Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - Review
★★★★★
Sue Lynn Tan’s debut novel Daughter of the Moon Goddess uses the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, as the foundation for this modern romantasy story. We follow Xingyin, the secret only-child of the moon goddess, raised in hiding from the Celestial Kingdom. After a surge in her magical powers attracts the attention of the unforgiving Celestial Emperor, Xingyin is forced to flee and start an entirely new life in the unfamiliar Celestial Kingdom.
The worldbuilding of the Celestial Kingdom is rich yet easy to understand. We discover new locations at the same time as Xingyin, and although she is an immortal, the reader can still relate to her as a “fish out of water” character because she is also new to this larger world. The hierarchy of power and integration of magic in the universe is fed to the reader in small doses, making the story accessible to readers who may feel intimidated by the prospect of diving into a large fantasy world.
The novel also has a wonderful sense of scale, and the way the stakes rise is natural and exhilarating. In particular, the mythical creatures and new dangerous foes Xingyin comes across are equal parts fascinating and intimidating, introducing several moments of intensity with key characters’ lives at stake. Tan manages to balance these powerful action scenes with quiet moments between characters. The way Xingyin grows over the course of the story is satisfying and relatable. The reader comes to understand her and her motivations thoroughly thanks to the time spent with her characterisation and her first-person perspective.
For fans of romance, there is a captivating love triangle that punctuates the emotion of the book. While this subplot focuses on Xingyin essentially picking between two love interests, it never takes away from her agency and independence as a character. Up until a certain point, I had no idea which way it would go as circumstances tear characters apart and bring them together. As someone who doesn’t often connect with romance as a genre, I thought it was crucial to the story in a way that made me invested.
While Daughter of the Moon Goddess is just the first in a duology (as well as a short story collection and spinoff releasing this year), the conclusion of this book’s story was so satisfying that although I am itching for more of this fantastic world, I am more than happy to tend to my current reading pile before returning to the Celestial Kingdom. Overall, Sue Lynn Tan has crafted a spectacular debut with a tight, rewarding story for both die-hard fantasy fans and newcomers.
Rating: 5/5