Daughter of the Moon Goddess: A Sweeping, Romantic Fantasy inspired by Mythology of Love, Betrayal, and Destiny―The First Book in the Celestial Kingdom Duology (Celestial Kingdom, 1)

The acclaimed national and international bestseller

“Epic, romantic, and enthralling from start to finish.”—Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series

“An all-consuming work of literary fantasy that is breathtaking both for its beauty and its suspense."—BookPage, starred review

A captivating and romantic debut epic fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

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. 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.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

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528 pages

Average rating: 7.7

249 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anonymous
Apr 03, 2025
6/10 stars
It was a little drawn out for my tastes, however, I truly enjoyed the storyline and the courage Xingyin showed through this story. This is a story of survival, courage, wisdom and strengh. I love the beauty that was discribed in this book of the palaces, the gardens, the smells and colors of everything, it really gets your imagination going. I love the Dragon aspect "no spoilers here", I was moved and touched by this aspect in the book. There is plenty of action, not much sex, sexy sex in the book but you got to feel the power of love and friendship in the 3 main characters. There are villians for sure and you grow to hate them. All in all, it was a good book, just to long and drawn out for my tastes. Even though I have the 2nd book in this duology, I am not jumping to it.
wardbunch
Mar 26, 2025
8/10 stars
Loved the magic, but some of the names are hard to keep apart.
jpubs
Feb 02, 2025
10/10 stars
I loved it so much. It had everything I wanted in a fantasy romance, including a strong, bad-ass heroine, a love triangle, magic, good and evil, and most importantly, a sequel. I can't wait to read the next one. Just know it gets started slow, but once things start moving, it keeps you captivated til the last page.
Bookworm_Claire
Nov 21, 2024
8/10 stars
Audiobook listen. I was so entranced by the magic and mythology of this book! This is the first modern piece of Asian literature I’ve read, but I was entranced by the beauty of the author’s world-building. The romance was nice and there is some good drama, action, and lots of adventure as well. I recommend reading this!
hollowbanshi24
Oct 21, 2024
10/10 stars
Very different from other books I’ve read in a good way. The plot twists that happened, beautifully came out of left field! I couldn’t predict them and adored every single second!

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