Sue Lynn Tan

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.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Aurien Smith

“Some scars are carved into our bones—a part of who we are, shaping what we become."

Souhaila

“You’ll never grow if you only do what you’re good at,” she had said. “The most difficult things are often the most worthwhile.”

“Some scars are carved into our bones—a part of who we are, shaping what we become.”

Jenna-Lee Gordon

I had always thought life was a road, twisting and turning 

with the vagaries of fate. Luck and opportunity, gifts beyond

our control. As I gazed across the endless night, it dawned on

me then, that our paths were forged from the choices we made.

Whether to reach for an opportunity or to let it pass by. To be

swept up with change or to hold your ground.

Laja

“Some scars are carved into our bones— a part of who we are, shaping what we become."

 You'll never grow if you only do what you're good at," she had said. "The most difficult things are often the most worthwhile."

i apparently highlighted that last sentence and was like “[..] i cant believe theres a functional gale in this book” FUNCTIONAL GALE??!?!??!! 

jasmine

“since we had spoken in the willow song pavilion, a coolness descended upon us. had the words exchanged severed the lingering ties between us? or was it the intimacy he had witnessed between wenzhi and me? whatever the cause, liwei was unfailingly courteous but withdrawn. and while this was exactly what i had asked of him before, it left me hollow inside.”

was looking through my highlights/notes while writing my review and found the Quote that made me actually tear up (real) (not clickbait)

“and as i was discovering, there was no end to love—it was something which grew and renewed endlessly, expanding to encompass each new horizon. family. friends. and other lovers, too—none of them the same—yet each precious in their own way.”

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e , in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path—where choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart. 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 Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind. Alone, untrained, 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 Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion 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. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, 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, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

A Novel

Jolien De Landsheer

🌙

howl

Paula Elena

For a book so chonky, I flew through it. Daughter of the Moon Goddess remixes Chinese myth and brings it to new readers. The story follows the titular daughter of the moon goddess, Xingyin, as she descends from her home and adventures to win her mother's freedom from her guilded home on the moon. In the process Xingyin finds herself, growing strong and learning about the realms outside her home. She fights fierce beasts and wins the affection of new friends and potential loves. It is a great read.

Krys C

For a book so chonky, I flew through it. Daughter of the Moon Goddess remixes Chinese myth and brings it to new readers. The story follows the titular daughter of the moon goddess, Xingyin, as she descends from her home and adventures to win her mother's freedom from her guilded home on the moon. In the process Xingyin finds herself, growing strong and learning about the realms outside her home. She fights fierce beasts and wins the affection of new friends and potential loves. It is a great read.



Abdullah

This was so much fun!!! I haven't enjoyed YA fantasy in a long time and this book swiftly ended that horrible streak. The mythology, characters, writing, plot, and even the romance aspect were so good! I loved that the main character, Xingyin, was put into different roles and different challenges. I was surprised to like the romance. The chemistry between Xingyin and the love interests was so good and the love triangle is surprisingly done right, the two main interests are both really interesting with different appealing qualities though I prefer Liwei and Xingyin personally. Stakes wise, I think this could've gone a step higher and this would've been perfect. But regardless, the plot twists, villains, and quests were all really intriguing and fun. I really liked that Xingyin was ambitious and made difficult decisions when there was a need. Honestly, I can't wait to pick up book 2 and I'm just waiting on my Libby hold.

A captivating and romantic debut epic fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

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. 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 duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Oh wow...wowwww. This was absolutely gorgeous all the way through. I genuinely didn't want to put it down from the moment i started it! It's so beautiful and so so well paced, i'm obsessed. So much happens there's genuinely enough content for 2 books here! All of the lore was really cool and just everything was so well thought out and written beautifully! I do wish it was paced a bit better as it kinda was slow to get going and patchy in places but I can’t not give it 5* just for how beautiful the prose is! 

I honestly cannot wait till the 2nd book comes out, I really wanna know what happens next. I loved all the twists and turns and honestly the love triangle was ahhhh! This was just so cool and if its on your tbr rn READ IT!!

Where do I start with this book? It was genuinely one of the best I’ve read so far. The plot was amazing and the characters were so real, you could totally understand & relate to them without any struggle. Their personalities were different & you never knew what was going to happen next ⎯ And don’t get me started on the writing. The way the author describes the world in the story is so ethereal, & you can imagine it with ease. It’s such a good feeling when you’re reading books & you can picture the surroundings without missing any elements. 

I will admit that around the middle part of the book it got a little boring and slow, but trust me when i say that nothing prepares you for that plot-twist that catches you off guard right after. I was NOT expecting it AT ALL. I looked back at all the foreshadowing there was & all I can say is that Sue Lynn Tan is an absolute genius.

