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

Xingyin lives alone with her mother Chang’e and caretaker Ping’er on the moon, something she sees as beautiful if only a little lonely. Soon, she finds out that their living arrangements are due to Chang’e’s punishment for drinking an immortal elixir not intended for her. The Celestial Empress believes Chang’e is, correctly, hiding someone. Xingyin must go into hiding, leaving behind her only home for a world she does not know.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a retelling of the story of Chang’e—a Chinese tale that is new to me, and I immediately researched once I hit the last page. The original mythology follows Chang’e and Houyi, a talented archer who killed 9 of the 10 suns scorching the Earth, making it habitable for its residents. Aptly named, we follow her daughter in this novel.

I really felt for Xingyin. She would do anything to save her mother. She stared down the Celestial Kingdom, and did not back down. But she was not without her flaws—her journey took to the back burner when she fell in love with the Celestial Crown Prince. This made her an even more relatable character. She was a true good character, but love surprises us sometimes.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and flew through it in a couple days. My only problem, hence the 4 star rating, was there was a lot more warfare and battle strategies than I was expecting in a fantasy book. I knew that might be part of it, but it took over a good bit of the book. I did love the fantasy world and the magic system, so it isn’t a huge dealbreaker.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Daughter of the Moon Goddess releases on January 11th.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I wanted to love this book so bad, but I had some issues with it. Overall, I did enjoy it and loved many aspects of it, but it lost some stars for a few different reasons.

This story is inspired by the Chinese legend about Chang'e, the moon goddess. I've never read the original legend, but I thought that this book did an excellent job with the mythology! Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, seeks to free her mother; in order to do so, she will have the face the most powerful immortal there is.

Here's what I liked:
-The Chinese mythology
-The writing
-The awesome fight scenes
-The gentle prince and the strong female warrior
-The friendships
-The magic
-The cover!!

And here's what I struggled with:
-The pacing (the first chapter sucked me in, then the book majorly slowed down. It picked up again towards the end though)
-The love triangle
-There were a few things with the writing that bothered me. For example, "'What is it called?' he wanted to know." I've never seen "he wanted to know" as a dialogue tag before, and this was used multiple times. (I still think the writing was lovely overall though.)
-The repetition at times
-The characters. This might just be a me thing, but I had a hard time getting attached to any of them.

I went back and forth on how to rate this, and I settled on 3.5 stars. I'm unsure whether or not I'll read the sequel, though I am curious how Xingyin's story will end. While this wasn't quite what I was hoping for, I still think many readers would adore this book! Those who have read the original legend or fantasy readers who don't mind love triangles would probably like this book more than I did. I've also seen people compare this to c-dramas, so it might be great for c-drama lovers!

Content: violence, romance doesn't go further than kissing, death

As someone whose go-to stories are fairy tales, dragons, magic, myth, and action, I was captivated by Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Though a bit slow to start, the story soon picks up speed when Xingyin runs from her home in order to protect her mother and lands right in enemy territory without their knowledge. In the Celestial Kingdom, Xingyin soon wins a spot next to the Crown Prince, learns to be a warrior and use her magic, and conquer quests and monsters, all moving towards her goal to free her mother from the moon. The imagery provided was colorful and magical and helped me to imagine the Celestial world of gods, goddesses, and mythic creatures in a beautiful telling of the legend of the moon goddess.

What I adored most about this story is the protagonist Xingyin who keeps her head in harrowing situations, doesn’t lose focus of her goals amidst the challenges of danger and love, and is a generally good person who I wanted to support the whole way. I also loved the amount of action and adventure in the plot. Magical worlds, interesting powers, unique creatures, and deadly secrets popped out every new journey, constantly providing something new and interesting to read about.

This story contains beautiful imagery, wonderful characters, deception, love, and a heroic adventure. This novel is part of a duology, and while the ending came together phenomenally in the first book, I cannot wait for the next book’s release!!!

reading the daughter of the moon goddess was such a great way to start the year.

from the very first page, i was immediately captivated by the lush storytelling and intricate world building.
the author has done such an amazing job weaving in the legend of chang’e, the chinese moon goddess, so much that even someone not as familiar with it would be able to enjoy and understand the story. (this is also high fantasy and i haven’t read any of those for the last two months so this deserves all the praise)

i loved the main character, xingyin.
she was multifaceted, brave and incredibly badass. when approached with conflict, her reasoning and decision making were impeccable.

this book was eventful and action packed but the pacing made it even much better. it’s also the first book in a duology so i am really excited to read more of the author’s books.

