Daughter of the Moon Goddess was everything I wanted and more. Stories that pull their base or inspiration from myths and legends are some of my favorites in general, so hopes were high going into this book. It met every one of them. Sue Lynn Tan takes the long and twisting story and presents a beautiful written, relationship driven tale of a girl who's ambition is born for the love of her family.

Xingyin spent her childhood on the moon, the prison of her mother, Chang'e, hidden from other celestials until her magic becomes too much to hide. Xingyin must flee her home and start a new life. But in doing so, she works to find a way to free her mother. This journey brings Xingyin into the companionship of the Celestial Emperor's son and to the attention of the whole court. As Xingyin grows and finds her way, her drive to reunite with her mother and find justice for her family becomes a bargain that could throw the realm into chaos or that could deliver them into a new era.

I loved Xingyin and her refusal to give up her ambition for justice. The way that Sue Lynn Tan develops the relationships in the book be they familial, romantic or platonic, is done with such care and understanding of each character the socio-cultural ties therein. While Xingyin's driving force is the relathionship she had with her mother as a child, her friendships with the prince and later with other soldiers define her understanding of both herself and the world around in a wonderfully complex way. The pressures of expectation and desire to break from them is handled with such understanding that it was these relationships that drove my reading more than anything. These same forces also help to complicate not only how others understand Xingyin but how she comes to understand the court and all those within it. I love a character driven story and one that places so much value in the development of relationships across experience is everything I love in fiction.

I found the book incredibly hard to put down this book for anything else. Tan's prose and storytelling is compelling and easy to slip into. Every element that is introduced in the story paid off and each twist was earned in the writing. This is an absolutely stunning debut and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was an utterly captivating and magical read. From the start, the prose has a unique feel; as soon as I adjusted I was absolutely entranced by the lush world-building and action-packed plot. I was amazed at how much happened within this novel without any of it feeling rushed or confusing. Xingyin was such a compelling protagonist, and I was so invested in her quest to free her mother and her growth as a character. And I haven’t event mentioned the romance yet! I think this book redefined yearning and angst, and even the love triangle didn’t feel like an overused trope. At so many points throughout the story I thought I could predict where it was going — and then it would twist off in a new way I didn’t see coming. I loved the infusion of ancient Chinese mythology, and thought it was a captivating retelling of the legend of the Chinese moon goddess. This book just felt epic in myriad ways: Xingyin felt like a warrior heroine out of myth, the action was the thing of legends, and the emotional and romantic aspects of the story were at times achingly tender, heart-wrenching, and overwhelming beautiful. I can’t wait to see where this duology will lead Xingyin next!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a fantastical novel that revolves around Xingyin—the daughter of Chang'e; the moon goddess—and her journey towards gaining her mother's freedom. She will be thrust into a dangerous world where she will be bent into submission and forced to hide her true identity in the name of safety. She will be sharpened by the challenges that lie along her way until she becomes a weapon that the world had made her to be.
Facing many hurdles involving love, power, and honor, Xingyin will rediscover who she is, who she was, and who she wants to be, in the name of saving her mother and those whom she loves.

I don't think I can explain how much I loved this book.
After reading the first chapter, I knew I would fall in love with the book and it's characters immediately. I was thoroughly impressed with Sue Lynn Tan's writing considering that this is her debut novel. She made it very easy for the readers to fall in love with her prose. Every word, every sentence was so beautifully stitched together to the point that I found it quite hard to stop reading.

Another thing I fell in love with in this book are its characters. I rarely come across books with characters that are this well rounded. All the characters felt so real and true to their identities from start to finish. There's that underlying consistency in characters that I never knew I needed until I came across characters like Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi.
I was also captured by the plot of the book. I have a bit of familiarity with regards to Change's story but I never expected the things that I had read in this book. It put me in such a rollercoaster ride that I would be weeping through every single chapter but my emotions would always vary from rage and sadness. The whole novel was so action packed and it never bore me, not once.

