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A review by mcaliz
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content warnings: girl-on-girl hate
Rep: secret identities, Chinese mythology, friends-ish to lovers, lovers to enemies, love triangle, forbidden love, Mother/Daughter love/bond
Thoughts
Neutral thoughts:
The writing: In the very beginning of the book, the writing starts off very simple & I didn’t mind that cause I think that it helps represent how Xingyin is in the very beginning of the story. And while it still stays pretty simple, I still thought that it was good & just needed some work with the pacing. But because this is a debut, I am more forgiving when it comes to pacing or more simpler writing.
Xingyin: I liked her overall. I though that she was VERY naive in the beginning, and still through the events of the book, but I think that reflects the pureness of her ideals and her unwavering loyalty and her morals. She was just trying her best in order to set her mother free & finding herself and herself worth in the process & I could admire that about her.
This honestly is a SOLID debut & I highly recommend! I am not entirely sure where the second book in this duology is going to cover, but I am excited nonetheless!
Pros:
I really liked the lore in this one and how the Gods and Goddess were actual figures in this world, not just beings that were written about in ancient texts and stories that are told in the present timeline. How the Moon Goddess did things & how they were represented in our mortal world.
Some of the lines in this were absolutely beautiful. Like I literally had to stop and take the lines in & just are at them for a second.
The chapters in this were short & I honestly was flying thru this book like no other. One second I was on page 56, and the next things I knew I was on page 210 without even realizing it. So while the pacing was a little off in some instances, I was still flying thru the pages.
I also liked seeing the Mother/Daughter bond in this. I also have a strong relationship with my mom & it was really nice seeing the love that these two had for each other & seeing all of the sacrifices and actions that they did for one another because of the love that they had.
Gripes:
As I sit here and write this review I can’t think of any PRESSING issues (aside from the pacing) & the only thing I wasn’t a fan of for the most part was the love triangle that bloomed in this. And while it wasn't THAT bad, it is still a triangle nonetheless & I am NOT a fan of them.
The romance(s):
There is a love triangle in this 🙈 I know for this is a “buzz word” but for me it is not one at all. And while there is an inkling who Xingyin will be with at the very end of this duology based off what happened at the end of the book, I can see there being a “will they won’t they” and Xingyin going between Liwei and a certain General 😉(if you wanna know his name, by all means look at the spoiler ( Wenzhi ) in the next book. And while that ANNOYS me, I am hopeful for my boy Liwei 😭
Xingyin & Liwei: I REALLY liked them. Could they be described as insta-lovey? Perhaps. But I still liked them. First and foremost they saw themselves as friends, as two people who felt like they were lacking in themselves and the positions/roles that were forced into & just wanted a friend that they could lean on. And that is what I liked about them. It was not an instant physical attraction that they had for one another, it was an emotional bond that they formed first before looks came in to the equation. But lemme tell you, this gets angsty real fast 😹🙈 There is some heartache and some circumstances that separate these two from one another, but they may or may not reform their relationship at the end of the book… AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I BETTER SEE A MARRIAGE CEREMONY AT THE END OF BOOK 2
For those who don’t know, Liwei is the Prince of the Celestial Kingdom. I REALLY liked him 😹 HE WAS SUCH A CINNAMON ROLL 🥺 While he did kind of get on my nerves on some things, he was also just trying to do his best & having to make choices that he didn’t want to make, but he had to. But he thankfully pull his head out of his butt towards the end of the story & I was swooning all over again.
Xingyin & the other guy 😹: While I understood the blooming of their friendship/relationship, (I even kind of rooted for them at one point) I just do not support them. (When you read the book you’ll know why). But I can totally see people falling in love with him and their relationship.
Content warnings: girl-on-girl hate
Rep: secret identities, Chinese mythology, friends-ish to lovers, lovers to enemies, love triangle, forbidden love, Mother/Daughter love/bond
Thoughts
Neutral thoughts:
The writing: In the very beginning of the book, the writing starts off very simple & I didn’t mind that cause I think that it helps represent how Xingyin is in the very beginning of the story. And while it still stays pretty simple, I still thought that it was good & just needed some work with the pacing. But because this is a debut, I am more forgiving when it comes to pacing or more simpler writing.
Xingyin: I liked her overall. I though that she was VERY naive in the beginning, and still through the events of the book, but I think that reflects the pureness of her ideals and her unwavering loyalty and her morals. She was just trying her best in order to set her mother free & finding herself and herself worth in the process & I could admire that about her.
This honestly is a SOLID debut & I highly recommend! I am not entirely sure where the second book in this duology is going to cover, but I am excited nonetheless!
Pros:
I really liked the lore in this one and how the Gods and Goddess were actual figures in this world, not just beings that were written about in ancient texts and stories that are told in the present timeline. How the Moon Goddess did things & how they were represented in our mortal world.
Some of the lines in this were absolutely beautiful. Like I literally had to stop and take the lines in & just are at them for a second.
The chapters in this were short & I honestly was flying thru this book like no other. One second I was on page 56, and the next things I knew I was on page 210 without even realizing it. So while the pacing was a little off in some instances, I was still flying thru the pages.
I also liked seeing the Mother/Daughter bond in this. I also have a strong relationship with my mom & it was really nice seeing the love that these two had for each other & seeing all of the sacrifices and actions that they did for one another because of the love that they had.
Gripes:
As I sit here and write this review I can’t think of any PRESSING issues (aside from the pacing) & the only thing I wasn’t a fan of for the most part was the love triangle that bloomed in this. And while it wasn't THAT bad, it is still a triangle nonetheless & I am NOT a fan of them.
The romance(s):
There is a love triangle in this 🙈 I know for this is a “buzz word” but for me it is not one at all. And while there is an inkling who Xingyin will be with at the very end of this duology based off what happened at the end of the book, I can see there being a “will they won’t they” and Xingyin going between Liwei and a certain General 😉(if you wanna know his name, by all means look at the spoiler (
Xingyin & Liwei: I REALLY liked them. Could they be described as insta-lovey? Perhaps. But I still liked them. First and foremost they saw themselves as friends, as two people who felt like they were lacking in themselves and the positions/roles that were forced into & just wanted a friend that they could lean on. And that is what I liked about them. It was not an instant physical attraction that they had for one another, it was an emotional bond that they formed first before looks came in to the equation. But lemme tell you, this gets angsty real fast 😹🙈 There is some heartache and some circumstances that separate these two from one another, but they may or may not reform their relationship at the end of the book… AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I BETTER SEE A MARRIAGE CEREMONY AT THE END OF BOOK 2
For those who don’t know, Liwei is the Prince of the Celestial Kingdom. I REALLY liked him 😹 HE WAS SUCH A CINNAMON ROLL 🥺 While he did kind of get on my nerves on some things, he was also just trying to do his best & having to make choices that he didn’t want to make, but he had to. But he thankfully pull his head out of his butt towards the end of the story & I was swooning all over again.
Xingyin & the other guy 😹: While I understood the blooming of their friendship/relationship, (I even kind of rooted for them at one point) I just do not support them. (When you read the book you’ll know why). But I can totally see people falling in love with him and their relationship.