Raeve (Elluin Neván): The Elding Blade’s Journey from Amnesia to Identity

Overview

Raeve, born Elluin Neván, is the complex protagonist of When the Moon Hatched (Book 1 of the Moonfall Series). She initially appears as a hardened assassin known as the Elding Blade of the Fíur du Ath, an organization that contracts killings. The story reveals she has total amnesia of her life before twenty-three phases ago, unaware that she was once the lover of Kaan Vaegor, the Burn King, and a woman who supposedly died in a dragonfall. Her present identity is built on a deliberate blank slate, yet her past keeps surfacing through memories, instinct, and the reactions of those who knew Elluin.

Plot Role

Raeve is the story’s primary viewpoint character and emotional anchor. She drives the narrative through her dual quests: (1) revenge against the bounty hunter Rekk Zharos, who she believes stole someone she loved, and (2) the gradual, often resisted, rediscovery of her lost identity. Her amnesia creates a mystery that Kaan and others attempt to unravel, while her present actions repeatedly echo her past self—confirming to readers and characters alike that Elluin is still present beneath the ice. Major plot events include her arrest after killing a noble, her escape during a Tookah Trial, her journey to the Burn with Kaan, and her eventual confrontation with the truth about Slátra, her Moonplume.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Explicit Motivations (stated or shown in the text)

• Survival and autonomy: Raeve repeatedly resists being controlled—by the Fíur du Ath handler Sereme, by Kaan’s protective instincts, even by her own emerging memories. She values independence above all, stating, “My life has never been on my terms. And I refuse to accept this as living” (Chapter 8).
• Revenge: Her driving goal is to kill Rekk Zharos. The text shows her carefully gathering information about his movements and planning an assassination, even while recovering from a serious head wound.
• Self-preservation through emotional suppression: She actively “freezes” painful memories using a visualized frozen lake, then discards them. This is a learned survival mechanism.

Implicit Motivations (interpretation based on actions)

• A desire to be known without the burden of past pain: Despite claiming she wants to remain in “blank oblivion,” she is drawn to Kaan’s honesty and his acceptance of both Raeve and Elluin. Her refusal to ask about her past suggests a fear of the grief she would have to process.
• Connection to Slátra: Her love for her Moonplume is one of the only unguarded emotions she shows. She risks her life to save Slátra from the sun, and later breaks down when she learns the dragon has been dead for over a century.

Chronological Arc

1. Before the Story (Pre-Amnesia): Elluin Neván is a powerful fae woman, lover of Kaan Vaegor. She is believed to have died in Slátra’s moonfall 123 phases ago. Kaan watches her fall and spends over a century grieving.

2. Amnesiac Life (23 Phases Prior to Novel Start): Elluin awakens with no memories. She takes the name Raeve (her middle name) and becomes an assassin for the Fíur du Ath. She develops a close bond with her handler Essi and keeps a paper lark named Nee.

3. Opening Events (Chapters 1–? ): Raeve kills a noble, is arrested, and subjected to a Truthtune that reveals no memory of Kaan. She faces a Tookah Trial but escapes with Kaan’s help after he recognizes her.

4. Journey to the Burn: Kaan takes Raeve to his stronghold at Dhomm. She meets his sister Veya and his inner circle, who confirm she is Elluin. Raeve resists this identity, insisting she is only Raeve.

5. Revelation of the Past: Kaan shows Raeve Slátra’s corpse, preserved in an underground cavern. The sight triggers fragmented memories and deepens her internal conflict. She attempts to leave but stays when she learns Rekk is still in the city.

6. Climactic Decisions: Raeve chooses to let Kaan kiss her and acknowledges her love, but remains committed to killing Rekk. Kaan agrees to help her leave and pursue Rekk, allowing her freedom rather than confining her.

7. Epilogue Setup: The epilogue hints at larger political machinations as the Scavenger King Arkyn uses his niece Kyzari as a pawn against Kaan, while Raeve’s quest for revenge is left pending for future books.

Relationships

Kaan Vaegor

Kaan is Raeve’s former lover and the only person who fully sees both her identities. He is patient, protective, and willing to let her go if it means she can choose her own path. Their relationship is marked by longing, miscommunication, and a deep connection that transcends memory. Raeve’s defenses slowly lower around him, culminating in a kiss where she finally admits, “Yes” to the possibility of being both Elluin and Raeve.

Essi

Raeve’s handler and only family in her amnesiac life. Essi is fiercely loyal and often exasperated by Raeve’s reckless choices. Raeve struggles to express her love for Essi, fearing that caring deeply will lead to loss. Essi’s plea, “You’re the only family I have,” underscores the emotional stakes.

