Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

7 reviews

lizboyce's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this story. I have not interacted much with Chinese mythology and was captivated by this story and world. You follow the main character’s hero’s journey as she navigates tricky politics, love, friendship, and even betrayal. 

At times it was a bit slow but the pacing picks up at the end. There was a twist I didn’t see coming at all, which is always a fun feeling. Overall I would recommend this book and did quite enjoy reading it. The only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars is because I think to fully appreciate the story, you should enter in with some background knowledge of the myths this book is based on. I had to stop more than once to google certain myths so I could better follow what was happening. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bea_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

clairew97's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Classism

booksthatburn's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

The worldbuilding unfolds slowly, with early mentions of the various kingdoms supplemented later on by more detailed descriptions once Xingyin actually travels there. The descriptions are evocative but not overwhelming, tending to focus more on her thoughts about what she observes. There’s a strong focus on Xingyin’s internal life, as her relationships get more complicated but she’s still keeping her parentage a secret. She’s the daughter of the moon goddess, having grown up in secret since her mother was exiled to the moon after claiming the immortality meant for her husband, Xingyin’s father. 

I like the first third and I love the second half, in between those sections the pacing gets a little weird though it’s still pretty good. Mid-book events which in some other story might be a training montage instead are collapsed into a very brief mention as several years are skipped at once. Xingyin ends up in the Celestial palace, surrounded by people who despise her for her class and who would detest her if they knew who her mother really was. After spending several years as the prince’s companion, she tries to make her own way by excelling at arms, becoming a formidable archer. Her goal is to earn a favor from the emperor in order to request her mother’s freedom. 

Once place where this excels is in relationships, specifically the way that Xingyin’s relationships with Prince Liwei and Captain Wenzhi change over time. It is a love triangle, but one which at each stage feels like there are good reasons for the choices Xingyin is making. She proceeds as well as she can while figuring out who she wants, if anyone. I love the ending, it pulls things together in a fantastic way and lays the ground for what the sequel might cover while still letting this first book feel complete.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

i_write_on_occasion's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.5

It had good ideas, but the extremely fast pacing doesn't allow for these ideas to reach their full potential. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Animal death and Kidnapping

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

leigh13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

tonysipsandreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing 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? No

5.0

This was a cute and whimsical story about self-discovery, love, forgiveness, and determination. I loved the magic system in this book! The world building was minimal, but that didn't take away from the story. While I was reading this, I felt like I was picked up and dropped right in the middle of this world. The writing is so effortless, and beautiful. I would highly recommend this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and War

Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Animal death, Kidnapping, and War