Acquire Today Daughter Of The Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology, #1) Formulated By Sue Lynn Tan Supplied As Audiobook
of the Moon Goddess is my debut novelinspired by the beloved legend of Change, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young womans quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.
It is an enchanting and romantic fantasy of immortals and magic, of loss and love,
A few things you will find in the story:
Chinese mythology amp legendary creatures
Fierce female warrior fighting for her family
A gentle prince amp a ruthless soldier
FriendsLoversEnemies.
. .
I believe Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a crossover between Adult and older YA, Content warnings include: violence, blood, gore, alcohol consumption, death, separation, attempted assault brief, kidnapping, bullying,
Thank you so much for reading this! I am both excited and a little nervous at the thought of the book going out into the world.
You can also find me on Instagram or Twitter at suelynntan, where I share most of my key updatesor through the contact form on my website: sitelinkwww.
suelynntan. com Reread As far as I know this is still,, I fell asleep a few times like I do when an audio is on, Sigh, I wanted to make sure before the next book, Its pretty bad when you read so many books you cant remember how you felt and I read this not long ago!!! I think I might get more out of them memory wise when I actually read instead of listen
Mel
Yay!! I loved it.
Stars
I love this books cover, the original and the Fairyloot edition, I better love this book because wait until you see this beautiful edition Fairyloot has given us this month!! I CANT EVEN!
My Blog With The Goods:
sitelink blogspot .
Mel Nothing like starting off the new year with a very anticipated read and, . well, not hating it, but this took a lot of willpower to push through over the course of the first few days ofand honestly, with the exception of one plot point, I did not enjoy.
. any of this
This is a long book, see above page count, however the problem was it also felt long.
The beginning especially seems to go on forever with very little happening and also a very strange sense of time passage within the story itself.
And considering how things started, and all the urgency that kicks off the story, well, . it dissipated as quickly as my New Year diet resolutions,
And I think overall that's my issue with the whole story, The sense of forward motion, of urgency, of our main character's dedication to saving her mother totally vanishes into the mundane doldrums of a whole other different story.
And it's only near the end that she suddenly seems to phase back into that main concern, Yes, she was working towards a thing that she maybe could use to her advantage but, . I don't know. This felt like three different books in one and not in a good way,
As for the romance, well, I appreciated what the author tried to do with this love triangle, which was a more mature way of handling the usual YA fallback, however, at the same time, it didn't work for me.
And I worry about what awaits us in book two in that regard, Though. . I don't think I'll be reading it,
Normally I'm full of second third, fourth, fifth, . chances for authors, particularly debuts, but nothing in this writing was passionate, Or compelling. Or enthralling. It was lovely at times but honestly it was pretty dry, Again, where was the urgency, the tension, the stakes, and, yes, the passion, Hell, emotion of any kind, I felt nothing, no matter how hard I tried, Sadly this read likely tripled my screentime for the month because I kept putting it down, . which, yeah, added to the time it took me to finish but goodness I took any excuse to look away.
Again, this is a huge disappointment as I fell in love with this cover months ago and thought it sounded utterly captivating and unique.
But for me It wasn't it, As always, of course, don't just take my word for it I highly encourage you to check out other reviews as this low rating is but a drop in the current rave review ocean.
I received an ARC from the publisher thank you! in exchange for an honest review,
This review can also be found at sitelinkA Take From Two Cities, Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!
This book is one that I was eagerly anticipating, and my god did it live up to my hopes.
Taking inspiration from Chinese Mythology, this story is a wild celestial adventure full of many twists and a whole lot of magic.
I knew from reading the very first page that I'd enjoy this one, The writing captivated me immediately, and it seemed only natural to ease into such a rich and colourful world, I loved learning about this world, especially how the legends and history would intersect, and discovering everything along with Xingyin proved an interesting perspective, having been isolated in one place her entire existence so far.
Having her learn how her world was interconnected with the lives of those elsewhere proved a smooth way to build the world without being overwhelming.
Paired with Sue Lynn Tan's beautiful writing, I found myself just really enjoying sinking into this story each time I came to read.
The story itself is one that's quick moving, with endless amounts of magic and monsters to keep the pages turning.
