An interesting retelling of the legend of the Moon Goddess. The overall storyline was good, however the pacing was off. It took a long time for the book to really get started with the first half of the book moving very slowly. It had a lot of exposition and character backstory that I felt could have been condensed. The romance aspect of the book with the two love interests was not compelling. Her relationship with he prince of the Celestial's felt realistic and was nice but the other love interest felt rushed.

The author did a fantastic job with the world-building and the mythology, the descriptions of the different realms were beautiful and painted a striking picture. The main character's journey felt realistic with her thoughts and motivations coming across to the audience as heartfelt and authentic. A lot happened in this book, like it was jam-packed full of content. I think that hindered the pacing, but for the most part the author managed to tell a lo of story pretty well.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the first novel in a new duology based on the myth of Chang’e, who was forced to be in exile by the Celestial Emperor after drinking the elixir of immortality that was gifted to her husband, HouYi, from the gods. While I initially wanted to read this book based solely on the gorgeous cover, the captivating story made me stay and want to learn more. This story follows the daughter of Chang’e, Xingyin, as she sets off to free her mother and release her from exile. Through the story, there are love interests introduced, adventure, and some very interesting creatures, including dragons!

The world-building in this story is lush as it is easy to imagine everything through the descriptions. As this is part of a series, the pacing in this novel is slower as the characters, plot, and world are built up before the story concludes in the sequel. The middle did seem a bit repetitive at times, for me, as there were multiple quests that were interesting, but did not feel completely necessary to dedicate any pages. The story does come back together in the end with the inclusion of some nice plot twists, so the middle section did not affect my overall enjoyment. While this pacing worked for me, it is not for every type of reader as some could potentially consider it boring to spend a lot of time on build-up and descriptions.

Liwei, the Crown Prince of the Celestial Kingdom, and Wenzhi, a general/captain in the Celestial Kingdom military, are interesting secondary characters and soon become the love interests for Xingyin. Both offer different sides, which made this an interesting triangle and I did not favor one over the other. The two characters themselves were enjoyable and I cannot wait to learn more about them as they are developed, but there is still so much I want to know about each. As a protagonist, Xingyin was enjoyable as she begins to explore the world around her. She keeps her goal at the forefront and stays true to herself while still going through character development. There are moments where it seems that everything works out too well or comes too easy for her, so I wish there was a little more struggle just to add some more tension.

Overall, this was a solid debut novel and a great start to a duology. While some pieces are wrapped up, there is still a lot more to be explored in the sequel. There are many tropes in this story that are well done, including many romantic ones. A lot of information is packed into the novel, which can be overwhelming for some readers, but it worked for me. While the reader gets to know a lot about the world and characters in this installment, there is still a lot I want to learn in the sequel. This was a very interesting and captivating story filled with magic, romance, politics, and adventure, so I cannot wait to see what the finale brings!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

daughter of the moon goddess which caught my attention because of the stunning cover, is a fresh, impressive debut about the daughter of moon goddess chang'e, xinyin as she embarks on a journey to free her mother from her exile.

i loved the visuals painted by the lyrical writing. it perfectly fit the atmosphere of the book as xingyin explores different kingdoms and tasks. while it took a while to get used to the writing, i was soon captivated by the descriptions, the fairytale (and cdrama!) vibes and the Chinese folklore imbibed in the story.

the themes of—family, striving for freedom, loneliness and honour—are very well explored in the book. i especially enjoyed reading about xingyin's courage and determination to act with honour and stay true to her goals. watching her grow throughout the novel is a delight.

despite my overall enjoyment, daughter of the moon goddess fell flat in many places. the pacing is irregular and given the length of the book it dragged a lot with the repetitiveness. the third act turned out to be the most interesting part of the story. while the characters' personalities was intriguing, i genuinely did not find myself caring about them or their motivations. ultimately because i didn't feel the urgency of the stakes. it's all passive to be honest. and xingyin having two love interests didn't help as i wasn't inclined to root for any of them. though i'm most curious about wenzhi!

in the end, daughter of the moon goddess is a solid debut which is sure to take readers on adventures along with xingyin accompanied by Tan's beautiful writing. though it's not strong on the emotions or characters, it is sure to appease YA readers. i'm eager to see how Tan moves the story forward.

Rating: Really Enjoyed It

This book was not at all what I expected. The description is actually fairly accurate as to the arc of the entire story, but I was shocked at just how much more fit into this story in only 500 pages.