I do have an issue or two about the pacing of the novel. It felt like some parts were a little bit too fast. I would have loved seeing some things/plots develop in a longer timeline because it would have given me more time to take-in whatever was going on in certain chapters. But I also feel like it was written this way because the author had to cover a lot of ground in order to push the plot around and reach the end of the story.

All in all, the Daughter of the Moon Goddess was an amazing novel and I would recommend it to anyone who loves:
- Retellings inspired by Chinese mythology
- Friends to lovers
- Friends to lovers to enemies
- Fast-paced books
- Soft prince x Girlboss Warrior

What an absolutely stunning book! And to think this is a debut novel too! I absolutely loved this one. These pages contain a richness and a whimsical ferocity that took me by surprise and left me wanting more! I already can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

The fact that this is a debut novel still shocks me to my core. This retelling based on a Chinese moon GODESS was absolutely breathtaking. Anything ever Asian rep related is an instant read from me. The history, and culture behind this story was so will written that I could not put the book down. The MC was so powerful and inspiring that I legit will be buying evrey copy of this book!

A beautiful and heartfelt read that is going to stick with me for a long, long time.

Inspired by the Chinese legend of the moon goddess, Chang'e is imprisoned on the moon after she steals an elixir of immortality granted to her husband by the Celestial Emperor. What is not known, however, is that she was pregnant, and did so in a desperate act to save herself and her then unborn daughter, Xingyin.

Fearful of what might happen if found out, she manages to conceal her daughter's existence for several years, until Xingyin unknowingly taps into magic she isn't aware she possesses. This draws the attention and suspicion of the Celestial Empress, and Xingyin is forced to leave the only home she's ever known in order to avoid being discovered, and finds herself in the Celestial Kingdom itself.

Arriving there alone and with nothing, she steels herself and resolves to find a way to free her mother and to return home, and thus begins her quest.

This was such a vivid, mesmerizing book with amazing world-building, and strong, determined, but still unmistakably human characters that I felt so much for. I wish I could stay immersed in its world forever, and I am so pleased to find that it's only the first in a duology.

The legend of Chang'e is a familiar Chinese myth and I've seen and read my fair share of retellings. However this blows them all out of the water with the fantastic world building, the deep and nuanced characterization, and the beautiful writing. It's a fantasy I'm happy to recommend to readers and non-readers alike. Definitely getting a copy (or two!) for our collection. 5 stars!

So, first—what a book! I can’t believe it was a debut for Tan. I mean, stunning doesn’t even begin to cover it. Though there are some content warnings I’d like to offer (death and violence, bullying, substances, etc.)

This book tells the story of a Chinese legend of the moon goddess, Chang’e. We meet the hero of this story, Xingyin whose character arc sees her transform into someone so hold and fierce to save her mother. Just beautiful.

This is the first in a duology and I can’t imagine how much more story there is yet to uncover. You know how some people talk about retreading a book they loved? I had always hoped I’d find the book that made me feel that way and now I have.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan immediately drew me into her beautiful fantasy world and I didn’t want to leave. This beautifully written book is just as gorgeous inside as the cover.

Xingyin’s mother is the Moon Goddess and she has been exiled to the moon for drinking an immortal elixir that was meant for her husband, Xingyin’s father. The Celestial Emperor and Empress do not know about Xingyin’s existence. When Xingyin accidentally uses her power, the Celestial Empress is immediately suspicious of the Moon Goddess. In a panic, the Moon Goddess sends Xingyin to safety, but Xingyin ends up in the Celestial Empire and ends up as a servant for the daughter of a powerful immortal Nobel. Eventually, she ends up serving the prince of the Celestial Empire, as a companion and they train together as warriors. Xingyin has a talent for archery, and after time, she enters the Celestial army.

I don’t read much fantasy, so I’m not sure how this book stacks up against other fantasy books. But, as an avid reader, I’ll have to say it grabbed me and entertained me and I was completely immersed into the fantasy world the author developed. I loved the main character Xingyin and loved seeing her grow and become a courageous warrior. She stayed true to her motivation to release her mother from exile, and her love for her mother never wavered.

