It’s probably no secret anymore but I do love historical books with a magical twist. And I thought When the Tides Held the Moon’s synopsis sounded really interesting and promising and I was so excited to dive into it!
Synopsis:
Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River.
More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.
Releasing Río could mean losing his found family, his new home, and his soulmate forever. Yet Benny’s courageous choice may just reveal a love strong enough to free them both.
Book: When the Tides Held the Moon | Author: Venessa Vida Kelley | Publisher: Erewhon Books | Release Date: 29.04.2025 | Pages: 464 | Genre: historical with fantasy elements | Rep: gay boricua MC, queer LI, gay sides, disability (half leg missing), Indian, Dwarfism, Irish, Russian, immigrants | CN: racism, homophobia, weapons, blood, death
*Thank you to Hambright PR and Erewhon for this review copy! This does not have an impact on my honest opinion.*
Review
When the Tides Held the Moon gripped me from start to finish. It follows Benigno who is called Benny by most others. He came to New York from Puerto Rico after his last living friend/confidante/family dies as a smith. His life is quite miserable, the other ironworkers both admire his knowledge and skills while bullying him for who he is. His promise to go to New York and make something of himself seems to be far away but and opportunity to become more arises when he is taasked to build a huge tank. For what, he does not yet know, but he follows the tank and the mysterious, whimsical people who come to collect it to Luna Park on Coney Island.
I absolutely loved the setting of Luna Park. The descriptions of the empty amusement park, the warmhearted people living and working there and the beautiful prose the author used created an intricate atmosphere and space that came alive in my head. The amusement park, vacated during the colder months made the secrecy of Benigno’s doings all the more prominent. Because there, where a theater sits, waiting to be filled by the human menagerie he now belongs to, love unfurls. The tank sits there with a captured merman, Río, inside.
I absolutely loved how the relationship between them develops, how they get to know each other and realize both of them are captives but in different ways. They are comfort and trust, give each other strength and a goal to work towards. They become friends and lovers and I highly enjoyed the part music played in their relationship and how it beautifully accentuates them and the story itself. Their love was so wonderfully written and at parts almost lyrical, I could get lost in those carefully crafted emotions. It was tender, yet strong and Venessa Vida Kelley really captured the essence of it. I liked how alive both Benigno and Río came.
But I also truly liked the rest of the Menagerie and how they took Benigno into their fold. There were some tensions here, some troubles there, but that’s quite normal in families, isn’t it? The family felt real, each person contributing something to it, making it more real, warmer and comforting. I liked reading about them, their days and differences while still functioning incredibly well as a whole. I also liked how accepting they were of each other, no matter how small or big or where they came from. Once you’re a part of that family, you’re there to stay, even if it’s only in their hearts. And those hearts have space.
I truly enjoyed When the Tides Held the Moon, a whimsical, beautiful tale of love and music, promises and family and finding where you fit in the world and who you fit with. The writing was gorgeous, beautifully accentuated by illustrations of important scenes. The characters felt real and I really liked the historical setting which I read up on a lot! Such a wonderful story!
Rating:
YOU MIGHT ENJOY WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON IF YOU LIKE…
history with a fantastical twist | found family | diverse cast of characters | merfolk | music | finding one’s place | amusement parks | character development | beautiful prose | myths | language
What books with merpeople have you read? What languages do you speak? What role does music play in your life?
Until next time,
