Daughter of the Moon Goddess
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- Create Date：2021-12-30 07:50:59
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sue Lynn Tan
- ISBN：0063031302
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e， the Chinese moon goddess， in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm。
Growing up on the moon， Xingyin is accustomed to solitude， unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality。 But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered， she is forced to flee her home， leaving her mother behind。
Alone， powerless， and afraid， she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom， a land of wonder and secrets。 Disguising her identity， she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son， mastering archery and magic， even as passion flames between her and the prince。
To save her mother， Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest， confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies。 But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom， she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos。
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting， romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor， dreams are fraught with betrayal， and hope emerges triumphant。
Growing up on the moon， Xingyin is accustomed to solitude， unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality。 But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered， she is forced to flee her home， leaving her mother behind。
Alone， powerless， and afraid， she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom， a land of wonder and secrets。 Disguising her identity， she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son， mastering archery and magic， even as passion flames between her and the prince。
To save her mother， Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest， confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies。 But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom， she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos。
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting， romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor， dreams are fraught with betrayal， and hope emerges triumphant。
Reviews
Moukthika ✧*。
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Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review。 This was one of the most adventurous fantasy I've ever read。 A fantasy story inspired by the Chinese legend of the moon goddess， we are told a tale lush with magic， quests and forbidden romance。 Xingyin， the daughter of the moon goddess， has to navigate the deadly court of the Celestial Kingdom， learn and master her magic and combat skills， all the while looking for a way to free her mother from exil Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review。 This was one of the most adventurous fantasy I've ever read。 A fantasy story inspired by the Chinese legend of the moon goddess， we are told a tale lush with magic， quests and forbidden romance。 Xingyin， the daughter of the moon goddess， has to navigate the deadly court of the Celestial Kingdom， learn and master her magic and combat skills， all the while looking for a way to free her mother from exile and keeping her identity a secret。 I loved her transition from a naive and oblivious young girl to a fierce and brave woman。 I am not a fan of love triangles but Liwei and Wenzhi are the exceptions。 I liked how we get to know each of them and how they burrow into Xingyin's heart。 Both had their faults but were charming and intriguing at the same time。 The romance was very natural without feeling forced and left me conflicted about whom I ship more。 I was entranced by the magic system and the fearsome challenges faced by Xingyin。 I binge read the whole book in just a couple of hours。 It was so addicting with a perfect blend of romance and fantasy。 This has - secret identities- enemies to lovers/forbidden romance- magical quests- love triangles- myths， legends， and of course dragonsIf you love any of these tropes， you would absolutely enjoy it。 。。。more
sol
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Disclaimer: I received an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thanks！3 starsI 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 Asia Disclaimer: I received an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thanks！3 starsI 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。 SO， WHAT'S THIS BOOK ABOUT？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？ THE GOOD-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。 THE MEDIOCREWenzhi。 yeah， i said it。 LIWEI IS MY BABY QUOTE ME ON THAT <3 THE BAD-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！ 。。。more
Tiffany
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words can't express how much i love this book <3 words can't express how much i love this book <3 。。。more
Milena
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3。5 starsDaughter 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 3。5 starsDaughter 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。 *ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley 。。。more
Wen
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Excited for this one because for once someone has the balls to name their characters with a Chinese name and not some Japanese anime one。 And it’s based on actual Chinese folklore。
trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader
