This was not what I expected, in a wonderful way. What started out as a story about a sad girl who loses her mother , is sent to live with family friends , faces difficulties so goes to find herself turns into a heartfelt retelling of the maidens daughter. It had an Asian folk lore, fairytale vibe that I loved. The main character Tian , her best friend, among other things Liya and Tian’s number two Shenyu have the kind of relationships that will keep readers engaged. The plot was interesting, had just the right amount of twists and little extras that made it not your average retelling. Will definitely be reading more by this author.
I was able to read this as an eARC from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and thank you to the publisher Macmillian Children’s Publishing, Roaring Book Press

Feral fantasy at its best mysteriously and suspenseful leaves you guessing while things get crazy ! Romance and thriller all in one what an awesome read !

This isn't really my genre, but I branched out. I rally enjoyed the setting, the lore, and the characters. Great character development and a really intriguing backstory but it just didn't catch my attention and wasn't something I really enjoyed.

Anyone who has read more than a few YA inspired by Asian myth has likely encountered some retelling of the daughter of the Celestial Maiden, this dark horror/romance interpretation is different enough from the rest that I found it interesting. Part of the backstory is told almost as a story within a story; told in a fairytale-like style parallel to the action of the main thread. Tian, Liya, and Shenyu are all fascinating characters in their own way and the dynamics of their relationships and the way those relationships change are fun to follow. There is an interesting fusion between Chinese folklore, gothic-style horror, and youthful romance in this short novel that should absorb readers of any of these genre. Though the original description that I saw categorized this as a standalone, there are some references that seem to link back to another story, not in such a way that I couldn't follow but since I enjoyed this story so much, I think that I'll be looking to read the prior one too.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group - Roaring Brook Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.