Not to mention the relationships wow did it make things intense! I'm not usually one to be caught between a love triangle, but the rising tension brought to the surface each time Xingyin was near danger was just too addictive to not get sucked in.
Even the family dynamics, and the conversations surrounding what you inherit from your parents and how their actions impact generations to come, added a layer of tension to the story that was inescapable.
Watching these characters try to figure out what's right vs their own desires proved to be an endless tugofwar that you couldn't help wanting to see the outcome of.
I really loved this one, and I'm certain many others will adore it too, I already can't wait for the sequel! Fantastic story! I'm rarely caught by surprise by plot twists because normally I can see the foreshadowing from afar, especially if it's a retelling or inspired by mythology.
Nonetheless, "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" managed to surprise me, There was one Big Twist I didn't see coming, and so was mad at, but in a good way because I'm like that, I celebrate when an author cleverly fools me and catches me off guard.
Bow to Sue Lynn Tan for pulling it off,
I am a declared hater of love triangles, Mostly because I detest them on principle and for the drama amp angst they bring to the story, but also because in the quite rare cases I've been able to tolerate triangles for the sake of the plot, the chosen lucky bastard is usually not the one I favour for the main lead to end up with.
I was made to suffer for my preference of character in this book, but fortunately not everything was killed in the bud, and I'm so looking forward to what is to come.
No, I can't name which character I'm favouring, as it'd be a huge spoiler, but once you read the book, you'll easily see who it is.
The worldbuilding of this book is credible without being overdone or underdone, no complications and excessive descriptions, It's mostly at court, but with incursions around so you can be shown the world the Immortals inhabit, If you know nothing about Chinese mythology, you'll still both understand and identify the references because it all trickles in at correct doses for you to get an idea about how things work in the universe of Chinese immortals.
I am not familiar with their folklore beyond knowing Chang'e was the Chinese goddess of the Moon, but at no point did I feel lost or confuses.
It's easy and readable.
I'm also pleased with the fact that, for once, it's the male character that is the Good Boy whilst the female lead is.
. . well, complicated. But lovable. Does this mean the era of hot jerks that dominate Fantasy and YA is coming to a close and we'll be seeing more and more upright, good boys but still hot Still, I am also pleased by the prospect of seeing a properly done redemption arc in the next book for a certain someone.
Audiobook read I loved this so much! Full of action and adventure and romance, I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a new YA fantasy world to fall into! YOU HAD ME AT MOON PRINCESS OKAY
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!
Ah yes, yet another ARC I read after it was released.
In my defense, I did actually start it before it came out,
I was so freaking excited about this book when I found out about it, First of all, Change is one of my favorite Chinese myths out of the admittedly small number that I know.
Second of all, a female warrior protagonist And an Ancient Chinese fantasy aesthetic setting Yes,
In reality, I was a bit disappointed,
I was expecting something so immersive and exciting, and while this book started out that way, it didnt last and it wasnt strong enough for me to really get that experience.
The plot follows Xingyin, the daughter of Change, the Moon Goddess, Her mother has been imprisoned by the Celestial Emperor for becoming an immortal, and when the Celestial Army threatens her mother, Xingyin is forced to flee from the palace of the moon.
She lands herself quite literally in enemy territory, falling into the Celestial Kingdom itself, She earns a position as the Crown Prince Liweis companion, training alongside him in all things, From there, she struggles to find a path back to her mother while navigating the romance between herself and the Prince.
I was honestly expecting more from the storyline, I wanted something more actionpacked, more intense, I wanted to feel more emotions about the events of the book, But I just couldnt.
Too many things in the story were just too obviously rigged, It felt like they were there to keep things going without much real intrigue, There were so many time skips where Xingyin just says something like, “The next two years I spent by his side”, or, “I spent my time training and the months flew by.
” I dont want detailed depictions of every day, but this felt too much like the author trying to get to specific parts of the plot with minimal effort.
The part where Xingyin enters the competition to become Liweis companion should have been so much more tense.
A competition that, according to Xingyin, could change the course of her life but it only took up a few pages
The events of the competition were so quick and way too easy that it was almost laughable.
It was set up for Xingyin to win from the beginning, and that took away any excitement I as a reader had about that scene.
“I was no longer a child willing to drift with the tide I would steer against the current
if I had to.