We follow Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess Chang'e and the famed mortal archer who shot down the sunbirds and won an elixir of immortality from the Celestial Emperor. However, Xingyin's existence is not known of and her mother is imprisoned on the moon of which she is the goddess. When her magic draws the Celestial's attention, Xingyin is forced to flee for her safety and for her mother's, but she vows to return and release her mother from their prison.

Now, the rest of the book we follow all her adventures. I will not spoil any of them by getting into it, but we spend the majority of the story within the Celestial Empire as Xingyin pursues her dream of freeing her mother. There is a LOT that happens in these adventures, and the book spans many years, which makes sense due to the immortality of the characters. I thought that the imagery was lovely, not too flowery, yet very evocative. It was also a very quick-paced story, which I greatly appreciated.

For a long time I felt that the story was moving way too quickly with too much happening to bring me to care about any of the characters or the stakes in place. However, I was wrong. The sheer amount of trials that you go through with Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi led me to care about them as characters. I don't think that the character development for any of them was particularly strong, but I did eventually start to root for them and a particular the outcome of the story. I will say that my favorite characters were the Princes of the Eastern Sea though and they deserved MUCH more screen time!

Because I didn't have a strong connection with the characters for much of the story, I was simply enjoying the ride. There is so much mythology and lore steeped into the words on these pages, and it was a fascinating new world. I loved all the mythical beasts that Xingyin faced, all the beautiful places that she went. I think that this was a fantastic debut, and I definitely look forward to the sequel. I hope that the characters will be explored a bit more in-depth, but even if they are not, I think I will enjoy it.

My biggest complaint is the speed through which we moved through everything and the lack of character development. However, something else that did bug me a little bit was that at times Xingyin fell into the stereotypical YA heroine trap of being "not like other girls" and feeling that she was not worthwhile or beautiful while every man she met seemed to fall to a puddle at her feet immediately. However, I did really appreciate the honor and integrity that she showed as well as her commitment to herself and her dreams over that of the men in her life. There was one line that was something along the lines of "yes, I loved him, but I loved myself more," and this was such a heartening thing to read. Sort of like the moment in Frozen when it was the love of a sister that was needed rather than that of a prince; this declaration of self-love felt like such a triumph, particularly in a genre directed towards young women. Despite that, I actually did enjoy the romance threads in this story. There were some aspects about them that I really didn't care for, but I was eventually won over. However, I don't want to say anything more about that to avoid spoilers!

This is the first in a duology, but there was a very cathartic ending and this could be read as a standalone if desired. I will likely be adding this book to my collection at some point because I did really enjoy it. I am mindful of the flaws, but overall I just had a blast reading it and will look forward to rereading it in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Daughter of the Moon Goddess releases Tuesday 1/11/22.

I started this book yesterday and stayed up to finish it this morning.
Lemme make a list of everything I loved:
- STRONG FEMALE MC
-Chinese mythology
- friends to lovers
-lovers to enemies
-SWEET PRINCE AND BROODY CAPTAIN OF THE ARMY FIGHTING OVER HER
- HEALING BATTLE WOUND SCENES
-JEALOUSY
-BETRAYAL

This is supposed to be an honest review so I am completely honest when I say that THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME. I have been in a major fantasy slump for months and this book just cured me.

It is fast paced, with a great female character who I respect and admire so much. She lost so much and yet she stuck to her morals. So much happened in a mere 500 pages and yet it is paced out so well while also having lyrical and beautiful writing. I really love character driven books, and this had such a perfect balance of plot and interactions between the characters. I was never bored while reading it, every chapter something as going on and there were so many plot twists and turns that I was super engaged throughout the whole story
5/5
(I love it so much I am about to buy a copy for my bff- I have been talking about this book non stop for the whole day and I very sure all of my peers are extremely tired of me)

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc :)

Writing - 4/5 // Characters - 4/5 // Plot - 4/5 // Engagement - 4/5 // Overall - 4/5



If the cover of this book isn’t enticing enough I hope my review is because this book is surely worth the read. The book follows Xingyin the daughter of Chang’e the Moon Goddess. Xingyin has grown up on the moon secluded from the rest of the world. She is being hidden from the Celestial Emperor because her mom illegally drank his elixir which granted her immortality. One day her powers attract the attention of the Celestial Emperor requiring her to escape the moon. We follow her on a series of heart racing experiences as she slowly discovers the power she holds. It is an entrancing book filled with strong women and friendship. The vibes this book gives off are so refreshing and they give me great comfort.