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“Some scars are carved into our bones— a part of who we are， shaping what we become。”cw // attempted sexual assault， blood， death， violencerep // Chinese cast & settingDaughter 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 “Some scars are carved into our bones— a part of who we are， shaping what we become。”cw // attempted sexual assault， blood， death， violencerep // Chinese cast & settingDaughter 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！Find me on: instagramThank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Michelle Kenneth - PerfectionistWannabe。com
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Everything I love about Chinese myths and folklore can be found in this book。 From the story of the Moon Goddess and her love for the archer （I didn't know they had a child）， to the Celestial Kingdom， the dragons and the Demon realm， it is everything I love about Chinese stories。As I read this book， I kept thinking of all the Chinese movies I've seen that tell the stories of the dragons and their pearls。 I did not know the real reason behind the pearls and why they protected them。 Now， I do。The Everything I love about Chinese myths and folklore can be found in this book。 From the story of the Moon Goddess and her love for the archer （I didn't know they had a child）， to the Celestial Kingdom， the dragons and the Demon realm， it is everything I love about Chinese stories。As I read this book， I kept thinking of all the Chinese movies I've seen that tell the stories of the dragons and their pearls。 I did not know the real reason behind the pearls and why they protected them。 Now， I do。The love stories in this book made me feel those same broken hearted， betrayed feelings I felt the first time I got my heart broken。 The emotions of Xingyin were depicted accurately。 It was like I was feeling that pain all over again。 I kept thinking， boy， does Sue Lynn Tan get it。 I also felt bad because the only way anyone could describe that kind of pain is if they'd lived through that same pain。 Her depiction was very real。By the end of the book， I hoped that there would be a book two and it looks like this is a duology （woo hoo）， so I am looking forward to continuing Xingyin's story。This will be the first book of 2022 I'm curating into my collection。 My reasons for curating it is that these stories of Chinese folklore need to live on。 Sue Lynn Tan's development of Xingyin and her journey to freeing her mother， the Moon Goddess， is worth reading again and again。 It's the stories you share with others so they can understand the mythologies that shaped different cultures。 I'm always drawn to stories like Kubo， Over the Moon （Netflix）， and Chinese dragon stories。 I often wonder how these magical stories came into being to explain the world around us。 After all， there is some truth somewhere in these stories of the people that once lived。 The story of Xingyin is one I wish to keep and read over again in the years to come。 I'm looking forward to book two。 。。。more
Ariel （ariel_reads）
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Amazing and beautiful debut fantasy novel。 More thoughts to come on my B2Weird Book Tour stop in January！
Anna Kopp
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Me: ok there’s nooo way I’m going to finish ANOTHER full book before 2022COVID: Hold my pneumoniaI 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。
Charli
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Ancient Chinese Mythology？ Check。Forbidden magic？ Check。Legendary creatures？ Check。Badass Heroine？ Check。Court politics？ Check。Friends to lovers to enemies？ Check。Based on the ancient Chinese myth of Chang’e， who found herself banished to live on the moon after drinking the elixir of immortality that was given to her husband by the Gods。 This book follows the daughter of Chang’e， Xingyin， as she goes on an epic quest to have the Gods forgive her mother and release her from exile。This book is fil Ancient Chinese Mythology？ Check。Forbidden magic？ Check。Legendary creatures？ Check。Badass Heroine？ Check。Court politics？ Check。Friends to lovers to enemies？ Check。Based on the ancient Chinese myth of Chang’e， who found herself banished to live on the moon after drinking the elixir of immortality that was given to her husband by the Gods。 This book follows the daughter of Chang’e， Xingyin， as she goes on an epic quest to have the Gods forgive her mother and release her from exile。This book is filled with pages upon pages of epic battles， creatures， forbidden magic， and even forbidden love between Xingyin and her enemy’s son。 I was hooked from page one right up until the very last word， the world building was absolutely phenomenal from the get go and the plot was beautifully executed while being fast paced enough to keep you gripped but not being too fast you feel like the book is being rushed。 Believe me， this book is over way too quickly as it is！ I was left wanting more the second I finished reading， but I put that down to the evil plot twist from the author， I honestly never saw it coming！Xingyin has fast become one of my favourite characters of this year。 She’s strong， intelligent， kind， and always puts her family first in her journey。 She reminds me a lot of Mulan， always trying to do right by her family and their honour， even when the odds are against her and she has to go to battle。 I’m now in desperate need of book two in this series and I’m going to be feeling lost until I get it， this book is an absolute masterpiece。 Sue Lynn Tan is an absolute word wizard and you all need to read this book ASAP。 。。。more
Katy
