Daughter of the Moon Goddess
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-16 06:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sue Lynn Tan
- ISBN：0063237482
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess， Chang’e ， in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path—where choices come with deadly consequences， and she risks losing more than her heart。
Growing up on the moon， Xingyin is accustomed to solitude， unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful 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， untrained， 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 Crown Prince， mastering archery and magic， even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son。
To save her mother， Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest， confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies。 When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom， however， 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。
Growing up on the moon， Xingyin is accustomed to solitude， unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful 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， untrained， 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 Crown Prince， mastering archery and magic， even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son。
To save her mother， Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest， confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies。 When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom， however， 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。
Reviews
Fauna_n_Fiction
，
3。5 Stars Almost DNF'd at around 50% - I continued as I was reading this for a book club。。。 Very glad to be finished and able to move on Characters The writing very much held the characters at bay。 We never got to know any of the characters deeper than surface level， even our MC was only skin deep。 Xingyin - While I enjoyed Xingyin strong sense of her own morals and values， I was so often frustrated with the writing style that the frustration transferred to our main character。 I felt like she 3。5 Stars Almost DNF'd at around 50% - I continued as I was reading this for a book club。。。 Very glad to be finished and able to move on Characters The writing very much held the characters at bay。 We never got to know any of the characters deeper than surface level， even our MC was only skin deep。 Xingyin - While I enjoyed Xingyin strong sense of her own morals and values， I was so often frustrated with the writing style that the frustration transferred to our main character。 I felt like she was very oblivious to very obvious things and， especially near the beginning， I found her to be melodramatic。 Another thing to mention was that things often just happened to Xingyin with no other reason than she was our MC。 She would easily survive in situations just so the plot could progress。 She was extremely oblivious to certain things that were common sense， however， when the plot called for it she was suddenly a master mind with unimaginable insight and wisdom。 Liwei - I liked Liwei quite a bit。 I enjoyed the banter he shared with Xingyin and I found him to be genuine and authentic all the way through。 He's a human and he acted like it。 If anything， I found him to be a bit much at times， however， I find I didn't mind it too much。 Wenzhi - I was very much neutral towards Wenzhi for a majority of the book。 In part three， my love for him very much rose and then came back down once again。 But as with all the other characters， he was very surface deep and we didn't get to explore him thoroughly。 Atmosphere I loved the atmosphere of the book。 It was very surreal and elegant。 I found myself picturing very bright colours and pastels。。。 Despite the writing， I was still able to envision the settings and found them to be beautiful。 The descriptions of surroundings was very thoroughly described， if a little too much at times。 But it did invoke a lot of imagery which set the scene quite beautifully。 Writing The writing did NOT sit well with me。 I did not enjoy the writing style at all and spent a lot of the time irritated or frustrated with how things were explained。 So often I found things to be very obvious and plain and yet they were explained。Very clear and obvious things were "revealed" as if they were meant to be a surprise。 We would spend pages （sometimes several chapters） exploring and going through an event only for it to be summed up and explained as if we hadn't been along for the journey the whole time。And while so many extremely obvious things were spelled out for us， other things were purely given to us through the internal monologue。 Stuff would happen and the internal monologue would open up these questions which I never would have asked and then those questions would turn out to be the truth behind the matter。 I felt like certain could have been laid out for us instead of outright spelled out。 Plot I found the pacing to be odd。 While I was reading， I found the book hard to put down， yet when I did put it down， it was nearly impossible to pick back up。 I was not invested enough in the characters to care much about the story。 Along with the situation of hating the writing， I was often so frustrated that I couldn't fully dive into the story。However， I didn't mind the adventures we went on。 They were interesting， even if the intrigue was spelled out for us。 I appreciated that the author never spent more time on something than she deemed necessary and skipped over needless information （even if I was hungry for the drama those scenes would have brought。） 。。。more