Overall, there was almost never a dull moment while reading this book. It kept you excited & wanting to read more throughout every chapter. I’ll definitely recommend it 100%, & I don’t think i’ll be able to stop thinking about it any time soon. I can’t wait to read the 2nd one!

amelie

★★★★★/5 

Where do I start with this book? It was genuinely one of the best I’ve read so far. The plot was amazing and the characters were so real, you could totally understand & relate to them without any struggle. Their personalities were different & you never knew what was going to happen next ⎯ And don’t get me started on the writing. The way the author describes the world in the story is so ethereal, & you can imagine it with ease. It’s such a good feeling when you’re reading books & you can picture the surroundings without missing any elements. 

I will admit that around the middle part of the book it got a little boring and slow, but trust me when i say that nothing prepares you for that plot-twist that catches you off guard right after. I was NOT expecting it AT ALL. I looked back at all the foreshadowing there was & all I can say is that Sue Lynn Tan is an absolute genius.
Overall, there was almost never a dull moment while reading this book. It kept you excited & wanting to read more throughout every chapter. I’ll definitely recommend it 100%, & I don’t think i’ll be able to stop thinking about it any time soon. I can’t wait to read the 2nd one!

Shareca

Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Sue Lynn Tan + 🎧 Audiobook by Natalie Naudus ✨
★★★★★ + 🔪🔪🔪
BR — @snacksreads 🥰

I cannot even explain the depth and breadth of what DOTMG is to me. I will, however, do my utmost to convey what I felt about this beautifully written fantasy novel by Sue Lynn Tan. 😩

After living in seclusion with her mother, Xingyin embarks on a journey to discover life, love, and individuality. DOTMG explores familial relationships, magic, culture, and Xingyin's desire to experience all that immortality has to offer in order to save her mother and avenge her father. As Xingyin travels to discover who she is, save her mother from exile, and ascertain her reason for living, she learns so much about what it means to be mortal and immortal. As she exists as both herself. ✨

The romantic relationships between the characters were well developed — as Xingyin falls in love with two different men in her life, she exhibits a range of emotions and feelings that are very well portrayed — Xingyin’s depth of experience is evident throughout the writing.🫀❤️‍🔥

DOTMG exists in a world that Tan describes extremely well, and the imagery alone is incredible. Among the many things I did not expect was archery and the intensity of war. 💘

I participated in archery for a few years in my youth, it’s my first love sport, and the experience is adrenaline-pumping; it gives you the power described by Xingyin throughout the novel. It makes you feel unlike any other. By using archery, Tan creates a powerful and emotional connection with Xingyin that I treasured and related to. 🏹

The focus of DOTMG is on Xingyin — while following her journey, you root for her, Liwei, and, possibly even Wenzhi, her desire to reach the Celestial Kingdom, her need to know her family's lineage, and her desire to be loved, truly loved. The story of Xingyin is woven with so many interesting plots that will keep you engaged until the very end.

It was a truly remarkable story.

Ivy X

3.8 
This is a whole fantasy cdrama wrapped in a book! 
Action-packed with lyrical writing, I was hooked from the beginning. When Xingyin was Liwei's study companion, I couldn't help but think about the drama "Ashes of Love" -- so many aspects echo in similarity. 

If you are a fan of Chinese fantasy dramas or xianxia stories, this book will be right up your alley. You'll be involved in Celestial Court politics, immortal love and heartbreak, and in journeys to the East Sea/Demon Realm/etc. There are mythical creatures to fight against, dragons to fly on, and friends in both sky, sea, and land to meet. There is so much happening in this book and it was so fun following Xingyin on countless journeys (ALL IN 1 BOOK TOO). The Chinese texts and references to Chinese mythology are beautifully woven into the story. I am excited to read the second book to see how the rest of the story will play out. 