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"We should appreciate the flower， regardless of its roots。"Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review。 This book had a slower start than I was expecting and took me longer to get into than I was hoping， especially considering how jam packed it was with action。 That being said the second half really made it up to me and I left wanting more of this authors writing。 Overall， this book is filled with messages of family ties， "We should appreciate the flower， regardless of its roots。"Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review。 This book had a slower start than I was expecting and took me longer to get into than I was hoping， especially considering how jam packed it was with action。 That being said the second half really made it up to me and I left wanting more of this authors writing。 Overall， this book is filled with messages of family ties， overcoming expectations of you and keeping true to yourself。 Alongside the great atmosphere it has a romantic quality about it and is definitely the right amount of whimsy and myth alongside some pretty hard hitting action scenes。 The friends to lovers plotline that is also weaved throughout is done very well。 Whilst the plot and pacing did seem a little bit off at first， I am so glad I stuck with it。 The atmosphere and mystique of the mythology used as inspiration is truly captivating and transports you to the celestial kingdoms page after page。 There were some great characters and definitely some wise moments of learning too。 I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a very atmospheric fantasy that is still fast paced， often times these types of books can lack plot which I know can turn some readers off。 This seems like a happy medium that I am sure lots of people will enjoy。 Overall a great start for a debut， and definitely an author I will be keeping my eyes on as there is lots of promise there。 。。。more
Luna
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Yeah
Alison
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Ok， so wow。 This book was jam packed with so much amazingness。 I don’t feel like I can’t say much because I don’t want to give the slightest bit away， but if you love mythology especially Chinese mythology， then this one is going to captivate you。 It took me a few chapters to get into it， but holy dang once it hit a certain point， I could not stop。 I was so engrossed in this story！ It’s full of adventure， love on Xingyin’s journey。 I loved her so much。 She was such a strong female character who Ok， so wow。 This book was jam packed with so much amazingness。 I don’t feel like I can’t say much because I don’t want to give the slightest bit away， but if you love mythology especially Chinese mythology， then this one is going to captivate you。 It took me a few chapters to get into it， but holy dang once it hit a certain point， I could not stop。 I was so engrossed in this story！ It’s full of adventure， love on Xingyin’s journey。 I loved her so much。 She was such a strong female character who is pretty bad ass as well。 I can not believe this is a debut book。 It’s seriously incredible and I highly recommend it。 I can not wait for book 2！ 。。。more
Beth
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I won this absolutely wonderful book on Goodreads。I love the storyline。 So many twist and turns it was awesome。 I am unfamiliar with the mythology story it is based on， so I can’t judge that。 The author definitely left it open to have more books。 I am looking forward to more books by this author。
Niamh
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Full RTC
Hannah
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DNF at 37%Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022， so I was ecstatic to receive an e-arc of it through NetGalley。 As a Chinese reviewer， I was greatly excited to read a book inspired by the moon goddess。 Unfortunately， this book was just not it for me。 I pushed through it as much as I could just because it was a book that I've been looking forward to for so long。 However， this book just could not grab my attention at all。 There are quite a few problems that stan DNF at 37%Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022， so I was ecstatic to receive an e-arc of it through NetGalley。 As a Chinese reviewer， I was greatly excited to read a book inspired by the moon goddess。 Unfortunately， this book was just not it for me。 I pushed through it as much as I could just because it was a book that I've been looking forward to for so long。 However， this book just could not grab my attention at all。 There are quite a few problems that stand out with this book。 To me， the most notable is the unbearably slow plot。 It is almost entirely filler chapters。 Daughter of the Moon Goddess started out with a bang， immediately catapulting readers into the world。 For the first couple of chapters， I was obsessed and could not put this book down。 But as the book progressed， I found myself caring less and less about anything that happened。 Liwei and Xingyin had zero chemistry。 There was nothing that could have possibly indicated romance between them， other than very obvious hints torward it。 I had no idea that there was a love triangle in this book either。 Captain Wenzhi was slightly more compelling than Liwei， and I stuck around just in hopes of him and Xingyin having some good scenes together。 But， still， I just did not care about them or their relationships at all。 Some of the things I did enjoy about this book were the prose and the worldbuilding。 The writing was beautiful and completely immersed me in the world。 The worldbuilding was also great。 I' m not normally a huge fan of first-person point of view books， but this was actually quite well done。 Final thoughts: While I did not enjoy this book， do not let my review discourage you from picking it up。 My review is one not-so-good-one in a sea of hundreds of 5-star reviews。 Plus， the cover is so beautiful that even if you don't find yourself enjoying the book， it will be a great item to display！Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brad Sells
