This book was everything I wanted it to be. Rich with cultural elements, gorgeous writing, characters you can really fall in love with, and a story that sweeps you away. I laughed, cried, and gasped so many times while reading. I had so many emotions that I had to stop reading at some points just to process my thoughts.

There are not enough words for me to express how much I loved this story. While there was romance, the main love story was the love Xingyin has for her mother and how she will do anything to set her free. Liwei is a royal who does not act the typical way a spoiled royal would. He is kind from the beginning, and I loved their relationship. Wenzhi is a hard but caring general who really takes Xingyin under his wing. I adored these characters, and after some twists and major turns, my heart ripped out and stomped upon, Sue Lynn left me wanting more and more.

I can’t wait for more. My heart needs it.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

This novel is a retelling of the Chinese myth of the moon goddess Chang’e, but really with a focus on her daughter. I’m not a huge fan of how literal the title is, but I do think that it highlights one of the things I loved most about this book, that main character Xingyin is consistently motivated by her love for her mother and the desire to set Chang’e free from her imprisonment on the moon, which drives and sustains her through the difficult choices she makes as a female warrior with a talent for archery. I think she’s a heroine I found myself rooting for as a result. There is a love triangle (that is actually very well done and doesn't feel overly cliche) and a lot of swoony romance, but I appreciated that Xingyin was driven by familial affection and duty first and foremost.

Tan’s writing in this debut is lush and atmospheric. There’s a bit of world-building involved and the magic system can sometimes feel a bit vague, but I did really love most of the details she lingers on in establishing the Celestial Kingdom as a setting. I’d say that tonally, the first-person perspective in this book reminded me faintly of Madeline Miller’s in Circe, lyrical and solemn-- which is my favorite kind of writing!

Was this book as jam-packed as an Asian historical-fantasy drama? Yes. Did I thoroughly it and find it entertaining? Yep! As a few other reviewers have pointed out, a lot happens in this book. Every chapter it sort of feels like you’re being hurtled along from one new arc to another. But I didn’t find this to be particularly jarring; after the slower start of the first few chapters, it was really hard to put the book down.

I feel the book ends in a solid place and could stand alone, but there is a sequel to come so I’m curious to see how Xingyin’s story will continue!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess has one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen. The descriptions of the world, the clothing and the food were also beautiful but sadly the plot and the characters fell a little short for me.

I cannot believe this is the author’s debut book! I loved every second of this book, from beginning to end, the world building was amazing and the writing was so descriptive and beautiful. I will be recommending this book to everyone who loves reading about legends and myths being retold. I can’t wait to get my hands on a hard cover copy, and for the second book!

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan.

Going into this read I did not know what to expect. I had vague knowledge of the myth of Chang'e, but Daughter of the Moon Goddess expanded on the normal narrative in such a beautiful way.

The story starts off with the main character living on the moon with her mother, not knowing much about the history which led them both to be confined there. Xingyin starts looking for more answers to her unkown father and why they are alone on the moon. With the visit of the Celestial Empress her safe world is shattered and she is forced to flee.

This kicks off a roller coaster of adventure involving forbidden love, monsters, betrayal and ultimately sacrifice for the better of the world. The writing was beautiful and the story was definitely arresting, as I could not put the book down!

I would recommend this to fans of Elizabeth Lim, Julie Kagawa and anyone looking for that fairy tale book that explores something a little less well known. Cannot wait for this book to hit shelves! And that cover is GORGEOUS!!!

One of my most anticipated reads! I love this book! The Legend of Chang'e has been a wonderful Chinese mythology that captivated me since young and I love that Sue Lynn Tan has a retelling! Her writing prose is just lovely. I love the captivating world she's built. I can't wait to read more of her work!

I.. WHAT IS THIS BOOK?

I knew I wanted to read this based purely on the book cover and the fact that it was inspired by the legend of Chang'e. I knew it had a lot of potential to be good.. but I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster it took me on.

5/5

Seriously amazing journey, amazing characters, amazing world building... I want to live in this world.

Also... I DON'T EVEN LIKE LOVE TRIANGLES BUT I LOW KEY LOVED THIS? Its not even the main focus (which thankgoddness) but its done so well that your heart just swells and breaks with every interaction.

So much happens in this book that I cannot believe there will be another.. I also cannot wait for it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.. I feel blessed to have experienced this book early and not having to wait until 2022.

Love, love, love this book. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, just stunning. And the story, especially so close to Mid-Autumn when celebrate the moon Goddess, is amazing. The world building and the characters were so good; I was immersed in the story immediately. If you liked Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch, you should love this. A lot of the same tropes and elements, but with Chinese mythology.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for granting me an e-arc!