While I flew through this story (reading time of 10 hours), there were some things that I didn't enjoy about this book as well: 
- Lack of growth in characters; most of them are pretty uniform in personality and behavior. For a debut novel, I do think it captured the general essence of the characters well but it would've maybe played better on-screen rather than in text. 
- Xingyin's relationship with her mother feels pretty shallow (from the perspective of the reader). It was hard for me to connect with/understand their relationship and love for one another as we only catch glimpses of them in the beginning and the end (and the moon goddess is just in perpetual sorrow lol)
- There is a love triangle but I found myself not invested in either of the male leads. They seem to be fairly similar: carrying lots of responsibility based on family/status, very skilled in combat, both in love with Xingyin but also not hesitant to put their own ambitions first, easily jealous, etc. I can't tell if it is because I found them both despicable at points or because they lack depth as characters, but I just didn't care too much about the love stories. The dramatic parts of Xingyin attempting to cut ties with Liwei were probably my favorite parts lol (but sis just keep going back LOL). 
 When Liwei says: "I must protect my kingdom and family, however I can. I cannot willfully do anything which might endanger them. I cannot be selfish, no matter how much I want to be." in response to why he willingly agreed to be betrothed to someone else -- I made a note that he will always choose his responsibility/ambition over Xingyin (similarly to Wenzhi at some points too). However, Li Wei pulled a complete 180 at the end so lol maybe not? 
 I def do feel more drawn to Li Wei than Wenzhi because Li Wei had a lot of scenes to build his personality and relationship with Xingyin in this book -- I am excited to (hopefully) see more Wenzhi in the next book because I think we missed a lot of opportunities to learn about him/invest in him. His love story with Xingyin felt rushed, and Xingyin was always pulling a "Joji-Glimpse of Us" on him because she could not get over Li Wei. 

Quotes  
-"Some scars are carved into our bones - a part of who we are, shaping what we become." 

-What use were adventures when there was no one to share them with? 

-Her kindness was a warmth in the winter of my misery. 

-My father slew the suns. My mother lights the moon. 

-"What we do is not a reflection of who we are."

-"You'll never grow if you only do what you're good at," she had said. "The most difficult things are often the most worthwhile." 

-"Ah, Xingyin. Calming your mind is a crucial skill that extends even beyond magic. You are impatient, rash, passionate in your endeavors. You, more than anyone, need to learn how to untether your mind from your feelings. Steady your thoughts and observe, before you plunge ahead. When emotions cloud us, disaster soon follows." 

-Lifting my head, my gaze collided with Captain Wenzhi's, alight with understanding. He was a stranger whom I had met just this evening, but right now he was my only anchor in this raging tempest. I accepted his silent comfort, clutching his fingers--feeling as empty as a discarded wine vessel which had been tipped over, spilling its contents into the uncaring soil. 

-Why was it that the times which called for greatest strength were when we were at our weakest? 

-Was this where all paths to love led? Heartbreak, whether through separation, betrayal, or death? Was the fleeting joy worth the sorrow that came after? 

- It would only have been a brief respite though as what I mourned more than any injured pride was the love we had lost, the future which was no longer ours. 

-I could not tell her to follow her heart. I could not tell her to be selfish. This was her choice to make, though I would gladly support her however she decided. We each had our own burdens to bear and we alone knew their true cost, and whether we could pay it. 

-He lowered his head to mine, our brows almost touching, his breath warm on my skin. "Your dreams will be my dreams, too." 
 Joy coursed through me like the ripples on a pond after a burst of rain. I had thought I was done with love...its breathtaking beauty, its tumultuous agony. 

-A glorious future beckoned on the horizon. Yet I still clung to a shred of my past, as a flowering peach blossom tree yearning for its fallen bloom. 

-If I had learned anything over these years, it was that no one won in a war, not even those who thought they did. 

-Perhaps the blazing, all-consuming passion I had known with Liwei was the headiness of a first love, suffused with the foolish innocence that nothing could tear us apart. For those that came after, one tread a little slower, a little warier - after hearts had been bruised and promises broken. And perhaps, the growing warmth of my feelings for Wenzhi was what all love evolved to. 

-Like her, I had not sought love. My life had been full without it. Yet it had crept up on me, infiltrating my senses like a subtle scent - until I found beauty in a fallen blossom and delight in a thunderstorm. However, the joy it gave me, I repaid tenfold through my sorrow. Even when I believed my heart healed, the scars remained, reopening with no more than a touch from his hand.

-And as I was discovering there was no end to love - it was something which grew and renewed endlessly, expanding to encompass each new horizon. Family. Friends. And other lovers, too - none of them the same - yet each precious in their own way. 

-Titles are inherited, talent might be blood-bound, but true greatness lies within...

oberon vortigern

Straightforward but well executed story, and in the heart of the xianxia stories I grew up with, so I enjoyed it. Probably a 4 or 4 1/2 stars for me.

Amanda

A really good story. A little more drawn out than it needed to be, I think, and the prose is a little too pretty and precious for the story. But overall it was a very enjoyable read. I could easily imagine it being transformed into an epic xianxia drama.

The audio narrator was good, but the writing style didn't lend itself well to the audio format. While the words were prettily put together, they often sounded clunky when read aloud.

