OHHH my heart! Xianxia perfection.

This book works SO well for what it is trying to do. It feels like being transported to the set of a Chinese drama. I was skeptical when I first started reading. I feel like there are a lot of retellings of Chang'e (Which I love! Give me all the Chinese myth retellings!) and this has been by far my favorite. Writing the story from the perspective of the moon goddess' daughter was genius.

Right from the beginning you get the fairy tale vibe, and throughout the book the magic remains rather mysterious, and, well, magical! Sue Lynn Tan creates such an immersive world with the Celestial Kingdom, and I love her attention to detail without taking it too far. She knows exactly which descriptions are needed to really sell the setting and the mood of each scene. I really recommend putting on a good xianxia playlist as you read haha.

Now with the tone being similar to a Chinese drama, you gotta be prepared for some things that might not work for everyone. It's melodramatic, sometimes to a fault. There will be intense pining, a dramatic love triangle, and some scenes that feel almost unbelievable. If you like the vibe of a soap opera, it's kind of similar. As for me, I ate it uppp. I feel like the melodrama really fits in with the mood that Sue Lynn Tan was trying to create. There are plenty of action scenes throughout to break up the talks between characters, and I really enjoyed being with Xingyin.

And, there's a good amount of political intrigue for those that like a more epic fantasy. Though the characters are sort of the main point, with romance being such a big part of the plot and Xingyin's development, there are plenty of good twists and turns to have fun with as well, with political allyships and disturbances. My one gripe is that sometimes things happen too easily for Xingyin, and sometimes things are given to her which could read as unbelievable, but for some reason this issue almost worked in this story, where I think it wouldn't have worked in others.

Honestly, there were a lot of things that could have gone horribly wrong with this book. The way the plot intertwines with the romance, it could have been a disaster. Xingyin could have been a helpless maiden being pulled this way and that to serve the plot and its characters, but she stands on her own as agentic and powerful. The author could have also over-corrected and created another "sassy assassin FMC", but instead found the perfect balance of a sympathetic main character who has the abilities/intelligence to make her a hero we want to root for, but not so perfect that it's no fun. 

I do wish the side characters were a bit more developed, but honestly this is Xingyin's story and it makes sense that she takes center stage. 

C'mon this was right up my alley so I'm not surprised I loved it.