Daughter of the Moon Goddess: A Novel

Written by Sue Lynn Tan

Narrated by Natalie Naudus

The acclaimed national and international bestseller

“Epic, romantic, and enthralling from start to finish.”—Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series

“An all-consuming work of literary fantasy that is breathtaking both for its beauty and its suspense.""—BookPage, starred review

A captivating and romantic debut epic fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jan 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063031340

Sue Lynn Tan

Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Her books have been nominated for several awards, are USA Today and Sunday Times bestsellers, and will be translated into sixteen languages. Born in Malaysia, Sue Lynn studied in London and France, before moving to Hong Kong. Her love for stories began with a gift from her father, her first compilation of fairytales from around the world. When not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring the hills and forests around her home.

Reviews for Daughter of the Moon Goddess

[Erricka Hager · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2.75 ⭐️ rounded up

The first 2/3 of this book were rough for me. I’ve learned that I’m not a fan of flowery writing OR instant love. & this book was filled with those exact tropes and it’s probably why I wasn’t a huge fan of this.

They final 1/3 of this book really piqued my curiosity & I found myself wanting to know what would happen next.

Overall, this was just meh & I’m not sure why there is a second book to this.

[Mikkela Witko · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It’s skipped on chapter 15 and I just dealt with it. Then it skipped again on chapter 25. SUPER annoying

[Savannah Briggs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story was absolutely amazing! I loved every second of this story it had me on the edge just dying to read more. The imagery was so beautiful and word building was done perfectly.

[jennifer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listened to this o the audible app…. Absolutely loved it!! So glad she wrote another!!! Both books were so well written I cried! Can’t wait for another

[Laura Ross · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Exquisite and compelling! The characters are well crafted which makes it easy to escape into Tan’s fantasy world.

[Little Arcia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVE this book! It maybe a slow start but once it gets going, you won't stop until the last chapter! Mythology+love traingle+ kick-ass female+dragons what more can a girl ask for? There are no damsel in distress in this book. I want more!!!

[Eva Matijevic · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Simplistic and unandvertuous. The author didn’t think it would be wise to let us see a protagonist work hard for anything - her powers, her goals, her rewards. We are constantly told that she had to suffer but somehow magically she always ended on top in two chapters or less? Also, you can see the twist coming from a mile away.

[Sheri Lin Poisson ONeill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely fabulous fantasy novel set in a Chinese mythological world. I enjoyed so much learning about Chinese mythology. The author did a fabulous job with her character development and the plot. I'm definitely downloading book number two in this series

[Lucia Garcia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great Story!
Full of wonders, well developed and endearing characters, some plot twists, love, friendship, intrigue.

[Ashley Wigfall-Plaza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Feminine Grace, that represented the characters strength was wonderful!

[Zsuzsa Szőke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Aw I love it! Folktales are never long enough for my appetite so books like this are my jam!

The narration isn't the best tho. It's like a 3 out of 5 for me. But it isn't bothersome enough to stop listening!

[Ekene Ogbue · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I won't lie. It took awhile for me to get into the story but overall, it was a good read. A very strong debut

[Calen Brandt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful story and writing. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this striking tale full of love and loss, violence and tenderness.

[Rielle Ritchie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Predictable writing, but over all very captivating in the world building. The pacing was great!

[Lisa Marsh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great storytelling! I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

[Saiyara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can’t find anything to criticise about this book. I loved the storyline, character development, descriptiveness and everything else about it. As a neurodivergent person, my sensory often feels underwhelmed while listening to an audiobook. This leads me to multitask while listening. I also often loose interests in fictional books. But this book was so captivating I listened for hours with my concentration fully attached. With each sentence I could image the entire story in my head. Looking forward to the next book.

[bethany s keepers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you don’t read this you are missing out on a Beautiful story an amazing writing!! I loved this book 5 stars!!

[Yanique · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great plot! Lots of unexpected turns, enjoyed every second of it!

[megan matthews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written. A few sentences and you’re able to see the whole scene as if you were there with the characters. You can feel everything they feel. The story never lulls. The plot is comforting but also uncomfortable and twisting. I cannot wait to read the second book.

[Kim Gp18 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! Poetic and beautiful! Loves every second of it!
Enjoy

[Alex V · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! So many twists and turns. I feel like this was three books in one and I mean that in the greatest way. Loved it, can’t wait to reas more by this author!

[Charity · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The only con to this book was the love triangle.
I can usually pick who I want easy but this one..... I know who I'm leaning towards but I just don't know and it's back and forth the last half of the book.

But we get TALKING DRAGONS!! You don't need to know anymore than that ?

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was really good, it may even be my favorite read soon far of 2022.

[ShannonAllen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some portions of this book were long winded with the descriptions of feelings and I felt that the mention of the brocade pattern of clothing was used much too often, but the general story was a very good one.

[Jamie Choi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been in a real mythology-based fantasy literature kick lately, and this did not disappoint. Fantastic heroine, good character growth, just a dash a romance (but not overpowering)…just a really great listen. Also suitable for teenagers since there is romance, but nothing inappropriate IMO.