Jagoda

So much action it could easily be 3 books 
Rtc

Camila

An amazing retelling of the Chinese legend of the Moon Goddess with a breathtaking and well written setting, a well developed and strong fmc, a lot of action and then you've got a love triangle.😑 

I love folktales and mythology-based novels, and this book delivers on that promise. It's quite good for what it is, and I can't wait to read the sequel! 

ThyThy

Ellen Beathe 

Honestly not a single thing I'd like to change about this book! I liked that it skipped in time so that it wouldn't be boring and meaningless chapters. The plot twist really blew my mind!

Stephanie V. Sather

It's a beautiful debute book inspired by the myth of Chang'e and Houyi that sweeps the reader away as we follow their daughter Xingyin through her perilous journey of trials and tribulations with one sole goal in mind: she must free her mother from her imprisonment. Along the way she makes friends, she lives life, she feels heartache and woe, and happiness and glee. It's a wonderful tale with wonderful characters.

Chariah

YO THIS SHIT WAS SO GOOD I WISH I COULD FUCKING INJECT IT LIKE HEROIN

Marchelle

5/5 Rating. 

"As long as you are mine as I am yours, we have all the time in the world.”

Connor 

There are (many) parts of this where I felt like things went a little too smoothly for our protagonist but also I'm not mad about it? Interested to see what the sequel brings. Also, I am 10000% obsessed with the cover of this book.

Daughter Of The Moon Goddess

This was such a beautifully written book. Involving a wonderful world of immortals, monsters, goddesses and myths. The world building is slow and you don’t really notice it. It is so cleverly done. I adored the romance in this book. And the action scenes were fantastic and kept you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. 

Lucy Howard

anxiouspixie

I absolutely loved this book, finishing this 500 page book in a little over 48 hours. It was mystical and magical, keeping the reader enticed through the many twists and turns of this story. I am excited to read the second part, but this book is great even as a standalone!

Carrington Kinslow

“I had been lauded for my bravery, yet I knew the truth—that I had done these things despite my fear. Because not doing them frightened me more.” 

While this book took quite a while to really pick up, once it did, I was completely enraptured by this phenomenal tale. How is this a debut? Sue Lynn Tan is insanely talented, such a magnificent writer that I can’t wait to keep my eye on. 

The world building was gorgeous and not presented in an info-dump way. Getting to explore the immortal and mortal realms alongside the main character, Xingyin, was fascinating, it felt so lush and tangible. The magic, while a bit underdeveloped, was also intriguing. It was weaved nicely into the story, though it was a bit underused, leaving the ending and the sacrifice Xingyin makes a little… unemotional? I just didn’t feel the weight of it the way the author was clearly going for. The legendary creatures were also such a fun aspect to explore, particularly the dragons. I loved their personalities and I wish they had come into play a bit earlier in the story just to spend more page time with them. Xingyin was a wonderful main character and I thought she had great depth, a super three-dimensional character that I think a lot of people could relate to. She’s feisty, brave, loyal, kind, and determined. But she’s also reckless, naive, quick to anger, and jealous. She’s very real. 

The Chinese mythology was utilized so well and so beautifully. The culture in this was so captivating and through the author’s writing, it was brought to life so strongly. Seriously, Sue Lynn Tan has such a way with words. The plot was developed really nicely, the pacing was good, and the ending is satisfying yet sets up an interesting dilemma for the next book.

And finally, the one thing that most prevented me from giving this book 5 stars. A love square. Xingyin wants Liwei, Liwei is betrothed to another. Wenzhi wants Xingyin, and Xingyin actually kinda wants him back too. Jealous ensues. Yeah. It’s a bit of a mess. It’s really unfortunate, as this book could’ve been 4.5 or 5 stars had the romantic subplot just not existed at all. It’s a rather immature and childish subplot paired with a very mature and complex main plot. It just didn't work for me. I mostly skimmed scenes involving Liwei, because I at least liked Wenzhi. That was a huge disappointment in my opinion, and I hope the next book lets this underdeveloped plot go. For what it's worth though, I’m team Wenzhi!!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess - 4/5 Stars

Megan Lowe

Absolute love!
I loved the premise of this story, I loved the twist on the fairytale, I loved everything.
I loved the cast of characters. I loved the twists and the action. I did think some things happened a little too easily, but it wasn’t anything that detracted.
Can’t wait for the second book!

Jolyn

** spoiler alert **
           So well written! This was most certainly a bigger read than usual, but with all the action, schemes and risks surrounding Xingyin and her adventures throughout the 8 realms, it’s not wonder the novel is so thick.