Jasmine
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BEAUTIFUL， AMAZING， EPIC， TRIUMPHANT！！My very most favorite book this year！ The story is gorgeously weaved together， told from a strong female perspective。 This story has princes， soldiers， emperors， goddesses and dragons。 Magic is mighty， you feel like you’re visiting these glorious kingdoms and fighting alongside noble warriors in epic battles。This novel is my dream for all novels。 Enchanting， capturing and withholding nothing。
Melissa
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4。5 starsooooohhhmyyygodddd！ this was a wild ride with so much happening all the time。 daughter of the moon goddess follows the story of Xingyin， you guessed it， the daughter of the moon goddess。 she has to flee when the Celestial army finds out she has been living on the moon with her mother who has kept her hidden since birth， protecting her from the Celestial Emporer。 now Xingyin wants to find a way to free her mother since she is forbidden to leave the moon。 this book is 500 pages long and r 4。5 starsooooohhhmyyygodddd！ this was a wild ride with so much happening all the time。 daughter of the moon goddess follows the story of Xingyin， you guessed it， the daughter of the moon goddess。 she has to flee when the Celestial army finds out she has been living on the moon with her mother who has kept her hidden since birth， protecting her from the Celestial Emporer。 now Xingyin wants to find a way to free her mother since she is forbidden to leave the moon。 this book is 500 pages long and really is filled with so much plot。 there is love， friendship， magic， monsters， dragons and the biggest girlboss you will ever meet: Xingyin。 things I liked the most about this book:• the worldbuilding/mythology• the relationship between Xingyin and Liwei• Liwei in general （call me some time please <3）• the way the story was build up into parts， which actually felt like separate parts， each having a different feel to them• the bad ass that is Xingyin， who is so strong and unapologetically herself。 while she suffered a little from YA egocentrism it wasn’t too bad in my opinion in the end I gave it 4。5 stars and not 5 because every problem that Xingyin faces is resolved within a chapter or maybe two。 i personally enjoy a story more when the main character actually really has to struggle at some point。 also I wondered why this is a duology since there doesn’t seem to be any major plot points that were unresolved。 but nonetheless， this is an amazing fantasy novel which I very highly recommend！ 。。。more
maralyn burt
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what a beautiful magical book that is sure to capture anyone's attention， it is sure to whisk you away to a magical land where the main character， Xingyin embarks on a dangerous quest and faces all kinds of trials along the way。 I was hooked on this book straight away and I'm sure you will be too。a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review what a beautiful magical book that is sure to capture anyone's attention， it is sure to whisk you away to a magical land where the main character， Xingyin embarks on a dangerous quest and faces all kinds of trials along the way。 I was hooked on this book straight away and I'm sure you will be too。a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Lainy
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Bit slow to begin with and I did find my self losing interest in the first few chapters but then it did pick up。 I would have preferred less time spent on the love triangle and more on the world and magic。 I sometimes thought if the author had gone for a more adult fantasy I would have loved it more。 With that ending I'm not sure how a second book will start。 I will get the second book。 Bit slow to begin with and I did find my self losing interest in the first few chapters but then it did pick up。 I would have preferred less time spent on the love triangle and more on the world and magic。 I sometimes thought if the author had gone for a more adult fantasy I would have loved it more。 With that ending I'm not sure how a second book will start。 I will get the second book。 。。。more
Kellyanne Markeishia Mangali
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2。5
Rummanah （Books in the Spotlight）
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A solid fantasy with wonderful world building though it could have easily been marketed to teens。 Though it doesn't end on a cliffhanger， I'm looking forward to following Xingyin's adventures in the second book。 Full review coming soon。 A solid fantasy with wonderful world building though it could have easily been marketed to teens。 Though it doesn't end on a cliffhanger， I'm looking forward to following Xingyin's adventures in the second book。 Full review coming soon。 。。。more
Athena
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Really well written with a whimsical feel。 Loved it。
Steph Prism
