Actual Rating 4.5 stars

From the moment I saw this book, I knew it was going to be good. I can’t say why, but I had a gut feeling, a whole-hearted faith that I was going to love it, and I truly did.

I wish I had the words to accurately describe exactly what I loved about this novel. Everything was just executed so well from the writing to the characters and the plot.

I can understand the criticism regarding Xinying playing heavily into the strong female heroine role and the repetitive plot points. I was personally captivated throughout the read, and I thought that *overall* the pacing was fine. I will say it read more like YA even though it’s technically adult, but as a YA lover, I didn’t have any qualms about that. I enjoyed the writing style, and I loved the descriptions of all the places and the action scenes.

I really liked the main characters and the roles they played. I loved the themes of family/friendship, freedom, and honor and how that affected each character's motives. While I don’t usually enjoy love triangles, I honestly didn’t mind it in this novel. I like how the romance was handled between the two love interests and how it was woven into the plot.

Overall, Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a captivating and beautiful read. I highly recommend it to fans of fantasy, especially xianxia. I cannot wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I have to admit that I had a really hard time getting into this book. The beginning just didn't hook me like it seems to with so many people. But I'm glad I came back to it and pushed through because it ended up being amazing!

Note: I cannot spell any of their names because I listened to the audiobook!

I think my favorite part of this was how strong the main character ended up being. She was really inspirational in that she learned so much about herself and what she wanted from life. She never let anyone get in the way of who she knew herself to be, even in moments of fear. It was so refreshing to see a strong woman who didn't want or need saving by anyone but herself.

The romance too! I was so set on one particular love interest and the way the betrayal struck me in the heart! The prince annoyed me throughout the majority of the book but I do think he's growing on me! I ended the book being so conflicted about the romance, but like in a good way! I can't wait to see where things go and what kinds of roadblocks the romance creates in the next book!

I also loved the epic-ness of this story. There were so many cultural aspects that I really enjoyed seeing and learning about. It was so beautifully woven into a tale of love and family and identity that it was hard to put down.

If you're a fantasy lover, you'll definitely want to give this one a shot!

Really enjoyed this! I can't wait for the sequel in the summer!

I will update the review with the link to on our blog as soon as I can.

I'd like to thank the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an early review.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is a rollercoaster of an adventure. Xingxin must flee her home and go on a quest across the Celestial Kingdom where she must learn the skills to save her mother. Her mother stole an elixir meant for her husband and is exiled to the moon. Twist was she was pregnant at the time of her exile. This journey has her learning skills alongside the prince. There is betrayal, romance, and hope and it is a great start to this duology. I can't wait for the next one. I want to find out what happens next.

An excellent novel using mythology in a wonderfully new way to tell a beautiful story of strength and courage.

This book retells the story of Chang'e, the moon goddess from Chinese mythology, and her daughter who attempts to set her free.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book because I wasn't a fan of the writing. This book will work well for readers who enjoy flowery, detailed, and metaphorical prose. In an attempt to create an atmospheric feel, it focused too much on the smallest details that didn't add much to the story.

The book also read a bit too young for what I was expecting.

This novel is a retelling of the ancient Chinese myth of the daughter of the Moon Goddess, who is made famous in the West by a Netflix movie called Over the Moon. As a fan of Asian fantasies, this has all the right ingredients to a masterpiece tale. The story was set on the fictional daughter of the Moon Goddess who goes on a journey to free her mother. The story starts out strong. However, once Xingyun leaves her mother, it becomes a very slow journey to meet her mother. This is because of the love triangle that takes up most of the novel.

Without the romance, it would have been much shorter. The romances with the prince and the captain were very weak. They were instant love. There was no natural progression. Therefore, the love triangle was very weak. Xingyun herself was a very weak character and was often a damsel in distress. She had to be saved by men whenever trouble arises. Therefore, I did not think this was a feminist tale as the synopsis suggests.

The good points of the story was the immense world-building that feels very realistic. I also thought it was pretty accurate to the myth though I was wondering why the Moon Goddess’s rabbit was not included in the book because the rabbit plays an important part in the myth. I also think that the writing is very lyrical and is filled with lush descriptions. Thus, I recommend this for fans of To the Sky Kingdom, Descendants of the Crane, and Six Crimson Cranes!

This is a beautifully, detailed story. The struggle of the main character is endearing and helps to drive the story forward. The two main male characters, and the romances are perhaps the weakest part. It is hard to picture how the main character makes time for those feelings with everything else she is trying to achieve.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess follows Xinyin, who is on quest to save her mother, a fantasy that is loosely inspired by the Chinese myth of Chang E. In one word, it was enchanting. The magic adorned each page, the prose lyrical, coupled with the many fantasy tropes of the magical competition, forbidden love, palaces and royals, it was such a charming adventure. There’s barely enough time to catch your breath once the story takes flight, and you can’t help but root for and get emotionally attached to our brave protagonist as she competes and slays dragons.

