Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology, #1) by Sue Lynn Tan
We just love a good book about ancient cultural myths, don't we?
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan is an adult epic fantasy novel inspired by Chinese mythology. Our protagonist, Xingyin, is the daughter of the moon goddess Chang’e who is imprisoned in her home on the moon by the Emperor and Empress of the Celestial Kingdom. When Xingyin suddenly has to flee her home as a young girl, she vows that she will stop at nothing to free her mother. Through a twist of fate, she meets and befriends Liwei, the Crown Prince of the Celestial Kingdom who is nothing like his parents. As she grows up and trains beside him, Xingyin has to contend with keeping her promise to her mother as her feelings for Liwei grow along with her place in the Celestial Kingdom.
“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.”
I was completely blown away by the fact that this is a debut novel because it was absolutely phenomenal. I mean I really LOVED it. While it was totally captivating from the start, I honestly didn’t notice how much of a hold this book had over me until one day I realized it kept insidiously entering my thoughts. I found myself constantly thinking about it—while I was trying to go to sleep at night, as I woke up in the morning, during random idle moments of my day. And that’s when I knew I was in deep. Talk about one of the most serious book hangovers I’ve ever had!
This was the first book I’ve read that was inspired by Chinese mythology and I found the world to be very beautiful. The elemental magic system was very cool and the creatures they encountered were awe inspiring, and now I want to meet an ancient Chinese water dragon. 🐉
I also really loved the characters. Xingyin is a great female lead, not only because she is strong and badass, but also because she is very real and relatable. I felt her happiness and her heartbreak like it was my own. And Liwei? I would literally die for him. He needs to be protected at all costs.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a beautiful story of family, love, jealousy, and heartbreak, woven through epic adventures and intriguing Chinese mythological lore. It’s hands down one of my favorite reads this year—of all time, really—and absolutely deserves all the hype. I can NOT wait until the second installment of the duology comes out this November, titled Heart of the Sun Warrior.
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Next up on the TBR: I started Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco yesterday, so I’m officially back on my ‘dark haired, morally gray love interest’ bullsh*t 🤷🏻♀️