This book really has everything I look for in a fantasy. Vast world building that feels really flushed out. Badass female character with a mission. Dragons. Romance. Plot twists that I didn't see coming.

Xingyin is the daughter of the moon goddess Chang'e who has been imprisoned on the moon in return for stealing the Celestial Emperor's elixir of immortality. For her own safety, Xingyin must leave the moon and hide in the Celestial Kingdom. There she befriends the Emperor's son and has the opportunity to train in both magic and archery. Never forgetting her mother, Xingyin makes it her life's goal to free her mother and sets out on a series of quests in order to earn the Emperor's favour.

I really liked that there was a lot happening in this book. There was never a lull, it was just quest after quest all while setting up this larger impending conflict that I imagine will be the focus of the sequel. I also enjoyed the writing style, it had a lyrical quality in a lot of the descriptions that helped set the tone of the overall story.

The only downside of this book for me was the love triangle. Love triangles are a trope I am not a fan of at all, but this one is pretty essential to the plot and didn't actually bother me that much. Mostly because it's pretty clear throughout the book who she prefers, although I would have preferred more development in their relationship as I found it somewhat lacking in passion. I also think(hope) that the triangle aspect got resolved at the end of this book so that the romantic focus in the sequel can be on only one of the relationships.

Definitely still recommend if you're looking for a fantasy read outside of the typical YA genre.

The Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the story of Xingyin, the daughter of the immortal moon goddess Chang'e. Xingyin sets out to free her mother from her eternal imprisonment on the moon, and on that journey finds herself entangled in dangerous and difficult situations. I really enjoyed the folklore and magic in this book. There's also a really sweet romance. I loved following Xingyin on her journey - she perseveres through heartbreak and the greatest physical and mental challenges.

The ending, while seeming a little unfinished, also didn't really lend to there being a second book, but this book is meant to be part of a duology. I'm not sure where the story goes next, but I'd be interested in reading it.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. The book published earlier this month (before I finished reading the review copy). I think this book is great for fans of Elizabeth Lim, and mythology-infused fantasy!

This book was EVERYTHING I wanted and more! I loved the mythos of Chang'e and her tragic love story, and to read a book centered around that was so amazing.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

The story follows the daughter of the exiled Moon Goddess, Xingyin, who is trying to find a way to free her mother. It takes place over many years (which makes sense, because all of the characters are immortal and thus almost age-less). She joins the Celestial Kingdom, befriends princes, fights monsters, and makes a name for herself as a renowned archer. At times, the plot does seem to stray from Xingyin's main goal, so be prepared for a slow ride (take it easy) and not a fast-paced adventure.

I didn't love the love story in this. I think Xingyin deserves better than who she gets.

This book is hard to rate because, while I enjoyed it, I also understand why other people will not. It was one of my very anticipated books, but it kinda falls flat.

This book was phenomenal. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada Frenzy for the advanced reader copy, I loved reading this so much.

CW: violence, blood, gore, alcohol consumption, death, separation, attempted assault (brief), kidnapping, bullying.

Xingyin was a wonderful main character, following along with her was a lot of fun and I loved her so much. She had this amazing and quiet power to her, and it was really lovely to spend so much time watching her grow and learn. She was truly a warrior, and seeing her become even stronger throughout the course of the book was great, but I really loved getting to see quiet moments with her. I loved her strength, her motivations which she never lost sight of, her heart, and her love for others.

All of the other characters were well built, and I loved them. Liwei felt like a really dynamic character, and I loved him as soon as I met him. The romance within was incredibly lovely, I don't want to say too much about it, but I loved it. It was a lot, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, forbidden love, love triangle, this book really had it all.

The plot was incredible, each act of the book was somehow better and different than the previous one. It is very much an epic fantasy, and it's so beautiful. Having left behind the moon and her mother, Xingyin spends her time in the Celestial Kingdom with the crown prince. This book is a wonderful hero's journey filled with a lot of love and serenity. The balance between love and war, enemies and lovers, good and evil, it's all so well done.

