Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Sue Lynn Tan
Publication date: January 11, 2022
★★★★★
Xingyin lives in solitude in an opulent palace in the sky with her mother, Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess. Their life is quiet, until Xingyin's magic flares like a beacon and her presence is nearly discovered by the Celestial Emperor.
Fleeing to the Celestial Kingdom, disguising her identity, Xingyin works to find a way to free her mother from captivity. She finds a passion in archery, hones her elemental magic and starts to fall in love with the prince - but can she succeed in her quest?
There are books where the writing is just words on a page that you consume in passing with the hope that they'll make a home in your heart. Then there are books where the words become artwork and paint masterpieces on your soul. This is one of those books.
What an incredible debut - so rich and deep, steeped with passion, devotion, friendship and heartbreak. I was absolutely swept away with Sue Lynn Tan's lyrical writing style and I could feel the essence of the Celestial Kingdom leave the page.
The story follows Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess Chang'e. They live isolated in the Pure Light Palace - no visitors attend to them and they are not permitted to leave. This is punishment for Chang'e's deception in stealing an elixir of immortality. In return for this deceit, she is banished to eternal solitude, forever ruling the moon as a new immortal. No one knows about Xingyin's existence as she acts as a stowaway in her mother's isolation. When Xingyin accidentally uses her elemental magic, the Celestial Emperor gets suspicious of Chang'e and decides to make a visit to ensure that she is respecting the terms of her exile. Reacting in fear, Xingyin flees to the Celestial Kingdom below and immediately disguises herself in fear that she will be punished. She finds work and meets an unexpected acquaintance which launches her in a quest to clear her mother's name and end her banishment.
Chinese folklore is a large contributor to this effervescent read. Following the story of Chang'e, it stays fairly true to the tale of her theft of the elixir of immortality from her lover, Hou Yi the Lord Archer. Intertwined with Hou Yi's mythos, sunbirds, the importance of archery and mid-autumn festival. It's filled with other Chinese myths and legends and this just adds to the awesome factor of this book.
The biggest theme throughout is family loyalty. Despite continuing her own deceit by hiding her identity, Xingyin is constantly loyal to her cause. Everything she does, she does it in an effort to fulfill her desire to free her mother, and virtually no one can stand in her way.
Another strong theme is breaking the constraints of gender expectations in a world where the gender divide is strong. As Xingyin discovers her passion in archery, and eventually moves into being a part of the Celestial Army, she isn't the only woman to enter a man's world. Throughout the novel, you see evidence of other strong women being part of this army, especially when compared to other regions in the immortal world (ie no female warriors in the Eastern Sea).
Of course there's romance, but unlike most YA novels, it acts to support the story instead of becoming the main focus. I really enjoyed the fact that, during her initial encounter with her first potential love interest, it doesn't immediately launch into that trope. They become friends and confidants, working together to learn and better themselves. There isn't overpowering lust. No quickening in their breath the instant they see each other. It's soft, natural and beautiful.
I'm not going to go too much into revealing other themes throughout the book, as I truly wish for people to experience this whole story for themselves.
I honestly can't find any part of this book that I disliked. It was so well thought out and I enjoyed every second of my journey with Xingyin. I cannot wait for the duology to be complete - brava, Sue Lynn Tan, for a stunning debut.
Some extras for your reading/viewing pleasure:
Here are some amazing art pieces I found while searching for fan art for this book. I highly encourage artists to read, absorb and create images from this novel.
Note: I do not own the rights to these photos. Please source them directly from the links provided by clicking the artwork
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