I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

When the Tides Held the Moon follows Benny, a young man who has traveled from Puerto Rico to New York City to make a new life. But it’s hard for him to find any success in this place, and so he gets a job as a blacksmith in a factory with harsh conditions. Then, his boss tasks him with crafting a cage for an eccentric rich man. It turns out that this man runs a show on Coney Island, and has great ambitions to display a merman. Benny is brought in to help install and maintain the tank, but discovers that this job isn’t quite what he expected. There’s the eclectic assortment of performers who open his eyes to new ways of living, and then there’s the merman himself, a beguiling and fascinating soul who Benny feels increasingly drawn to. But he has to decide if his growing feelings are important enough to risk everything.

What a great debut novel! I love fantasy novels set in historical time periods, and this is a wonderful example of that. The early 20th century New York details are vivid and well-researched, and include mentions of real-life events, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. This, and the vibrant Coney Island circus life, make for a compelling backdrop to the story.

I also quite liked Benny. He’s a soft-hearted young man who has had more than his fair share of misfortune and trauma but is still determined to make a good life for himself. I enjoyed seeing his interactions with the circus performers, who are in most cases swindling the audiences for money (for example, the conjoined twins are actually two entirely separate men, one who’s missing a leg, which makes it easier to fit in the same pair of pants). I liked that this gave them some agency in their own lives, even if they still feel looked down upon for being different. Still, that they have carved out their own existences and support each other is wonderful. The whole cast is a celebration and an example of how people from different backgrounds can still get along and love one another.

As for the romance between Benny and Rio, the merman, it’s a sweet story. I thought the way they were able to find common ground, and how their personalities complement each other, was done very well. Plus, this story takes place over the course of several months, so you really feel that they’re getting to know each other well, and their emotional investment in each other feels earned. I’m also glad that there were several short chapters from Rio’s perspective; seeing Benny through his eyes was a nice touch.

I do think that the ending of the story was pretty predictable, but it also was exciting to read anyway. The tension between Mr. Morgan (the circus show runner) and the performers comes to a head, just as the matter of Rio’s survival in captivity becomes urgent to address. The climactic scene is full of action and emotion in equal measure, and the ultimate resolution of the story (though I called it fairly early on) is quite touching.

In the end, When the Tides Held the Moon is a very impressive debut novel! Kelley crafts a palpable setting and memorable characters. The themes of community and love are fantastic, and the magical elements in the otherwise grounded historical setting were amazing. Also, there are quite a few illustrations throughout the book, and they are stunning! I look forward to seeing where Kelley’s writing career goes from here!

When the Tides Held the Moon will be published on April 29th, 2025!