The world building is absolutely stunning, and the magic system is intricate but not too complicated to follow. It's incredibly well written, with lyrical writing and a wonderful overarching story. I enjoyed the pacing, each part had a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Overall this was a really great read, if you enjoy adventure based high fantasy this is a must read. I would recommend this to fans of Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan, Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard, and A Clash of Steel by CB Lee.

This book has some beautiful worlds with many enchanting features. The magics used were interesting and the means of transportation is absolutely enchanting. The main character is strong but vulnerable. The one factor I didn’t care for though was the tropey love triangle that you could see coming way in advance. Overall it’s one I’m glad I read but was never overly eager to pick it up to read. Beautifully done cover artwork!

“Some scars are carved into our bones – a part of who we are, shaping what we become.” – Ping’er


Sue Lynn Tan’s epic debut novel is a Fantasy adaptation of the Chinese legend, Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. Told through the life of her daughter, Xingyin, who is torn from her peaceful childhood on the moon, thrust into a dangerous world of immortals where power, intrigue, and treachery abound, and set on a course to overcome insurmountable odds in a quest to release her mother from her exile. Along the way, two powerful young men, Liwei and Wenzhi, vie for her friendship, trust, skill, and favor but when betrayals slice deep can she stay true to her mission while retaining her honor?


Sue Lynn Tan has taken an intriguing Chinese myth and reimagined it into a captivating Fantasy filled with ancient Chinese customs, magic and dragons, sparks of new love and destructive battles. Her imagery is mesmerizing and transports you to a by-gone era of sights, sounds, and way of life. The way she writes, her word choices and dialogue, further enhance the experience as it sweeps you into this magical realm. Her storyline is rich with details and incorporates other Chinese mythological creatures as it takes you on an action packed ride with many unexpected plot twists and turns.


While there was so much about Daughter of the Moon Goddess that I really enjoyed, there were a three fairly prominent issues that, for me, really detracted from the story. My initial impression was that this was following in the pattern of other C-dramas, with the heroine winning a competition to gain a position and opportunity within the royal family and favor with an esteemed prince or warrior. While it eventually took off in a more authentic direction, too many of the ensuing conflicts or struggles were conveniently resolved. Also, from beginning to end, Yingyin was constantly lamenting her decisions or actions. While being able to follow her thoughts is important in understanding her coming of age, this constant rehashing of her choices actually detracted from her character development. I also found that I didn’t particularly like either of Yingyin’s friendship/love interests: Liwei or Wenzhi, which I can’t go into further without spoilers. Let’s just say they were both pretty stereotypical and neither deserved her.

Even though I found fault with some things, I do believe this is a book worth reading, not only because the cover is stunning but I really did enjoy Daughter of the Moon Goddess and am invested in finding out what happens in book 2 of the Celestial Kingdom duology.

I haven't even finished this book yet and I'm wholeheartedly recommending it to patrons at the library where I work. I can't imagine anything happening that would bump my rating down...though it may go up on GR once I finish this. This reads like all my favorite xianxia dramas put on a page: epic, fun, adventurous, and romantic. I'm unfamiliar with the tale that inspired the book, but it was easy to follow the mythology Tan laid out in the novel, and it gave me a hint of nostalgia for the first time I watched the drama "Eternal Love", so if you enjoyed that...well, pick this up!

I'll post a full review to my GR page once I've completed the book, but what can I say besides: more! more! I'm glad to see this is a duology, because although the 500 page count intimidated me at first, I can't imagine it being any shorter without losing something essential. So good!

Beautifully told story steeped in Chinese mythology. Lovable characters, with a main character that is fun to cheer on throughout her story. Amazing how much happens in these 500+ pages! Can't wait for the sequel!

