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A review by kaitie_reads
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
I LOVED this book.
I actually couldn't believe that this was a debut novel when I read it. Sue Lynn Tan wrote this story in such a gorgeous way, and each scene was so vivid in my mind while reading. I would go as far as to say that the descriptive prose invigorates all five senses at times because everything is beautifully described in this book.
We follow Xingyin - a wonderfully strong FMC - as she grows into a brave and fierce warrior and woman. Xingyin is determined to free her mother, who has been bound to her home as the Moon Goddess. You can feel the emotions that our FMC experiences, from turmoil to determination to love and angst. She's not a perfect character; she makes mistakes, but she grows so much from those experiences, and you grow to love her all the more for it.
Even with the fantastic descriptive wording, the story moves very quickly over the years. It's a whirlwind, and the story progresses rapidly with many of our FMC's adventures woven within the text.
I'd highly recommend reading this if you love fantasy and especially stories strongly rooted in mythology (which are admittedly my favourite stories). This story is based on Ancient China mythology and, more specifically, the story of Chang'e, but it is more of a reimagining than a retelling. There is a fairytale-like quality to this book. There's also some amazing romantic tension (no spice), and I just found it to be such a wonderfully immersive read.
Also to note: I love that this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but still has the foundation laid for the continuation of the story.
I actually couldn't believe that this was a debut novel when I read it. Sue Lynn Tan wrote this story in such a gorgeous way, and each scene was so vivid in my mind while reading. I would go as far as to say that the descriptive prose invigorates all five senses at times because everything is beautifully described in this book.
We follow Xingyin - a wonderfully strong FMC - as she grows into a brave and fierce warrior and woman. Xingyin is determined to free her mother, who has been bound to her home as the Moon Goddess. You can feel the emotions that our FMC experiences, from turmoil to determination to love and angst. She's not a perfect character; she makes mistakes, but she grows so much from those experiences, and you grow to love her all the more for it.
Even with the fantastic descriptive wording, the story moves very quickly over the years. It's a whirlwind, and the story progresses rapidly with many of our FMC's adventures woven within the text.
I'd highly recommend reading this if you love fantasy and especially stories strongly rooted in mythology (which are admittedly my favourite stories). This story is based on Ancient China mythology and, more specifically, the story of Chang'e, but it is more of a reimagining than a retelling. There is a fairytale-like quality to this book. There's also some amazing romantic tension (no spice), and I just found it to be such a wonderfully immersive read.
Also to note: I love that this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but still has the foundation laid for the continuation of the story.