Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Last updated
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Daughter of the Moon Goddess.jpg
First edition
Author Sue Lynn Tan
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fantasy, Romantic fantasy
Publisher Harper Voyager
Publication date
January 11, 2022
Publication place Malaysia

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a 2022 adult fantasy novel by Malaysian writer Sue Lynn Tan. [1] Tan's debut novel was inspired by Chinese mythology and the legend of the moon goddess Chang'e. Published on 11 January 2022 by Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins, it is the first book in a planned duology. It follows Xingyin as she embarks on a journey to free her mother from the ruthless Celestial Emperor. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Xingyin is an immortal and has lived in isolation with her mother. Her existence has been kept secret for years from the others in the Celestial Kingdom unaware of her mother's history.

When her existence is discovered by the Celestial Emperor, she flees from her only home to the Celestial Kingdom and swears to free her mother from imprisonment.

Plot

One day, when Xingyin was rummaging through the palace library, she uncovers a book detailing how her father, Houyi, had managed to kill ten sunbirds with an enchanted ice bow. She only manages to read about the ice bow, when her mother forcefully snatches the book away from her. Unaware of the titular figure of the book that she had read, Chang'e tearfully reveals to Xingyin that the archer Houyi was her father.

Chang'e became the moon goddess when she drank her husband's elixir in an effort of self-preservation and for the survival of Xingyin, and she lost Houyi after. She was granted immortality, but the Celestial Empress became angry after hearing of Houyi's killing of the sunbirds, and imprisoned her in the Palace. Reasoning that the Empress bore a grudge against Houyi, she concludes that the Empress would therefore not hesitate to hurt Xingyin. She then gave birth to Xingyin in secret. She also had to confess her theft of the immortality elixir, which led to her being exiled to the moon for eternity.

Xingyin accidentally discovers and uses her magic one day when she was examining a plant in the Palace's garden, and the Celestial Empress catches wind of the magic that Xingyin had used. After this incident, Chang'e hurriedly tells Xingyin to hide in her room and stay quiet. Shortly after, The Celestial Empress, accompanied with 6 attendants and a minister named Minister Wu, confront Chang'e about the magic, stating that the aura of the moon had a significant change. Chang'e makes up an excuse stating that the Azure Dragon's constellation had entered the path of the moon, and that it had caused the aura of both the moon and Chang'e to change, and that it would return to normal when the constellation passes. The Empress accepts this answer, but warns her that she would be coming back to inspect their home. Successfully managing to buy time for Xingyin, she convinces her to flee from her home with the palace's servant, Ping'er, to the Southern Sea. They flee atop a magical cloud, but midway through their escape, they are spotted by six Immortal soldiers. Xingyin, sensing imminent danger, makes the difficult choice to jump off the cloud at the Celestial Kingdom. She attempts to convince Ping'er to let the two of them split up, to which Ping'er initially objects. After reassurance from Xingyin that she would be perfectly fine, Ping'er follows through with her plan. Ping'er manages to allow Xingyin to drop into the Celestial Kingdom, but is drained of stamina and rapidly approached by the soldiers. Before Xingyin can witness what happens afterwards, she crashes into the ground.

Later, she discovers her skills for archery, which she inherited from her father, and works hard to get enough status to bargain her mother's freedom. She befriends the Crown Prince Liwei, the Captain of the Celestial Army, and she learns more about magic while disguising herself as an archer.

Xingyin works undercover to free her mother while others plot against the Kingdom, but the Emperors are also staging a malicious plan. Xingyin eventually succeeds, and she and her mother's lives return to normal, and they live in the palace without fear.

Reception

The book was ranked as one of the most anticipated books of 2022 by several magazines and literary websites including Polygon , PopSugar , Book riot and Tor.com. [3] [4] [5] [6] It received several positive receptions from reviewers, and starred trade reviews from Publishers' Weekly, Library Journal and BookPage. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly noted that "Tan paints a lush, sparkling world in her inventive reimagining of the age-old Chinese folktale. The result is a riveting page-turner that will leave fantasy lovers satisfied and eager for more". [7] Library Journal calls the book "an exquisitely detailed fantasy with a strong, vulnerable protagonist. The intimate prose makes Tan's wonderful debut an immersive experience...". [8] A review from Kirkus Review called the novel "A standard court fantasy, unique in its expansion on the story of the Mid-Autumn Festival". [9] The BookPage starred review comments: "Filled with intricate world building, heartbreaking romance and mind-bending intrigue. Tan's story is mythic in its scope yet personal in its execution...The result is an all-consuming work of literary fantasy that is breathtaking both for its beauty and its suspense." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zsuzsanna Budapest</span> American feminist writer (b. 1940)