First of all, I am absolutely in LOVE with this beautiful cover!
This retelling of the moon goddess, Chang'e is just a stunning debut novel.
It did take me a bit to get through the first two parts, but I enjoyed the last part the most with its exciting twists and turns. I loved how much the heroine, Xing Yin grew up throughout the book. The novel also introduces some side characters that I adored.
This is definitely an enchanting and romantic tale and it reminds me greatly of dramas set in Ancient China, this novel made me feel transported in one of those dramas! I also enjoyed that Xing Yin worked so hard to find a way to free her mother from her imprisonment. It was heartbreaking to read what trials and tribulations that Xing Yin had to go through, but Xing Yin had so much loyalty and courage to save her family.

I cannot wait for the second book to see what will happen next for Xing Yin!
(I forgot to add that it's also great and refreshing for me to read about an immortal protagonist as it's not something that I've personally read or heard about)

First I love that this is a retelling of a myth - and the premise is super interesting to me. However, I really could not connect with the main character at all. There were places in this book where I wanted more detail or explanations about what was going on. I felt like I was confused in certain parts, and things were just glossed over. I really wanted to love this, but really couldn't get in to it.

Than you to Netgalley and the publishing house for a chance to read an ARC of this book!
First off, I just want to scream about THIS COVER. It is the most gorgeous cover I have ever seen, and I instantly added it to my must read the second I saw it. Like the cover, Sue Lynn Tan’s debut is gorgeous and breathtaking. The world building is well-developed and lush, the prose exquisite and captivating. I found myself holding my breath throughout the entirety! Xingyin is an incredible protagonist who I lived and died by on every page! I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, when I was reading the author bio, I noticed that the author was born in Malaysia but later settled in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is where my parents grew up before immigrating! I don't think I've ever read a book by an author with that connection before. Anyway, I truly believe that there should be more #ownvoices books in the YA fantasy genre featuring protagonists of Asian descent. Thus, I am so happy to support this book. Thank you again to the publisher for this opportunity!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan is an exciting YA fantasy with plenty of action, romance, betrayal, and political intrigue. The story revolves around Xingyin, the daughter of the Moon Goddess. One day, Xingyin discovers that her mother has actually been imprisoned on the moon. Punished for a crime and separated from her lover, her mother isn't supposed to have a child. Xingyin enters the Celestial Kingdom in disguise and meets the Celestial Emperor who banished her mother to the moon. She befriends the Crown Prince and later joins the Celestial Army in hopes of one day freeing her mother from imprisonment.

Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 1:

"It was years before I realized that my mother, who dried my tears when I fell and straightened my brush when I wrote, was the Moon Goddess. The mortals worshipped her, making offerings to her each Mid-Autumn Festival—on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month—when the moon was at its brightest. On this day they would burn incense sticks for prayer and prepare mooncakes, their tender crusts wrapped around a rich filling of sweet lotus seed paste and salted duck eggs. Children would carry glowing lanterns shaped as rabbits, birds, or fish, symbolizing the light of the moon. On this one day a year I would stand upon the balcony, staring at the world below, inhaling the fragrant incense which wafted up to the sky in honor of my mother."

Overall, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an amazing YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim or She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. Part 1 of this book reminded me of Six Crimson Cranes because it was more focused on Xingyin disguising herself, infiltrating the court, and befriending the Crown Prince. Part 2 reminded me of She Who Became the Sun, because Xingyin joins the Celestial Army and learns to master the art of fighting. One highlight of this book is the stunning prose that is filled with cultural details and imagery, which can be seen in the excerpt above. I felt like I had been transported into another world. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy books in general, I highly recommend checking out this book when it comes out in January!

Stunning. Perfect. Breathtaking. Original. Sue Lynn Tan is one to watch! Her prose is lush, intricate, and deliciously descriptive.

Her plot doesn't feel like it's of this world, but a true classic that has been handed down through the ages.

I have not enough eloquent words to describe how much this book has impacted me, but please, read it. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

A truly lovely book. The first 30% was a bit slow, with some repetitive storylines and narration from our lead character. But after that, I greatly picked up, moving along with a mystery reveal I did not see coming. I look forward to the second book in the Duology; particularly since this was quite a standalone book with enough threads to be pulled for the follow up. Definitely a writer to be on the lookout for.

Daughter of the Moon Goodess by Sue Lynn Tan is a beautifully crafted story that demonstrates Tan's masterful grasp of world-building through imagery. Our female lead Xingyin is on a quest to free her mother Change'e, the Moon Goddess, from her eternal imprisonment by the Celestial Emperor. On the way, she develops friendships and bonds that are put to the test by outside influences as well as difficult decisions. Oftentimes, I found myself mired in the descriptive details that didn't seem necessary for moving the story along. While I understand the importance of kimonos in Japan, I'm not quite as clear on robe significance in China; also, it feels excessive in this story to focus on cloth patterns and jewelry when the story is about the quest. Another disappointing aspect was Xingyin's romantic relationships. While it was clear that both developed over a course of time and series of events, but they still felt superficial - possibly because of the formality of the interactions. Overall, a nice read but the flowery language got in the way of what should have been a basic adventure/hero's journey story.