Writing
I enjoyed the writing style this author has. The descriptions were wonderful and created a beautiful, and sometimes gory image in your head. The pacing was good although somewhat confusing at times. I also felt on occasion details were left out that could have been extremely valuable in capturing certain moments within the book. Overall though, I found the writing to flow nicely and was gracefully done.

Characters
YES! I absolutely loved the characters Sue Lynn Tan developed in this novel. Xingyin is a fierce, strong, and capable woman who is certain of what she wants. Determination is something she never falls short of. Her wit and attitude leads to some entertaining dialogue. Her friendship with Liwei was one of my favourite things about this book. It was absolutely adorable. However, I do think that more could have been done tension-wise between the two and I think the growth of their relationship could have been explored more. I adored Wenzhi, the love triangle in this is certainly a tricky one. Yes, that trope is repeated time and time again but does it ever really get old? I found myself in a constant inner conflict with him. Even in moments where adoration was unwarranted I found myself rooting for him. The Dragons were also such bewildering creatures to me and I loved their presence in the story.

Plot
This book felt like a plethora of plots combined to create a masterpiece. It was one filled with action, betrayal, love, friendship, hope, and bloodshed. So much happens in this book which is a point I would like to emphasize. I felt there was both gain and loss to the plot because of this. It is a lot to take in yet, exhilerating at the same time which I found quite fun but you sort of get lost in the action. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, it made the pace of the book quite quick which I think it just as valuable as a slower book.

Engagement
I was engaged in this novel easily from start to finish. This book guided be through this amazing world with creatures so graceful, and so foul. I found myself reading late into the night unable to peel my eyes from the page. I would fight sleep just to see what would happen next or what magical journey Xingyin would embark upon.

Overall
Overall I thought this book was an exciting one to say the least and very creative. I can’t speak to the accuracy and representation of Chinese Mythology because I am not very educated on the topic. The book was a whirlwind of emotions. It was definitely a fun read and I highly recommend giving it a try. It is being released soon, January 11, as well so it is the perfect time to add it to your TBR.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins for providing me an ARC of this book!

Content Warning: Violence, Blood, Death

This review has been posted on my blog (link below) and on Goodreads. I've also discussed this book in my December Wrap Up video on YouTube, which I have also linked below. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a fast-paced first installment in a duology focusing around a young woman learning just how much a heart can love while repeatedly pushing herself past her limits in order to save and protect her mother. While there were aspects of this book that didn’t fit my taste, I did still have fun reading it and highly encourage you to check it out if you are interested in fantastical adventures steeped in Chinese folklore.

I think that the strongest element of this book is Sue Lynn Tan’s ability to paint a picture with her words. The world described in Daughter of the Moon Goddess is incredibly colorful, and I found myself swept away with how vibrant the imagery was. It also made the fantasy and folklore aspects feel all the more surreal, whimsical, or harrowing.

On the other hand, I think that the biggest downfall of Daughter of the Moon Goddess is it’s pacing. There is the over-arcing plot of Xingyin working toward her goal of saving her mother, linking together all of the events in this story. I enjoyed how this book read as a rather episodic series of adventures that Xingyin was tackling, but I was disappointed with how quickly we seemed to move on from each adventure. Normally, I think a snappy pace would benefit this story, but we ended up moving too fast. I would’ve liked more detail and time spent with each adventure, as I think that would’ve added to the suspense and increased the reader’s investment in Xingyin overcoming each challenge.

I think Tan did a good job exploring Xingyin as a character, especially as someone who had been isolated on the moon all her life until having to flee. This isolation meant that she had a lot of growing to do in terms of learning how to navigate various types of relationships, whether they be romantic, friendships, teacher/student, or mistress/servant relationships. Not to mention navigating relationships inevitably leads to introspection as well. Tan spent a lot of time having Xingyin learn valuable lessons about trust and the boundaries of her honor and I think that these themes were explored well. My only qualm with Xingyin’s relationships was that there was nearly a love square. While I’m not normally a fan of love triangles, I appreciated how this one progressed, but I was quite irritated at the potential for a love square. I found it unnecessary to have nearly every important male character roughly Xingyin’s age fall in love with her. This is, of course, more of a personal preference, it just didn’t feel like it actually added anything to the story, so I was glad that it didn’t develop much past a brief moment.