What really drew me to this was the cover and the title. It's perfect for fans of Six Crimson Cranes and Spirited Away.

I love how everything in this magical world is described in detail. I'm usually not a fan of "love triangles" but this one was actually worth it. I know another book is coming and the ending perfectly sets that up.

I do wish the magic was explained more, it was kind of just there and every few pages there would be something new that would come up.

THIS BOOK. This book has everything: luscious fairy-tale writing, a fast pace (seriously—I can't remember the last time a fantasy book moved so fast and so well), beautiful storytelling, rich Chinese lore, a freakin cute romance, DRAGONS, and basically the best ending that warmed my heart. And guess what?? It's a duology!!!! So I get more of these strong, vibrant, and lovable characters!

Seriously, this book did everything right, and it's now one of my favorite fantasy stories of all time. Without a doubt my favorite adult fantasy. You will LOVE this book if you like Mulan, Spin the Dawn, and The Priory of the Orange Tree. Don't hesitate to read this one!!!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for the ARC!

Amazing book! I gravitate toward anything about Chinese mythology retellings and this one was great. It was really great to see all the little odes to Chinese culture, like the instruments, the food, the wardrobe, it made me imagine the book's setting better even though it was fantasy-set. I thought the main character, Xingyin, had a strong arc and really progressed throughout the novel, really exemplifying that "strong character" feel you'd want your main character to have. The pacing of the book I thought was done well, usually why I stray away from fantasies on a general basis is the pacing and the percent of the book that solely goes into world building, but I thought this book did that just fine, I rarely thought it drawled in some places. I also liked, of course, that there was a romance arc as well, and the drama that definitely ensued with that and of course, am always eager to see more.
For a debut, I was truly blown away and am fully immersed in this universe now. For anyone who liked Asian mythological stories, you will enjoy this one as well.

This book was quite fun! Overall the story was intriguing and had a lot going for it with uniqueness. The friends to lovers storyline was absolutely adorable. My biggest problem with this book was it struggled on pacing- some parts felt glanced over when they could have added to the story so much while others felt like they were being dragged out longer than needed. It had so much interest but really suffered in how much time it spent on some parts rather than others.

Xingyin was raised in a shining palace on the moon, with only her mother the Moon Goddess and their servant for company. What Xingyin doesn’t know is that her beautiful home is a prison, and her existence is a dangerous secret kept from the highest levels of power in the immortal Celestial Kingdom. As she grows older, her magic grows as well, and when it’s no longer safe for her to stay on the moon, her mother sends her out into the kingdom to hide. It is difficult for her to adjust, but through a lucky twist of fate, she soon finds herself living and serving in the household of the very Empress who imprisoned her mother – and taking lessons alongside the Crown Prince.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a fantasy novel heavily inspired by Chinese mythology and culture. It’s really beautifully written, and rich with descriptive details and packed with fast-paced action sequences. The author has a great way of making the characters come to life with tangible emotions, and the story really pulls you in. The plot meanders a bit, but there are some fantastic twists (although a few of the “fortuitous coincidences” were a bit too convenient, to the point that I wondered if there would be some magical explanation for it.)

The book is a good crossover novel between adult and YA fiction. It’s an adult novel with a distinctly YA feel, due mostly to the age of the protagonist at the beginning of the novel and the strong romantic subplot. The romance is part friends-to-lovers, part star-crossed lovers, part love-triangle, and it is a major part of the book, but it isn’t so dominant that Xingyin loses sight of who she is. She has greater goals and a fully formed personality, and never gives up those goals or her personality in favor of her love interests. Still, those readers who don’t care for romance might find it a little too much for their tastes.

Overall, a really excellent fantasy book (especially for a first novel!) and I’m very much looking forward to the second half of the duology.