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I’d probably give this book more of a 4。75 but because it’s such a near and dear legend to my own Chinese heart， I had to round up。The way the author has taken this legend and transformed it is such a beautiful look at how all things can be perceived as good or bad。Such a beautiful weaving of the settings and characters。Not exactly a 5 star though because it does seem a bit easy in all the conclusions… everything just seems to work out。 Even though there is tension or conflict， it always seemed I’d probably give this book more of a 4。75 but because it’s such a near and dear legend to my own Chinese heart， I had to round up。The way the author has taken this legend and transformed it is such a beautiful look at how all things can be perceived as good or bad。Such a beautiful weaving of the settings and characters。Not exactly a 5 star though because it does seem a bit easy in all the conclusions… everything just seems to work out。 Even though there is tension or conflict， it always seemed pretty basic on how it was resolved… But maybe that was just the way I took it。Either way， I can’t wait for the 2nd book 🌕 。。。more
Victoria Alyesa
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Beautifully written， engaging and magical。 From the very first page I was swiftly drawn into the story， entranced by the characters， the colours of the world and the adventure it promised。 This is one of those times when the author has written with such flow that you can easily let your mind create the world around you scene by scene in full vivid colour。It was like a childhood fairytale mixed with a myth of beautiful and intrigue; yet leaving you with a touch of light in your mind making you fe Beautifully written， engaging and magical。 From the very first page I was swiftly drawn into the story， entranced by the characters， the colours of the world and the adventure it promised。 This is one of those times when the author has written with such flow that you can easily let your mind create the world around you scene by scene in full vivid colour。It was like a childhood fairytale mixed with a myth of beautiful and intrigue; yet leaving you with a touch of light in your mind making you feel like there is an essence of reality waiting to be seen。 Perfect for any lovers of XOXO， The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea， and Little Thieves。 My only negative is that I felt the main character evolved so much as a women and person and yet at the end she still came across less strong and brave than she had proven herself to be。 That is my only negative as I have to say apart from that slight down， it was a stunning and beautiful story。 。。。more
Jessica
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What an absolutely incredible read！ I hope there will be a sequel！ Sue Lynn Tan has remarkable talent and I look forward to her future publishings！
Mehru
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Actual rating: 2。5 stars - a solid debut， just not the right novel for me。 It's been a few days since I finished reading the Daughter of the Moon Goddess， and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the story。 There are definitely some interesting aspects， which I'll mention down below， but overall I felt slightly disappointed when I reached the last page。 It's important to note， I'm not the target demographic for this novel since I'm in my late twenties， and this was marketed as a YA fanta Actual rating: 2。5 stars - a solid debut， just not the right novel for me。 It's been a few days since I finished reading the Daughter of the Moon Goddess， and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the story。 There are definitely some interesting aspects， which I'll mention down below， but overall I felt slightly disappointed when I reached the last page。 It's important to note， I'm not the target demographic for this novel since I'm in my late twenties， and this was marketed as a YA fantasy （or at least it was at the time， now I'm not sure）。 As someone who's stepped away from YA the past few years due to the themes and characterization not resonating with me， I was hesitant to pick this up。 However， the cover art was gorgeous and the summary compelling， I decided to give it a go。 Despite my critique， I would still recommend reading this if you enjoy beautiful and lush fantasy settings， descriptive prose， exploration of Chinese mythology/setting， and reverse harems （because in the end that's how it felt like to me）。 Onto the good: I found the prose to be beautiful and lush， something I greatly appreciated as it really brought the setting to life。 There were times when it was unnecessarily descriptive on items I found irrelevant to the story （i。e。 the enchanted clothing）， but one can argue that it helped create a more vivid scene in the reader's mind。 I also found the relationship between Xingyin and her mother to be quite sweet and relatable。 I thought the author did a good job at showing that Xingyin still thought of her mother by showing her throughout her journey always looking up at the moon。 It's a small gesture， but for someone who's powerless to do much else， I think it was an important reminder of what Xingyin was ultimately fighting for。 I also did believe the established love triangle， from my understanding our MC is still a younger Immortal and still trying to understand herself and her heart。 I think more exploration of this was needed on how/why her heart kept swaying， but as someone who used to crush on multiple guys in high school， I can understand how it happens （don't worry， none of them liked me back）。 The last aspect I wanted to mention that I enjoyed， but hope to explore further in the next novel are the Demons and the power of propaganda。 I think there's a lot of interesting angles to explore， and am hoping that Sue Lynn Tan will be able to really bring the type of nuance that this topic deserves。 