This was a lush, imaginative story with gorgeous writing but it felt slightly dense, with a style that was a bit too elaborate for my personal tastes. I really enjoyed the mythology aspects, but wasn't a fan of the love triangle and overall just didn't feel particularly connected to the characters.

A beautiful fantasy based on the Chinese folktale of the Moon Goddess unfolds with a breathtaking vision of how a story should unfold. A young woman lost from her home and hoping to free her mother from her imprisonment by the Celestial Emperor finds a way to become a companion to the Crown prince of the Kingdom. As part of her service to him she is able to learn how to fight, how to use her magic alongside him as he is being trained. she grows to love the prince; but his parents betroth him to a princess for political reasons. She leaves his service and joins the Army where her skills as an archer win her the right to be in campaigns to kill various monsters who threaten the realm. All the while she is trying to win the right to ask the emperor to free her mother. She has many adventures , finds love again and faces betrayal of the lowest type.
This is a thrilling and engrossing story. It unfolds so beautifully that you won't want to put it down. I am enjoying the influx of Chinese folklore that is currently being seen in literature. This book is one of the finest .

2.75 stars

I commend this book for giving me a variety of the most delectable flavors of asian fantasy I have not indulged in in a very long time. I find this colorful array enough in Cdramas, webnovels and manhua but to have read it in a YA fantasy book is honestly such a triumph. I am so, so happy that the genre is steadily expanding in stories rooted in other cultures, written by people from those cultures to boot! For me, this is especially true for Daughter of the Moon Goddess because a great part of my identity on a cultural level is East Asian (particularly Chinese + Taiwanese) and so I had so! Much! Fun! Reading this book.

If you're a fan of Cdramas and general Chinese high fantasy and are, in general, an avid reader of YA fantasy, you have to give this book a go. I'd recommend this strongly to people who enjoy the likes of Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn and Julie Kagawa's Shadow of the Fox trilogy in particular. Tan's lyrical writing - which paints such a beautiful picture of the vast and Celestial world that she's created - also really reminded me of Joan He's Descendant of the Crane. The only difference between all the books I've mentioned and Daughter of the Moon Goddess is... well. This book is 400 pages long.

Which actually leads me to the next section of this review: why I hesitate to even rate it 3 stars. Although I really did enjoy the decadence of Chinese myth and legend in this tale, I felt like it could've been a lot shorter. I suppose it could be a nod to the length of Cdramas/manhua/webnovels—as Chinese stories do love their lengths. But this one book almost felt like a trilogy crammed into one. There's quite a bit of a pacing issue in this one, some parts were achingly slow while some parts flashed by like lightning, and though I wasn't too bothered by it (because I was too busy screaming about legendary monsters) the repetition of events and circumstances... tested my patience.

The characters... let's not even talk about them. While I did enjoy the central themes that each of their arcs put great emphasis upon—how far are you willing to go for your family, being chief of them—as characters they were... pretty lackluster. Though I feel like that could've been remedied had this book been separated into two instead of one.

This book was also chock full of my least favorite tropes. From love triangles, to constant indecision and petty jealousy (there was a lot of jealousy in these pages 😂), to the seemingly unlimited amount of hot princes that popped up in every corner that were either interested or invested in Xingyin to some vicious degree. It was all very... staple YA. And something you can even find quite a bit in high fantasy Cdramas actually! But... I'm just not the biggest fan.

Hence, the 2.75 star rating. :)

If unlike me, you do like those things however OR would simply love to go on a fun adventure across East Asian Legend Heaven, then by all means go ahead and read Daughter of the Moon Goddess. If you're anything like me, I promise you no regrets!!

Content Warnings: assault (sexual - implied), blood, death, mind control, murder, violence, war.

A child of the Moon Goddess, and an immortal herself,  Xingyin grows up on the moon, with just her mother & their family servant/long time companion. For the most part, the three of them are happy, if isolated. Xingyin senses a grief in her mother that she can't quite explain, and within herself she feels a growing sense to reach out ... for something more. She can't label it, and her mother has warned her against reaching for it, but the pull towards that other grows stronger as she grows up. And when she can no longer ignore it, she finds her whole life changed, forever.

In this reimagining of the myth of Chang'e The Moon Goddess, Sue Lynn Tan takes the reader on a fantastical exploration of family loyalty and learning how to trust in yourself, & others. Xingyin is a multifaceted, kickass heroine who N E V E R gives up, no matter how many punches life manages to aim at her. Faced with challenge after challenge, with betrayals and misfortunes and family secrets, with a court full of royal, magical enemies, she somehow manages to embrace her own power time & time again. She builds relationships and friendships, all the while constantly questioning the validity of those relationships if she's never fully honest with anyone. "Don’t tell anyone who you are. But never forget either.” Her mother had warned her, and in theory, that sounds easy, but the practice of it is more difficult that she could ever have imagined. She battles this need for connection with her goal to complete her quest -> to rescue her mother from an unjust punishment.