Representation: Asian characters written by own-voices author

CW: gaslighting, torture

3.5
Daughter of the Moon Goddess was my most anticipated debut of 2022, so yes, giving it a less than four start rating does hurt me inside gravely. I went in with the highest of expectations, which were met bar for bar at first. It wasn't until I was met with the middle that I slowed down and started to wane interest.
My biggest issue with this book is the emphasis on telling with the writing style. I got flowery prose that reminded me of poetry, but at the same time, I received endless sentences about characters immediate feelings like "Xingyin was upset" etc. etc. It grows tiresome after a while because I want to be sucked into her shoes and feel those emotions boil within me. They didn't. I started to really take notice of this after the scene where Xingyin saved the kingdom from rebellion, and it only worsened my enjoyment from then on. This habit ended up wedging itself between my connection to the relationships and characters, so I started to lose interest in the tensions and plots of the story.
DOTMG takes place over a childhood and years into adulthood, but somehow with this huge skipping of time, I felt it drag once Xingyin left the Celestial Kingdom to pursue her warrior role. I was perfectly fine with the pacing during the childhood period of part one, but all of that well built tension bled away following it. I understand that a lot happens within this book, but I think the execution needed to be better. Xingyin does make countless mistakes, which is not a critique in and of itself, but when she is shown as a competent, intellectual woman, I don't like seeing her fall to such base and naïve moments like with the first dragon scene. Her characterization seems jumbled then because her common sense is thrown out the window. I know her love for her mom is strong, but I never believed after her childhood experiences in the Celestial Kingdom that she'd throw chaos to everyone else just to see her mom. It feels cheap because her earlier moments feel lesser.
Overall, I am being a bit more negative in this review, but I still enjoyed it. I'm intrigued about how the Demon Realm Prince will come into play once the second book releases. He still has a role to play, and while i heavily shipped him at his immediate introduction, I'm not quite sure what Tan has in store for his character. I can't wait to see more interactions of Xingyin with her loved ones and the political order. It'll be far better after undergoing so much in this first book. Can 2023 come sooner?

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ebook of Sue Lynn Tan’s DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, which comes out on January 11 (and has one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen) 🌸

This YA fantasy is filled to the brim with magic, romance, mystical creatures, and a longing for family. Based upon the legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess who was banished to the moon by the Celestial Emperor for consuming the elixir of immortality meant for her husband, this book follows Xingyin, her daughter, whose existence was hidden until a burst of magic unexpectedly alerts the Celestial Palace to her presence. As she flees, Xingyin pledges that she’ll do whatever it takes to free her mother. From entering the royal palace as a royal companion to becoming the best archer in the Celestial Army and slaying all forms of mystical beasts, Xingyin’s journey is convoluted—but I guess it is to be expected when you’re trying to break an immensely powerful enchantment without pissing off the Emperor too much.

The world building in this fantasy is incredible. Tan’s vivid imagery brought me everywhere—the royal grounds of the Celestial Palace, the desolate and lonely surface of the moon, the coast to oceans filled with enchanted merfolk and sea creatures, and so many more. And can we talk about how Xingyin manages to catch the eye of literally every attractive prince lol 😆 And how spicy the main love triangle became 😆

Mythological fantasy finds adventure with the daughter of the Moon Goddess and Hou Yi, the legendary archer from Chinese mythology. What a lovely coming-of-age story which tests loyalty, friendship and honor. Xingyin is on a journey to win her mother’s freedom where immortals and magic, courage, betrayal, and sacrifice all play a part in her quest.

#NetGalley #DaughteroftheMoonGoddess

This was a fun read! I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer amount of plot that is contained in this story. Each part felt like its own separate novella in many ways. I enjoyed watching Xingyin in her quest to free her mother as she grappled with decision making about her own life in respect to that. I personally wish there had been less of a focus on romance since I found it a little tiring and would have preferred she find peace in her life without the emotional distress she faced from it. However, it also served a purpose in the story and was not too terribly frustrating to deal with, and many readers will likely enjoy it more than I did, especially the ones younger than me. Romance aside, I'm a big fan of Xingyin as a character, and her compassion and problem solving. She's complicated and driven largely by emotion but it makes her a stronger and more interesting person. Overall, this story is a series of fun adventures with a compelling overarching plot and I'd be happy to revisit Xingyin in any sequels.

This book was so, so, so phenomenal. I've been sitting with it to find the right words, and I'm not entirely sure I have them, but lets give it a go.

Xingyin is the daughter of the moon goddess, a formally mortal woman who took an elixir of immortality to save her own life and the life of her daughter before Xingyin was born. As this was against the wishes of the celestial emperor, she was banished to the moon under an enchantment that keeps her from ever leaving. Xingyin grows up largely alone, only with her mother an a faithful attendant as company, until she celestial emperor catches wind of something amiss on the moon. Now under threat, as the emperor does not know of Xingyin's existence, she flees to the immortal world with intentions to remain hidden. Despite this, Xingyin decides to decimate her life to finding some way of freeing her mother from this enchantment. This sets her on a course of adventure, daring and danger. She learns how to wield a bow with perfect accuracy and grows her magical prowess. She meets several companions along the way, and even falls in love.