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One of the most vivid and dreamy fantasies I’ve ever read。 Absolutely obsessed。
Brynn Hynson
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4。5/5In a world of immortals and dragons， Xingyin embarks on a quest to free her mother， Chang'e， the Chinese moon goddess。 However， she must face the Celestial Emperor， one of the most powerful and feared immortals。 Inspired by the legend of Chang'e， Xingyin's journey in the book is full of mythical creatures， hidden identities， and dangerous bargains。 A charming fantasy book that falls between YA and New Adult， Daughter of the Moon Goddess is full of lyrical and flowing writing。 The storytelli 4。5/5In a world of immortals and dragons， Xingyin embarks on a quest to free her mother， Chang'e， the Chinese moon goddess。 However， she must face the Celestial Emperor， one of the most powerful and feared immortals。 Inspired by the legend of Chang'e， Xingyin's journey in the book is full of mythical creatures， hidden identities， and dangerous bargains。 A charming fantasy book that falls between YA and New Adult， Daughter of the Moon Goddess is full of lyrical and flowing writing。 The storytelling is vivid， the romance is full of yearning， and the world-building is awe-inspiring。 This book was fast-paced even if it spanned over many years。 It never failed to capture my attention， despite the fact that I tend to shy away from the first person。 Within Xingyin's quest， she meets a myriad of characters， most notably a loyal prince and a passionate warrior。 While the other characters are well done， Xingyin herself is what makes this debut so great。 She is a heroine who is honorable， intelligent， and resilient。Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the perfect read for those who love Chinese fantasy dramas and books。 It's also a wonderful introduction to Chinese mythology。 。。。more
lapetitepritt
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Before I begin， I want to make it clear that I am not the intended audience for this book， but I've discovered it while reading it， because from the plot I thought it would be something I could enjoy。Sadly， I was hugely disappointed by this book; first of all， for a 512 pages novel， there's no depth to anything。 The characters are one dimensional， the plot points seem disjointed and the relationships did nothing for me。 The main character was annoying and she had like two characteristics， which Before I begin， I want to make it clear that I am not the intended audience for this book， but I've discovered it while reading it， because from the plot I thought it would be something I could enjoy。Sadly， I was hugely disappointed by this book; first of all， for a 512 pages novel， there's no depth to anything。 The characters are one dimensional， the plot points seem disjointed and the relationships did nothing for me。 The main character was annoying and she had like two characteristics， which she reiterated every two pages， but it was more of a tell than a show。 The book in general was more of a tell than a show。The plot， as I said， felt disjointed， because it was a succession of fantasy tropes and it seemed like the author had made a checklist of the most popular tropes in fantasy and just added and added without a real motive。 Everything was also very quick and I didn't have the time to care about any of it。This influenced the relationships， which were flat and devoid of any emotion。 I didn't care for any of them and I have no attachment to any of the characters。While reading， I had this weird feeling and was constantly reminded of ACOTAR by SJM， which I hate。 If you are a fan of SJM， I think this book will be for you; if you are looking for a more diverse ACOTAR and with no smut， you should definitely give this book a try， because I think you are the intended audience， while I clearly wasn't。I won't be reading book two， especially because I don't think there's anything more to add to the story， which should either have developed as a trilogy or as a standalone， in my opinion。Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC！ 。。。more
⊱færies in space
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hear me out- asian ya fantasy covers >>>>>
Courtney
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4。5 stars I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Daughter of the Moon Goddess draws inspiration from Chinese mythology， and pulls off the execution in grand style。 It’s epic， evoking the feel of those classic epic poems in prose form。 The world is so well-conveyed and immersive， and I love the little tidbits of Chinese culture and myth that make up the layers of this story。 It all feels so alive and drew me in。 The writing is gorgeous。 4。5 stars I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 Daughter of the Moon Goddess draws inspiration from Chinese mythology， and pulls off the execution in grand style。 It’s epic， evoking the feel of those classic epic poems in prose form。 The world is so well-conveyed and immersive， and I love the little tidbits of Chinese culture and myth that make up the layers of this story。 It all feels so alive and drew me in。 The writing is gorgeous。 This is Sue Lynn Tan’s debut， and she perfectly manages all the elements to keep the reader engaged， in particular plot and pacing。 I did balk a little at the high page count， but I almost didn’t feel it with how much was going on。 Even in the quieter， subtle moments， I didn’t feel bored。 Xingyin is a lovely character， and it was great watching her growth over the course of the story， as she faces down challenges to save her mother。 And while that relationship is the most central to Xingyin’s arc， it’s not the only one。 She forms valuable bonds with others which I became invested in pretty easily。 This does include romance， and a bit of a love triangle with two different people。 While love triangles aren’t my favorite， I appreciated the way this was executed， making both love interests viable candidates for Xingyin’s love。 I adored this book， and am excited for the next book and anything else Sue Lynn Tan writes in the future。 If you’re looking for a beautifully written Chinese mythology-inspired romantic fantasy， I think you’ll like this one。 。。。more