Reading Xingyin's constant struggle to balance her need for human connection - for friendship & allies & love & understanding, even for mentorship & knowledge - with her inner secrets, her inner journey to free her mother was almost physically painful for me. I'm one of those people who has to change the channel or pause & walk a way for a few minutes when something particularly angsty is happening on-screen (I have never fully watched the Scott's Tots episode of The Office, if that means anything to you), so I found myself taking a lot of breaks while I was reading this book, but that's to its credit: If it wasn't so well written, I wouldn't have empathized with her so much.

Every word, every action, every step & misstep that she makes, Xingyin must somehow maneuver them all into a path for her mother's redemption, and - eventually- her own salvation.

I wanted only good things for Xingyin, and - as in most myths - that was unfortunately not happening. She faced trial after trial, setback after setback. But she rose to meet each of them with an inner fortitude that I greatly admired, and that was admired by other characters in the text, as well. Witnessing other people start to see Xingyin's true character - especially in the midst of all the misleading and brutal attacks against her - was one of the absolute highlights of this story.

Can we also just appreciate this cover art?

The book has multiple sections, and so many plotlines that there's definitely something here for everyone: Action & adventure? Check. Romance? Cheeeeck. Betrayal & heartbreak? Angry checks. Friendships forged in fire? Check. Legendary magical creatures? Check. Misdirection and sleight of hand? Oops: Double Check. Tan seems to have mastered the 'mythology' part of her fantasy mythology duology, as every secret has its own secret, and every character manages to have both a mysterious backstory you learn along the route to yet another quest for Xingyin, and a competing quest of their own. The fact that this is Tan's debut is ... astonishing, really.

The only negative thing I have to talk about with this book is the fact that it is first in a duology and THIS book isn't even out until January 2022, so who knows when the second book will be released? Now I have to wait forever to find out what happens next, and I am an impatient, at best, reader. Thanks, #NetGalley.

Still: if you like less frequented mythology, fantasies that hit the border of YA fantasy but don't exactly crossover (IMO), a heroine that holds her own and then some, and a really rich world building experience, add Daughter of the Moon Goddess to your pre-order list now. (Can we Also just take a minute to appreciate this gorgeous cover art?)

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a fantastic debut for Sue Lynn Tan. Our main character, Xingyin, is an immortal so the pacing was really unique in this book. The story takes place over many, many years while Xingyin struggles to try and free her mother from her exile on the moon. The immortal realm and their magic system was well developed and fascinating to read. There are a lot of cool characters in this adventure that each added on to the twists and turns!

The writing style was absolutely magical, and sucked me right into the scenes I was reading. Xingyin and Liwei have some beautiful platonic and romantic moments together, with prose I'll remember as quotes for a long time.

My one and only qualm was with the pacing of events. As I was reading I was never quite sure what the arc of the story was headed towards because every event and battle seemed like *the* most important. I kept thinking "this seems early/late for a climax" which was a bit off-balance feeling. This book an awesome epic with A LOT of plot crammed into the pages — so just be ready for that and I think this work will blow you away. Seriously, it almost felt like a standalone story, you get a lot of content when you pick up Daughter of the Moon Goddess! It’s marked as a duology so I’m curious to see what’s in store for Xingyin in book two!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess reminds me a lot of the archetypal hero's journey that we see a lot in literature. Basically: the hero (in this case Xingyin, daughter of the moon goddess) leaves home to go on a journey, goes through harrowing trials and character growth, and may or may not return home at the end a changed person. This gives the story a very mythical quality, which is perfect for a story steeped in Chinese mythology and full of immortals. Xingyin may have originally been forced to leave home to escape the anger of the Celestial Emperor, but she uses this to her advantage and decides to try and win her mother's freedom (her mother took the elixir of immortality meant for her husband and was imprisoned for it). Along the way, Xingyin becomes good friends with the crown prince, joins the celestial army, and goes on a monster hunting montage all on her quest to free her mother. Xingyin is an amazing character and a fantastic hero, her drive and adherence to her pride and morals make for an interesting journey for her. My only negative was that it seemed like every guy she meets falls for her. Some act on it and some don't and there's a bit of a weird love triangle that I didn't really care for, but it doesn't overshadow how amazing this book was. I can't wait for the sequel!

