**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review from as part of a tour from Turn the Page Tours.**
Title Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Author Sue Lynn Tan
Release Date January 11, 2022
Date Finished January 6, 2022
Description
A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path—where choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, untrained, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
Initial Thoughts
When I saw the description (and cover) of this stunning debut, I knew I needed to read it. It sounded right up my alley and was a loose retelling of a myth that I wasn’t yet familiar with.
Some Things I Liked
Romance and relationships. I love love loved the themes of friendship and relationships in general in this story. I loved the love triangle (which is super rare for me) and I loved the way Xingyin’s romance plot played out.
An epic fantasy saga. This book had all the action and adventure I’d expect with an epic fantasy and I loved the way it read like an epic poem. Xingyin is the perfect epic hero and I loved her journey.
References to mythology. This story draws a lot of references from Chinese Mythology and it really sparked an interest in me to learn more about it. I loved the story of the Four Dragons and I am so excited to see what the sequel will be about.
Rich world building and descriptions. Every word of this story was so purposeful and I felt like I could see the scenes as they played out. The writing is nothing short of magical and transportive. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Series Value
I can’t wait to read more from Sue Lynn Tan as well as the sequel to this story. I loved that the ending was both satisfying and also open-ended. I would love nothing more than more of Xingyin’s adventures but could also see myself loving seeing just more set in this world but with new characters.
Final Thoughts
This is easily one of my all time favorite books. This was a masterpiece.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Books Over Everything 