and bursting with imagination. This is definitely vibes over plot, so if you want action-packed fight scenes and a strong fighting FMC, this might not be your thing.
I would recommend Moth Dark to anyone if you’re into dark atmosphere, tangled emotions, queer longing (or just yearning in itself), and characters falling in love across timelines. I would also recommend it to any reader who enjoys the concept of fate, romance across timelines, and dark worlds that you can easily fall in love with.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Team for this gifted eARC in exchage for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and the publishers for an e-arc of this story.
Very intrigued from the first few chapters, it was amazingly dark, twisty and I had no idea where this story was heading.
Filled in unusual magical creatures, unique magic and characters that can change gender by their colouring. It was very unique and something I have never read from before.
The author made it very descriptive and made it easy to follow along with the changing pronouns of some characters.
The FMC is Sascia, a student of science who has a passion for all things dark. One day she encouters a creature that comes out of the dark that should not exist. Nugau ourgender fluid other main character is a fae like creature who very much enjoys violence. From their first meeting I knew it was going to be a tension filled longing romance, it also happens to have Nagau try to kill her in their first meeting!
Dark creatures, magic, enemies to lovers, time jumps and a trial set in a maze. I can see why this book is getting a lot of hype ahead of it’s release. Unique, great story telling and plot driven, this book is a solid standlone for those who don’t like series and like it wrapped up in one.

hmm i’m a tad conflicted. this was by far one of the most unique books i’ve read this year so props for that but the timeline would occasionally throw me off.
the romance i did not expect to enjoy as much as i did!!! these two fools were yearningggg. this is a darker read and the vibes/atmosphere would be perfect for the ‘ber months (as someone who read this in the summer). overall pretty solid!

I really enjoyed this, fast paced and I loved the chemistry between characters, it felt on the younger side of YA but this may appeal to some

I like how the story is told in like chunks. Every time the 2 main characters meet something had changed, whether it was past present or future. Time wasn't working how it should and I like how it jumped back and forth. It really showed how 1 incident could change everything. But not love. Love is Love. I loved the dystopia and the mixture of time. The romance was nice as well.

Love this author and love this story. Crossing into the Dark, she pulls out an enemy she has yet to meet and faces a war that has yet to happen. Can she fight for herself and this strange man?

Screaming? Me? yes.
I loved this book so much! The cover was eye-catching and the plot and story lines were mind blowing!

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I think the writing tense (3rd person present tense) just didn't vibe with my brain super well and made it hard to get into. The plot was good and I enjoyed it and the worldbuilding, although Sascia was toeing the line of being brazen and overly impulsive for me at some points. Overall if the premise interests you and you don't mind a 3rd person present tense, I would definitely recommend!