First off - WOW.

Secondly, before you even read what I have to say about this beautiful book - PREORDER IT. TRUST ME.

After receiving an eARC from NetGalley for my honest review, I was left with so many thoughts and feelings upon finishing, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. This story follows the tale of Xingyin, the daughter of Chang'E, the legendary goddess who was banished to the moon after imbibing an immortality elixir once meant for her husband, in order to save her unborn daughter. The cover alone made me request the eARC and when I read the excerpt, I was hooked. This is an absolutely beautiful tale introducing the reader when Xingyin has to flew the moon where she has been raised by her mother in secret. She then travels to the celestial realm where she undergoes trials to become the prince's companion. The reader follows her as she tries to find a way to save her mother from her imprisonment on the moon by getting into the celestial emperor and empress' good graces. There is also a friends-to-lovers trope between Xingyin and the Prince, Liwei.

I just highly recommend you pick up this book when it releases and dive in. It is absolutely beautifully written and I was shocked to learn this is Sue Lynn Tan's debut novel. CONGRATULATIONS! This book was incredible.

I simply loved this book. I don't think anything could have been written better in it. The love story? Fantastic. The mythology? Fascinating. The adventure? Had me sitting on the edge of my seat!! This was entirely too beautiful for words! 5⭐

“I shivered, not from the cold, but the heat surging through my veins. Clutching his shoulders, I held him closer to me still. We fell onto the ground, the carpet of petals softer than any bed…my body alight with a thousand glittering sensations”

WOWOWOWOW

As a little girl, I was in love with the Andrew Lang rainbow fairy books. I’ve always loved fairytales, and I loved his collections because they featured stories from around the world that I hadn’t heard of before and because they took me on a thousand magical journeys I couldn’t have imagined.

This book feels like being dropped into one of those fairytales. I’ve never read anything like it. A lot of books are described as fairytale retellings, but few books feel like an actual fairytale for five hundred pages.

Xingyin grows up on the moon in peace with her mother, the moon goddess, until she finds out a terrible secret and must flee her realm. She finds herself in the realm of the Celestial Emperor, her mother’s enemy, and finds herself the closest companion of his son, Liwei. Eventually, she is put to the test and must decide what choice to make.

I am not an own voices reviewer, and I can’t speak to that aspect of this book, but like She Who Became the Sun, this book does feel distinctly non-Western to me, and I loved that.

For that reason, it may feel a bit different for many of us who expect nothing more than a dark forest and a sexy, growling man when we hear “fairytale retelling.” This is so much more. It’s enchanting and romantic and gorgeous, and it just feels like the most beautiful imagination brought to life.

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is magical, each setting more beautiful than the last, each romantic moment feeling like it should be accompanied by sweeping strings. If you wanted to describe the setting of the most beautiful fairytale, you couldn’t do it as well as she does here.

This is a beautiful jewel of a book, dizzying and intoxicating and breathtaking. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In conclusion…I think we can all agree that Chinese inspired fantasies >

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpervoyagerus for this copy! I was so thrilled to get it!

This is one of the most jam-packed books I've ever read. I'm so surprised this is the first in a duology because I feel like there's enough content for two books in this alone. So I'm super excited to see what else this series is going to give.

I mean, what a wild journey this is. From Xingyin hiding away on the moon, then training with the prince, to her service in the royal army, and her quest to search for the missing dragons, all while trying to free her mother, this story is a rollercoaster. I loved the magic, the setting, the plot that keeps on giving, and the asian mythology. It's such a cosy fantasy tale that is rich in culture.

What a wonderful debut and such a captivating start to a series.

There are some novels where the writing is so beautiful it overwhelms the story. The Daughter of The Moon Goddess is, I am happy to report, NOT that kind of novel. Instead, the delicate, evocative voice of the author, Sue Lyn Tan, is the perfect complement to a heart pounding adventure and a gorgeous love story.
Being unfamiliar with the mythology behind the tale, I was enthralled by the idea of a Xingyin, the secret child of her mother who has been imprisoned on the moon. Xingyin sets off to free her mother and thus begins an epic tale where she finds herself the object of intense fascination by the crown prince of the realm, becomes a member of the Celestial Army and makes some deadly enemies. There is, of course, magic involved, but it is essential to the story and does not feel forced or over the top.
While the novel is fantasy based on mythology the characters are multidimensional and skillfully drawn. I was unprepared for and completely relished Xingyin’s evolution from a pampered prisoner to a student to a warrior. Xingyin comes of age during this tale and has her heart broken again and again but perseveres and grows into herself as the story progresses.
I highly recommend this novel to all fantasy readers but especially those who appreciate accomplished prose alongside their heroine’s journey.

First, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this was unbelievably beautiful. I loved all the aspects of this book: the Chinese mythology, the magic, the setting, the dragons, the quests, the love stories, the friendships, just everything. There was so much heartache and heartbreak, but it was all so beautifully done; you really FEEL everything that Xingyin is feeling and struggling with. The relationship between Xingyin and Liwei is so real and heartfelt. Also, yes there is a love triangle, but it's actually really well-done.
While the book ends with everything almost resolved, you get enough closure that it's not at all a cliffhanger, but still leaves you wanting to see where the story will go next. I for one can't wait for the next book.
Highly highly recommended

4/5 stars

thank you to netgalley and harper voyager for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

the only aspect of this book i wasn't the biggest fan of was the romance/love triangle. for characters who are decades-to-centuries-old immortals, whenever the main character so much as looks as a man who's described as young and handsome, her love interests turn to petty squabbles that was frustrating to get through. i understand that despite the ages of xingyan and the rest of the cast this is still a coming of age story, but i couldn't get myself to enjoy the hesitant will-they-won't-they dynamic that permeated each romantic scene in the story.

other than that i loved everything else! daughter of the moon goddess is full of heart, well-realized characters, and an episodic-like plot that culminates into a satisfying conclusion with enough loose ends to leave me eagerly anticipating the last installment in the duology. the writing was ornate while still being grounded enough in its limited perspective that i grew extremely attached to xingyin in a way that's rare for me with this type of imagery-heavy and verbose prose; her drive to succeed being fueled by her love for her mother and her own personal ambitions was a joy to read. what a great fantasy debut!

It just feels so right when a book that looks so beautiful on the outside is just as stunning on the inside. This was a vivid, unputdownable debut which effortlessly whisks us into the celestial realms of Chinese high fantasy. Tan magnificently conjures the romantic yet dangerous dazzle of this immortal world, but never loses track of the shining human heart of her tale. A captivating treat for lovers of Chinese fantasy dramas and newcomers alike.

This book is so rich in world building and strong in character development!! Everything I could ever want in a fantasy book and more! While I am not familiar with the Chinese legend of the moon goddess, this book has me all the more intrigued to learn more about Chinese mythology. The main character in this book, Xingyin, is such a strong and brave female character that I believe will impact readers and leave a lasting impression. The romance was so-so in comparison to the world portrayed in the book. Overall, I strongly recommend this read!

I loved this book! It was so good and I plan to read it again. Xingyin is such a great character. I loved following her journey. I love that it was inspired by the Chinese legend of the Moon Goddess. The cover is beautiful, too. I’m so excited for the next book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Avon, and HarperVoyager for providing me with an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Attempted sexual assault, blood, death, violence.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess follows Xingyin, daughter of Chang’e, who was sentenced to eternal solitude as the moon goddess by the Celestial Emperor as punishment for drinking an elixir that would make her immortal. But when a flare in her magic puts her under the Celestial Empress’s radar, Xingyin flees her home and vows to eventually free her mother. In this first book in The Celestial Kingdom Duology, Xingyin sets off on a dangerous quest that pits her against the realm’s most powerful immortal. She must learn to make tough choices and bear their consequences, all while never losing sight of her mission.

Based off of Chinese mythology, Daughter of the Moon Goddess a beautifully woven and exhilarating tale of magic, family, love, and friendship.

It’s very rare that while reading books, I’ll come across one that just tugs at the heartstrings and leaves me wanting for more. Daughter of the Moon Goddess did just that.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of this year and it did not disappoint. I loved every bit of it - from the beginning to the very end. It has three of my favorite tropes - a badass female warrior, friends - lovers - enemies storyline, and a morally gray villain. I’m usually not a big fan of love triangles, though, but because of the way it’s written in this story, I could tolerate it. And for the three nights that I read this book, I felt fully transported into the world Sue Lynn Tan created.

Xingyin. In some ways, she reminded me of Jude Duarte from The Cruel Prince series. Jude knew what she wanted and would stop at nothing to get it. Xingyin is the same. Though she does waver between her heart and her mind, she always remembers why she even stepped foot into the Celestial Kingdom in the first place. Which brings me to my next point - her relationship with her mother. Oftentimes in fantasy novels, a villainous or dead parent is the protagonist’s motivation. But to see a strong mother-daughter bond be the driving force behind Xingyin’s journey was a breath of fresh air.