The first part of the book was about character and world-building and dragged just a bit, but once the action started, it pulled me along until the end. This book is both lyrically written and action-packed, with a lot of twists and turns.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the first book in a duology. I thought this first book in the duology ended satisfactorily and I can’t imagine what the second book will be about. But, I’ll be first in line to get her second book because I absolutely loved being in this world with these characters.

I highly recommend Daughter of the Moon Goddess to anyone who loves fantasy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5
I can't decide on a rating. On one hand o enjoyed the story but on the other it was missing something which sounds crazy because this book holds a lot.

The writing itself was alright. It definitely feels like debut writing so I can only hope it gets stronger as she writes more novels.

The characters are great. I definitely want more stories from certain people.

The mythology was probably my favorite part. I loved reading about the different stories and creatures and people.

The plot and storyline is where I feel like my attention waned. There was just so much going on . Like, we had many different adventures and tasks and discoveries in one book that's crazy! This definitely could have been expanded into another book but also it felt not rushed so maybe it does work?

Oh and the romance? Stupid. I hated everything about it. The triangle. The need to choose. The choice. Ugh that poor lost soul. 😞

Y'all are really gonna love this one.

Sigh. I guess I’m being a special snowflake again, because every other review I’ve seen for Daughter of the Moon Goddess is glowing, and I…just can’t see what everyone else is seeing. (Honestly, some of the other early reviews have made me question whether we read the same book.)

This is supposed to be Adult, but it reads like YA, and not especially good YA, either: generic, meh YA. Everything was disappointingly simplistic; the prose, the worldbuilding, the ridiculously convenient way that things fall into place for the heroine. Of course she ends up as the crown prince’s companion through virtually no effort; of course he chooses her as said companion, and manipulates the challenges on her behalf, based on an impression she made during a five-minute conversation. Of course he is kind and good despite his parents being unmitigatedly terrible (how??? where did he get all his virtues, who did he learn them from??? insert shrug here). Of course Xingyin is immediately so good with a bow the imperial soldiers watch her train – because her dad is a legendary archer, I guess, and that’s definitely genetic.

Even the magic system is oddly simple, mostly coming down to affinities for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. I was surprised, and disappointed, that Tan chose to base her magic system on the classical Greek elements rather than the Chinese ones (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal), although in fairness she does add an additional two elements, Life and Mind. But the whole thing of, people who live by the sea are best with Water, by forests are best with Earth… That’s just simplistic and dull again. And the literal demonization of those with Mind powers was so obvious it had me eye-rolling at the page. It’s so in-your-face that it’s like a big flag waving ‘this will be plot-relevant shortly!!!’

And good gods, does anyone really need that many info-dumps? Info-dumps that repeat previous info-dumps?

These are all things that I can live with if they’re balanced by really beautiful prose, or lush, unique worldbuilding, or interesting and unusual characters. But I didn’t find any of that here. Despite drawing from Chinese mythology, Daughter of the Moon Goddess felt incredibly generic to me. I DNF-ed it at 22%, and it’s completely possible that it gets much better later, but I felt absolutely no desire to keep reading and find out.

I enjoyed the story and characters. I liked the main character being a strong character that could stand on her own and didn't rely on a male character. I also liked that the story felt like a complete story/ book, not something leaving me dangling until the next book came out.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an interesting and fun fantasy story, full of elements from Chinese culture and folklore. Xingyin was an enjoyable protagonist - tough, determined, talented, but still vulnerable. I didn't love the love triangle, but that's more because I just don't like love triangles. I did really like learning about the intrigues of the various immortals as Xingyin got caught up in them. The book ended in a way that makes me think there will be a sequel, which I'm excited to also read!

“Don’t tell anyone who you are. But never forget either.”

Xingyin grew up on the moon in solitude with her mother Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. Never knowing her father, or that her mother kept her hidden away. One day Xingyin’s powers are brought to life which causes a shift in the aura of the moon and warrants an investigation by the Celestial Empress. Learning of her own origins, and mother’s exile, Xingyin flees home, and sets out on an epic journey to win her Mother’s freedom. Will Xingyin be able to win her mother’s exoneration, and be reunited with her mother?

