Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

19 reviews

kels_18's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This did not live up to my expectations. I really wish that I liked this more than I did, but there were too many time skips and difference in locations, jumping from one thing to another for there to really be any cohesive thought process from me. I don’t know how this could be turned into a duology. Too much happened in this book, way too much. The only thing tying everything together was Xingyin’s quest to free her mother from her prison on the Moon. That was the only thing tying everything together. Then you add in the love triangle between the two main MMCs, ugh. These two men you jump off of a cliff for all I care.

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rnbhargava's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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

This book is a very fun and emotional adventure. My biggest gripe with the book is that the protagonist has the most abundant plot armor around, even in situations that should be seriously harming toward her. Minor quibble I guess for essentially a chosen one type fantasy action adventure.

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st61826's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring fast-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

5.0

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rensreading's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

that was such a ride!! truly brilliant for a debut novel. i honestly can’t wait until i get my hands on the sequel coming out this year. whoever the illustrator is for these covers deserves a raise too. their artwork is absolutely stunning!

i really adored these characters. something about

wenzhi

gave me the heebie jeebies from the first instance where he and xingyin interact. i don’t really think he loves her like he claims to, he wants to possess her like she’s some sort of prize instead of a real person, yknow? now

liwei

, i had my reservations about but i was really rooting for them. their friendship was everything i wanted to see. their first parting left me as heartbroken as xingyin but i knew they weren’t truly over. and then

wenzhi

started acting super fcking weird

and i just knew™️

he kept saying that he knew she was strong and could take care of herself, but also kept treating her like a damsel in distress too so i just immediately clocked him as a big old N-O, NO!

xingyin and liwei’s relationship really sold the deal for me. whether as friends or lovers, i adored them together. they would give up life and limb for one another bc they truly love each other. a kind of love where they give and do not expect anything back in return. when you’re both givers, taking also comes along for the ride which balances the relationship out. they absolutely are not a perfect couple but that’s exactly why i liked them so much. they were friends first

(though im of the opinion that liwei was taken with xingyin from the moment they met)

and lovers second. if one was in danger, there was no question about whether the other would come to their aid. even with

liwei’s engagement to a princess and xingyin doing her best to forget they were lovers,

their friendship was still intimate enough to raise brows. their chemistry was undeniable and the care they have for each other is heartwarming as well. i really hope they get their HEA once this duology is finished.

the descriptions were to die for. the plot was well thought out with only a few hiccups here and there. the characterization was a bit lacking, especially concerning xingyin, but it wasn’t horrendous either. she felt a bit like a mary sue, but not in a bad way, just a “gee-i-wish-she-didnt-have-an-unknown-hidden-talent” kind of way. she definitely struggled to make her way in certain areas but in others it just felt a bit too easy. tan’s voice was also constant throughout the novel with only a few instances where things felt off or bland for whatever reason. it’s very clear that tan spent a lot of time and effort on this novel and i truly cannot fault her in any way for that.

this novel wasnt perfect but i love it so much that i’ll give it it’s well deserved 4.5 stars anyway (:

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szuum's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-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? No

4.25

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goldsbuc's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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aardwyrm's review

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The worldbuilding is sumptuous and shameless, a high fantasy, myth-infused delight. The plot is fun, though oddly episodic, coming across like a monster of the week in novel format, with every obstacle dispatched after a brief, dramatic struggle and Xingyin being just way better than anybody else. Xingyin is enjoyable in a slightly 90s girl-power kinda way. Every dude she meets falls in love with her immediately but she's sure to tell you how plain she is. Magical weapons and awesome gifts just hurl themselves into her hands because she's the coolest. Just ride with it. Liwei and Wenzhi have exactly zero personality between them, but I suppose they don't really need one. They're just handsome props. Altogether everything is very pretty and very thrilling and there's dragons. A gift to the eight year old inside us all.

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sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review

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adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is the first of many of my highly anticipated debuts for 2022 and it didn't disappoint.

I was hooked to the story from the beginning, the descriptions painted vivid images in my head. I couldn’t help but think of my childhood when my family would rent Chinese Historical Fantasy series from the local TVB rental store. I was very much transported to the Celestial Kingdom, the battlefields, the palace at the Easter Seas, and even parts of Demon Realm (or Cloud Wall).

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS is inpired by the story of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. Xingyin, the daughter of Chang’e, and her desire to free her mom from her imprisonment on the moon. It’s as much as a novel about Xingyin’s quests as it is about her growth as a person. It’s as much about her determination to do what is right while getting closer to freeing her mom, even if she makes some powerful enemies.

For those that love their Fantasy with a touch of romance, there’s so much pining and longing in this book, as Xingyin has two love interests. However, I do wish the book could have focused a bit more on the friends Xingyin made, such as Minyi (well, she was more ally than friend), and Shuxiao, a fellow member of the army. Did I mention that I thought it could be a TVB series from my childhood? Please give me more of this world. Luckily, this is the first book of a duology (or maybe unluckily, because I need to WAIT, and I’m not good with waiting). There are no major cliffhangers, but things aren’t tied up in a bow.

A few things (1) at one point I wanted to throw my book across the room, this was not something I saw coming. Maybe others saw it, but not me. (2) Until a few weeks ago I thought this was a YA Fantasy novel, but I’ve recently been informed that it is an Adult Fantasy. So I will say that it will have crossover appeal

Oh, another thing, the audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus, so you know I’ll be listening to the book in the future.

Content Notes: imprisonment, battles, kidnapping, drugging

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allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This fantasy debut stuns with evocative descriptions of many dazzling locales from the moon to the Celestial Court to an underwater palace to an enchanted forest to the Demon Realm, among others. Each setting is layered with vibrant description, emotional atmosphere, and a spark of magic. It provides the perfect majestic backdrop for a story of mythical proportions and sweeping battles, quests, and bargains.

The plot follows Xingyin as she must abscond from her home on the moon in secret, leaving her mother, the moon goddess, behind. Driven by a desire for reunion, she sets out to free the goddess from her lunar imprisonment. She goes on many journeys: from lowly attendant to the companion of a prince, from skilled flutist to First Archer in the Celestial Army, from broken heart to betrayal, from pawn to clever trickster. The story thrives on big-picture political slyness and also on the more intimate level of personal relationships-- bonds of family, loyalty, duty, friendship, and romantic love.

Speaking of romance, I normally hate a love triangle but was actually amused in this case by how Xingyin is kind of clueless about her allure. It doesn't have the annoying flavor of a protagonist who is inexplicably desired by everyone they meet. Rather, her forthright nature and the way she clings to her goals and stays true to herself draw people in without her noticing. So intent on her aspirations and her desperation to free her mother, she has an air of surprise towards anyone holding interest in her since it doesn't rank among her own priorities. Xingyin doesn't even notice if someone else is attractive unless another party points it out to her. This power imbalance was great fun to me. I also loved her iron core of honor and the way she follows her own standard for right and wrong rather than allowing anyone else to dictate it for her. It lends her a strength of purpose and makes her a loyal friend but never a flattering sycophant.

At all points, I was enthralled with Xingyin's story and I loved being a guest in her mind. I can't wait to see where the duology goes next (and the love triangle, let's be honest).

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