Fully Booked — Episode 12
Reading is something that used to be great, until life got in the way. But it doesn’t have to be like that — you can have a life and love reading, and we’re here to help. Welcome back to Fully Booked, the series for people who don’t know what to read or where to start.
This week it’s another Asian inspired fantasy, but I will not apologise for suggesting you books that are well written, regardless of how many times I’ve suggested this specific sub-genre. Sue Lynn Tan’s debut novel (this one, the one I’m reviewing) captured hearts across the world and was lauded as an international fantasy sensation — and with good reason. Her writing is immaculate and somehow beautifully prose-like without being waffly or adding unnecessary or silly words. Also Chinese myths are cool as hell and more people should know about them, so nothing brings me more joy than knowing this book was a great success internationally.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess — Sue Lynn Tan
STATS
Borrowed from — my library’s E-resources
Pages — 503
Trigger warnings — Irritating men; manipulative parents; fantasy racism;
Rating — 5/5 stars
Xingyin’s existence is a secret from the great Celestial Emperor, one that’s been carefully guarded for Xingyin’s entire life. Birthed in secret in the palace on the moon by her immortal mother, Xingyin’s life has been a peaceful if somewhat boring one. When an unannounced visit from the vicious Celestial Empress threatens the carefully crafted peace of her little family, Xingyin resolves to intercede on her mother’s behalf and seek an audience with the Celestial Emperor to end her mother’s isolation and imprisonment on the moon. Her covert escape from the moon is discovered, and in a terrible turn of events she is sent hurtling down into the unknown Immortal Lands with no idea of where she is or who to turn to for help. Taken on as a servant in a noble household, Xingyin resolves to save her mother using any means possible, and with the imperial family holding a contest to find a learning companion for crown prince Liwei, Xingyin thinks she might have found a way to get closer to her goal.
The only problem in this entire book is that men keep getting in Xingyin’s way and generally complicating things. That’s kind of a criticism of the writing, but also I realise this story is based loosely on legends and it’s very likely a product of the society Xingyin lives in. Liwei, the crown prince of the Celestial Kingdom and heir to the Celestial throne, would be a great guy except his parents are massive assholes and are trying to puppet his entire life. Also he needs to grow a spine and that is my honest opinion. Captain Wenzhi would be a great person except it’s clear he’s using Xingyin to stir the pot and further his own little vendetta against Liwei, instead of focusing on his own problems.
Anyway, let’s talk more about Xingyin herself. I liked that she loved herself and her capabilities as a warrior, but still struggled to love herself as someone who’s seen as beautiful by others — I thought that was a really lovely sentiment to include, and gave us an interesting insight into Xingyin’s personality and values. I also found it to be a really accurate representation of how people operate in the real world — we don’t value the same qualities in ourselves as other people value in us, and a lot of the time it can be a struggle or a mental battle to try and reconcile those two aspects of personhood. Xingyin also went through a whole lot of character development, and all of it was strictly necessary and also fantastically explored. Xingyin struggles so much with her duty to her mother, and her intense desire to be her own person and remake herself in a new world where nobody recognises her. Sue Lynn Tan writes in such a beautiful, lyrical fashion without ever adding in unnecessary waffling and it shows especially clearly in scenes like this one where Xingyin struggles but we aren’t forced to sit through pages of deliberation.
This was definitely an unputdownable read. Two nights in a row I stayed up way past my bedtime to read it because I just couldn’t bear to leave the story. I also read it on the train which isn’t something I’d normally do, and just generally, absolutely went full tilt back-to-highschool-obsessed with this book. Anyway, Xingyin is a certified icon in my opinion and I cannot wait to read the next book in the duology. A woman who is prepared to skewer anyone who gets between her and her devotion to her cause is one whom I wholeheartedly support. On that note, we LOVE to see an author who knows their limits!!! Two books and that’s it — finally! Very excited to see what the next book brings.