Xingyin is quite an interesting heroine to follow, her adventures exciting and vibrant. While this book did not quite live up to my expectations, I do think it is entertaining and will captivate many other readers. Make sure to be on the look-out for this book when it releases January 11, 2022!

From the second I heard about Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I knew it was going to be a book I was definitely going to read. I’m not overly familiar with the legend of Chang’e, but I do love stories that take myths/folklore/history and retell or give an alternative look at them in interesting ways.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was as excellent a story as I thought it would be. There was a lot going on in this book: romance, action, and a desperate and also deeply personal quest. It was hopeful but also bittersweet at times with secrets and betrayal seemingly hidden everywhere. And what a marvelous story it was!

Xingyin is the daughter of the Moon Goddess. She was sheltered from the world beyond the moon, and that wasn’t without good reason either. With the way the story was told, as the reader, I was dropped into the world alongside the character as she embarked on her journey. There was no easy way for her, and the task ahead of her seemed almost impossible to accomplish under the circumstances. I admired Xingyin’s determination and her compassion—which were often tested—as she navigated a world filled with incredibly powerful immortals and the dangerous conflicts that arose between them.

The characters, by and large, were one of my favorite aspects about the story. I enjoyed reading about the hard-won bonds that Xingyin forged with the secondary characters, which heightened the impact—the gravity—of certain scenes. Tan did not hold back with the emotional punches, and I couldn’t help but hope everything would work out for my favorite characters. I was very invested in the story, and I couldn’t get to the end fast enough.

The setting was also really good. The places were detailed: plenty of intricate and vivid descriptions of food, dress, and history.

I had so much fun reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess. It’s the first of a duology, so I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Harper Voyager) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

{4.5 stars}

"Some scars are carved into our bones - a part of who we are, shaping what we become."

---------------------------

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a beautiful mythical story that I got absolutely lost in. It has everything you want in a fantasy story: a principled, hardworking heroine; an ill fated love story; magic; dragons; merpeople; a stunning betrayal and epic battles. The world building is fabulous and immersive. Xingyin is the daughter of a goddess and yet she lives as a girl who has nothing, never once does she rely on her personal mythology to get ahead.

The first quarter of the book is a bit slow and focuses more on character interactions building real strong bonds between the main characters. But then it is non-stop action from there. You will barely be able to catch your breath as Zingyin goes on campaign after campaign and mission after mission working towards her goals. You will adore her, her resilience, her ethics and her hope for peace.

Even though this is labeled as a duology, it finishes like a standalone and I so appreciated that. I am however interested to hear more about this world.

Thanks to Netgalley for early access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan is the first book in her The Celestial Kingdom Duology. Xingyin, our heroine, has lived all her life on the Moon with her mother, the Moon Goddess (Chang’e), who was exiled many years ago, after stealing her husband’s elixir of immortality; Chang’e had taken the elixir in order to save her unborn child’s (Xingyin) life. Xingyin was hidden, as the Celestial Kingdom Emperor has no idea of a child living on the Moon.

When the Celestial Empress comes to visit Chang’e, and promises to visit more often, the Moon Goddess forces her daughter to leave or she will be killed. Xingyin travels alone and ends up in the Celestial Kingdom, and eventually meets a young man who befriends her. In a short time, she learns that Liwei, is in fact the crown prince and to her surprise, a friendship builds with him helping her become a companion and training her how to fight with swords and archery. Xingyin and Liwei slowly fall in love, but he is forced into a betrothal by his family, and Xingyin knows she has no future with him. Xingyin becomes a master with a bow, and receives and accepts the offer to join the army, where she excels becoming the First Archer.

What follows is Xingyin stepping up to rise up as one of the most important members of the Celestial army, as she continually faces perilous and dangerous quests, which include wild creatures and enemies, that she manages to defeat, making her reputation legendary. Xingyin is an amazing heroine, who is strong, smart, savvy and fearless. She starts working closely with Wenzhi, a decorated officer who is a Military leader for the Celestial Kingdom; slowly she begins to care about him, though she still loves Liwei. Though she knows he will marry someone else, but he is always still there to help her, as well as give her support. With two love interests, we watch has she tries to follow her true destination; Will she allow herself to move forward with Wenzhi, and leave Liwei to his expected marriage of convenience.

