lastblossom reviewed Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Incredible adventure based in Chinese lore with a great heroine and a surprisingly sturdy love triangle.
5 stars
About When Chang'e was banished to the moon, no one knew that she brought her secret daughter with her. Xingyin has lived on the moon all her life, unaware that her very existence is an affront to the Celestial Emperor. When her magic flares and almost gives away her secret, she has no choice but to flee the moon and seek out a life hidden away in the Celestial Kingdom. But when an opportunity to study alongside the prince arises, she finds herself moving ever closer to being discovered. And ever closer to being in love.
Thoughts I should probably open with the fact that I typically hate love triangles. They are not my vibe for SO many reasons that I won't bother to get into. So when I say that this is a great love triangle, please understand that I am saying it grudgingly, because I can't believe I …
About When Chang'e was banished to the moon, no one knew that she brought her secret daughter with her. Xingyin has lived on the moon all her life, unaware that her very existence is an affront to the Celestial Emperor. When her magic flares and almost gives away her secret, she has no choice but to flee the moon and seek out a life hidden away in the Celestial Kingdom. But when an opportunity to study alongside the prince arises, she finds herself moving ever closer to being discovered. And ever closer to being in love.
Thoughts I should probably open with the fact that I typically hate love triangles. They are not my vibe for SO many reasons that I won't bother to get into. So when I say that this is a great love triangle, please understand that I am saying it grudgingly, because I can't believe I actually liked this one. A lot. All three characters involved were well-rounded, fun to read, and the chemistry between the lead and both suitors was genuine. Time moves fast in this book. Months can pass between chapters, or in the span of a paragraph. That leaves the readers to imagine a lot of the space in between, but the scenes we do get make it easy to connect the dots, and none of it feels too rushed. Action sequences are exciting and easy to follow, and Xingyin's growth as a warrior feels very natural. I admit I was kind of disappointed that Xingyin our POV character kept referring to citizens of the opposing forces as "demons" after learning that it was largely just propaganda. Seeing as she has no love for either side of the conflict, it was a strange choice for her character to make. Still, a great adventure with a determined lead and a really believable romance triangle.