2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This month we will be reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

This book was nominated by Ilona for our monthly theme Eclipse.

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Yay!!! I just bought this book (and the second) this year! I am definitely reading it for the book of April! So excited. I am going into this with high hopes. :DDDD

I'm very much on the fence with this one. The biggest reason is that it's YA, which more often than not no longer works for me....
But on the other side, as a huge mythology fan, I'm a bit intrigued by what she's done with the legend of Chang'e. So I'm still figuring out which side will win out in my mind.

I'm thinking I'll start out with the sample and see what happens from there...

Looking forward to trying this out. I've had this book on my tbr since June 2023, but don't remember how I heard about it or why I added it! Possibly I was looking back at Goodreads Choice Award nominees. I've decided to jump into this without re-reading the blurb and see where it takes me.