[anniik_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

TW/CW: Violence, character death, sexual assaultRATING: 5/5REVIEW: Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the story of Xingyin, the hidden daughter of the moon goddess who has been imprisoned with her mother for years. Ripped away from the moon, she sets off on a quest to free her mother from her imprisonment.This is a fantastic book, honestly one of the best I’ve read in years. Tan’s writing is beautiful, and draws you into the story. The characters are well developed, and you feel for them a great deal. Although the book is long, the pages seemed to fly by as I read, always curious as to what was going to happen next.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy/adventure and I look forward to reading more books by this author!

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story based on the myth of the Chinese Moon Goddess, Chang'e. She stole the Celestial Emperor's elixir of immortality, and used it to save herself and her unborn daughter. Cheng'e was punished by being sentenced to spend her immortal life confined to the Moon. She kept secret the existence of of her daughter, Xingyin--until the girl's magic flares, and reveals her existence. She has to flee home and her mother, and survive on her own in the Celestial Kingdom. Xingyin vows to free her mother from her imprisonment, but first she has to learn to use her magic, and fight, and how to find a way into the upper levels of Celestial society and function there as if she belongs.Her first real success is winning the position of study companion to Crown Prince Liwei. studying magic, classics, herbalism, and military arts with him. She makes friends, allies, lovers, and enemies, with, it must be said, some overlap among those groups. She loves Liwei, but he's bound by his duty. Captain Wenzhi is equally attractive, not as gentle, fiercer, both a companion and a teacher in war and in missions against dangerous, monstrous creatures. A woman, another fellow soldier, is a good friend whom she can partially confide in. There's a general who sees her as a very promising soldier, and to some extent looks out for her.There are characters, such as the last two mentioned, whose names I don't have because I listened to the audiobook, and I haven't found them elsewhere. It's frustrating; I think I care more about the names of secondary characters than many others.Along the way, she encounters challenges, danger, treachery, good and evil magic. Seeming enemies prove to be friends; seeming friends prove to be enemies. Her adventures span the Celestial Empire, the Mortal Realm, and the Demon Realm. Sometimes I want to give Xingyin a good hard shake for her blind spots, yet I think they're entirely attributable to her upbringing on the Moon, with only her mother and her mother's trusted servant and friend for companions. There's just a great deal she really doesn't know, and has to learn from scratch, about normal human interaction. She's also a bit mission-driven; her goal is to get to the point where she can free her mother, or persuade the Celestial Emperor to pardon her.The language is beautiful; the world is richly developed. Sometimes the characters have less depth than I would like, but in the end, all the major actors have real reasons for what they do, even if that doesn't make the bad guys any more likable.Also worth noting that there's no shortage of strong women characters who play real, meaningful roles.Recommended.I bought this audiobook.

[brangwinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was first introduced to Chinese folktale mythology in children’s books. This adult tale is as satisfying and as textured as I’d hoped for. Xingyin grew up on the moon. Her mother was the Moon Goddess, held captive there by the Celestial Emperor. When Xingyin’s life is threatened by the emperor, she’s sent away but rather than ending up back with mortals she ends up in the palace of the Celestial Emperor and the study companion to the Prince. She’s convinced that she must free her mother from the captivity on the moon and sets out to become the greatest archer in the Celestial Army. This has all the elements of good fantasy folktales. The setting is beautiful, the characters well developed with so many twists in the story, it is difficult to know who to trust. I find it hard to believe that Sue Lynn Tan debut novel could be so engaging.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I started this book a few nights ago and read two thirds of the book. I finished it the next day. It is that good. I was so immersed into this fantasy world. All of the characters brought something to the story. It is great to see a strong female lead. This book will appeal to fantasy readers of all ages.It was great to see Xingyin grow and blossom from a young girl to a warrior. The touch of romance between her and the Prince is wonderful. I do like that it was not a huge focal point in the story. Speaking of the story, it is quite the reading adventure. There is plenty of action to be found within the pages of this book. I can't wait to read the conclusion in this duology.

[abookishroad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, I was drawn to this book solely based on the book jacket. It is a beautiful piece of art and very much grabs one's attention. I am also a sucker for books that feature stories from other countries. There’s an ambiance, norms, and perspectives that are not part of my culture and I like reading those different viewpoints. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one such book.In this story, we follow Xingyin the daughter of the Moon Goddess who has grown up in exile with no one knowing of her existence until one day her magic exposes her to the Celestial Kingdom. Now danger lurks & Xingyin is forced to leave her beloved home and mother. Her adventure starts once she’s in the Celestial Kingdom… where she learns archery, masters her magic, and falls in love…. And many adventures ensue.This book has it all…adventure, friendship, intrigue & love. There was a lot going on in this book and it had me hooked the whole time. I am not actually sure what the second book to this duology would cover but I can’t wait to find out.The only qualm I had was wanting to see more dialogue between the main characters. They sometimes felt one-dimensional.Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book. It's a great read.