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savvyrosereads's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Based on the story of the moon goddess in Chinese mythology, this is the tale of Xingyin, daughter of the imprisoned moon goddess Chang’e, and her quest to free her mother.
This was the April pick for my book club and I didn’t finish it until May, so that probably says a lot. I should say up front that I LIKED this book—I thought the story was really engaging, the mythology was interesting, and I was mostly entertained while I was reading. I also really enjoyed the audiobook, which I switched to for the last couple hundred pages.
Unfortunately, I struggled with actually picking up the book because I had issues connecting with both the writing style and the characters. I felt like the style was pretty surface-level, moving through really important events too quickly and without enough depth or explanation. I also didn’t have a sense of the plot arc or where things were headed at any point, which makes it hard for me to feel grounded in a story. Finally, while I liked the characters, I felt like I never really got to KNOW them, except for perhaps the FMC Xingyin.
All in all, I’ll be giving the second book in this duo a try for sure, but I hope it irons out some of the things I struggled with in book one!
CW: Imprisonment; injury/death/violence/war
Based on the story of the moon goddess in Chinese mythology, this is the tale of Xingyin, daughter of the imprisoned moon goddess Chang’e, and her quest to free her mother.
This was the April pick for my book club and I didn’t finish it until May, so that probably says a lot. I should say up front that I LIKED this book—I thought the story was really engaging, the mythology was interesting, and I was mostly entertained while I was reading. I also really enjoyed the audiobook, which I switched to for the last couple hundred pages.
Unfortunately, I struggled with actually picking up the book because I had issues connecting with both the writing style and the characters. I felt like the style was pretty surface-level, moving through really important events too quickly and without enough depth or explanation. I also didn’t have a sense of the plot arc or where things were headed at any point, which makes it hard for me to feel grounded in a story. Finally, while I liked the characters, I felt like I never really got to KNOW them, except for perhaps the FMC Xingyin.
All in all, I’ll be giving the second book in this duo a try for sure, but I hope it irons out some of the things I struggled with in book one!
CW: Imprisonment; injury/death/violence/war
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and War
gracielou2000's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
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
mr_ryancowboy's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
Moderate: War
Minor: Sexual assault
irethsurion's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved this book for the traditional Chinese style. Read just like how the C-Dramas are on screen. I could picture each scene perfectly in my mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death of parent
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
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
polaris1117's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and War
Minor: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
lucyatoz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Xingyin is the daughter of the Moon Goddess Chang'e and has grown up on the moon with Ping'er', her mother's attendant, for company. However, she finds herself needing to flee from her moonlit world to that of the Celestial Emperor and Empress, their immortal enemies. First she becomes a servant in a noble family's household, where she is ostracised until she meets a young man. Xingyin has the opportunity to learn alongside him, inside the Celestial Palace, as companion to Prince Liwei. This starts her journey back to her mother, though not before she masters archery and becomes the First Archer in Captain Wenzhi's army, finding herself in many battles, and then embarks on her most perilous quest, to gain the pearls of the Four Dragons for the Celestial Emperor which will she her mother freed from her imprisonment.
I borrowed a copy of this novel from my local library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 15, part of a duology, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
I borrowed a copy of this novel from my local library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 15, part of a duology, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Death of parent