Lets start with the culture infused within this book. The Chinese Mythology is weaved so expertly into this story, and every danger Xingyin faces leaves the reader feeling enchanted and intrigued. Sue Lynn Tan's writing style is completely captivating and gorgeous. The imagery and world she builds within her language brings everything to life in the most visceral way. I found myself wanting to research every Chinese fairy and folk tale so I could even further appreciate the skill she showed in her writing of this book.

Further, this book is an absolute adventure. It moves quickly and theres lots of action, but never so quickly that it doesn't explain the world and magic system surrounding the events. The world paced perfectly in how it is built, never feeling info dumpy. Each choice the character's are faced with makes sense, and Xingyin's character arc is all the more powerful for it. Xingyin herself is such a complex character. She is brave and strong and fearless and stands firm in her morals even when tempted by power. She is also jealous and hard-headed, sharp-tongued and impulsive. She takes impossible risks, but never baseless ones, and she is always aware of the danger she has placed herself in. She unfailingly considers the safety of the people she loves.

I loved the magic system and world here. The author creates such a powerful picture of the immortal realm and mortal realm existing just outside of each other, and watching Xingyin traverse between them is enthralling. I found a lot of this to be incredibly unique but not so much so that it was hard to compute. There is elemental magic and forbidden powers and a long-build threat to the world that Xingyin is forced to come up against after a massive betrayal. The magic; creatures were also such a joy to read about and picture. This story was just so artful and epic, I cannot BELIEVE it was a debut.

I honestly can't find a single qualm in this book. Even the complicated love story told made sense to me, and I think was more reflective of real life in that barriers that made sense keep some of our heroes from being together in the way they wish to be, and naturally they choose to try and move on while still holding these emotions in their hearts. The conclusion of the love story was also satisfying and complete, while leaving enough questions open to make for a good story in the next book. The plot as a whole is similar as a main goal has been completed only to have made space for a larger, more frightening threat.

I just loved this so much. I am going to be recommending it to everyone. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this title before publishing.

<i>Disclaimer: I received an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks!</i>

3 stars
I was super excited to get this early as a review copy and I'm sorry to say that this didn't live up to all my expectations.
I had fun don't get me wrong but I kept comparing this to Six Crimson Cranes which is similar to this book in a lot of ways but was executed in a manner that was much more to my preference. However, the sheer number of mystical Asian-inspired fantasies we are getting recently is simply beautiful.

<b>SO, WHAT'S THIS BOOK ABOUT?</b>
Daughter of the exiled Moon Goddess, Xingyin must flee her home and disguise herself among the other Celestials in the Celestial Empire to hide from those who would punish her and her mother for her existence. After miraculously becoming the Crown Princes' study partner she hones her abilities in martial arts and magic all with the end goal of setting her imprisoned mother free. But will she be drawn into the lure of power that is promised in this realm or will the growing emotions that the Crown Prince, son of the very people who imprisoned her mother, illicit within her take her down a different path?

<i>THE GOOD<i>

-The Writing-
The writing is simply delectable I mean the sheer number of lines I highlighted just cause I liked the way they sounded is ridiculous. The writing fits extremely well with the setting of this beautiful magical and mystical setting based on Chinese folklore. The description of nature and the expressions used by our main character's inner monologue were stunning especially when considering this is the author's debut.

-The Angst-
if you want to read about an angsty ass romance with an angsty ass protagonist and not one but TWO angsty fine ass men who would give their lives for the protag look no further. This is it. This while being included in the good part of my review irked me in its repetitive nature and the obvious nature of the reveal including one of the main male leads irritated me a lot since I guessed what the "twist?" would immediately because there is always a clear male lead in every YA love triangle so one has to fall out of favor I mean the gimmick is getting very old at this point.

-Themes-
I actually really like the message that this book is trying to convey. Family. Love. Heartbreak. Trauma. Im here for it all. I like how we have a main female protagonist who is described as strong and actually is strong. She saves herself. She saves the main male leads. She makes mistakes and she still enjoys more feminine pursuits. She doesn't crumble and break after men betray her again and again. She's bold. While I was unsure of her in the beginning she really started growing on me.