This debut novel from Sue Lynn Tan was beautifully written. She paints a wonderful picture of the glittering Celestial Kingdom and the other realms of the world within the book. A world full of magical and mythical creatures such as fox spirits, merfolk, and dragons. Her prose weaves beauty in every scene of Xingyin’s adventure, and I loved her retelling of a classic tale.

I loved being able to Xingyin’s thoughts and feelings as she went through her transformation and develops her own strength and confidences to become the one of the Celestial Army’s top Archers. This novel had it all with a heartwarming tale of the love between mother and daughter, along with adventure, to even romance with a love triangle. There were also some plot twists that I definitely did not see coming! This book was easily devoured within a couple of days, and honestly am ready to read it again!

This is my favorite read from 2021, and most anticipated books for 2022. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy along with some romance. I am looking forward to more books from Ms. Tan. Thank you Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my review.

This is the book I wish I could've read when I was growing up and devouring all the fantasy novels I could find in my local public library — fantasy novels that were interesting and fun to read but that I never saw myself reflected in. Daughter of the Moon Goddess imagines the fate of Chang'e from Chinese legend, the beautiful goddess who marries the brave archer Hou Yi but is banished to spend her immortal life on the moon when she drinks an elixir meant for him. In this debut fantasy novel by Sue Lynn Tan, Chang'e has raised her daughter Xingyin in solitude on the moon.

When Xingyin discovers her own nascent magical abilities, she's forced to flee from the only home she's ever known to escape the wrath of the Celestial Emperor. She disguises her identity as she travels to the Celestial Kingdom. What follows is a nonstop adventure full of mythical creatures, immortals, and magic. Tan weaves a vivid and super fun to read story. I really enjoyed reading it and am thrilled that my daughter will grow up with books like this that really showcase the richness of Chinese mythology.

Don't mind me, just freaking out for weeks after reading this!
This book was everything I needed it to be, filled with mythology, lush descriptions, a fast-paced fantasy adventure that I devoured in one sitting. When I tell you the immense feeling of satisfaction I felt with the way the ending was written, it's no joke. I was raving at work to another librarian and students, pulled up the Goodreads to show them, and lo and behold, this is a duology. It's like Christmas came early, my friends. So impressed with this debut and cannot wait for whatever else this author writes!

I'll admit I tend to root for Asian fantasy stories as like, a general rule, ESPECIALLY when it comes to the story of Chang'e, but WOW did I enjoy this one. I thought the characters were really nicely fleshed out, the plot moved at a good pace, and I was fascinated by the magic system that Tan created. I'm already very impatient to start pushing this book at patrons at the library!

There was only one problem I had with this book and that isn't even with the book itself, it's that I'm incapable of reading really good, developed fantasy books on ebook. But even despite my horrible attention span and deteriorating eyesight, I can tell you that this book was worth it. Everyone should pick it up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley Avon Books and Harper Voyager for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sue Lynn Tan’s sweeping debut adult novel is inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, who is trapped on the moon and has kept her daughter, Xingyin, hidden for her whole life. Xingyin goes on an inspiring and dangerous mission to free her mother, which puts her at odds with the most powerful immortal.

Steeped in Chinese legend and filled with fantastical magic, Daughter of The Moon Goddess is a must-read! With unique and powerful characters, a lot can happen 😉 This book is about love, love for family, and love for friends. You don't want to miss Xingyin’s journey, trust me!

CW: gore, violence, death, assault, kidnapping, bullying

This book had everything a fantasy lover could ask for: a strong female lead, an interesting magic system, immersive worldbuilding, a beautifully described fantastical setting, action, a love triangle, and a nearly impossible goal.

*deep, contented sigh* 😌

Sue Lynn Tan crafts a wonderous epic tale populated by complex, flawed characters. Their internal struggles are relatable, making each character impossible to completely love or hate. The way she so loving describes the gorgeous buildings and landscapes made me feel like I was there.

I really enjoyed reading this and I can't wait for the next installment.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.