A review by emzhay
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

This was a pretty flat book all around. Huge stakes would be set up with no follow through on the action or risks. Things just happen as the plot needs. Problems would be encountered and solved within one or two chapters. Our MC Xingyin would express dread, but the writing itself and execution lacked any real build up or sense of danger. 

The characters were one dimensional with fairly black and white morality. They had no little to no chemistry which really dragged out the love triangle to the point of fatigue. Neither love interest or Xingyin really brought anything to the table in terms of personality or redeemable qualities other than status or combat ability.
Also almost every man with a name Xingyin encounters is immediately enamored with her leading to weird jealously from other characters. She, of course, is completely oblivious to all of this and is confused by the emotions of the men around her. A trope I’m sick of seeing.
A good portion of the book is focused on the love triangle, and for a book called Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I was hoping there would be more introspection on mother/daughter relationships or filial piety. 
 

There was a lot of potential here. The writing itself was decently enjoyable. It wasn’t difficult to read and didn’t feel like a chore to get through. I enjoyed the descriptions of clothing particularly. 

The plot wrapped itself fairly cleanly to the point where I don’t really feel a the need to complete the duology. 
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