I absolutely loved the incorporation of the Tale of Chang’e, a folklore I have heard about all my life, and one celebrated every September with mooncakes😍. Sue Lynn Tan beautifully adapted the Chinese myth and created context, background and a storyline around it. 

I must admit however that the romance was always a world wind. We are first introduced to the Celestial crown prince; Liwei, son of the emperor and empress who imprisoned Chang’e on the moon. They have a lovely friends to lovers romance until Liwei is betrothed to the Princess of the Phoenix Realm. We are then introduced to Captain Wenzhi, a powerful celestial army leader. However unexpectedly, Wenzhi is actually the Prince of the Demon Realm. I actually liked Wenzhi in the beginning and was waiting for him to become the new love interest, but when he captured her and locked her in a room it was a big no no for me. Xingyin literally built up her strength and power over the years that she lived in the Celestial Palace and as the First Archer in the Celestial Army. When he took her free will, magic and weapons from her, It felt like a betrayal to everything she worked so hard to achieve, and a massive FU to her character. I don’t know why others view him as Xingyin’s desirable love interest but I absolutely hated his toxicity towards Xingyin. I will always cheer on Prince Liwei as the love interest ❤️

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS is one of those book that gives me mixed emotions by the end. The book reads like a YA, despite being marketed as an adult, and it started off really strong! The world-building was impossible not to love, rich with lore, mythology and beautiful, vivid imagery. This was also possible thanks to the poetic prose, which gave off a perfect fairytale atmosphere, especially in the beginning of the book.

Despite all of these great elements, however, in the long run they felt a bit tiring. The time jumps and dragging middle which seemed to be made up of disconnected “episodes” really didn’t help me enjoy the pacing of the story. At some point, I even lost track of what the plot was to begin with. The events span several years, but we only see few fragments of that time, missing out on character development and bonding. This doesn’t mean that I disliked the characters. Xingyin had many qualities that I admire: her bravery, her devotion to her family and friends, her sense of justice, but she changes quite a lot throughout the story and I wish we’d gotten to see more of it firsthand instead of just seeing the end result. I also really enjoyed Liwei, the prince. His sweet, playful personality drew me in from the first time he showed up on the page, and I really enjoyed his bond with Xingyin. They had few scenes, but their romance was sweet, simple, and it didn’t need many scenes for me to consider it believable. Had theirs been the only relationship in the book, and had this been a book where the romantic element wasn’t prominent, I might have been happy. Alas, despite this book didn’t lack action, most of Xingyin’s inner dialogue revolved around a love triangle—one I found quite underwhelming. I’m not a fan of this trope in general, but I could not stand that the entire relationship with the second love interest, Captain Wenzhi, happened off page! All we get to read are the moments where Xingyin is torn between these two men. Did I have a preference? Yes. Would I have preferred it if I had strong feelings about this love triangle because we actually got scenes meant to influence your opinion? Also yes! Instead, because the scenes became repetitive, I was indifferent by the end of the book.

Was there a great plot twist? Yes there was! But again…I was so indifferent to the characters that it didn’t really help me feel more invested in the story. All in all, it wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t the most engaging book either. The ending is very conclusive and doesn’t leave you hanging, which I appreciate immensely because I’m still not sure I want to read the sequel.

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either. 

The writing style and the beautiful world is something I enjoyed immediately, but the slow start and the sometimes fairytale-ish vibe made me struggle to stay awake while reading this at my usual time before bed. My interest piqued with the entrance of Prince Liwei into the story, and it remained that way throughout the entire part of the story where Xingyin was with him at the palace. There’s just something about his sweet and charming ways that stole my heart. Despite the two year time jump, I was able to enjoy their scenes together and to ship them. 

The same cannot be said about Wenzhi. He comes into the story at around 30% of a story, and most of the build-up between him and Xingyin happens during another time jump, so we see nothing. This made it very hard for me to care about their growing connection, and it didn’t make me enjoy the love triangle at all. Team Liwei all the way! As for the protagonist, I loved her determination and loyalty towards her friends and family, but there were moments where her pride made her feel somewhat childish and petulant.

The middle of the book slowed down a lot, and the story went in a direction that wasn’t interesting me. Liwei and the Celestial court intrigued me, so I couldn’t bring myself to care enough about the adventures Xingyin faced away from it, even if in the end they do serve somewhat of a purpose. In short, for me it was Liwei who carried the book. 

The ending was satisfying, but all things considered I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel, especially since I have a feeling it will lead to more Wenzhi. 

Also, this book is Adult, but it reads a lot like a YA, too, so a large variety of readers could enjoy this.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess

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