2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing [spoiler] at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the [] with <>.

I really loved this book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I was fortunate that while I was reading I put Heart of the Sun Warrior on hold, and although there were a ton of holds, I somehow was able to slip in and pick it up right after!

I am also currently on hold for the in between book: Tales of the Celestial Kingdom

and see that although this was labeled a duology, there's an untitled book#3 listed as coming up.

Sooo, as you can see, totally disappointed in the book, not! ha!

It's just really beautifully written. The world, the characters, the relationships, the fantasy and mythology aspects. There's so much for me to love.

To top it off, the audiobook was done very well.

I very much appreciate it, not only when there is an audiobook option, but when the audiobook is published with a clean edit, high quality audio, and at least an easy to understand narration. The narrator for this one, Natalie Naudus is a great fit, making the book not only accessible but elevating aspects of it for those of us who either use audiobook or immersive reading, which I highly recommend.

I look forward to hearing what others think, including any reviews. I am also open to any suggestions of similar styles of writing.

I'm doooooone!

I really loved the immersion of this magical world! This story is totally up my alley of reading. Ms Tan's version of a strong female lead is one of the few I actually enjoyed reading. Too many fall prey to making their women feel like hot-headed men on jerk overload, but (I forget how to spell her name) X-- is not like that at all. She is a very likeable MC who has apparent weakness she must overcome. Granted....I don't always empathize with her viewpoint, but I'm also not wishing to straggle her while screaming, "Why are you such an idiot, you jerkface idiot!"

(view spoiler)[It was a very easy, smooth read. The world Ms Tan revealed to us is beautiful and imaginative. It's one of those places I wish I could visit as a tourist (without running into any of the dangers of course). I liked the conclusion as well. It didn't really end all happy and perfect, and the nasty Emperior and Empress are still a major threat waiting to be dealt with. Boy, do I hate those two. How did their son come out so pleasantly kind and wise? Makes no sense. Lol.

I did only rate it three stars. Not necessarily because of any major faults. I likely would have given it four, but there were a few areas that lacked in my eyes that I wished the author would have spent more time on building up. Characterization was good, but not great. Any minor character felt too similiar to other minor characters. I wanted to actually see the friendship build between the MC and the other female soldier instead of just being told about it after the fact. Also....this book could have bee split into two with soo much more character/world building with how much content she passed over to get to the conclusion. I'm not complaining about it. She did a beautiful job but I did sense holes where she had to explain the situation because she just glossed over it as 'years passed' scenario.

Also .... Am I the only one still rooting for Wenzhi? I'm sorry, but I just like him so much better than the Imperial Prince. Ignoring that whole moment when he turned into an arrogant snob during the captivity of the MC, his overall mannerism and behavior came across as so much more mature and refined. Like, I get why she doesn't want him anymore, but "I" still do. I feel like we can work out our differences. XD
Also, he just comes across as a man. The prince feels like a boy. A good-hearted, intelligent, kind boy, but still a childish too easily impressionable boy. I want the MC to end up with Wenzhi and not the prince. The prince makes a great life-long friend, but when it comes to romance, her relationship with Wenzhi feels way more solid and reasonable and....romantic....XD
Yes, I am acknowledging that Wenzhi during the MC's captivity was a prick. I really liked how she out-smarted him. I just don't want him to be an actual villain. And unless Ms Tan throws me for a loop, don't play up to this silly love triangle thing when it is so obvious the Imperial Prince and the Moon Goddess's Daughter, if were given the choice/opporunity, would totally be with each other without a doubt. Like Wenzhi wouldn't stand a chance so why even drag it out? (hide spoiler)]

Great book. While I enjoy a YA or adult "romantasy" as much as the next 30-something woman desperately clinging to our youth, this is not that, which was refreshing! Don't let the title, the Goodreads tags, the cover, and the synopsis fool you. I'd say this is closer to a "romadventursy" (copyright pending). Xingyin (the eponymous "daughter") goes through a myriad of different quests and trials trying to free her mother.
These quests and things seemed more reminiscent of classic adventure stories like The Hobbit, rather than recent badass-female-needs-to-save-the-world tropes. With a twist of course, because Bilbo doesn't (view spoiler)[fall in love with any of the dwarves, or Smaug. Though I'm sure there's some fanfiction out there. (hide spoiler)] And also, this was obviously Asian. I like that it was obviously Asian, because it's supposed to be. There are some fantasy-type books that are supposedly set in Asia and they still read very American/English. I like that the culture of the myth this is based on shone through (probably helps that the author herself is from Malaysia).

4 stars instead of 5 just because a whole lot happens in this book, which was fun and kept my interest but also occasionally I'd be slightly lost for a few pages. How many years did we just skip?? What is going on??

More spoilery thoughts...

(view spoiler)[Part 1 involves Xingyin leaving the moon because her mother has been hiding her and she needs to leave for her own protection. She becomes a servant in a house with mostly a bunch of catty women. She meets Liwei on the cusp of some sort of competition to be his tutoring companion. Liwei is the emperor's son (the same emperor who punished Xingyin's mother). She sees an opportunity and takes it by asking that she be allowed to join this competition along with the lady of the house.

One thing I appreciate about Xingyin is she is always taking these opportunities. She's not thrust into anything because she has some kind of prophecy on her head or anything. She not only is willing but is striving to be the best she can be. Granted, it's not to do anything world-changing. She just wants the freedom for herself and her mother to be with her family.

