arthie 's review for:

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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: Yes

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The first installment of The Celestial Kingdom duology is an adventurous and fantastical tale. It’s such a stunning retelling of the story of the Chinese Moon Goddess Chang’e, adding new and colorful characters to a captivating world of magic. Tan’s prose is meticulous, and I found the characters to be easily loved. This book highlights bravery, strength, and heart wrenching romantic angst between a prince and a soldier who were friends before they loved the other. Liwei had an appealing persona, which suited the dynamic of Xingyin’s stubbornness and drive. I personally wanted to pull my hair out because of the angst, but they also had equally charming instances together. As this reads like a drama, one will find themselves engaged in a young girl’s high-stakes ascent to bargain for her mother’s freedom, all the while navigating the suspense of court faction and treachery. This was a striking story offering every element that I ever needed in a fantasy book, with the main character’s growth inspiring hope and courage in readers.