Now the bad: Some of the common criticisms I've read and agree with are the jarring pacing of the novel， which is bone-achingly slow at times and too fast at others， and the underwhelming use of certain YA tropes that made me cringe internally。 I'll briefly touch on the pacing， as one reviewer said it best "there's enough material in here for two novels，" which I think is true。 I would have liked to see this story split into a quadrilogy， as there were so many aspects in this first book that I think should have been explored more thoroughly。 There are many adventures that Xingyin goes on that are skimmed over， but in doing so， it leaves a hollow character。 I want to be there with our protagonist， seeing her win and lose fights and really bonding with her fellow soldiers。 I wanted more exploration of how she became friends with Shuxiao and more about Shuxiao as a character。 The only characters given as much attention as our MC were her two love interests， and I think the novel suffered for it。 Onto my next point， I'm certainly not against using tropes， and I think they can be written quite well， but some of the tropes Sue Lynn Tan employed just didn't hit the mark for me。 The worst offense was the plain/average looking MC that enchants the hearts of the many handsome bachelors she comes across。 I just didn't believe that Xingyin wasn't attractive， perhaps she wasn't the type of beauty that her mother was， but there's no exploration into the different standards of beauty in the Celestial Empire。 At the end of the novel I still had no idea why these men were throwing themselves at her feet， was it her strong and fierce determination and grit， or something else entirely？ I don't subscribe to the idea that beauty is just physical appearance， but for men who didn't know her to start taking an interest right away， especially when they aren't characterized as flirtatious， seemed odd？ I personally didn't dislike Xingyin， but in my opinion， her personality wasn't instantly loveable。 Which brings me to another trope that is used in this novel， the chosen one。 Again， not an issue to use tropes， I do it too， but I found it made the story feel shallow as all "good" people just liked our MC right away。 Xingyin also gets away with things that would cause others to die， like draining herself for stronger/sustained magic， and doesn't suffer any long-term consequences as a result。 I think this happens quite often in the story， whereas I only really have the patience for it to happen once。 Give me one miracle a novel and I can believe it， anymore and the stakes are just lost for me。 Ultimately， Xingyin as our MC just didn't move me due to a culmination of reasons， despite her journey/conflict being one that I can understand and sympathize with。 These are just my opinions/thoughts on this story， I'd recommend you read it yourself so you can form your own。 。。。more
Hannah Hollowed
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One of the most captivating narratives I’ve read in a long time， this epic jam packed fantasy adventure kept me always wanting to turn the page。 The pacing was perfect， the characters charming and the magic captivating。 It’s incredible that upon its release in January 2022， this was Sue Lynn Tan’s FIRST novel。 Where has she been hiding all this talent？！ Her kids must have heard some damn good bedtime stories in their years。When Xingyin is forced to flee her childhood home， the isolated palace on One of the most captivating narratives I’ve read in a long time， this epic jam packed fantasy adventure kept me always wanting to turn the page。 The pacing was perfect， the characters charming and the magic captivating。 It’s incredible that upon its release in January 2022， this was Sue Lynn Tan’s FIRST novel。 Where has she been hiding all this talent？！ Her kids must have heard some damn good bedtime stories in their years。When Xingyin is forced to flee her childhood home， the isolated palace on the moon， which is all she’s ever known， she embarks on an epic quest to find a way to safely return and reunite with her mother， Chang’e the moon goddess， and their beloved family attendant Ping’er。On her search for knowledge and strength， which she hopes to use to break the enchantment which binds her mother to the moon， she discovers more about her origins and the sorted and misunderstood past which granted her and her mother their immortality and their place， as well as their imprisonment， in the heavens。Set in the world of the immortals， with the Celestial Kingdom at its heart， the book draws on the landscapes of Chinese legends， and the rich magical world it’s gods and goddesses inhabit。 Xingyin hails from the pure light palace， a place of great beauty and tranquility， but ultimately loneliness， where her mother has been imprisoned since Xingyins birth， raising her daughter in secrecy。 The beauty and elegance of the immortal world is seamlessly woven into the prose and the visuals really captivated me。Ultimately the juxta-pose of the busy and perilous places Xingyin visits while along her journey， and the peace and solitude of her home on the moon， also serve as a tool to show the growth we see in her character; in the first chapter she is so fully at peace on the moon despite the solitude， and her inexperience at coping with the social decorum of the Celestial Kingdom and it’s much larger population is evident in her anxiety， but thriving through the book alongside her new friends and sometimes chaotic environments， when she later is able to return home she finds it somewhat lonelier than before。 