Reviews with content warning for Grief - Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

65 reviews

shaipanda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful 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

5.0

This was absolutely beautiful
I didn’t originally realize it wasn’t a standalone but I’m so excited for the sequel and to see what happens to everyone :) idk what it was about the end but it pulled this book down for me so I’m a bit torn on if it’s a 5 star book for me or not but I think I’m gonna keep it as that at least to start with :)

Content Warnings

isaaah's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Content Warnings

kibbles15's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a well written debut novel. It was a bit slow in the beginning and I had trouble keeping track of the characters after taking a break from the book. (I had distractions in my life that forced me to put the book down for a time...otherwise I probably would have read the book straight through without confusion.) That being said, the book was full of adventure and was an enjoyable read. I especially liked how she made a strong female heroine without discounting the strength of the men in the story. It also peaked my interest in Chinese mythology. I will definitely be reading book 2.

Content Warnings

whatjasread's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-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

3.0

• definitely more YA than adult fantasy
• started off enjoying the romance but eventually just found that neither guy was actually decent in any way
• literally hated both of them, so whiny and possessive
• love arrow, not love triangle
• the writing style is amazing, super atmospheric, great world building
• action sequences were wonderful, I do love a badass heroine

TWs: childbirth, depression, ref to cannibalism, ref to whipping, blood, war, injury, sexism, violence, torture, kidnapping, sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, death of parent (father, off page), drugging

Content Warnings

lujisa's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark 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

4.5

Content Warnings

kindra_demi's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was my first story of Chang’e and Houyi and I devoured it! I always love reading retellings of myths and legends from various cultures of the world.

There are times where cliché tropes can still be well done, and I believe Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a case of that. The major twist isn’t the most shocking thing, but that being said, the build up to the twist makes it still hurt a bit when you find out.

I will own I am a sucker for a messy love story with two interests fighting for the main character’s attention, and this book is full of that. While it is technically a subplot line, it is a very prominent part of the story. There are several smaller storylines that are included simply to build the romance part of the plot.

The writing style is very descriptive (with a heavy repetition of certain words *cough* jade *cough*) so if that is not something you enjoy, I would caution you with this book.

I think my one major critique is the fact that the story wanted to show so many small moments between the main character and the characters surrounding her that it felt that many of the scenes were wrapped up nicely (relatively speaking. I mean this is a book about a girl who becomes a soldier so…)

Overall though, this was a super nice read if you want a story about what we will do to help those we love (with a nice side of messy romance). I am super excited for the next book to come out!

Content Warnings

thereaderfriend's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional 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

3.0

Original review: Audiobook narration isn’t doing it for me so I’m gonna come back to this when I have a physical copy.

Last review: this book had lots of potential but fell flat. The pacing and plot was off, the love triangle was irritating, super indecisive main character (refreshing at times but not overall). I did like that their was pretty good character development and the use of mythological elements. Very predictable unfortunately. Liked that it could be read as a standalone too. Don't think I will pick up book 2 in the duology. I don't regret reading but don't recommend.

Content Warnings

sharon_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging inspiring mysterious sad 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

5.0

This is a coming of age story, with a strong female protagonist who suffers but perseveres, male protagonist(s) who will charm you with their earnestness and passion, excellent action sequences, emotionally powerful moments, and some magnificent creatures. All of this with the backdrop of a daughter’s devotion towards her mother. This is a beautifully written story which I have high expectations for its upcoming sequel.

When I first read the description for this novel, I knew this was going to be a novel I would love. What I didn’t expect, was how quickly I’d come to love it when I began reading. By the time I was five chapters in, I adored the story, wanted to know more and had tabbed at least thirty things. This was a truly unforgettable story, and is defiantly apart of my favourites now.

Mythological retellings have always intrigued me, and even though I didn’t know the story of Houyi and Chang’e before reading this novel, I loved that aspect within the book. Right away, this story had me, and maybe it’s because of my lack of knowledge, but I had hoped, that in the end, we’d see the pair reunited. But having this story in the background, as a “legend”, “truth” that the people in the story know and love, drives our main character. It is her purpose. To discover who she is, to save her mother, to learn about her father. It is one of the main aspects of this novel that I adore, and without it, our main character’s arc would be lacking.

The author doesn’t disappoint with her beautiful descriptions. She creates the perfect atmosphere for the Celestial Kingdom that I found myself lost in it. The writing is poetic and lyrical when it needs to be, but also heart wrenching and emotional, then violent when necessary. The pacing varies throughout the novel, but is still able to match the tone of narration. One thing this novel does well, is the shift in time/places. Some fantasy novels I’ve read have that awkward transition from time and place, but the author does it well here. Before we move onto another section, or plot point in our main characters journey, everything gets wrapped before we move on. There is no, things being left unanswered. We get this smooth transition like it was always meant to be. We get the sense of the flow of time, and we see the progression of Xingyin and her growth through this changes without feeling lost or something is missing.

And this gorgeous world is topped off with wonderful characters. Xingyin starts off as a happy but naive girl content with her isolated existence, until her idyllic life is shattered by old truths about her mother. But her arc is just spectacular. She is devoted to her mother and determined to secure her freedom no matter the cost, which gives her the conviction to pursue any opportunity available to come closer to her goal.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Liwei at first. He had my attention when he first appeared in the novel with his respect for those below him, and not letting a persons job/responsibilities define them. He is a kind hearted person, and no matter how hard his mother tries, he will never become a ruthless ruler. It’s near the middle of the book, before Xingyin becomes this great warrior, that he loses me. Despite the decisions not being his own, how he handled them, and how he treats her after the fact, make me lose respect for him. Despite everything we’ve seen from him, he becomes this selfish person that isn’t considering the other forces and feelings at hand, and keeps ignoring them since he believes it will suit him best, only putting Xingyin in “harms way.”

Content Warnings

bookedbyelizabeth's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by Sue Lynn Tan

CW: violence, death, loss of parent, sexual harassment

I’ve seen so many wonderful reviews for this book, and I’m here to say that I loved this book too and recommend it!

Like with most fantasy books, it took a few chapters for me to get into it, but then I found I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the world building and the incorporation of Chinese mythology, specifically the legend of the moon goddess Chang’e. I loved the main character Xingyin and how strong-willed she is. She learns magic and archery, and she grows a lot as a character while remaining true to her core values.

I enjoyed the action scenes and plot twists, and I thought the pacing was great. There’s also a love triangle that I thought was done well. At first, I was worried it would be predictable, but I ended up liking the romance aspect of the plot. Overall, this was an entertaining fantasy book that explores the idea of choices, specifically choosing to do what’s right over what’s easy. It’s also about following your gut, the seduction of power, and trusting actions over words (even though words can be powerful too). I’m definitely excited for the second book, Heart of the Sun Warrior, that comes out later this year!

“I had always thought life was a road, twisting and turning with the vagaries of fate. Luck and opportunity, gifts beyond our control. As I gazed across the endless night, it dawned on me then, that our paths were forged from the choices we made. Whether to reach for an opportunity or let it pass by. To be swept up with change or to hold your ground.”

Content Warnings

mattiedancer's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful tense 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? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

More...