[A quick note: I got this copy in one of my book box subscriptions and it’s quite possibly the prettiest book I own. Or close to it. It sat on a shelf for months until a friend suggested we do a buddy read. I can’t believe I didn’t get to it sooner. I just adored it. The second book has already been announced and is coming out in November 2022!]
“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 - 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞.”—Sue Lynn Tan
Xingyin is the daughter of the Moon Goddess, but she disguises her identity to free her mother. This pits her against the most powerful immortals in the Celestial Kingdom. Every choice she makes has severe consequences. And if she doesn’t tread carefully, her decisions will not only cost her life, but her mother’s.
Absolutely beautiful!!! The writing is stunning, gorgeous, flowery. It’s the kind of writing that makes reading a pure joy. And the story perfectly matched the level of elegant prose. There was so much more action than I anticipated. And the romance was present, but not in your face. The Chinese setting, mythology, and strong female lead was compelling. This was a brilliant story. I just loved it. **Chef’s kiss**
I read this as a buddy read which made it so fun! I loved getting to chat about each of the big moments with a friend. It also motivated me to pick this book up, because it had been sitting on my shelves for months. Can’t believe it took me so long to get to it!
Let’s talk plot first! DOTMG has adventure, action, and plenty of political intrigue. There were so many suspenseful moments. Many times, I couldn’t put the book down. I appreciated the way Xingyin’s adventures span several years. Learning magic with the prince, becoming the imperial army’s “First Archer,” battling monsters, fighting an army of mer-people…there’s just SO MUCH.
The plot was perfectly balanced with character growth. Xingyin isn’t perfect; she makes some major mistakes that cost her. BUT she always acts with honor—or tries to. Xingyin’s plot struggle stems from her mother’s captivity. Everything she does is in hopes of freeing her mother, the moon goddess, from the moon. But she isn’t the only one with secrets. There’s fierce betrayal within these pages. There’s heartbreak, happiness, growth. I loved the depth of the characters. Sometimes I hated them, other times I loved them. Both Prince Leiwei and Captain Wenzhi were fleshed out and I loved them for different reasons.
OMG the Chinese setting. WOW. So freaking gorgeous. This reminded me of some of my other favorites like Spin the Dawn and Six Crimson Cranes. The amount of mythology, the fairytale feel, the depth of the culture. I was TRANSPORTED. I was enamored. I cannot gush enough about how refreshing it is to read fantasy that is set in different cultural settings like this. I cannot wait for the second book.
𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝟓/𝟓⭐️