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rissaread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Gore
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and War
leligavi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
WHAT THE FREAKINF HECK. I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A WIN. BUT WHY THE HECK MY MAN WENZHI HAS TO GO AND BETRAY OUR GIRL LIKE THAT? I was all for them from the very beginning. Liwei was done because he made his choice and hurt her. I thought that this would be Xingying's true, supportive match. A sweet love that conquered all. Where they would be all BA together. BUT THEN HE BETRAYED HER? At this point in my life, I am not in a state of mind where I find those kinds of plots enjoyable. The betrayal is not fun and games for me. It ends the game. Finito. I literally skimmed the last 15% of this book but I'm counting it as a book read if it's going to make me go through all of that. And I red spoilers that it was going to be about WENZHI and her in the next book but honestly I don't even think I can recover from that. I truly loved them. It feels unredeemable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and War
mikyoung's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Quotes: “Some scars are carved into our bones—a part of who we are, shaping what we become.” pg. 4
I appreciated the character growth, particularly with our primary female character. The style of writing was flowery but easy to read, and the vivid descriptions let me envision the surroundings, actions, and characters. I appreciated and loved the tenacity and dedication that Xingyin displayed in her efforts to liberate her mother, the Moon Goddess, from isolation. The romance was exciting and at times mysterious, but the back and forth in the love triangle every few seconds was a little tiresome and confusing. I liked how the author incorporated various elements of fairytales and mythology into this book, such as fox spirits and dragons, as it gave the book a fresh and distinct spin.
The plot twist surprised me and was really well thought out by the author. The battle scenes were enjoyable, but several were overly long or lacked depth. Overall, I appreciated this book's interpretation of the Moon Goddess story, Xingyin's character growth, and her desire to not only save her mother from seclusion, but also to achieve her goals in her own unique way.
I appreciated the character growth, particularly with our primary female character. The style of writing was flowery but easy to read, and the vivid descriptions let me envision the surroundings, actions, and characters. I appreciated and loved the tenacity and dedication that Xingyin displayed in her efforts to liberate her mother, the Moon Goddess, from isolation. The romance was exciting and at times mysterious, but the back and forth in the love triangle every few seconds was a little tiresome and confusing. I liked how the author incorporated various elements of fairytales and mythology into this book, such as fox spirits and dragons, as it gave the book a fresh and distinct spin.
The plot twist surprised me and was really well thought out by the author. The battle scenes were enjoyable, but several were overly long or lacked depth. Overall, I appreciated this book's interpretation of the Moon Goddess story, Xingyin's character growth, and her desire to not only save her mother from seclusion, but also to achieve her goals in her own unique way.
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual harassment
macgbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
REVIEW (scroll for a spoiler filled overview if you want)
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a book I wanted to read for some time now. The book is a retelling of Chinese mythology, with a sprinkling of romance. The story primarily follows the story of Xingyin and her journey from isolated girl to honored warrior. Chinese mythology is not something I am well versed in, but the premise is fascinating and the book was captivating.
I do think there are some pacing issues within the book. The world building feels rushed at some points, almost like a training montage in a classic 90s/00s movie. While I understand if time was dedicated to every battle and every story the book would have been loooonggggg it felt like there were moments when the story was overly rushed. For example key battles are resolved in seconds rather than given the time to crescendo and fall.
Another drawback for me was Xingyins perception of herself. While she is humble, especially in terms of men, she acts in such a way that it seems as if she doesn’t play a key role in others lives. I understand she is keeping a secret from everyone, but there are times when she is so incredibly daft it’s hard to believe she is such an incredible warrior.
Overall I really enjoyed the book and fully intend on reading the next in the series.
OVERVIEW
Daughter of the moon goddess closely follows the journey of Xingyin, daughter of the moon and mortal archer Houyi . The story begins with heralding the isolation of Xingyin, her mother, and their attendant on the moon. The descriptions are luminous and illustrative, covering not only the stunning backdrop of the moon, but also the internal turmoil of the characters in isolation. We see their longing and deepest desires.
However, everything is not as it seems on the idyllic moon. The tranquility of the beginning chapters is quickly broken when Xingyin first reaches for her magic, described as floating light in her minds eye. It is after this grave error Xingyin learns of her mother’s true reality and her hidden existence on the moon. In a bid to save everyone, Xingyin flees the moon to the immortal realm.
Xingyin finds herself in the Celestial Kingdom, isolated and alone. She brings work as an attendant to an aristocratic, where she is treated badly by both her master and her fellow attendants. After one such episode, she goes to the river to clean a damaged garment when she is discovered by Crown Prince Liwei. He invites her to compete in a competition to become his companion at the Jade palace, which she eventually wins.
Once in the Jade Palace, she is instructed alongside the young prince in all subjects, including war. She is particularly adept at archery, impressing both the prince and many instructors. For nearly two years she trains, until joining the Celestial Army as an archer.