As a Chinese myself, I felt so seen reading this fantasy debut. Not only was the myth of Chang E, something I grew up with, beautifully woven into the story, but there were so many elements of Chinese culture scattered throughout the book as well like other mythology, the food and much more! Truly, such an immersive and cultural experience.

Overall, Daughter of the Moon Goddess was nothing short of an impressive debut that caught my attention because of its gorgeous cover, and proved its inner beauty and so much more. a charming YA fantasy about one’s love for their family!

Oh My God! This book totally blew my mind! Such an amazing story! Sue Lynn Tan definitely is a master of her craft! I loved the plot, the twists, and the character development. It was beautiful and held my attention in all the right ways. Very excited to read the rest of the series! I would totally recommend this book!

This book was more like three books in one and is not the fast-paced YA novel I was expecting. It was definitely more of an adult / YA fantasy (which is what it was labeled as, so that's on me!) but the worldbuilding and storytelling are masterfully done.

Review I really enjoyed this book! I loved the writing and the world-building in the story and I thought that the author did a really good job of weaving the legend the book was based on into the story. I also really liked the character development and the relationships in the book.

My only problems with this book were its pacing and the love triangle aspect. This book was really fast-paced, which I felt didn’t really fit with the book. For the love triangle, I didn’t really have strong feelings about either ship.

Overall though, this was a great book (with an absolutely gorgeous cover!) and I highly recommend if you love mythology-inspired books!

What a feat in world-building! You really feel like you are there with these characters. The first half is action-packed, so if you pick up a copy of this, buckle up. Overall, this was an exciting read.

I received an advance copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an exquisitely-crafted fairy-tale which draws its inspiration from Chinese folklore and mythology. I am always excited to find fantasy authors using a different pool of references than the tired old medieval-European tropes, and Tan did not disappoint. While I could have done without the romantic sub-plot(s), they didn't diminish my enjoyment of the rest of the novel and seemed consistent with the growth and development of the characters.

I would recommend this to anyone who, like me, yearns for a breath of fresh air with their fantasy novels. Secrets and subterfuge, and the best honest-to-a-fault lawful-good protagonist you'll probably ever read, makes this a memorable experience.

I absolutely loved this book. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.
The world building was perfection. The author was able to create the world and systems with out info dumping or dragging on about everything. The story line was exciting and never lagged. I cannot wait for the next.

I really wanted to like this book. I've recently become more interested in Asian fantasies, but I just couldn't make myself continue this one. I was 47% of the way through and the plot was going no where fast. It is very slow moving and I am not understanding why I should be caring at all about the plot or the characters. I do not understand the hype around this book. It felt almost like a chore to read.

I am appreciative of netgalley for the arc, but sadly this one is just not for me.

Enchanting, lyrical and epic as fuck. The writing is magical, the tale a series of events and challenges and trials, and yet instead of being annoyed by "one damn thing after another," I was engaged and enthralled the entire time. There was something about Xingyin that was so captivating that I binge listening to this over two days (at 2x speed, so not as long as all that). From mythology to grief to courage and fear and friendship and hatred and politics and romance and betrayal, this book literally has it all. And it all works! I cannot wait for book two, wherever that takes me.

As a reader with familial ties to Japanese customs and traditions, I love to be on the lookout for books that represent Asian stories in interesting and personal ways. I have also been on a fantasy journey in 2022 that has lead me to redefine my taste and want to explore the genre further. Therefore, Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan seemed like the perfect book to accomplish both of those things.

Taking inspiration from mythological Moon Goddess Chang'e, we follow her daughter Xingyin as she is sent away from Chang'e. Xingyin then goes through a journey of servitude, befriending the prince, and joining the royal army in an effort to survive and rescue Chang'e from captivity.

So much happens in Daughter of the Moon Goddess that this feels like a duology in and of itself! It took me about half the book to become fully immersed in the world and magic system, but once I was the story truly began.

While I do have some questions about setting and time period, I do think living in the Celestial Kingdom the story is based in (and only occasionally visiting the human realm) became part of its charm. The story doesn't try too hard to ease you into anything, but with Tan's lush and vibrant prose, you feel like the world is ready to greet you in wonder.

I didn't love all of the characters in the story, but did I need to? Not really. The romance also didn't feel necessary, but that may also just be because I don't ready a lot of romance in my books.

Overall, I look forward to continuing the Celestial Kingdom series and think it will only get better from here!

While I really enjoyed reading about the mythology and Xingyin’s journey, I suppose I expected more from the story. It reminds me of a less graphic, fairytale version of The Poppy War. I didn’t expect the army element. I think my own expectations about what I could have been had been so vastly different that I felt a bit… idk, bummed? It has beautiful prose to be sure, but I really wished it slowed down to be more character driven than plot.