The magic in this story is so naturally woven into the structure， and perhaps Xingyin herself having to learn about her own magic from scratch helps us to develop our own sense of how magic works in this world。 Dragons and flying on clouds felt completely natural to me as I sailed through the pages。 Sue Lynn Tan’s attention to detail is lovely and the details of the characters magical robes with moving embroidered illustrations， brought to life by the wearers lifeforce， was a particularly creative and evocative addition to the magic of the world she’s created。 The pacing is wild and somehow Sue Lynn Tan has crammed more twists， turns， and short stories amidst the bigger picture， without it ever feeling rushed or lacking in detail， than any other novel I’ve read recently。 It’s a book that just keeps on giving， split into 3 parts each with it’s own stunning illustrated title page。While action packed， the prose flows seamlessly and I found it a delightfully easy read that was hard to put down。 The author's animated tone brought the words to life for me， when Xingyin bit her lip in anticipation the description was so vivid and involved I could almost taste the blood in my mouth。After fleeing her home in the very first chapter， following a tense visit from the Celestial Empress， we learn alongside Xingyin to be suspicious of newcomers to the story， particularly those who have any relation to the Celestial Royal Family， the ruling dynasty of the island at the center of the immortal realm。Through a series of events the heroine gains an opportunity to train alongside the crown prince， where she grows not only in skills of both battle and magic， but also in trust， friendship and comradery。 As she learns about the world and herself she makes an increasing number of decisions of good moral character， which would almost be unrealistically ‘good’ if it weren’t for the storys roots in myth and fable。 In such a setting a protagonist with such a sturdy and honorable moral compass feels right at home。The two deuteragonists of the story， our heroines' evident love interests， grow immeasurably in their own right。 Liwei， who is naturally kind and noble from his first introduction， seems to develop a stronger sense of his own desires， which do not always match up with those of his duties， and seems to learn to recognise the gray shades in between the black and white of right and wrong。 Wenzhi， a captain in the Celestial army， surprises himself when he develops feelings not entirely in line with his previous plans and desires （which are a shock to the reader and Xingyin）， and grapples with the choices he makes in an attempt to have it all。 Coupled with a shocking reveal of his true heritage， he is an unexpected lynchpin to the story。 The rivalry and contrast of character between these two brings another spark of life to the already captivating read。The british jacket design is by Jason Chuang Art， and it’s an incredible and detailed work of art which reflects the beauty of the writing behind it。 The illustrator says “His practice focuses on the exploration of human emotions through the creation of symbolic imageries” which seems perfect for this book。The cover alongside previous excellent reviews is what prompted me to order the book， and it did not disappoint。Beautifully written， encompassing love， magic， plenty of twists and turns and an enormous amount of character growth， ‘Daughter Of The Moon Goddess’ is AMAZING。 I can not recommend this read enough， particularly to anyone who loves to escape into a bit of magic and elegance or those who crave an epic fantasy adventure。The book is part one of a duology and I believe the second book is expected to be released some time in 2022 which I am VERY eagerly anticipating！Further useful info:Trigger Warnings for this book: violence， unrequited love， widowhood， bereavementBuy the book online （https://www。waterstones。com/book/daug。。。） or find your local bookstore at: （https://www。booksellers。org。uk/home）To find out more about the Author， Sue Lynn Tan， go to her website: https://www。suelynntan。com/To see more work by the Illustrator， Jason Chuang， go to his website: https://cargocollective。com/jasonchua。。。More work by the Art Director Ellie Game， can be found at: https://www。instagram。com/itselliegam。。。 。。。more
Tia Danckaert
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Geweldig boek！ Je waant je zo in een nieuwe wereld。 Het verhaal is romantisch， avontuurlijk， spannend en zoveel meer。 Ik duimde zo hard voor de hoofdrolspeelster Xingyin。 Wat een sterke vrouw is zij！ Ik kijk nu al uit naar november， want dan komt het tweede deel （Heart of the sun warrior） in deze duologie。
Stephanie
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I would consider this “fantasy lite” and definitely a young adult read。 A little too much explaining of emotions for my taste。 A quick easy read if you are looking for something lite。
Whitney Elisbeth
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I cannot say enough good things about this book。 Its so beautiful in every way。 Its so simple at times and yet so full and meaningful。 Cannot recommend enough
Mel （CrazyforBooksandCoffee）
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This story was beautiful。 I loved it I can't wait for the next book。 The audio book was very well read。 I was completely drawn into the story。 Thank you to Netgalley and the Pubishers for an advance copy of this book。 This story was beautiful。 I loved it I can't wait for the next book。 The audio book was very well read。 I was completely drawn into the story。 Thank you to Netgalley and the Pubishers for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Wendy
