Author: Sue Lynn Tan
Rating: 4/5
Xingyin has only ever known the moon. The secret daughter of Chang’e, desperate times force her to flee the only home she’s ever known.
Spoilers ahead.
Detailed Summary
Xingyin is the daughter of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, who has been imprisoned on the moon. The Celestial Empress comes to visit when she notices a disturbance. Xingyin had been taught to avoid using her magic and lived a sheltered life–she’s meant to be a secret. Chang’e sends her away with Ping’er, one of the workers. They are attacked and Xingyin falls to the ground, protected by Ping’er. She comes to work in a noble household. When accused of getting ink on a cloth, she’s made to wash it in the river where she meets Liwei, the Celestial Crown Prince. Liwei is having a competition to choose a companion. He allows Xingyin to compete and she wins (especially after she plays the flute beautifully). They study and train together. Xingyin is very good with the bow which makes sense because her father was Houyi, the archer who brought down the sunbirds. They eventually become lovers. When Liwei comes of age, Xingyin is torn between wanting to be with him and joining the army. At his birthday banquet, Liwei’s engagement to the Phoenix kingdom’s princess is announced. Xingyin is heartbroken and enlists in the army but doesn’t want to have a position and wants to choose her missions. She wants to win the Crimson Lion Talisman which the Emperor gives to those deserving; the recipient can ask a favour. Xingyin joins Wenzhi’s missions as he’s given very difficult ones e.g., defeating a nine-headed serpent. After this battle, Xingyin finds the Jade Bow and it chooses her. They go to the Eastern Sea Kingdom to quash a merfolk rebellion. Wenzhi asks Xingyin to leave with him when he resigns from the army. When they return to the Celestial Kingdom, Liwei’s fiance has been abducted. They pursue her and Xingyin sees an archer with silvery eyes. Liwei is kidnapped by Lady Hualing who was the Flower Immortal. Liwei almost dies but Xingyin is very clever and outsmarts Lady Hualing; she realises she’s still in love with Liwei despite everything.
Xingyin wins the Crimson Lion Talisman. She reveals her identity and asks for her mother to be freed. The emperor refuses, instead telling her she needs to get the dragon pearls. Only then will Chang’e be freed. Liwei, Wenzhi and Xingyin travel to the Mortal Realm and release the dragons. They learn the pearls have the dragon’s essence. When the dragons see the Jade Bow, Xingyin is given the pearls. She’s also told that Houyi is dead. Wenzhi kidnaps her to the Demon Realm. Mind Talents, which the demons are capable of, are within the Demon Realm. Wenzhi is the second-born prince. He wants to overthrow the Celestial Kingdom and use the pearls to become heir to the Demon Realm throne. Xingyin pretends to be on his side, drugs him and finds the pearl. She manages to defeat Wenzhi’s older brother too. Xingyin meets the Celestial Army and they’re wary of her. Liwei believes her and so does Shuxaio, one of her friends. There’s a war between the demon army and the celestial army which the celestial army win. Liwei and Xingyin go to the Eastern Sea Kingdom and ask Prince Yanxi for information on the dragon essence. Xingyin summons the dragons and frees their essence from the pearls, losing her life energy. She gives the pearls to the Emperor who is furious. But the whole celestial army bow down to her so the Emperor reluctantly releases Chang’e.
Xingyin is reunited with her mother and Ping’er. Liwei comes to visit very often. She dreams about Wenzhi. Xingyin and her mother with Liwei go to Houyi’s grave to visit him. Xingyin is happy.
Review
Eeeeeeee! I don’t know where to begin! Daughter of the Moon Goddess was an exquisitely crafted book, jam-packed with action. A book that demanded to be read regardless of how short my bus journeys were.
The world-building was beautifully done. I adored the map at the front of the book and the different realms were interesting to read about. This coupled with Sue Lynn Tan’s vivid writing made for a soothing and almost meditative read even though, as I said, there was a LOT that happened in this book. I felt I was walking through the gardens with Xingyin and Liwei, or gliding around on clouds like the rest of the immortals.
I was compelled by Xingyin’s motivation throughout the book. I loved that she wanted the best for her mother. At the end of the day, it always came down to freeing Chang’e from the moon. I was worried she would be tempted to sway allegiances but she remained true to her roots. I was bothered by how easily everything seemed to come to her. I thought the first few chapters where Xingyin was working for a noblewoman was relatable but after that, she just picked up a million skills. I get that she did work for those skills but I did have to suspend disbelief.
The love triangle bothered me a lot and that’s the main reason I docked a star. I knew that Wenzhi was the traitor the second he helped Xingyin with her impromptu flute performance at the birthday banquet. I didn’t predict he was the demon prince but whenever he came up, I was just waiting for his betrayal. I wasn’t very surprised when he did eventually abduct Xingyin.
I wish Tan had spent more time exploring Xingyin’s heartbreak. I loved the brief passages describing all the pain Xingyin experienced.
Was this where all paths to love led? Heartbreak, whether through separation, betrayal or death? Was the fleeting joy worth the sorrow that came after? […] It would have eased my gnawing ache had I surrendered to the hate, letting resentment smother my grief, blaming Liwei for the hurt he caused me. It would only have been a brief respite though as what I mourned more than any injured pride was the love we had lost, the future which was no longer ours. […] I was more than this ill-fated love; I would not let it define me.
Or even:
Like her, I had not sought love. My life had been full without it. Yet it had crept up on me, infiltrating my senses like a subtle scent–until I found beauty in a fallen blossom and delight in a thunderstorm. However, the joy it gave me, I repaid tenfold through my sorrow.
I wanted there to be more of a break between Wenzhi and Liwei. I loved the message that love wasn’t some finite resource you had a finite amount of, but that it has a remarkable propensity for expansion. The more love you give, the more love you have. Each lover you take you will love differently, but each love is precious in its own way.
It’s for this reason that I’m fairly certain Xingyin will choose Wenzhi in the second book. Their love was more mature whereas the love she had for Liwei was rash and almost all-engulfing.
Love triangle aside, I liked the questing format of the book. It reminded me of what I adore so much about fantasy. All the little adventures the characters go on are so delightful to read about and it makes me want to go on a quest too.
I’m so excited to read the sequel and I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for any other books by Tan.
Earnestly Eccentric 