Daughter of the Moon Goddess

This seems to be the year of Asian fantasy for me and for book publishing in general and I'm not complaining! I've enjoyed them all, but I think this one was my favourite. I loved the world, the characters, the story and Sue Lynn Tan's beautiful writing. She manages a lyrical tone without getting bogged down in it. I really wanted a fantasy I could get lost in, but wasn't so dark or grim, but also not so YA as to be cringey. Daughter of the Moon Goddess towed that line so well. I wanted to visit and live in the world Sue Lynn Tan created, her words paint a vivid picture of a place filled with magic and beauty, light and darkness, dragons and palaces in the clouds. Xingyin, the main character, isn't a sap, but steps up to the plate learning to fight and manage her way through court politics with missteps and mistakes, but always learning and moving forward, not pitying herself and I loved that about her. The romance was also really good. It isn't love at first sight or dripping with teen lust, but one that develops out of friendship and isn't smooth sailing always. Overall a wonderful journey and a fascinating fantasy world I can't wait to return to in the next book. Highly recommended!