5 Reasons to read Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Hi!!

Today I’m here to give you five reasons why you should read the Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. Reading this book felt like watching a Chinese Fantasy Drama; it certainly made me want to see it adapted to a series. The Celestial Kingdom, first love, secret identity, and a terrible twist made this an unputdownable book.

With all this said, it’s time to see what lies hidden in this book.

About the Book

Title: Daughter of the Moon Goddess • By: Sue Lynn Tan

Publishing on: 20 Jan 2022  • By: HarperCollins UK

Pace: Medium • Pages: 500 • Age: 15+ • Rating: 3.5/5

Duology: The Celestial Kingdom Duology #1 • Genre: YA Fantasy

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Song: When the Love Falls by Yiruma

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess.

A young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm, setting her on a dangerous path where those she loves are not the only ones at risk…

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when her magic flares and her existence is discovered, Xingyin 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 train in the Crown Prince’s service, learning to master archery and magic, despite the passion which flames between her and the emperor’s son.

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, where 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, of loss and sacrifice — where love vies with honour, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

ADD TO GOODREADS

I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins UK courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Mood board

Not everyone’s past was a path through sunlit fields. We each had our own corners that we preferred to leave in the shaodws.

Rep: South East Asian (MCs and SCs)

➼ A picturesque world brought to life

I had to check twice if this book was a debut or not because it was wonderfully written. Though sometimes the monologues would stretch to pages, I found the writing very appealing and befitting the tone of the book. I had no trouble picturing the Celestial Kingdom and the moon palace because of the lush descriptions.

➼ Complicated First Love

Xingyin didn’t have any plans to fall in love with the Crown Prince when she stepped into the Jade Palace. Her only goal was to find a way to bring her mother out of her exile, which was why she needed to be in the palace. She and Liwei were good friends, initially, but as they spent time, they grew closer and developed feelings for each other. But the problem here was Xingyin was pretending to be a nobody and Liwei was a Prince, so basically their relationship was forbidden. I was rooting for them. They had a connection and could communicate easier. But to see them play the push-and-pull game till the end gave me whiplash. After a point, I was done shipping them because the story was moving in another direction, and then the ending caught me off guard. In short, you will be wishing to see these characters get their happy ending.

➼ Dragon Quest

I love reading about dragons in books. When this story felt like it was taking a different direction and almost made me lose interest in the book, there was one thing that caught my attention. There’s a small dragon quest and history around them tied to this world. While many stories have depicted dragons as vicious, fiery beasts, this book painted them as friendly ancient creatures who were harmless and wanted to be left alone. If you are all for talking dragons and dragon rides, then this is your book.

➼ Don’t miss this Retelling

This year has been a year of retellings. This book is a retelling of the myth of the Chinese Moon Goddess, Chang’E. There are many versions of this myth but in this story, she was a mortal who became immortal by drinking the elixir which was meant for her husband. She was exiled to the moon and separated from her husband immediately by the Celestial Emperor. The story begins here, focusing on Chang’E’s secret daughter. Though this story is a retelling of the myth of the Chinese Moon Goddes, as the title suggests it focuses on her daughter and how she battles through obstacles to free her mother. It’s a refreshing retelling with charming characters that’ll never bore you for sure.

➼ A magic system that’s put together differently

In this book, one’s lifeforce is the core of the magic and it’ll determine how strong or weak they are. Stronger lifeforce means casting stronger enchantments, which is a useful weapon an immortal can possess. The stronger one becomes, they can develop a Talent such as channeling sky-fire (lightning wielded by immortals), fire magic, healing, or other elements. I found this extended form of elemental magic quite fascinating and well contained in the plot.

There is a lot more happening in the book which I don’t want to speak without spoiling anything. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is genuinely a great debut with promising characters and premise. A debut Fantasy that you should be looking out for in 2022. I’m going to continue the duology and am excited to read more works by this author.

I also hope that these five reasons were enough to convince you to add this book to your TBR.

TW // Murder, Deaths, Blood, Gore

About the Author

Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy novels inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in London and France, before settling in Hong Kong with her family. Her debut Daughter of the Moon Goddess will be published by Harper Voyager in January 2022, with a sequel to come.

Website

Let me know in the comments some of the 2022 debuts that you can’t wait to read.

“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.”

―  Maya Angelou