Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

28 reviews

lilo000's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I appreciated some of the inclusions of Chinese tradition/culture in here. I think the adventure was definitely my speed, but I read this book in too close conjunction with one with a few too many parallels, which is no fault of this book's. I appreciate the main character and her strong sense of character + strength in general. I think I got fed up with the love triangle, so (assuming the following book hashes this out more) I'm not sure I'll be reading the second book. Would still recommend, since the ending was ending enough to not need the second book (I say without having read the sequel)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and War

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

avrija's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a good book. Longer than my usual ones but good nonetheless. I really liked Xingyin as a character. She was very different from the typical “strong female character” stereotype in a way that she never downplayed other women or was against femininity. She was strong in every way and not only because she was a soldier. I love that her honour and pride is so important to her and really does shape her character in an interesting way. I also loved Liwei as a character and their interactions; their interactions felt so tender and comforting to read about and I just love them together. Wenzhi also was an interesting character and felt so different to Liwei in that love corner that it made for interesting interactions. As for the side characters - i felt a lot of them were quite similar. Shuxiao had a nice backstory that could have easily added to her relationship with Xingyin and how they interact but it wasn’t very utilised as the story did focus on the romance. As for the plot — it’s there, definitely, but saving her mother often did take a backseat to the love story. Considering this is a romance book not too surprising but it was mentioned often enough and played into Xingyins characterisation and choices in a believable way that made it interesting to read even when a scene technically didn’t advance the plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Death of parent and Sexual harassment

chase0w0's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Drug use and Self harm

nclausel25's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, and War

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

melist6's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Murder, and War

Minor: Kidnapping and Sexual harassment

hmunger's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

While there are valid critiques of the pacing and some plot choices, this novel never failed to enthrall me and envelope me in the world. I love the characters, as they each hold an important role in the plot and the messaging. I was truly torn between Xingyin’s choices and thought her inner dialogue, while at times extensive, was vital to the understanding of how she grew as a character and how she made sense of the world she did not grow up in. Highly enjoyed, excited to get the sequel! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Death of parent, and Classism

amandaboyer's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

saoreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Reading this was a delightful experience, akin to being intoxicated by poetry. The cascade of words was bathed in the warm sunlight of emotion. In reality, it didn't thrust you immediately into the realm of a powerful heroine, but instead, it showcased her gradual growth into one, and even more. The narrative unveiled the intricate dynamics of surrendering control to life and its offerings, capturing the fleeting fragments that one could grasp. The story intertwined grit, grief, and madness, often unveiling the poignancy of first experiences. The narrative's twists and turns were masterfully crafted, prompting contemplation within the romantic facets, both paths feeling valid. It not only left room for a potential sequel but also stood strongly as a complete tale in its own right. In the latter sections, I found myself drawn to the evocative emotions it evoked and the eventual embrace of closure. Sacrifices were made and the notion of sacrifice was far from concluding easily. Truly, I adored it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

kelseyr713's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Excellent, creative fantasy romance. I felt a little distanced from the main character (I feel like we never really get to know her beyond the surface level, despite being in her head for the whole book) but I still liked her. Very much looking forward to the sequel, and I appreciate that the first book still ended in a satisfying way and not on a cliffhanger!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Death of parent

The sexual assault is attempted, not completed, and alluded to vaguely.