Tash H
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An epic tale of family， friendship， and love， Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a non-stop whirlwind of action and emotion！ Xingyin is torn between her promise to free her mother， and the friendships （and more） with those loyal to the Celestial Emperor - the being who imprisoned her mother on the moon。This book was literally non-stop with action and twists and turns， not to mention enough of an emotional rollercoaster to make me forget which way was up。 Our protagonist is a character you can’t hel An epic tale of family， friendship， and love， Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a non-stop whirlwind of action and emotion！ Xingyin is torn between her promise to free her mother， and the friendships （and more） with those loyal to the Celestial Emperor - the being who imprisoned her mother on the moon。This book was literally non-stop with action and twists and turns， not to mention enough of an emotional rollercoaster to make me forget which way was up。 Our protagonist is a character you can’t help but love， and the love interests are equally enjoyable。 The plot was fast paced and consistent， without feeling rushed or slamming you with a ton of world building。 It’s definitely a quick read though， with 500~ pages blurring together as you race towards the climax。5 stars from me！ I can’t wait to read the conclusion to this duology！Thanks to Harper Collins for providing me an ARC。 This is an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Ruth Job Salamanca
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Thanks so much to the author for the ARC！ I won it from her Instagram giveaway and I couldn’t believe my luck when I did since it’s one of my most anticipated reads of 2022😭This book blew everything out of the park。 I’ve always been interested with the rich culture and tales of the Chinese mythology and when I read the synopsis （even before seeing the stunning covers of both UK and US editions） I know I had to get it！）This is still not a proper review。 My emotions are too keyed up at the moment Thanks so much to the author for the ARC！ I won it from her Instagram giveaway and I couldn’t believe my luck when I did since it’s one of my most anticipated reads of 2022😭This book blew everything out of the park。 I’ve always been interested with the rich culture and tales of the Chinese mythology and when I read the synopsis （even before seeing the stunning covers of both UK and US editions） I know I had to get it！）This is still not a proper review。 My emotions are too keyed up at the moment and my brain just won’t settle down after what I’ve read and I needed to blow off some steam to fall asleep 🤣 One thing’s for sure: This is one of the best debut novels I’ve read in forever and it’s a real treat to enter into the world of the Celestial Kingdom long before the rest of the world！ 。。。more
Monogamist
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Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book。I’m sorry it took me so long to write this review。 I read this book during the busiest period at work and I didn’t want to rush it。 I took my time to enjoy it and I’m so glad I did。 This book can be described with just one word: perfect。 It is absolutely worth all the hype around it。 Many of you heard a lot about this book， but in case you didn’t know， Daughter of the Moon Goddess is based on the myth of Chang’e， who was forced Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book。I’m sorry it took me so long to write this review。 I read this book during the busiest period at work and I didn’t want to rush it。 I took my time to enjoy it and I’m so glad I did。 This book can be described with just one word: perfect。 It is absolutely worth all the hype around it。 Many of you heard a lot about this book， but in case you didn’t know， Daughter of the Moon Goddess is based on the myth of Chang’e， who was forced to exile to the moon after drinking the elixir of immortality that was gifted to her husband HouYi from the gods。 The story takes Chang’e daughter， Xingyin， on an incredible quest to release her mother from exile and ask the gods to forgive her。 And what a story！ While reading it， I found it very difficult to believe this book is a debut novel。 I can’t believe the impressive amount of details of this story。 From world-building to every single character， up to every little description of their dress patterns and accessories， it was such a fantastic story， perfectly crafted in every single aspect。 Everything is impeccable and the writing is so beautiful that I felt if I had a paper copy of this ARC I would have highlighted a few lines every single page。 I am not a massive fan of stories told in first person， but Xingyin words got me trapped。 The plot is filled with fighting scenes， romance and court politics， and it never failed to keep me intrigued。 On top of everything， you get a love triangle that is perfectly executed。 With forbidden lovers， friends to lovers and lovers to enemy tropes – this book has it all。 I know this looks like a simple and tiny review， but I have honestly nothing to complain about this story， which became one of my all-time favourites。 The ending had a massive plot twist but the writer managed to wrap up everything nicely。 I know there will be a sequel， and honestly， I can’t wait to read it as there is so much to explore in this world and Xingyin is such an amazingly powerful character， I want to see what she will achieve next。 Guys， you really need to read this one。You can read this review and more on the The Monogamist Reader Blog 。。。more