In the coming years she goes on various missions and defeats various monsters under the command on Captain Wenzhi. In one such harrowing mission, she saves the crown prince and his betrothed the Phoenix Princess. After this she is granted a favor by the Celestial Emperor. She begs for her mother’s freedom from the moon. The Celestial emperor grants her request, but only if she manages to collect the pearls of the four imprisoned dragons.
Xingyin departs with Liwei and Wenzhi in search of the dragons, but not everything is as it seems. The dragons explain that their pearls are their power, and whoever holds them has control of the dragons. Xingyin is gifted the pearls, and is immediately betrayed. She is captured by the Demon Realm and held prisoner until she manages to escape. In order to protect the dragons, Xingyin returns the dragons their power that is trapped within the pearl. While this deeply angers the Celestial Emperor, he uphold his bargain and releases Xingyin’s mother from her isolation on the moon. In the end, Xingyin returns home to her mother.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent
sarahb919's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s in first person POV.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Blood, Gaslighting, and Death
Minor: Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual content
riverrliam's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was thoroughly entertained! I love a badass, female warrior. I loved Xingyin and her growth throughout the book. There was adventure, romance (including a messy triangle), grief, friendship, and magic. The author does a great job with visual descriptions and the scenery is often jaw droppingly beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Confinement, War, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
strawb3rrysugar's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I originally picked this up in an effort to read outside of my comfort zone; I don't pick up a lot of fantasy books and know next to nothing about Chinese mythology. I have to give due credit to Kuri Huang, the book's cover illustrator, whose work is absolutely stunning. This isn't usually relevant in book reviews for me, but as an illustrator myself, it would be dishonest to say it wasn't a factor in me buying this book.
High points: the descriptions and setting are beautifully described and well developed. The book reads as very atmospheric and immersive, which definitely enhances the experience of reading an adventure series. I felt like I was right alongside Xingyin and her journey to return to her mother. While I'm not the biggest fan of a love triangle (and in the least spoiler-y way possible, there is an obviously correct love interest made apparent from the start), but there's enough angst and drama for it to fit within the story. The dragons are very cool - I will never complain about the presence of dragons in a book.
Low points: the pacing and the tension are where this story lacks the most. Scenes that feel like they should be more important or momentous are glossed over pretty quickly in summary, which makes Xingyin's development feel a little stale (considering the author's prose is on the flowery side, it surprised me that there's very little tension built). The beginning is a little slow, and it took me a while to fully get into the book. The Act 3 plot twist made the ending a little sour for me, as I felt it started to bring up elements of the story/worldbuilding that should have been established much earlier. Many of the side characters, *especially* the women, deserved a little more background/development and time to shine. And this is more of a nitpick, but this book's magic system seems kind of vague (though this might be due to my lack of knowledge in Chinese mythology).
Overall, while the pacing and some of the tropes weren't my favorite, I looked forward to curling up with this book, along with a blanket with a cup of tea in hand. If you like Chinese mythology, romantic angst, and want a more adventurous fantasy, you might enjoy this.
High points: the descriptions and setting are beautifully described and well developed. The book reads as very atmospheric and immersive, which definitely enhances the experience of reading an adventure series. I felt like I was right alongside Xingyin and her journey to return to her mother. While I'm not the biggest fan of a love triangle (and in the least spoiler-y way possible, there is an obviously correct love interest made apparent from the start), but there's enough angst and drama for it to fit within the story. The dragons are very cool - I will never complain about the presence of dragons in a book.
Low points: the pacing and the tension are where this story lacks the most. Scenes that feel like they should be more important or momentous are glossed over pretty quickly in summary, which makes Xingyin's development feel a little stale (considering the author's prose is on the flowery side, it surprised me that there's very little tension built). The beginning is a little slow, and it took me a while to fully get into the book. The Act 3 plot twist made the ending a little sour for me, as I felt it started to bring up elements of the story/worldbuilding that should have been established much earlier. Many of the side characters, *especially* the women, deserved a little more background/development and time to shine. And this is more of a nitpick, but this book's magic system seems kind of vague (though this might be due to my lack of knowledge in Chinese mythology).
Overall, while the pacing and some of the tropes weren't my favorite, I looked forward to curling up with this book, along with a blanket with a cup of tea in hand. If you like Chinese mythology, romantic angst, and want a more adventurous fantasy, you might enjoy this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual harassment and Death of parent
ctara2123's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Classism, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and Kidnapping
theonlysentree's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Honestly the saving grace for this book, for me, (and why it still got a 1.5 stars) was the atmosphere. The author writes a really beautiful setting. Other than that, the main character was over-powered with little character development, I didn't like the love interests, the pacing was so jumpy, & I disliked the first-person narrative in the way the author uses it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Death of parent