Xingyin will face some dangerous quests, which will have her facing the Celestial Emperor to bargain for a past that was done so wrong. Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a fantastic high fantasy that was set in Asian mythology, with a wonderful heroine, and great secondary characters, villains, excellent world building and action-packed adventures.

Sue Lynn Tan wrote a magnificent, intriguing, captivating story, especially in her debut novel, which was so very well written. I look forward to the next book in this duology.

As I read this book, I was taken aback how much love could be sensed in the storytelling. The magic is explained fondly along with the beautiful descriptions of clothing and scenery. The use of Chinese mythology gave the characters an extra richness and connection between the mortal and celestial world. The story also had a very natural flow to it, and it was believable that Xingyin’s journey took the path it did. It also felt that her actions and personality were shaped by her past and the author took great care in explaining the little things without it being boring or overwhelming.

Also, her relationship with the crown prince is EVERYTHING. Something about friends to lovers to enemies feels so right to me.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Chinese mythology, adventure, action, and romance. Though romance is not the focus of the story, it is introduced naturally and fits nicely into the plot. The focus is more about Xingyin’s journey and the steps she takes in order to achieve her dreams/goals. A job very well done to Sue Lynn Tan, who I can’t believe is a debut novelist. Stay tuned for the sequel!!!

Rating ~3.5

"I was no longer a child willing to drift with the tide - I would steer against the current if I had to. And if I won, by some stroke of luck, I would never be helpless again."

If you enjoy the wuxia genre you’ll likely love this.

A young girl with hidden power fighting for her mother's freedom, romantic entanglements oddly reminiscent of Red Queen, and a fantastical, folklore-inspired world combine to make a familiar but still entertaining tale.

The heroine is likable, though she does feel decidedly young given her little experience with the outside world. The world-building and visuals were lush and detailed - evoking a sense of familiarity in anyone who had ever seen a fantasy Chinese drama. I enjoyed most of all the side characters but found myself once again falling for the villain. Though that comes as no surprise given my love for the morally grey.

At times the story could feel a touch predictable, but that could honestly be said about a lot of YA. Still, overall, I enjoyed it. The book doesn't end in a cliffhanger so you're not left reeling as to what will happen next, but it is clear there is more story to tell. The fates of certain characters and some unresolved issues leave you just curious enough to tune in for more. And I, for one, certainly will.

“Some scars are carved into our bones—a part of who we are, shaping what we become.”

I LOVED this novel! I am a complete sucker for mythology, folktales, and historic fiction so this book was as a perfect read.
As the daughter of the Moon Goddess, Xingyin spends a lot of her time alone with her own thoughts about who she is, who her parents are, and about the world that lies just beyond. In the palace where she lives, there are great secrets that are kept from her. Xingyin loves her mother fiercely but doesn’t know why she is often so sad and longing for the mortal world. When Xingyin stumbles upon a story about a great warrior from the Mortal Realm, Chang’e recounts to her the moment when she had to make the hardest decision of her life revealing to her daughter the truth about her father and her immortality. Then, when Xingyin slips one day and reaches for her power, it sets off a chain of events that changes her life forever.
Without having a chance to fully process everything that she just learned about herself and her family, she is quickly thrown into a situation that she’s completely unprepared for. With quick wit and determination she is able to execute a plan to save herself and also what has been lost to her. But before that can happen, she has find a way to survive and learn how to use her power.
What I loved the most about this book was the way the author wrote Xingyin; not only was she a very strong and determined young woman, but she was also extremely intelligent and self aware. She did not allow herself to be a victim of her circumstances and always accepted the consequences of her own actions.
At times, she and her love interests were a tad cringey, but that took nothing away from the story for me.
Until reading this I wasn’t familiar with tale of Chang’e the Moon Goddess or The Dragons of the Eastern Sea and now I want to learn more about them.
Sue Lynn Tan's writing is very enjoyable to read. I look forward to reading more soon!

Honestly, I was drawn to this book solely based on the book jacket. It is a beautiful piece of art and very much grabs one's attention. I am also a sucker for books that feature stories from other countries. There’s an ambiance, norms, and perspectives that are not part of my culture and I like reading those different viewpoints. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one such book.