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4，75 stars*This was GREAT
Natasha Meechan
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Characters could have been more developed but the actual story was very engaging - did not expect the main plot twist at all which shocked me more than the event itself！
Lilian Horn
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Despite being a small tome， the story was easy to follow， cute at times， and other times kept me wondering what will happen next。 The story felt a little like a tennis match where the character was bounced back and forth between incidents but stayed in the same match which kept going and going。 Besides immaculate description of the clothing I didn't get a sense of the characters themselves besides the main character， who I might say is one of the better and down to eart characters I've read in a Despite being a small tome， the story was easy to follow， cute at times， and other times kept me wondering what will happen next。 The story felt a little like a tennis match where the character was bounced back and forth between incidents but stayed in the same match which kept going and going。 Besides immaculate description of the clothing I didn't get a sense of the characters themselves besides the main character， who I might say is one of the better and down to eart characters I've read in a long time。 I understood her inner turmoil well， and I was surprised by how human she seemed， which I suppose suits the character well。 Don't worry， I still liked it :） 。。。more
Socialley
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I knew from the first page that there was gonna be some sort of sentimental value for me in this book。 And it did。 Really put me in a deep relationship and understanding with it。 The only thing keeping me from making my review five stars was because of the first part of the book which was pretty predictable and kind of cliché （though it touched on a lot of important life lessons） so I wasnt really in favour of it。 Though the moment you start the second part， it was all adventure， emotional value I knew from the first page that there was gonna be some sort of sentimental value for me in this book。 And it did。 Really put me in a deep relationship and understanding with it。 The only thing keeping me from making my review five stars was because of the first part of the book which was pretty predictable and kind of cliché （though it touched on a lot of important life lessons） so I wasnt really in favour of it。 Though the moment you start the second part， it was all adventure， emotional value and just overall made me feel poweful emotions than any other book Ive read so far。 I agree with many people that this book had enough content for two books。 Not complaining。 Def recommend to people who like to learn about mythology （specifically， Chinese） and its a great vessel of info for people just new to Chinese culture as its put in well written and easy to understand words。 :） 。。。more
zana♡
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m y t h o u g h t s 💭DOTMG is a retelling of the legend of the Moon Goddess？ SIGN ME UP。 This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022。 But perhaps my expectations were set too high because the plot itself was a hit and miss for me。 Firstly， hand down the world building and vivid description of intricate details was mesmerizing。。。but I cant ignore the fact that I hated the first part of the book。 It just felt too childish for me。 The pacing throughout the book was too fast to really grasp m y t h o u g h t s 💭DOTMG is a retelling of the legend of the Moon Goddess？ SIGN ME UP。 This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022。 But perhaps my expectations were set too high because the plot itself was a hit and miss for me。 Firstly， hand down the world building and vivid description of intricate details was mesmerizing。。。but I cant ignore the fact that I hated the first part of the book。 It just felt too childish for me。 The pacing throughout the book was too fast to really grasp what was happening。I was not familiar with the Chang' e legend so a thorough explanation would've been nice。 As you read， you sorta piece together a few things throughout the book， but I still felt that there were too many plot holes and the things that were explained， were briefly touched on as if were a random "oh by the way" recollection of events。 The story was only told through one perspective and that lack of depth was so frustrating because the storyline had sooo much potential！ For this reason， I think impatient readers （like me😂） or those who prefer more detail/explanations might just "DNF" this book before getting to the better parts。 Honestly， the second and third part of the book is what kept me from "DNF'ing" this book😂 the tension and action scenes were good （but again too rushed）。 And HELLO， another love interest？？👀 Y'all can hate love triangle tropes all you want but I have second male lead syndrome🙂。 Prince Liwei has nothing on Captain Wenzhi because the main couple's chemistry was a bland as still water🚮。 No oomf， no sparks🙄。 CAPTAIN WENZHI ON THE OTHER HAND HAD MY ATTENTION FROM HIS FIRST INTRODUCTION👀。 He carried the book imo😂 I loved the fact that the main character Xingyin was not the damsel in distress archetype but at 15 years old。。。her achievements， her ability to overcome obstacles was just。。。too easy。 There was no trial and error and no real character growth for her。。。actually。。。there was no character growth for any character tbh🤷♀️ I read a goodreads review that said this book read like a first draft of a novel。 And I felt that。 I'm disappointed but I appreciated the book nevertheless。 I'll end on this note: the betrayl revelation was a personal shock to me😂😂。 I'm still emotional and I can't help but wonder will book 2 be a。。。redemption story？？👉👈（I hope so🥺）Would I recommend it？ Yes， I think fantasy/ Chinese mythology lovers will appreciate it。 It's fast paced and filled with action。 My experience of the book was too biased for me to truly enjoy it but I think it's a book worth reading。 🤍 。。。more
