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A review by spcandybars
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Gracious, I loved this book. It moved quickly, guiding you quickly through a childhood, spending more time in adolescence and dedicating the final half or so to the adventurous tale of our heroine’s ultimate purpose. The romantic relationships have such solid footing and even in the presence of my most loathed trope - the love triangle - I couldn’t deny that I appreciated what felt like legitimate chemistry with both male leads. And the plot feels important. It feels so reasonable to be so driven, to endure so much for the mother you love to no end.
There are definitely things that give away this being a debut novel - the pacing has its stumbling points, friendships that mean so much by the end never get ample time in the lead, and there are moments where Xingyin over explains to herself as a way to guide exposition and it almost always feels unnecessary narratively because the doubt she experiences that leads to these monologues feels out of character somehow. There are also things l believe may dissuade the typically adult fantasy reader - the story is very insular with only a small set of characters that will ever mean anything significant, it has a very approachable feel to the writing style that could be mistaken as YA at points, and the world building/lore is on the sparse side to accommodate for general plot progression. It’s enough insight to make you curious about the Chinese legend that exists behind Xingyin’s mother - enough to get the story - but not enough to ground itself in a way that I believe would be sustainable beyond this small cast.
In spite of its flaws, that’s all encapsulated within wonderful writing, relationships that feel so fulfilling, angst that’s so justified, and an overall story that’s just so interesting you don’t want to stop.
There are definitely things that give away this being a debut novel - the pacing has its stumbling points, friendships that mean so much by the end never get ample time in the lead, and there are moments where Xingyin over explains to herself as a way to guide exposition and it almost always feels unnecessary narratively because the doubt she experiences that leads to these monologues feels out of character somehow. There are also things l believe may dissuade the typically adult fantasy reader - the story is very insular with only a small set of characters that will ever mean anything significant, it has a very approachable feel to the writing style that could be mistaken as YA at points, and the world building/lore is on the sparse side to accommodate for general plot progression. It’s enough insight to make you curious about the Chinese legend that exists behind Xingyin’s mother - enough to get the story - but not enough to ground itself in a way that I believe would be sustainable beyond this small cast.
In spite of its flaws, that’s all encapsulated within wonderful writing, relationships that feel so fulfilling, angst that’s so justified, and an overall story that’s just so interesting you don’t want to stop.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: War