Zsuzsanna Emese Mokcsay is a Hungarian-American writer, activist, playwright and songwriter living in America who writes about feminist spirituality and Dianic Wicca under the pen name Zsuzsanna Budapest or Z. Budapest. She is the founder of the Susan B. Anthony Coven #1, which was founded in 1971 as the first women-only witches' coven. She founded the female-only style of Dianic Wicca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Autumn Festival</span> Chinese harvest festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of autumn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chang'e</span> Chinese Moon goddess

Chang'e, originally known as Heng'e (姮娥), is the goddess of the Moon and wife of Hou Yi, the great archer. Renowned by her beauty, Chang'e is also known for her ascending to the Moon with her pet Yu Tu, the Moon Rabbit and living in the Moon Palace (廣寒宮). She is one of the major goddesses in Chinese mythology, Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. In modern times, Chang'e is the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.

<i>Farseer</i> trilogy Trilogy of fantasy novels by Robin Hobb

The Farseer trilogy is a series of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb, published from 1995 to 1997. It is often described as epic fantasy, and as a character-driven and introspective work. Set in and around the fictional realm of the Six Duchies, it tells the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, an illegitimate son of a prince who is trained as an assassin. Political machinations within the royal family threaten his life, and the kingdom is beset by naval raids. Fitz possesses two forms of magic: the telepathic Skill that runs in the royal line, and the socially despised Wit that enables bonding with animals. The series follows his life as he seeks to restore stability to the kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Strahan</span> Northern Irish-born Australian editor and publisher

Jonathan Strahan is an editor and publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His family moved to Perth, Western Australia in 1968, and he graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Arts in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hou Yi</span> Chinese mythological archer

Hou Yi is a mythological Chinese archer. He was also known as Shen Yi and simply as Yi (羿). He is also typically given the title of "Lord Archer". He is sometimes portrayed as a god of archery or a xian descended from heaven to aid mankind. Other times, he is portrayed as either simply half-divine or fully mortal. His wife, Chang'e, is one of the lunar deity.

Alma A. Hromic, known by her pen name Alma Alexander, is a fantasy writer whose novels include the "Worldweavers" young adult series, The Secrets of Jin-Shei and its sequel The Embers of Heaven, The Hidden Queen, and Changer of Days. She is a native of Yugoslavia and grew up in various African countries, including Zambia, Eswatini, and South Africa, also spending time in England and New Zealand before moving to the United States. She lives in Bellingham, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Resnick</span> American fantasy writer (born 1962)

Laura Resnick is an American fantasy writer. She was the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction for 1993. The daughter of science fiction author Mike Resnick, she formerly wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Laura Leone.

Kylie Chan is an Australian author, best known for The Dark Heavens trilogy, set in modern-day Hong Kong. The first novel in the trilogy, White Tiger, was published in July 2006, followed by Red Phoenix in January 2007. The last in the trilogy, Blue Dragon was released in August 2007. After this, she wrote two more trilogies with the same characters.

<i>My Date with a Vampire III</i>

My Date with a Vampire III is a 2004 Hong Kong television series produced by Asia Television (ATV) as a sequel to My Date with a Vampire (1998) and My Date with a Vampire II (2000). The series starred many cast members from the first two seasons. Like the first two seasons, My Date with a Vampire III also blends aspects of the Chinese "hopping" corpses of jiangshi fiction with those of western vampires, while incorporating elements of Chinese mythology, eschatology and time travel, with more focus on Chinese mythology in this season as compared to the first two.

Beth Bernobich is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She also goes by the pen name Claire O'Dell. She was born in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania in 1959. Her first novel, Passion Play was published by Tor Books in October 2010, and won the Romantic Times 2010 Reviewer Choice Award for Best Epic Fantasy. Her novel, A Study in Honor was published by Harper Voyager in July 2018 and won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Mystery.

<i>Deerskin</i> (novel) 1993 novel by Robin McKinley

Deerskin is a dark fantasy novel by Robin McKinley, first published in 1993. It is based on an old French fairy tale by Charles Perrault called Peau d'âne. It was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature.

