Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
SPOILER WARNING: This review may contain spoilers!
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 512 pages |
| Published | January 11, 2022 |
| Genre | Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Asian, Retelling |
| Book Series | The Celestial Kingdom #1 |
| Content Warning | ??? |
THERE ARE MANY LEGENDS ABOUT MY MOTHER.
Raised on the moon, Xingyin was unaware she was being hidden from the Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing the elixir of immortality. But when her magic flares and reveals her, Xingyin is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, Xingyin makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. In disguise, she trains alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, despite the passion which flames between them.
Vowing to rescue her mother, Xingyin embarks on a quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, Xingyin must challenge the ruthless Emperor, leaving her torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos…
Inspired by the legend of Chang’e the Moon Goddes, this captivating debut weaves Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of love and family, immortals and magic.
Inspired by Chinese mythology and the tale of the moon goddess Chang’e, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the first book in The Celestial Kingdom duology; it is deliciously atmospheric and enchantingly cinematic, even a little whimsical, which will leave the reader completely enthralled.
Xingyin’s mother is exiled by the Celestial Emperor for stealing his elixir of Immortality but when Xingyins’ magic flares she is forced to flee, disguise her identity, and seize an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince – on a quest to free her mother she strikes a dangerous bargain which could lose all she loves or plunge the realm into chaos.
The pacing of the story has achieved an exquisite balance making it almost perfect; it is neither too fast nor too slow. Considering all the minute details, the back stories and the character-building going on, this is quite an impressive feat.
“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 – 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞.”
Great characters are also a thing for me and Xingyin is no exception; she is, however, a source of annoyance since she consistently makes the same choices over and over again, regardless of her learning more information. I guess it is only to be expected of our heroine due to her age and her sheltered upbringing, but her character growth is excellent.
There is also a love triangle, something that I really don’t like, but I found it to be more realistic, however, and was done rather well; it also helps that it made sense within the context of this story. Plus it adds some delicious tension.
As a lover of Mythology, I found the Asian influences utterly fascinating and I find myself wanting more. I have also enjoyed these reads recently and you might enjoy them, too:
- Her Radiant Curse by Elzabeth Lim,
- Work-Life Balance by Benjamin Chee & Wayne Ree.
Did this book make me a #Romantasy fan…? Well, yes and no – it’s the amount of fantasy to romance ratio that matters to me; if the former is greater than the latter, then yes, please! Totally recommend this one. I’m so excited for the second book, I hope it goes where I think it does.
Happy reading!
Mr Pink Ink 
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