In this story, we follow Xingyin the daughter of the Moon Goddess who has grown up in exile with no one knowing of her existence until one day her magic exposes her to the Celestial Kingdom. Now danger lurks & Xingyin is forced to leave her beloved home and mother. Her adventure starts once she’s in the Celestial Kingdom… where she learns archery, masters her magic, and falls in love…. And many adventures ensue.

This book has it all…adventure, friendship, intrigue & love. There was a lot going on in this book and it had me hooked the whole time. I am not actually sure what the second book to this duology would cover but I can’t wait to find out.
The only qualm I had was wanting to see more dialogue between the main characters. They sometimes felt one-dimensional.
Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book. It's a great read.

Thank you to HarperVoyagerUK for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3/5 Stars

This cover stunned me when I first saw it and grabbed me right away. Sue Lynn Tan has delivered a good debut book in Daughter of the Moon Goddess and I do look forward to seeing where the story goes. This is very much an Adult Fantasy with underlining YA themes.

Characters:
Xingyin, is our main character - the Daughter of the Moon Goddess - she's a very strong character. Liwei, the crown prince of the Celestial Kingdom ("Good Boy). Wenzhi, an up-and-coming decorated young captain who serves in the military of Celestial Kingdom (Bad Boy)

Review:
I enjoyed the world building and the over-all beautiful. I enjoyed the romantic arc between
Liwei and Xingvin!! Their relationship was cute while also being angsty and my favorite part of the book. However, there are some tropes that made it harder for me to enjoy the book towards the end-ish. I am not a huge fan of Love Triangles - this is the first book and there is going to be another - but having a love triangle plot point made me pause.

Possible Triggers: violence/gore, alcohol consumption, death, separation, kidnapping, and bullying.

Although I didn't love Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here!

Expected release: January 11, 2022

Nothing like starting off the new year with a very anticipated read and.. well, not hating it, but this took a lot of willpower to push through over the course of the first few days of 2022 and honestly, with the exception of one plot point, I did not enjoy.. any of this?

This is a long book, see above page count, however the problem was it also felt long. The beginning especially seems to go on forever with very little happening and also a very strange sense of time passage within the story itself. And considering how things started, and all the urgency that kicks off the story, well.. it dissipated as quickly as my New Year diet resolutions.

And I think overall that’s my issue with the whole story. The sense of forward motion, of urgency, of our main character’s dedication to saving her mother totally vanishes into the mundane doldrums of a whole other different story. And it’s only near the end that she suddenly seems to phase back into that main concern. Yes, she was working towards a thing that she maybe could use to her advantage but.. I don’t know. This felt like three different books in one and not in a good way.

As for the romance, well. I appreciated what the author tried to do with this love triangle, which was a more mature way of handling the usual YA fallback, however, at the same time, it didn’t work for me. And I worry about what awaits us in book two in that regard. Though.. I don’t think I’ll be reading it.

Normally I’m full of second (third, fourth, fifth..) chances for authors, particularly debuts, but nothing in this writing was passionate. Or compelling. Or enthralling. It was lovely at times but honestly it was pretty dry. Again, where was the urgency, the tension, the stakes, and, yes, the passion. Hell, emotion of any kind. I felt nothing, no matter how hard I tried. Sadly this read likely tripled my screentime for the month because I kept putting it down.. which, yeah, added to the time it took me to finish but goodness I took any excuse to look away.

Again, this is a huge disappointment as I fell in love with this cover months ago and thought it sounded utterly captivating and unique. But for me? It wasn’t it. As always, of course, don’t just take my word for it; I highly encourage you to check out other reviews as this low rating is but a drop in the current rave review ocean.

Xingyin had a quiet childhood, living only with her mother and servant on the moon. She was happy, believing this was a good life, until she learned that her mother was imprisoned there, forced to atone for having stolen immortality rather than earned it. When Xingyin’s presence is discovered, she’s forced to flee. Finding her way to the Celestial Kingdom, and befriending the prince, she realizes that she might be able to convince the emperor to free her mother, and they could finally be reunited. But much is still at stake, and Xingyin is going to have to choose how far she’ll go to achieve her greatest wish.

I received an advanced reading copy of Daughter of the Moon Goddess in exchange for an honest review.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a young adult novel by Sue Lynn Tan. It’s her debut novel, and it’s inspired by an old Chinese story (according to the summary). I was very excited about this book when I heard about it, so what did I think?

