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A review by enchantressreads
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
“Some scars are carved into our bones—a part of who we are, shaping what we become.”
Xingyin lives alone with her mother Chang’e and caretaker Ping’er on the moon, something she sees as beautiful if only a little lonely. Soon, she finds out that their living arrangements are due to Chang’e’s punishment for drinking an immortal elixir not intended for her. The Celestial Empress believes Chang’e is, correctly, hiding someone. Xingyin must go into hiding, leaving behind her only home for a world she does not know.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a retelling of the story of Chang’e—a Chinese tale that is new to me, and I immediately researched once I hit the last page. The original mythology follows Chang’e and Houyi, a talented archer who killed 9 of the 10 suns scorching the Earth, making it habitable for its residents. Aptly named, we follow her daughter in this novel.
I really felt for Xingyin. She would do anything to save her mother. She stared down the Celestial Kingdom, and did not back down. But she was not without her flaws—her journey took to the back burner when she fell in love with the Celestial Crown Prince. This made her an even more relatable character. She was a true good character, but love surprises us sometimes.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and flew through it in a couple days. My only problem, hence the 4 star rating, was there was a lot more warfare and battle strategies than I was expecting in a fantasy book. I knew that might be part of it, but it took over a good bit of the book. I did love the fantasy world and the magic system, so it isn’t a huge dealbreaker.
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Daughter of the Moon Goddess releases on January 11th.
Xingyin lives alone with her mother Chang’e and caretaker Ping’er on the moon, something she sees as beautiful if only a little lonely. Soon, she finds out that their living arrangements are due to Chang’e’s punishment for drinking an immortal elixir not intended for her. The Celestial Empress believes Chang’e is, correctly, hiding someone. Xingyin must go into hiding, leaving behind her only home for a world she does not know.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a retelling of the story of Chang’e—a Chinese tale that is new to me, and I immediately researched once I hit the last page. The original mythology follows Chang’e and Houyi, a talented archer who killed 9 of the 10 suns scorching the Earth, making it habitable for its residents. Aptly named, we follow her daughter in this novel.
I really felt for Xingyin. She would do anything to save her mother. She stared down the Celestial Kingdom, and did not back down. But she was not without her flaws—her journey took to the back burner when she fell in love with the Celestial Crown Prince. This made her an even more relatable character. She was a true good character, but love surprises us sometimes.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and flew through it in a couple days. My only problem, hence the 4 star rating, was there was a lot more warfare and battle strategies than I was expecting in a fantasy book. I knew that might be part of it, but it took over a good bit of the book. I did love the fantasy world and the magic system, so it isn’t a huge dealbreaker.
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Daughter of the Moon Goddess releases on January 11th.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and War
Minor: Vomit