Layna Blurton
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This was such a luscious book， the writing was gorgeous and detailed without being overly flowery and metaphorical。 It’s an epic story with world building that is strong but subtle and doesn’t involve a huge info dump （I hate that）。 the breadth of Xingyin’s journey is incredible。 She starts as part of her mother’s captivity on the moon and escapes to the celestial kingdom where she becomes part of their army， all to win her mother’s freedom。 She fights monsters， wins over dragons， and becomes a This was such a luscious book， the writing was gorgeous and detailed without being overly flowery and metaphorical。 It’s an epic story with world building that is strong but subtle and doesn’t involve a huge info dump （I hate that）。 the breadth of Xingyin’s journey is incredible。 She starts as part of her mother’s captivity on the moon and escapes to the celestial kingdom where she becomes part of their army， all to win her mother’s freedom。 She fights monsters， wins over dragons， and becomes a strong badass but utterly believable heroine that you will root for throughout。 There is a magic that infused the whole story。 The romance was weaved in nicely and felt authentic but was not the whole focus which is something I also appreciate！ I really loved this story and would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy。 I cannot wait for #2！ 。。。more
Bonnie Stevens
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*I recieved an eArc of this book from NetGalley。 I am not sure that I can recommend this book enough！ I am not sure how to describe it except it feels both epic and also light and airy。 Sometimes it feels sort of dreamy， but other times you're in the midst of a dark battle。 I would say it feels like a Chinese folktale （from someone without much experience with those）。 I loved it and can't wait to see what happens next！ *I recieved an eArc of this book from NetGalley。 I am not sure that I can recommend this book enough！ I am not sure how to describe it except it feels both epic and also light and airy。 Sometimes it feels sort of dreamy， but other times you're in the midst of a dark battle。 I would say it feels like a Chinese folktale （from someone without much experience with those）。 I loved it and can't wait to see what happens next！ 。。。more
Chris Monceaux
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Check out more of my reviews and other bookish content here！***Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books & Harper Voyager for a copy of the book！ My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I knew I had to read this book the second I saw the gorgeous cover on Twitter and rushed to request it on NetGalley when it became available。 I'm glad I did because this story was as beautiful inside the cover as on the outside。 The writing was absolutely stunning with a wonderful lyrical Check out more of my reviews and other bookish content here！***Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books & Harper Voyager for a copy of the book！ My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience。***I knew I had to read this book the second I saw the gorgeous cover on Twitter and rushed to request it on NetGalley when it became available。 I'm glad I did because this story was as beautiful inside the cover as on the outside。 The writing was absolutely stunning with a wonderful lyrical quality to it。 Reading it felt like I was transported into this mythological world on one of the fluffy clouds the immortals used to get around the Celestial Kingdom。 I couldn't get enough of Tan's descriptive genius and was enthralled by the setting and world-building。 Xingyin was a really great protagonist with good characterization。 I enjoyed reading her perspective and getting her thoughts on love and honor as she worked stubbornly toward the goal of freeing her mother。 The rest of the characters were a bit flat， but I didn't mind it much because I liked their interactions with Xingyin。 Surprisingly， I didn't hate the love triangle， and it turned out to be one of my favorite things about the book。 I liked both of the love interests and appreciated how each of them represented a side of the internal struggle within Xingyin。 The pacing of the book was a bit uneven and it became somewhat repetitive in the middle with the main characters going off on several quests one after the other。 However， it all came together well in the end in a satisfying way， and the writing， world-building， and relationships kept me engaged even when the pace was a bit off。 If you are looking for an Eastern mythology re-telling with court intrigue， magic， plenty of action， beautiful writing， love and betrayal， and a well-developed female protagonist， look no further。 I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars。 。。。more
Stella ☆Paper Wings☆