Miriam Cantwell
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This has all of the YA tropes。 All of them。 Buuut， I thought it was well done。 I liked the setting and characters。 This was a long book but fast paced。 3。5☆
Genavieve
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I haven't had so much trouble putting a book down in years？？？ Poetically written and inspired by Chinese mythology， this story is not only beautiful but entirely unexpected。 The plot twists are gut-wrenching。 Must read。 I haven't had so much trouble putting a book down in years？？？ Poetically written and inspired by Chinese mythology， this story is not only beautiful but entirely unexpected。 The plot twists are gut-wrenching。 Must read。 。。。more
Ekene
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For some reason， throughout a majority of this book， all I can think is: this is giving me cdrama vibes， this book could totally work as a cdramaProbably because I could picture is the actress who played Wen Qing in the Untamed and I think she’d perfect as a fan cast for the main character。 Highly recommended you google the actress。 She’s just 😻😻😻Anyhow， this was a good， strong debut。 I won’t lie。 It took awhile for things to get going for me， even though the writing is amazing and it wasn’t unt For some reason， throughout a majority of this book， all I can think is: this is giving me cdrama vibes， this book could totally work as a cdramaProbably because I could picture is the actress who played Wen Qing in the Untamed and I think she’d perfect as a fan cast for the main character。 Highly recommended you google the actress。 She’s just 😻😻😻Anyhow， this was a good， strong debut。 I won’t lie。 It took awhile for things to get going for me， even though the writing is amazing and it wasn’t until we were halfway through part II that things finally started to click。 。。。more
Mad
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This is a world of dragon pearls， unearthly beautiful Celestials， Demon Princes， and one girl's quest to save her mother。。。and all through her own efforts， and her efforts alone。 Bonus points， it features a romance that could win the Olympic gold medal in angsty feelings （in a good way）。Sue Lynn Tan's writing is such a high point for this novel: it's lush and evocative。 She describes her world and the events within it with such deftness， that I almost felt like I was watching some kind of fantas This is a world of dragon pearls， unearthly beautiful Celestials， Demon Princes， and one girl's quest to save her mother。。。and all through her own efforts， and her efforts alone。 Bonus points， it features a romance that could win the Olympic gold medal in angsty feelings （in a good way）。Sue Lynn Tan's writing is such a high point for this novel: it's lush and evocative。 She describes her world and the events within it with such deftness， that I almost felt like I was watching some kind of fantasy c-drama instead of just reading a book。 Though I didn't know this was meant to be a duology before I went into the novel， it didn't tarnish my enjoyment in any way; once I fell into it， I was hooked and didn't want to put it down until I had finished， while simultaneously not wanting the story to end。Needless to say， I am now very tired because I stayed up a little too late to do so。If I have one critique of this novel， it would be with its uneven pacing。 In some ways， it reminds me of the Chinese fantasy webnovels I've read （a la the works of MXTX）， but when it's put together in a novel format such as this and clocking in at over 500 pages， the pacing issues stand out。 Again， it's not enough to hinder my enjoyment， but it's something that kept nagging at me as I read along。 。。。more
Katelyn
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Much loveI really loved this book。。I can not wait for the second。 The romance felt real when so often it doesn't in many books lately。 The world was described beautifully。 The magic was magical。 I just loved it。 Much loveI really loved this book。。I can not wait for the second。 The romance felt real when so often it doesn't in many books lately。 The world was described beautifully。 The magic was magical。 I just loved it。 。。。more
Rebekah
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I loved this book all around and satisfied with the ending， excited for the sequel and where this will go。
Iris
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loved the setting but unfortunately didn't like the writing style and the characters felt shallow loved the setting but unfortunately didn't like the writing style and the characters felt shallow 。。。more
Christy Sibila
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