Slátra (Moonplume)

Slátra is more than a dragon; she is a symbol of Raeve’s lost self and her capacity for love. Kaan spends phases reconstructing Slátra’s skeleton, hoping to give Raeve peace. Raeve’s devotion to Slátra—and her grief upon learning the dragon is dead—reveal the depth of her emotions beneath the ice.

Rekk Zharos

The bounty hunter Raeve seeks to kill. He is the catalyst for her revenge arc. Kaan’s restraint in not killing him to avoid political fallout highlights the tension between personal vengeance and larger consequences.

Veya (Kaan’s sister)

Veya initially distrusts Raeve but comes to accept her. She warns that the truth of Raeve’s identity could provoke war with Tyroth. Veya represents the political weight of Raeve’s return.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

Memory and Identity

Raeve’s amnesia is the central conflict. Her refusal to remember is a coping mechanism, but the novel argues that identity cannot be suppressed—it surfaces in her fighting style, her love of moons, and her instinctive trust in Kaan. The theme is explored through the frozen lake metaphor: every painful memory is a stone she binds and sinks, but the lake remains, cold and deep. Link to Memory and Identity theme page.

Grief and Loss

Raeve’s entire present life is built on unprocessed grief—for Slátra, for Fallon (a friend from her cell), and for the life she cannot remember. Kaan’s grief for Elluin parallels hers, and their shared sorrow eventually bonds them. Link to Grief and Loss theme page.

Power and Oppression

The Fíur du Ath controls Raeve through contracts and implied threats. The Tookah Trial system is a brutal mechanism of power. Raeve’s rebellion—killing her target, insulting the High Chancellor—represents resistance against oppressive structures. Link to Power and Oppression theme page.

Redemption and Sacrifice

Kaan’s decision to let Raeve go is an act of sacrificial love. Raeve’s choice to pursue Rekk is framed by the novel as a flawed but understandable quest for justice. The cost of revenge is left unresolved, hinting at future redemption arcs. Link to Redemption and Sacrifice theme page.

Love and Vulnerability

Raeve’s growth is measured by her willingness to be vulnerable. The paper lark Nee symbolizes the messages she cannot bear to read—the words of love she fears. Her final kiss with Kaan shows she is beginning to accept that love can be a strength, not a trap. Link to Love and Vulnerability theme page.

Symbol: Moons and Moonfalls

The fallen moons represent death, love, and the weight of history. Raeve draws moons on her ceiling; she gazes at them for comfort. The moonfall that killed Slátra is the central trauma. As Kaan says, “This moon will never fall,” referring to his unwavering love for Raeve. Moons are both tombstones and promises.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Raeve have amnesia, and is it ever restored by the end of the book? The novel does not explicitly reveal the cause of her amnesia. She wakes with no memories twenty-three phases before the story. The most likely explanation is trauma from Slátra’s moonfall and her own fall. By the epilogue, she still has no complete memories, though fragments surface. The answer is left open for sequels.

2. Who is Fallon, and why does Raeve feel guilty about her? Fallon was a fellow prisoner in the Fíur du Ath cells, the only person who showed Raeve kindness and painted moons on their ceiling. Fallon died before Raeve was drafted into the organization. Raeve feels guilty because she promised Fallon they would taste clouds together, but she ended up “caged” as an assassin. She considers Fallon’s life the only good one lost.

3. What is the significance of the paper lark Nee? Nee is a mechanical or magical paper lark that carries messages and unconsciously nudges Raeve to read her correspondence. Raeve often ignores the messages, fearing their emotional content. Nee symbolizes Raeve’s avoidance of connection. The lark’s damage in the epilogue (bearing letters from an unknown sender) hints at messages Raeve cannot run from.

4. Does Raeve ever kill Rekk Zharos? No. By the end of the book, Raeve has left Dhomm with Kaan’s help to pursue Rekk, but the actual confrontation occurs off-page or is deferred to the next book. The novel ends with her journey underway, so the revenge arc is incomplete.

5. How does the Aether Stone affect Raeve’s story? The Aether Stone, set in a diadem, contains the imprisoned god Caelis. It is currently worn by an unknown guardian. Raeve is tangentially affected: its power prevents her from summoning clouds to guide Slátra to safety, trapping her in Dhomm. The Stone’s true nature and connection to Raeve’s bloodline (as hinted by the silver book and fae warrior) may become central in later books. For now, it remains a mythic object.

For further discussion of unresolved plot points, see the Ending Explained or the Questions and Answers page. Return to the main book page for a full synopsis.