Daughter of the Moon Goddess
2022 adult fantasy novel by Sue Lynn Tan based on Chinese mythology. The main character Xingyin is the daughter of Chang'e, the moon goddess. As punishment for stealing her husband’s immortality elixir, Chang'e is imprisoned by the Celestial gods. Xingyin works undercover as an archer in the Celestial army to free her mother.This series includes the following titles:
- Daughter of the Moon Goddess (2022)
- Heart of the Sun Warrior (2022)
- Tales of the Celestial Kingdom (2024): a collection of short stories, each one taking place at a different part of time within the original duology.
Spoilers will be marked when possible, but some aren't, so be careful. You Have Been Warned!
This book provides examples of:
- The Ace: Liwei, the handsome Crown Prince who skilled in magic and fighting.
- Action Girl: Xingyin, who gains some notoriety for her archer skills and defeat of multiple monsters.
- After Action Patch Up: After fighting Xiangliu, Wenzhi applies a balm to Xingyin’s arms to numb the pain until they can return to the palace for a healer. Liwei heals her while she’s asleep.
- Alpha Bitch: Lady Meiling, a spoiled aristocratic girl who abuses Xingyin, who temporarily works as her attendant.
- Ambition Is Evil: Wenzhi betrays Xingyin and steals the dragon pearls to claim his title as Crown Prince of the Demon Realm.
- Amicable Exes: Princess Fengmei takes Liwei breaking off their arranged marriage quite well.
- Betty and Veronica: Xingyin is the Archie with her childhood friend Crown Prince Liwei as Betty and the mysterious Captain Wenzhi as Veronica.
- Big Bad: The Celestial Emperor, who set up Xingyin’s father to the sunbirds, earning the Sun Goddess’s hatred. Then, after Chang’e takes an immortality elixir to avoid dying in childbirth, he imprisons her.
- Big Fancy Castle: All the palaces are described as magnificent and made of materials like gold, jade, and marble.
- Break the Cutie: Xingyin who goes from an innocent girl surrounded by love to a jaded fighter undercover.
- Chekhov's Gun: The shells which record sound at the market Xingyin and Liwei attend. In the sequel, she finds the merchant and uses the shells to start a distraction while she sneaks into the palace.
- City of Gold: The kingdoms of the immortals are full of treasures and precious materials. Material wealth means little to them.
- Cool Crown: The Phoenix Crown the Empress wears, which is made of gold feathers and pearls.
- The Dark Arts: What the Mind affinity is treated as. Those with the power can mind control others into doing their bidding, making it banned in the Celestial realm.
- Dark Secret: Xingyin hides that she’s the daughter of the Moon Goddess, whom the Empress and Emperor hate, from everyone as she fights undercover in the Celestial empire.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Liwei makes his love for Xingyin clear despite the Emperor hating her and her family.
- Despair Event Horizon: After everything Xingyin went through to free her mother, the Celestial Emperor attempts to kill her.
- Decadent Court: The Celestial empire, in which Xingyin must tread carefully since the Emperor, Empress, and Minister Wu are out to get her.
- Determinator : Xingyin who goes against all odds to free Chang’e.
- The Dragon: Minister Wu to the Celestial Emperor.
- The Dreaded: The Demon Realm, a kingdom believed to be evil and wicked with the forbidden art of mind control.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Xingyin, who battles monsters, undergoes the Emperor’s near-impossible task, and gets caught up in an almost war just to free her mother.
- Evil Matriarch: The Celestial Empress, who cares for her son but hates Xingyin and wants her family dead.
- Elemental Weapon: The Phoenix Bow, which shoots powerful arrows of fire. Also the Jade Dragon Bow Xingyin and Wenzhi find after defeating the Xiangliu, which shoots sky-fire (lighting).
- Evil Prince: Wenzhi qualifies as this as heir to the Dragon Realm. Subverted in that he’s not completely evil and has noble intentions on protecting people with the throne. His brother, however, is a straight example.
- Exact Words: The Emperor agrees to free Chang’e if Xingyin brings him the four dragons’ pearls with the intent of controlling their essence. Xingyin frees them and gives him just the empty pearls.
- Face–Heel Turn: Wenzhi betrays Xingyin to become crown prince of the demon realm.
- For the Evulz: The Celestial Emperor, whose actions have ruined multiple lives.
- Freudian Excuse: Wenzhi betrays Xingyin to please his father, having grown up as prince in a ruthless kingdom.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Xingyin has to decide between turning over the dragons to the Emperor and freeing her mother.
- Gaining the Will to Kill: Xingyin grows more comfortable with killing the longer she fights in the army.
- Gilded Cage: The Pure Light Palace, which is beautiful, but the Moon Goddess has been forbidden to ever leave.
- Malicious Slander: Rumors spread that Xingyin betrayed the Celestial kingdom for the Demon realm when she was kidnapped.
- Lady of War: The Celestial Empress.
- Love Triangle: Between Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi
- Master Archer: Xingyin earns a reputation as this with a bow as her main weapon. Her father Houyi is also this, as the legendary mortal who shot down the sunbirds to save the world.
- Mind Control: Some immortals from the Demon Realm have this ability, making it forbidden as one of the intrinsic Talents.
- Money for Nothing: Material wealth means little to immortals with power defined by magic, rank, and status.
- Monster of the Week: Xiangliu, the giant octopus, the Bone Devil—all monsters Xingyin fights on her assignments in the army.
- Prince Charming: Prince Yanxi of the Eastern Sea kingdom is kind and courteous when Wenzhi and Xingyin visit on a military assignment. He even allows them to use the library.
- Privilege Makes You Evil: The Celestial Emperor, who ruins lives as he pleases since it’s of no consequence to him.
- Proper Lady: Lady Anmei, who is the daughter of a noble family and governess to Prince Yanming.
- "I Know You Are in There Somewhere" Fight: Xingyin and Liwei when the latter is under Lady Hualing’s mind control.
- Ungrateful Bastard: The Celestial Emperor, who doesn’t appreciate Xingyin’s military service or her saving his son. He instead attempts to kill her for disobedience rather than fulfilling his end of the bargain.
- I'm Not Pretty: Xingyin has this attitude and becomes insecure when Wenzhou suggests she disguise herself as Lady Anmei for the mission.
- Innocently Insensitive: Liwei due to his privileged upbringing.
- Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Initially, Liwei and Wenzhi appear to be this for Xingyin with Liwei as the celestial prince and Wenzhi as a captain with no noble upbringing. Subverted when Wenzhi turns out to be the heir to the Demon Realm.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Liwei leads the charge to save his betrothed.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Xingyin decides to to hand over control of the dragons to the Celestial Emperor and instead searches for a way to break what’s binding them to the pearls.
- Sibling Rivalry: Wenzhi and his half-brother Wenshuang
- Sinister Minister: Minister Wu, who insists upon destroying Xingyin’s family. He is later revealed to be Wugang the Woodcutter and plans on conquering the immortal lands for revenge on the Celestial Emperor.
- Splitting the Arrow: When Xingyin has an archery competition with Liwei, both shoot three arrows split right down the middle.
- Woman Scorned: Lady Hualing, the former Flower Immortal, who the Celestial Emperor seduced then betrayed her. She retaliates by kidnapping his son.
