Published: 3 books between 2022 – 2024
Pages: 503, 466, 153
Summary
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.
My thoughts
Have you ever fallen in love with a book before? That’s how I felt about book one ‘Daughter of the Moon Goddess’. I did enjoy book two but but not to the level that I adored book one, so here are some of my thoughts.
This is a captivating story weaves together Chinese mythology with vibrant prose, creating an enchanting yet at times, frightening world. A hierarchical society of magic and power, with politics, alliances and monsters. This book has a range of characters all with their own objectives and secrets.
“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.”
The narrative follows Xingyin, the Moon Goddess’s daughter, who is driven to free her mother from her exile. Her journey is a poignant exploration of grief, self-discovery, and the enduring power of love. Xingyin is beautifully developed, complex, and utterly relatable. And also.. she doesn’t give up her drive or determination for a love interest. She absolutely puts the love she has for her mother above her own personal feelings. So many female led fantasies nowadays lose themselves as soon as their eyes land on the ‘most beautiful man they’ve ever seen with a chiselled jaw and strong arms’ and their immediate thoughts turn sexual even though they’ve just met. I’m so tired of the same narrative, I want to read a strong willed woman with drive and purpose.
Yet as much as I loved him, I loved myself more. 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.
Tan’s prose is exquisite and evocative. I found the world-building to be quite the mix. The culture and the cities we see are immersive and richly detailed, however the world outside of specific areas I found to be a bit vague.
Book two definitely adds to the overall story and we see the same characters and really get to find out much more about them. I loved watching the friendships blossom and seeing our characters grow and develop. I wasn’t as smitten by this book, I think the world building was too rushed by in favour of progressing the plot. The main issue I had with this was the character development. The author had a clear vision for where she wanted her characters to by the end, and as a reader I had my own vision and they weren’t inline. So on one hand I respect the author and her choices for her characters, however it was a bit frustrating to not have it played out the way I wanted it to. But it’s not my story and I recognise that which is why I still gave this book 4 stars despite our differences.
Life was not perfect; there were always hidden wounds, pain disguised beneath a smile, a price to any happiness possessed. We had to bear our burdens the best we could, for we alone knew their true weight.
Additionally there is a fantastic novella that came out after the initial duology. This novella has a number of short stories that really dive into the mythology, and we get to see a bit more of our main characters. It is also illustrated and these drawings are beautiful. Does anyone else struggle to visualise characters? I love seeing art that the author has signed off on so I can really picture the characters in my head. Although this is a novella, the book does not end in the duology, you must read this book to get a full conclusion and it is worth it!!
Would I recommend?
Yes, if you enjoy fantasy and mythology, where romance is a very tiny subplot then I think you would love this book. This is also great for fantasy beginners where you may want to dip your toe in a fantasy that isn’t purely romance.