<i>The Poppy War</i> 2018 fantasy novel by R. F. Kuang

The Poppy War is a 2018 novel by R. F. Kuang, published by Harper Voyager. The Poppy War, a grimdark fantasy, draws its plot and politics from mid-20th-century China, with the conflict in the novel based on the Second Sino-Japanese War, and an atmosphere inspired by the Song dynasty. A sequel, The Dragon Republic, was released in August 2019, and a third book, The Burning God was released November 2020.

<i>Over the Moon</i> (2020 film) 2020 computer-animated fantasy film

Over the Moon is a 2020 animated musical fantasy film directed by Glen Keane and co-directed by John Kahrs, from a screenplay by Audrey Wells, with additional screenplay material by Alice Wu and Jennifer Yee McDevitt. The film was produced by Pearl Studio and Netflix Animation, and animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It stars the voices of Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, and Sandra Oh. The plot follows an adventurous girl named Fei Fei, who builds a rocket ship to meet a mythical goddess on the Moon.

<i>Dota: Dragons Blood</i> 2021 television series

Dota: Dragon's Blood is an adult animated epic fantasy television series. It is based on Dota 2, a 2013 video game by Valve. The show is produced by Studio Mir in association with Ashley Edward Miller's company Kaiju Boulevard. The series premiered on Netflix on March 25, 2021. and concluded on August 11, 2022.

<i>The Ivory Key</i> 2022 young adult fantasy novel by Akshaya Raman

The Ivory Key is a 2022 young adult fantasy novel by Indian American writer Akshaya Raman. Raman's debut novel inspired by Indian culture and mythology was published on 4 January 2022 by HarperCollins as the first book in a planned duology and follows four siblings as the embark on a journey to find the Ivory Key, a magical artefact capable of providing magic.

<i>Witches Steeped in Gold</i> 2021 novel by Ciannon Smart

Witches Steeped in Gold is a 2021 young adult dark fantasy novel by British Jamaican writer Ciannon Smart. Smart's debut novel inspired by Jamaican mythology was published on 20 April 2021 by HarperCollins and follows two enemy witches who must enter an alliance to fight a common enemy. It was followed by a sequel, Empress Crowned in Red released on June 7, 2022.

<i>Blood Scion</i> 2022 young adult fantasy novel by Deborah Falaye

Blood Scion is a 2022 young adult fantasy novel by Nigerian Canadian writer Deborah Falaye. Falaye's debut novel, inspired by Nigerian and Yoruba mythology, was published on 8 March 2022 by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins as the first book in a planned series.

<i>Fitz and the Fool</i> trilogy Trilogy of fantasy novels by Robin Hobb

The Fitz and the Fool trilogy is the concluding subseries of the Realm of the Elderlings, a 16-book fantasy series by American author Robin Hobb. Published from 2014 to 2017, it features the protagonist FitzChivalry Farseer in his fifties, and follows his life with his wife Molly and daughter Bee Farseer. It was well-received by critics, with the Los Angeles Review of Books praising Hobb's characterization and portrayal of aging, and The Guardian positively viewing how the final book consolidated plot threads from across the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiyin Xingjun</span> Chinese goddess of the moon

Taiyin Xingjun is the Chinese goddess of the moon. While often intertwined with the legend of Chang'e, Taiyin Xingjun is the original guardian of the moon. Chinese folk religion also uses Chang'e as the incarnation of Taiyin Xingjun. Taiyin Xingjun is believed to be the Taoist counterpart of the Buddhist bodhisattva Candraprabha, also known as the Moonlight Bodhisattva.

References

  1. Tan, Sue Lynn (2022). Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN   978-0-06-303132-6. OCLC   1289526143.
  2. "Daughter of the Moon Goddess - Book Review, Epic & Mythic". comicyears.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  3. Burke, Mel (2022-01-09). "The science fiction and fantasy books we're excited for in 2022". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  4. Jensen, Kelly (2022-01-04). "The Ultimate Guide to New Winter YA Books 2022: January-March". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  5. "Books that'll make a good read in 2022". Vanguard News. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  6. Tor.com (2022-01-12). "All the New Young Adult SFF Books Arriving in January!". Tor.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  7. "Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. Harper Voyager, ISBN 978-0-06-303130-2". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  8. Lynn, Tan, Sue. "Daughter of the Moon Goddess". Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-02-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS | Kirkus Reviews.
  10. "Daughter of the Moon Goddess". BookPage | Discover your next great book!. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-02-06.