5/5 stars
Published by Harper Voyager
Published January 11, 2022
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared 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, powerless, 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 emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, 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—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
every single aspect about daughter of the moon goddess is absolutely gorgeous. from its cover design to its eloquent prose, Sue Lynn Tan has an innate talent to construct a beautiful narrative with enchanting storytelling. dotmg is a reimagining of the story of the moon goddess, an ancient chinese legend that follows chang'e and her ascension to the moon. there are several variations to this story, but all involve her husband hou yi and the ten suns, an elixir of immortality, and chang'e's eventual ascension to the moon. it is during the mid-autumn festival that we celebrate and pray to chang'e, hence the mooncakes! i was told this story by my mother when i was a little girl and always looked for chang'e in the moon. it is this sentimental connection that i have to the original story that allows me to see how excellently crafted dotmg really is. this was a wonderful blend of chinese folklore and fantasy elements. Sue Lynn Tan was able to incorporate not just the legend of chang'e, but the jade emperor and the story of the four dragons as well, making this a tale of epic proportions. i was so impressed by how this story was weaved to encompass elements of my childhood with the romance, adventure, and magic that i revere in a fantasy novel.
i loved everything about dotmg but my favorite part of all was its cast of characters. xingyin, chang'e's daughter, is a phenomenal protagonist. her motivations were so well established and this kept her level-headed, rational, and determined throughout majority of the story. there were parts where she was truly challenged to keep sight of her goals, but these obstacles just reinforced her morals and helped her viewpoint towards concepts such as friendship, family, and love evolve. her personal growth was so wonderful to read about, as this book does take place over the course of several years and involves great distractions and troubles. she becomes such a strong woman by the end and continues to prove how big her heart is.
in addition to xingyin, liwei is so! cute! right off the bat he is introduced as someone who is kind, dependable, and loyal. he is everything xingyin needed at the time of their meeting and i do claim that they are soulmates! he can throw xingyin off balance and ground her in the same breath, challenge her every notion of love and build it right back up. they are twin flames! just as liwei said, their hearts beat to each others.
dotmg reminds me of books such as the poppy war or mistborn in that a portion of it is spent with the characters honing their skills and learning about the magic they harness. this part is always so fun and a great way to introduce the lore of the world. here, it was used to establish the politics of the celestial kingdom, the immortal realm, and exiled nations, as well as to describe the forbidden magic and further incorporate chinese folklore. after xingyin's education was completed, we got to watch her accompany captain wenzhin on multiple missions to takedown mythical beasts. these adventures were epic and so well written. eventually all of our characters get tangled into this massive web of deceit and betrayal that left my jaw on the floor. it was so elaborate and toxic that i was truly blindsided. the plot. exquisite.
in every way that dotmg was magical, it was romantic, witty, and emphasized the importance of family and friendship. i feel like there is so much to be learned from the legend of chang'e and that is highlighted throughout dotmg. this entire book was able to balance the feeling of peace that comes from the security of friendship and family, with the desperation that lies behind losing that security. xingyin experiences a loss of insurmountable proportions but is able to gain a golden opportunity of friendship, love, and power with that loss. she uses this chance to create a future for herself, solely and truly on her own, just as chang'e did to protect herself and her daughter. while there were great sacrifices that had to be made, both xingyin and chang'e learned much about what was important to them in the process and how much they're willing to push to achieve what they knowingly deserve.
this was a beautiful debut novel with such a unique and invigorating concept to match. i am so grateful to have this story and to be able to continue following xingyin's journey in the sequel, heart of the sun warrior. i loved reading this book as a chinese american and having a prior connection to chang'e's story, but you do not need to have that to experience the evocative and heartfelt story that Sue Lynn Tan has written. i also definitely think that this book can be read as a standalone! it covers xingyin's journey thoroughly from start to finish and wraps up in a way that could leave you wanting more, if you so desire it (and luckily we are getting sequel!!). Sue Lynn Tan is a master craftsman and i am so looking forward to reading her future works!
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