And the plot twists. AHA. I could not have guessed at them even if I tried, which is an indicator of just how great the story was written. Also, though the book is on the longer side, Sue Lynn Tan wastes no time diving right into the plot, which made for a more engaging read and left me invested from very early on.

Also, the way the story ends wraps it up very nicely. If I didn’t know better, I never would’ve guessed that there was going to be a sequel to the book.

Also...can we talk about the cover??? Gorgeous. I can't wait to get a physical copy of it.

All in all, I don’t think I’m going to stop talking about this book for a while. This is the perfect debut! And if you haven’t placed a preorder for the book yet, do it. Now.

I will be sharing a mini copy of this review on my Bookstagram/Goodreads, @saras1ibrary this week and then the complete copy again closer to release date. I have been sharing some reading updates of this book while reading it on my IG stories.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins for sending a advanced copy of this my way in exchange for an honest review.

i actually really enjoyed this. I’ve always loved the story of Chang’e and to read a story about her “daughter” was fantastic. The writing was so beautiful and i ended up crying more than once. I can’t reccomend this enough.

The only thing that didn’t make this five stars was the latter part of the book probably could’ve been condensed but I still really enjoyed it.

Huge thank you to HarperVoyager for providing me with an arc through Netgalley! This did not impact my rating nor review.

This has been one of my most anticipated books of the Winter! It releases on January 11,2022 and I highly suggest preordering it!!! This book is going to release around the time the industry expects book shortages, so preordering has never been more imperative!!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess starts off seeming like a standard YA fantasy (note, this is an adult novel, but I do think it has fantastic crossover appeal and is incredibly accessible to a YA audience). The main character, Xingyin, is a young child living on the moon with her mother, The Moon Goddess. One day, the Celestial Empress pays a visit to the moon and warns the Moon Goddess that if she has any visitors or anyone hidden on the moon, she will face dire consequences. This is when Xingyin learns that she has been hidden from the Celestial Emperor and Empress and that her mother is imprisoned on the moon by the Celestial Empire. In order to save Xingyin's life, her mother makes her leave the moon immediately.

The rest of the book follows Xingyin as a young woman, who is also an immortal, and her adventures, challenges, and relationships within the Celestial Empire. It's much more intriguing and action packed than it sounds! There are deep connections between Xingyin, the Prince of the Celestial Empire, and a prolific military captain. The story includes political intrigue, romance, betrayal, deception, DRAGONS, magical creatures, immortals, battles, and much more.

The writing was very atmospheric and beautiful, which made this book stand out from many other fantasy stories. I recommend this for fans of Caraval, City of Brass, Circe, The Bear and the Nightingale, and even ACOTAR (the stories are nothing alike, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess has much stronger writing, but I can see ACOTAR fans enjoying it too!).

I can't wait for this book to release, as the book is stunning and the cover matches the story so so well!

Highly recommended, I gave it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars. This is going to be a huge release of 2022!

TW/CW: very brief attempted sexual assault, use of expressions "falling on deaf ears" and that a was "deaf and blind" to concerns/warnings, battle scenes, off page death of parent(s), betrayal by romantic partner/friend.

I will also be sharing a copy of this review on my Bookstagram, @monstrouslybookish, closer to the release date. I have been sharing some reading updates of this book while reading it, on my IG stories.

My feelings on this novel are somewhat mixed, but overall I enjoyed it a lot! I loved following an immortal main character, and it was really great to see a full cast of Asian characters.

While the last 40% of this book are really intense, engaging, and thrilling, the entire beginning portion was slow paced and dragged on. There wasn’t much plot or character development/exploration during this section, which made it hard to get through. I can barely recall a single event that happens in the first part of this novel. I will say that the world building was excellent, and I think it’s because the author really took the time to give readers information, but for me personally, the easy to understand world might not have been worth the weird pacing issues.

HOWEVER, the last act was truly amazing, it was exactly what I was looking for at this time. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Even though it took me about 5 days to read the first two acts, it only took me a few hours to read the third, that’s how entrapped I was with the finale. The writing was beautiful, the action scenes were incredible, and the drama between characters was riveting. The conclusion is satisfying, and everything that I wanted to happen, happened. I won’t say that the ending wraps everything up with a bow on top, but the author leaving some questions unanswered actually makes a lot of sense for this novel, and I’m happy with where things ended.

I can see how some readers may not be able to reach the third act, but I believe that it is completely worth the read. There are a few things that I wish had been fixed before it reached me, but I would say that the book as a whole was amazing. It's enjoyable, it's entertaining, and if you’re looking for a great fantasy to read next, you should definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.