I was very excited for this debut fantasy book, The cover instantly drew me in as well as the idea of a story following the chinese moon goddess! Unfortunately I felt as though the story line was a basic series of quests and provided for no real connection to the characters or what happened to them. I feel as though the writing would not allow me to become emersed into the story, I felt as though I was reading instead of being engrossed in the world. These things led to a lack of depth with the characters or plot and did not allow for me to enjoy as much as I had hoped. Although I do not feel as though it was a bad book I do not feel much for it overall. I would like to see more from the author and how their writing grows, I just feel as though this is a debut and the author can grow from here.

Throughout the realms, mortals and immortals alike know the story of Chang’e, who was punished by the Celestial Emperor and banished to the moon. The part no one knows? Chang’e has a daughter.

Xingyin was raised in secret by her mother and a trusted servant in the Pure Light Palace on the moon. When the Celestial Empress grows suspicious, Xingyin must flee the only home she’s ever known and learn to harness her immortal magic. Stranded alone in the Celestial Kingdom, she vows to one day return to the moon and free her mother.

Before long, Xingyin crosses paths with Crown Prince Liwei. Seeing an opportunity, she leaps at the chance to learn to swordplay, archery, magic, and other useful skills alongside the Celestial Emperor’s son. Nothing is more important to Xingyin than her mother’s freedom, but the more time she spends in the Celestial Kingdom with Prince Liwei, the further away the moon seems to be.

The story is based in part by Chinese myths of the moon goddess, Chang’e. I really liked Xingyin and watching her develop into someone who is skilled in magic and archery, but also maintains her principles despite the hardships and heartbreak she endures along the way. I’m not very familiar with Chinese mythology, but I found the story very interesting, especially the subplot about the four dragons.

This is the first book in the Celestial Kingdom duology. The title and publication date for the second book have not been announced.

I was really excited for this fresh take on Chinese folklore and mythology wrapped in one of the loveliest covers I have ever seen. It’s certainly impressive as a debut, with Sue Lynn Tan’s lyrical writing style being a brilliantly captivating aspect of the storytelling. The prose lent itself well to the atmosphere of the various settings in the book, which made for building a world that was easy to slip into. I also think Tan took on great themes to explore through this story - self determination, family, honor, freedom, and isolation. However, I had a really tough time reading this novel, for it wasn’t until the third act that I was fully interested in the plot or characters. The pacing was very irregular, and the conflicts felt very easily solved. The latter isn’t especially a problem for me, but in this book there were conflcits for our protagonist, Xingyin, that had incredibly low stakes that were almost repetitively explored, whereas some of the larger stakes conflicts felt too simplistic in their resolution. I also found that I didn’t care much about the characters and/or their motivations, which ties into how unconvinced I was by the stakes. Xingyin has two love interests, but the romance was entirely underdeveloped and unnecessary in the form that it took. I would’ve preferred for all the content from the third act to have been the focus and developed from the start, since the first two acts were so passive.

Tan is definitely skilled and had good ideas, but I’m afraid the execution fell flat. Still, I believe there is immense potential in Tan’s storytelling ability, and I am curious about future works.

Awesome story of learning to trust yourself and doing the right thing, even when it's the hardest thing you'll ever have to do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

I have so many feelings and thoughts towards this book. I had seen nothing but amazing reviews and praises being sung in regards to this book so I was hopeful that I would enjoy this book as much as everyone else. Alas, this was not the case. I will start off by saying that the writing style and imagery was very beautiful, the story read very lyrically off of the page. The world-building was done quite well and it was exciting to get to experience the different Kingdoms and creatures in this world. Unfortunately, that was the only real aspect of the book I enjoyed. I thought the main character specifically in the first two parts of the book was quite bland and one-dimensional. I thought her purpose and desires in the book were muddled and her actions didn't align with her character up until the last third of the book. I think there was so much potential for a great character arc, but she and many of the other characters ended up falling flat for me. In addition to this, I found that Xingyin had "not like other girls" energy. Every male character in the book basically fell for her after just seeing her, and she constantly brought up how plain and not beautiful she felt. Many of the tropes in the book were things I had seen done before, some better than how they were written in this book. I will say that the only reason I'm giving this book 3 stars instead of 2 is because of the ending. I finally got a sense of who Xingyin was and how her goal had always been to free her mother the Moon Goddess. I wish the ending had been more fleshed out and some of the beginning two parts shortened because they seemed almost unnecessary to the plot. The pacing is what threw me off the post. I dreaded getting through each chapter, although the writing style was nice to read I just felt certain unimportant scenes dragged on while other conflicts were resolved within just a few pages for when it started. I really wish I had enjoyed this book as much as everyone else seemed to, but I just don't think this one was for me.