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I've been mulling this over for a few days， and I'm still pretty conflicted。 Daughter of the Moon Goddess was definitely an interesting & engaging read， but there was just a bit too much plotless meandering in the middle for me to fully get into it。 I generally really enjoy character-driven books， so I think I'm willing to be a lot more forgiving because of that。 On a purely subjective level， I loved the experience of reading this book， and there was never a point when I was actually bored。 Comi I've been mulling this over for a few days， and I'm still pretty conflicted。 Daughter of the Moon Goddess was definitely an interesting & engaging read， but there was just a bit too much plotless meandering in the middle for me to fully get into it。 I generally really enjoy character-driven books， so I think I'm willing to be a lot more forgiving because of that。 On a purely subjective level， I loved the experience of reading this book， and there was never a point when I was actually bored。 Coming off of a rough finals season when I'd barely done any reading， this was the perfect book to break my slump， and I read it in two sittings， which is pretty rare for me these days。 I'm not super knowledgeable about the myth of Chang'e， so I can't speak to how accurate a retelling it is， but it felt unique and authentic。 The world is developed in a way that fits easily into today's YA high fantasy， seemingly without compromising too much on the original world of the myth， which can sometimes be tricky to navigate since mythological worlds tend to really push against a modern audience's suspension of belief。 I think Tan pulls it off， which is pretty high praise coming from someone who considers themself a bit of a connoisseur of mythology retellings at this point。 （I'm only partly joking; there's not much I won't do for a good mythology retelling。） And you know I'm a sucker for dragons， so of course there's that。 Because this is such a character-driven story， the characters had to be believable， and all the main characters were。 I loved the development of Xingyin as she grows from a very naive young girl to a mature， capable， and often jaded woman。 An effective girlbossification， you might say。 Yes， it does feel a bit like the girlboss fantasy of the 2010s where she can kind of do everything and just so happens to be the best archer ever and also beautiful and also an amazing strategist。。。 but I still love that trope， so I'm not exactly complaining。 The other major characters would basically be the two main love interests。 And yes， there is a love triangle， but I doesn't really follow the traditional love triangle route， so I wasn't that bothered by it。 Both of these characters were engaging and purposeful， and I enjoyed that， like in real life， they came and went from Xingyin's POV in realistic patterns。 Still， some of the romance in the beginning is a bit tropey， and the first few plot events that get her where she needs to be for the rest of the story were pretty unbelieveable。 There is a bit of a problem when we get to the side characters， because it feels like a lot of them are just there to serve a purpose， and they don't really get as much attention as our main three characters do。 The biggest problem for me is just that there's not a super clear plot throughout， and the middle is just too meandering。 Now that I've finished reading， I can see how everything comes together， but as we're reading， we don't know where it's going， and the stakes aren't really high enough as a result。 The character development in this portion is interesting， and I personally did enjoy Xingyin's escapades through this section。 （Tan definitely knows how to write a fight scene， which is harder than it looks。） The tension inexplicably mounts， and we do get some very well-written action scenes， but we just can't tell what it's driving at— We don't know who the villain is or what we're meant to be afraid of。 Once we get to the last third of the book though！ That's when it really gets good， and that's what earned that fourth star for me。 We finally know who our major villain is， and we understand how everything has come together。 While it wasn't the most shocking twist to a jaded fantasy reader/writer such as myself， I enjoyed the reversals in the final act， and I finally believe that Xingyin is the badass we're meant to be convinced that she is。 While I'm guessing Xingyin is not a part of the original myth， at least not majorly， I can completely see her as an archetypal epic hero by the end。 We end up exploring an interesting kind of magic that （for once） hasn't been milked too heavily yet in fantasy， and there definitely seems to be a lot more to talk about there。 While I'm not entirely sure where the sequel is going since the ending was resolved maybe a bit too well， I plan to read it， and I can't wait to see where Xingyin goes next。 Here's my theory: I think this book suffers from the same problem I see in a lot of debut novels。 I don't know if this is Sue Lynn Tan's actual first book， but I get the sense that her writing improved so much as she was writing this book that the quality of the beginning never really caught up with the end。 The ending is so strong， but the path to get there is still incredibly rocky， and my hope is that this ARC can still go through a few more rounds of edits to smooth out that path。 （I also noticed quite a few comma splices， but I'll shut up。） Look， objectively I know this book has quite a few tropes， and it needs more development in the middle， but at the end of the day， I wholeheartedly enjoyed it， and it brought me back to the YA fantasy I used to love in my early teens。 I'm interested to see what others think of Daughter of the Moon Goddess， but I'll gladly name myself a shameless apologist for this book right now。Content Warnings: sexual assault， short torture scene 。。。more
kat
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holyyyyyyyyy i mean come on - how good does this look ！！！○ chinese mythology & legendary creatures○ fierce female warrior fighting for her family○ a gentle prince & a ruthless soldier○ friends—lovers—enemies。。。
Kat
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