As you all know, I was really excited for this one. After seeing the cover I instantly fell in love. I’m not going to lie, I’m disappointed I didn’t love this one as much as I had hoped. There isn’t anything wrong with the book but I just don’t mesh well with the writing style and it reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Lim’s books which I had a hard time with too. Obviously there will be a lot of people who don’t have this issue so I think you should still try it out!

The book is told from one point-of-view, Xingyin. She has grown up isolated from the world as she shares a palace on the moon with her mother and a couple servants. The setting does change throughout the book and because of that we also see how much Xingyin changes and grows. She is a very strong woman!

Besides quests for freedom and other plot twists along the way, there is a hint of romance as well but it really is a hint. It’s not a large part of the story so if you want more than this book may not be for you. I did like the journey between the two characters as its friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers again.

The book does end with no cliffhanger so I’m not sure what the sequel will be about and if it will have the same characters. Maybe it will be more like a spinoff? I don’t know if I would pick it up just because I do have a harder time with the writing.

Overall, this was good but just not for me. I know that there will be many fans of this one and I can see it doing quite well especially if you like the author Elizabeth Lim.

A stunning retelling of legend of Chang'e. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the perfect blend of whimsy and ferociousness, with twists and turns that will tug at your heartstrings.

I can't believe this is Sue Lynn Tan's debut novel this s seriously impressive. Daughter of the Moon Goddess deserves a huge amount of hype and i really hope it gets it!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Xingyin is the secret daughter of Chang’e and Houyi, living sheltered on the moon and protected away from the Celestial Imperial Court as her mother lives out her exile for taking Houyi’s immortality elixir. When their safety is threatened, Xingyin is sent to live in the Celestial Kingdom under a secret identity, where she learns to master her powers as she swears to free her mother. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a story of love and loyalty: for her friends, her mother, and most importantly, herself.

This story is told in 3 parts: falling in love with Prince Liwei, his betrayal and her journey to make a name for herself, and her final task. This story honestly left me breathless as each moment left me in so much pain and I wanted more. I am weak for angst, and it was woven into the storyline to be so intriguing, and yet never do you feel pity for Xingyin. She always uses these moments as teaching lessons to grow as a character without losing sense of who she was. Her character development was gradual, but it was a delight to see her grow into herself. Her relationship with Liwei was not as gradual, and I enjoyed watching their friendship turn into something more as their interactions and banters always made my heart melt. Liwei was a cinnamon roll for Xingyin, but honestly, I would be weak for her as well.

I can’t express how much I adore Xingyin. She starts off with no control over her new-found powers, and puts up with being abused by the lady she attends in order to survive. We understand her motivation and reasoning behind her every move and it’s so refreshing to see that she sees her own value without debasing other girls. Most of the time when reading about bad-ass girls, I am often left wondering where the humility is. I like girls with confidence. I just wish that confidence didn’t come from disrespecting other girls, where sometimes I feel like I have been looked down upon as well. With Xingyin, every moment of hers was also my own. I cried for her, I wanted justice for her, and she is everything I would want in a role model.

The world-building is complicated. Although the author described the setting in detail, it may be difficult for those unfamiliar with wuxia films and novels. The concept of flying on clouds and the imperial court is more common in Asian media, but not quite so much for a western audience. Regardless, the world is incredibly immersive and shouldn’t be too difficult an obstacle to overcome.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a stunning take on the Chang’e legend, about reflecting on one’s self-worth, and the risks one must take to achieve their dreams. This quickly became my favorite read of 2021, so it was a huge surprise to see that this is author Sue Lynn Tan’s debut novel. I can’t wait for the sequel!

This gorgeous cover is what initially pulled me in and I’m so happy to say that the story was just as gorgeous. Tan paints a fantastic world inspired by Chinese mythology and takes a spin on the Moon Goddess, Chang’e. Xingyin, the daughter of Chang’e, is forced to escape the comfort of her home and is thrown into Celestial Kingdom when her mother fears her being discovered. Leaving the only home she’s ever known, Xingyin must work her way up to earn the Celestial Emperor’s favor in hope of freeing her imprisoned mother. Along the way she finds love and discovers her own power.

The Daughter of the Moon goddess is magical and so enchanting. Every detail is like a poem. Xingyin is relatable and so clearly affected by the other characters around her while still holding her ground and fighting for what she believes in. I feel that what makes Xingyin such a great character is that, although she is young and still learning, she never loses sight of what’s most important to her. She cares about those around her while still putting herself first and making sure she finds her own happiness along the way. I feel many young people would find comfort in her character.

The story is so romantic, from Xingyin’s relationships to the details describing every scene. Tan brings in the perfect balance of young love, action, and adventure.

I loved this book. I felt for Xingyin every step of the way. Some scenes between her and Liwei really hit home for me.

I’d recommend this book for young adults and adults alike, whether you need a story of strength and determination or if you just want something comforting.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC.

Thank you so much netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc!
This book was such a comfort and a utter joy to read.
I really like the worldbuilding, and how the author can create a world that has the capability of making us vicariously live through it. I feel like the introduction was a bit too slow-paced for me. The characters are fairly interesting.
Henceforth, it was quite a good read.