I was first introduced to Chinese folktale mythology in children’s books. This adult tale is as satisfying and as textured as I’d hoped for. Xingyin grew up on the moon. Her mother was the Moon Goddess, held captive there by the Celestial Emperor. When Xingyin’s life is threatened by the Emperor, she’s sent away but rather than ending up back with mortals she ends up in the palace of the Celestial Emperor and the study companion to the Prince. She’s convinced that she must free her mother from the captivity on the moon and sets out to become the greatest archer in the Celestial Army. This has all the elements of good fantasy folktales. The setting is beautiful, the characters well developed with so many twists in the story, it is difficult to know who to trust. I find it hard to believe that Sue Lynn Tan debut novel could be so engaging.

*4.5

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was an incredible read. While it started slow, it really picked up and so much happened by the end of the book, it almost felt episodic. It was atmospheric with beautiful writing.

Xingyin grows so much both mentally and physically, but still makes mistakes. The side characters were also interesting, but they could have been more fleshed out.

The only reason this did not get a full 5-star from me is that it utilizes a trope I do not like.

This was a great first book and I cannot wait for the next!

I had expectations about how this story would go and it constantly surprised me. The way it was told did feel like an epic poem, like an oral story. There were big time-jumps with little fanfare, and the story focused on the critical points without spending time elaborating on the setting or internal dialogue of the characters. It felt like if it were written in a typical YA format it would have been 3 books. That's not a criticism, as the style of this story was unique in my experience. I liked the main character very much, and it was refreshing to see a strong female character that was Showing us she was strong, rather than us just being told she was strong. Self-determination is always great to see in a main character.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan follows Xingyin, who grew up on the moon. At first, she is unaware that her existence is being hidden from the Celestial Emperor because her mother stole his elixir of immortality. Her mother was punished by being stuck living on the moon for eternity. When Xingyin accidentally uses magic, she is soon discovered and forced to flee the moon and leave her mother behind. She makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom where she disguises her identity. Xingyin soon secures the chance to learn alongside the emperor’s son where she becomes versed in archery and magic. Xingyin and the prince grow very close and develop feelings for each other. Joining the Celestial army, Xingyin hopes to gain the favor of the emperor by confronting dangerous creatures. When Xingyin discovers forbidden magic being used to threaten the Celestial Kingdom, she makes a risky deal to free her mother and protect the realm from utter chaos.

This is a sweeping fantasy novel that is inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess. It is jam-packed with so much story. Sue Lynn Tan writes a lyrical, mesmerizing book full of love and hope, battles and betrayal. I look forward to the conclusion of this duology.

Before I start can I just say how beautiful this cover is! I read maybe half of this book and knew that I just had to have it. After my copy came in the mail the hardback is even more gorgeous.

I came across the legend of chan'ge from a Netflix children's movie so I was so happy to see another take on things.
This book did not disappoint and is a must have .

I could tell from the very beginning of this book that I was going to love it. Based on the Chinese myth of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, it combines all the best aspects of epic fantasy and retellings, while keeping the story fresh and surprising.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I can’t wait for the sequel and conclusion to this duology, but I love that The Daughter of the Moon Goddess has a satisfying enough conclusion that it could stand on its own. All around, an excellent read.