I was actually really compelled by this book and its plot. I loved Xingyin’s underlying motivation of freeing her mother, and also how, despite this being the first book of a duology, it has a self-contained plot and story. If you only want to read this one, you’d be fine, even with the couple of threads that remain.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I should talk more about the rest and not just the end!

Xingyin was an excellent and constant character. She had some clear values that helped carry her throughout the narrative, and a personality that allowed her to befriend others. I rooted for her throughout, even when she made mistakes. Because of course she’s flawed, and I love it when characters are flawed.

The plot was also fun. It can easily be split into parts, and indeed, the book is split into three parts. It has its share of twists, and I’m very glad to say I managed to call a good one! I won’t say what it is, because of spoilers, but I was so glad when the twist came about. I even yelled out “I knew it!” And a couple of people looked at me funny. But isn’t it satisfying when you pick up on the breadcrumbs and it works out?

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a great read, with lyrical language and a character I found it fun to root for. I recommend it for all fantasy lovers, and especially those seeking Chinese-inspired stories.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess will be released on January 11. You can pre-order it from Harper Voyager here.

I fell in love with this book, first, because of the cover (I mean, how could you not?) and, secondly, because of the main character, Xingyin, and the overall writing/storytelling of this book. YA fantasy is not my favorite genre at the moment, as I feel like everything kind of sounds the same at this point, and while this story is similar to others I've read in this genre, this one is totally unique in it's Chinese folklore as well as in the writing. I think if you regularly consume YA fantasy and love it, this one will be no different, and if you either don't read YA fantasy a lot or if you find yourself missing something in the genre as of late, you would also solidly enjoy this one. I also would like to give credit to the author for writing such a well-crafted debut! I'm looking forward to reading her future works.

What. A. Book.

The sting of betrayal sits on my heart still yet.

I was shocked by just how much is packed into this book. It could easily have been more than one book. I felt such a wide range of emotions while reading this one. From swooning to angry and back all over again.

A lyrical and wonderful prose delivers a story about a girl, Xingyin, who discovers life, love and loss. She willingly puts her life on the line time and time again, with one goal driving her; free her mother. (I didn't see the strong connection here to make this drive so strong other than her inner thoughts, the actual relationship between them is but a glimpse)

With Prince Liwei and Captain Wenzhi there to offer her support and maybe a bit of a distraction, Xingyin, discovers what it means to be blinded by your heart.

I look forward to the next book!

Thank you to Harper Voyager, Sue Lynn Tan and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

5.5 stars!!!!

I LOVED IT. I read it twice. Twice.

THIS IS SO GOOD!!!! It is so much more than a fairytale, so much more than being just a story and a mythology! It's been so long since I ever felt this way about a book. Not since The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black. The hype is totally worth it to the point that I would really buy a special edition of this book!!!! (I am poor, so I only buy books that really makes it to my 'Favorite Shelf' and has a really special place in my heart).

This story is a jam-packed rollercoaster ride from page one till the end. There's never a dull moment and so much has happened in the book. Not the kind of 'fast' and 'so much has happened' found in Sorcery of Thorns, ( don't get me wrong, I love Sorcery of Thorns so much too and it is in my Favorite shelf). So much has happened in Daughter of the Moon Goddess because there are certain parts in the storyline where months/years has already passed upon reaching the next chapter without jeopardizing the plot. And that's one of the beauty and amazingness of this book, the time skips that doesn't ruin the plot/storyline but instead allowed the storyline to expand and gives well-defined romance.

And I did not expect that betrayal and that plot twist! I like books too that tears my soul apart but thankfully the twist of this book did not make me suffer. I was really glad it wasn't by the person I was dreading to betray Xingyin. And thankfully, I wasn't able to predict it as well. We all know that when we read too many books, the next ones we read became too easily predictable and ordinary.

----SPOILERS AHEAD!!----

I consider the romance slow-burn, but you won't feel it slow-burn because of the time skips. The romance is one of my fave parts of the book. Whenever the scene was romantic, I would feel giddy and smile to myself like a crazy woman, I was also wretched when Liwei got engaged and during those few times they said goodbye or when they try to tell each other that its really the end for their relationship all the while dreading that it might really be the end for them, I was also somehow happy and contented when she was with Wenzhi with more hoping that it would make Liwei jealous, I was on the edge of my seat when I thought Liwei did really die and that she would really end up with Wenzhi!