Looking to mix up the books I read, I’ve recently ventured into the fantasy genre. I’ve particularly been enjoying tales based on mythology such as Circe, Ariadne and Elektra.
I like how these books focus on the female perspective and so when I heard about Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, I was instantly intrigued by it.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the debut novel by Sue Lynn Tan and was published in 2022. Rather than being based on Greek mythology, this book is inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess.
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Plot
Xingyin has spent all of her young life living on the moon with her mother, the moon goddess. She is accustomed to being alone with her mother, not realising that they were banished there by the powerful Celestial Emperor. This life of solitude was issued as punishment against her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality The Celestial Emperor has no idea of Xingyin’s existence as he believes her mother is living completely alone on the moon. However when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered and she is forced to flee her home and leave her mother behind, completely alone.
Xingyin has no knowledge of life outside the quiet existence with her mother and, with no one to turn to, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom. She disguises her true identity and wins the opportunity to train alongside the emperor’s son, learning to master archery and magic. She plans to use her skills to free her mother from her confinement on the moon but the path to victory is not a smooth one.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess Book Review
As I mentioned earlier I don’t read much in the fantasy genre but since I’ve learnt to broaden my reading horizons I’ve found so many books I’ve enjoyed. This is definitely one of them. I’ve not read anything based on Chinese mythology before so I found it really interesting.
It was beautifully written, the prose was lyrical and the characters and their surroundings were vividly described. I liked Xingyin as a character. She was bold and courageous and I admired her commitment to saving her mother.
It had everything you could want from a fantasy novel – mystery, romance, intrigue and even dragons. I found the love triangle was done well, although I didn’t particularly warm to either of her love interests. I didn’t find the twists particularly shocking but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book. It did feel a little like I was reading a YA book but it’s hard to pin down the reason why. Perhaps it was the romance element and some parts of it were just a little too “twee” for me.
The audio version was well narrated by Natalie Naudus. I found she added excitement to the story without detracting from the writing.
It was fun, enjoyable escapism and I’ll be looking forward to reading the second book.
Has Sue Lynn Tan written any other novels?
Sue Lynn Tan has written the three books in the Celestial Kingdom series:
- Daughter of the Moon Goddess
- The Heart of the Sun Warrior
- Tales of the Celestial Kingdom
What should I read after Daughter of the Moon Goddess?
I’d recommend reading all the books in the Celestial Kingdom series if you haven’t already. The Heart of the Sun Warrior is the conclusion to the duology, while Tales of the Celestial Kingdom is a compilation of stories from before, during, and after the events of the first two books.
If you’re a fan of reading mythology, you might also be interested in these Greek Mythology retellings:
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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. For more information please see my disclosure policy.