<i> THE MEDIOCRE</i>
Wenzhi. yeah, i said it. LIWEI IS MY BABY QUOTE ME ON THAT <3

<i> THE BAD</i>

-The Repetitiveness-
I mean to mention it again would be repetitive but let's just say that the behavior of the male characters in this book was testing my patience and I am in awe of the endurance of our protag because of the shit she deals with in this book from these men would have made me snap a long time ago. I mean they must be really pretty for her to allow this behavior, please.

-The Fluff-
There were just a lot of unnecessary scenes that I feel could have been condensed and or just fully omitted or done differently to convey what the author was trying to convey in a more succinct manner. This however really does boil down to personal preference and while I love a slow fantasy just like any other SFF lover the pacing for this was just all over the place for me. I really liked the time jump though I think that was a good decision.

anyway, this was a great first entry by this author and I'm excited to see how they improve in the sequel
thanks again to the publisher, and congratulations to the author!
overall I think there is a lot of potential for a lot of people to love this!

3.5 stars

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a unique fantasy based on Chinese mythology. This book has a lot going for it. I loved the story based on the myth of the Moon Goddess, and I loved the beautiful imagery, but I struggled with the writing style. The book is written in the first person and it suffers from "telling not showing."

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a romantic fantasy, it has a love triangle, and unfortunately, I didn't feel inclined to root for either love interest. Despite this book being the first in a duology, the main story was wrapped up well, without any cliffhangers, so it can be read as a stand-alone, which is great. I went into Daughter of the Moon Goddess with high expectations, and I think I would've enjoyed it more if my expectations were much lower.

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

cw // attempted sexual assault, blood, death, violence

rep // Chinese cast & setting

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of the best books I read this year. When I started, I could not convince myself to put it down, it's a near perfect debut. The plot is fast paced, the characters are so fleshed out and worldbuilding is everything.  

This book has serious C-drama vibes with its love triangle, court drama/politics, civil unrest, friends to lovers, family sacrifices, lovers to enemies, battle and training scenes and tender hearted moments. In 500+ pages, it hits nearly every point possible in my book. Mostly importantly, the writing is PHENOMENAL. It's so lyrical and wistful at times, it feels like a poem rather than a book. The map at the beginning is also super helpful. The flow of the book was nice, having some time skips only when needed.

I think the real star is worldbuilding. From all the different places they visit to the magic system and the clouds they ride around on, I always felt so intrigued reading the book. There are so many moments where Tan throws in little tid bits such as the proper way to brew tea, the calligraphy lessons and the draping of clothing that make it clear this is a well loved topic of hers and helped me feel more connected to the world.

Now for the romance, yes there's a love triangle (and briefly imo a love square), but the more important relationships are the platonic ones, between her and her mother and her friends at the palace. Tan does an incredible job of showing platonic love as being just as important as romantic. I have to say tho.. this is a real good love triangle and I loved how it was handled. It had me in tears how much these guys were simping over her.

The ending seemed to fit so well with the story and all the characters' arcs coming to an end. It's been one of my most anticipated 2022 releases since last year, and despite all the build-up, it truly exceeded every expectation. The only thing that I will say is that this book reads more like a standalone than a duology, but I am interested to see where the author takes book 2!

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This is such an incredible, impossible-to-put-down novel. I was entranced from the beginning. The author wastes no time in thrusting the reader into the plot, and it is very easy to fall in love with the main characters. While flawed, the main cast is so very loveable and so very human, despite their Immortal heritage. This is bound to be one of the best fantasy novels released in 2022, and I am so excited to read anything else Tan writes.

Yes. Yes. Yes! This book is what you hope for when you pick up a new story — that it will sweep you off your feet and carry you away. I got lost in Xingyin’s journey in the best way. It will take you from the moon to a kingdom filled with immortals in a tale of revenge, romance, secrecy and magic. Get ready to hear me recommending this to any and everyone — I think it’s a great intro for readers who are hesitant about fantasy, as the writing is crisp and clear and incredibly easy to grasp. But fantasy fans will rejoice in the level of detail and the mythology surrounding the story. So thankful to have gotten to read this book early, and I’m counting down to the sequel!

Me: ok there’s nooo way I’m going to finish ANOTHER full book before 2022
COVID: Hold my pneumonia

I read the entirety of this book in one bed-ridden day and it was the spark of light and hope I needed to get through it. And what a coincidence that I just recently read The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen! I loved just how good it made me feel, like watching your favorite Disney movie. Also that is a front-facing shelf worthy cover! Beautiful all around.