Author: Sue Lynn Tan
Series: The Celestial Kingdom Duology #2
Genre: Fantasy/Retelling/Mythology
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Edition: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Book Depository | Bookshop | Powell's | Thriftbooks
Synopsis:
After winning her mother’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor, Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon, and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power.
While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation. Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would.
As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation – to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.
The epic conclusion to her sweeping Celestial Kingdom series, Sue Lynn Tan’s tale of Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, delves deeper into beloved Chinese myths, weaving them into a wholly new and magical story.
The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin—the daughter of Chang’e, and the mortal archer, Houyi—as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.
While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation. Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would.
As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation – to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.
The epic conclusion to her sweeping Celestial Kingdom series, Sue Lynn Tan’s tale of Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, delves deeper into beloved Chinese myths, weaving them into a wholly new and magical story.
The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin—the daughter of Chang’e, and the mortal archer, Houyi—as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.
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How do I feel after finishing this book? In a word, conflicted. On one hand, the writing and the world itself are beautiful. I love the way Tan writes. But, I didn't feel as connected to what the characters were going through as I would have liked.
Maybe if I remembered more of the details from the first book before I read this one I would have felt differently, but I just wasn't as invested by the end of the book the way I was in the first.
It's just a bunch of small things for me that made it hard to root for the characters all the way through the book. I guess part of it is Xingyin's interactions with Wenzhi, I don't know maybe this says more about me than it does the characters, but I would've had a much harder time mustering any amount of forgiveness than she did. Wenzhi wronged her, and she deserved better. Maybe it's because I am a sucker for friends to lovers. One of the few things I do remember from the first book was how manipulative the romance felt between Xingyin and Wenzhi. Maybe, in the long run, it would be healthier for her to learn who she is without either of them.
I think I just wanted a different follow-up to the first book. The plot of this book just felt a little less focused than the first book.
Maybe if I remembered more of the details from the first book before I read this one I would have felt differently, but I just wasn't as invested by the end of the book the way I was in the first.
It's just a bunch of small things for me that made it hard to root for the characters all the way through the book. I guess part of it is Xingyin's interactions with Wenzhi, I don't know maybe this says more about me than it does the characters, but I would've had a much harder time mustering any amount of forgiveness than she did. Wenzhi wronged her, and she deserved better. Maybe it's because I am a sucker for friends to lovers. One of the few things I do remember from the first book was how manipulative the romance felt between Xingyin and Wenzhi. Maybe, in the long run, it would be healthier for her to learn who she is without either of them.
I think I just wanted a different follow-up to the first book. The plot of this book just felt a little less focused than the first book.
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