And if I won, by some miraculous stroke of luck, I would never be helpless again, ”
Honestly, my main issue was Xingyin, Her decisions were what got her into this mess, “Oh, its the energy that my mother told me not to reach for! It can't be that bad, Im going to reach for it!” I can understand her going into a rebellious teenager phase, but this one random instance just once again felt set up in order to advance the plot.
Half of her problems were caused by her own stupid decisions, “Oh no, I have to join the Celestial Army now!” But technically she doesnt because she could have just left at that point if she wanted to, and she only stayed out of a sense of obligation and because she was in love.
She as a character was very compelling, but her narrative wasnt that exciting, I really enjoyed her development, and I loved the way she grew as a person through the book, but I didnt feel a strong connection with her and therefore wasnt as invested in her perspective.
I liked that she was stubborn, and ambitious, and held herself to a high standard, but I feel like she as a person could have been developed so much more.
I was fully prepared to enjoy her character and didnt get to do that as much as I wanted to.
“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.
”
Liwei was an interesting character, but I liked him a lot better when he was first introduced compared to him later on.
It felt like, instead of getting more fleshed out as Xingyin got to know him, he just gradually became more and more bland compared to his first impression.
Honestly, he felt like a lot of other characters in a lot of other books, He was the Crown Prince who wasnt interested in his responsibilities or betrothal arrangements, and all he wanted to do was paint and spend time training, but when it really came down to it he was invested in the good of his kingdom.
“I do care," he ground out, "Despite my sense, my judgement and honor I cannot help but care, ”
Wenzhi was very interesting but felt a little bit cliché as well, He was the famous army man who was known for his skill and had a distaste for the court he served.
He was tough but understanding and had a very mentor vibe to him but then had a hidden romantic side.
I thought he was interesting when he was introduced, being a powerful captain and seeming important to the story, but I stopped really paying attention after a few chapters.
The romance was okay, but it just didnt feel interesting, Xingyin and Liwei got along well and their banter was fine, but there wasnt any of the “passionate romance” that the synopsis was promising.
Also, the love triangle that developed aboutinto the book was completely unnecessary, It added nothing to the plot except for obliviousness on Xingyins part “Why are these two attractive men competing for my attention and getting hostile toward each other whenever theyre in the same room”.
Oh wait, I do know what this added, A healthy dose of notlikeothergirls to Xingyins character, I was not here for the “Im not beautiful, why would these two men ever want me, Im just average and plain EVEN THOUGH IM THE BEST ARCHER IN THE WORLD I HAVE THIS ONE TALENT” narrative.
Xingyin was fine at first, but she gradually just became this stereotypical heroine, For example:
“It was only later that I learned the Chamber of Lions was reserved for the armys most skilled warriors.
While most had taken months, a year even to master every trap, it took me a matter of weeks, ”
Wow shes so strong and gifted, it doesnt matter that shes not pretty because she can do archery! And archery comes naturally to her!
Honestly, a lot of this book just felt the same as other books Ive read.
The firstimpression scene where Xingyin meets Liwei They have an honest conversation because he “just wants honest companionship” and “a break from court” and she doesnt recognize him until someone calls him by his title.
It was honestly the same as so many other stories that Ive read and none of it felt special pertaining to either of the characters.
I dont see the appeal of this cliché anymore,
What really saved this book for me was the writing and the setting,
The writing came across really nicely, and I liked the lyrical quality there was to the words.
Im a sucker for fantasy writing, and while this wasnt the most flowery, gorgeous writing in existence, it really didnt have to be.
It melded with the story well and got across without an overuse of metaphors,
“Some scars are carved into our bones a part of who we are, shaping what we become.
”
The setting was beautiful, because I love ancientChinese mythology and I love the way mythological Asian settings come across.
The intricacies of the worldbuilding and descriptions of the environment were just so enjoyable,
Overall, this book could have been so much better than it was for me, Maybe I just went in with toohigh expectations, but can you really blame me
But still, I really wanted this to be more powerful, intense and immersive, and it just didnt get there for me, It started out really strong and exciting, and something about it declined as I went,
I enjoyed this book a lot, despite how salty I sound about it, It was beautiful and I liked the narrative, and while it wasnt my favorite book ever, it was still a good one.
I would absolutely recommend it, It just fell short of the hype for me, .