Anyway, I thought the entire book would be this competition but it was shockingly short. She and Liwei become friends throughout their mutual tutoring. This section breezes past years of friendship but near the end of their time together they develop, or at least recognize, that they have romantic feelings for each other. But, Liwei is promised in a political marriage, so they sort of drift apart and Xingyin joins the army. Again to take an opportunity to maybe eventually get the red lion talisman and ask the emperor for her mother's freedom.

Part 2 she does a whole lot of quest-y badass things. Defeats a multi-headed scary thing, a magic general, and develops a bit of a relationship with Wenzhei, the... commander? of her section. Lots of drama of the relationship type in this part. Also she makes friends in the army. She does win the red lion talisman because she saves Liwei and his betrothed from some rightfully-scorned woman.

Part 3 a WHOLE lot happens. The emperor tells her she needs to get some pearls from the dragons in order to free her mother because she's been lying about who she is for a while and that's not cool. She gets the pearls from the dragons because she has the Jade Dragon Bow (it chose her). Then Wenzhei kidnaps her and takes her to the Demon Realm because *gasp* he's the Demon Prince and wants the pearls to solidify his claim to the throne! His older brother is an ass. Now, I do not like his actions and betrayal of Xingyin but I don't really hate him. I sort of want him to redeem himself somehow. After all, the Celestial Emperor is a jerk. It's not like I care he betrayed them.

Xingyin gets the pearls back, returns the essence in the pearls to the dragons, and gives the (now useless) pearls to the emperor. Because she's so awesome and saved everyone at the Demon Realm, the emperor feels pressured to give her mother her freedom, but not before striking Xingyin with lightning a few times. Liwei breaks off his engagement and they are now mostly back together and the moon goddess is free. yay.

I got lazy at the end of this but finished so I can look at it before I start the next book. Because A LOT happened. (hide spoiler)]

Keri wrote: "I'm doooooone!

I really loved the immersion of this magical world! This story is totally up my alley of reading. Ms Tan's version of a strong female lead is one of the few I actually enjoyed readi..."

Regarding your comments on Wenzhei: (view spoiler)[I agree I still like him. And yes, if she is going to play up the triangle there needs to be a chance for him. I'm definitely not opposed to a redemption arc in which he gets the girl. The Celestial Kingdom sucks so I'm not mad at him for being Demon Realm, just that he betrayed Xingyin.

For now, I like her with Liwei. You are right he's more boy-ish but I think he is just a teenager and I think Wenzhei is older. So it makes sense. And he is good to her. I really hope he doesn't turn into a jerk. (hide spoiler)]

I thought it started slow, but it grew on me once she became a companion. After that I had a hard time putting it down and couldn’t wait to get home to read it.

SarahKat wrote: "Keri wrote: "I'm doooooone!

I really loved the immersion of this magical world! This story is totally up my alley of reading. Ms Tan's version of a strong female lead is one of the few I actually ..."

(view spoiler)[Yes, I thought of that too, with Liwei being probably closer to her age than Wenzhei is. I'm not totally faulting him for his youth, lol. I hope he appears more mature in the second book. So excited to see where she takes the story (hide spoiler)]

Also, I happen to be reading a collection of Chinese myths, legends, and folklore and take a guess of what legend I just came across. The story of Chang'e and her husband!!! Wow! So cool to compare The Daughter of the Moon Goddess's version of the lore to the actual lore. And, I don't know if this is considered a spoiler or not, but Chang'e (spelled Chang E in the original) is soooo not that sweet character she is portrayed as in the novel. She is depicted as a selfish, luxury-hungry, attention-seeking wife who straight up betrays her husband by stealing the elixir to become a goddess instead of sharing it equal with her husband and just becoming an immortal human. And she ends up trapped on the moon (barren, cold, lump of rock) and transforming into a toad.....😂

I've finished the book a week ago or so, and I must say, it was an amazing journey! I initially thought it would be a romantasy/fantasy YA kind of book, but it was refreshing to have the romance be more of a sideline to the main arc and development of out protag. Truly loved it and recommend it to anyone who would like to read more fantasy/folklore kind of book!

(view spoiler)[The plot twist by the second phase of the book was really well set-up too. It wasn't all in your face kind of "oh he's suspicious", but when Xingyin recounted the times that Wenzhei was being suspicious, it made sense to have that twist. (hide spoiler)]

Well-written and well-paced book! It did start off slow for me, but really picked up after the necessary exposition to build the background for the characters and the world. I did rate it 4-stars, but I was hoping to have the chance to rate it higher than that. Definitely 4.5 or even 4.6 for me because it had lore to keep us into the fantasy and magic of the world.

I finished the book today and will say I thoroughly enjoyed it! Tan's writing is like reading poetry sometimes and her descriptions transported to the middle of the Jade Palace and every other magical place in this world. Her world-building added to the fantasy and lore of the book, and I am truly appreciative of that.

Turning to the things I did not like: 1) the pacing of certain sections. I feel as though time leapt in a few places and I had to go back to see if I had missed something. 2) her other friendships with the other women, particularly, Shuxiao, I wish we had seen more scenes between them and how they became so close as we did with her and Liwei.

I also appreciated that the romance aspect was secondary to her quest to free her mother. A true departure from other romantasy series that I have read and very refreshing. But as far as the love triangle goes, I'm Team Liwei right now. He was always was her friend and that was how their love blossomed. Although, since they started as friends part of me feels as though, they might remain friends (just a gut feeling). I have not read the second book, but I will be reading it to find out how it all ends. As for Wenzhi, after he captured Xingyin, in my head all I could think of was the Tyra Banks America's Next Top Model meme, "We were rooting for you, we were all rooting for you." Wenzhi had won me over the same way he won Xingyin over and when he betrayed her, my heart was broken too. So needless to say, I am highly intrigued to see how it all ends in Book 2.