Tao and Leiying are pointless. Xingyin could've figured out how to get the Elixir of Immortality herself. Also, how Tao betrayed her, and how Xingyin accepted to put her life in danger with a stranger?! What?! Sue Lynn Tan made her dumber in this book! In the previous book, she kept a sharp mind even when she was desperate. But now, she falls for the easiest way of fooling someone. The fakeout at the end was such a cop-out. The way death is portrayed in this series makes me mad to no end. Xingyin and Chang'e both experience terrible personal losses but instead of learning to get over their grief they yearn and sob until they discover that those who died are conveniently alive for no well explained reason and now they are happy again! Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy novels inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in London and France, before settling in Hong Kong with her family. It’s interesting that while Liwei never has to struggle or have ambition for his throne, we see that he can’t relinquish it, and even if he did, it just wouldn’t ever fit with the world and who he is, so it’s never REALLY on the table as an option that’s believable. With Wenzhi we see a similar journey to Xingyin that is highlighted even more in HotSW in a way because both have labored with a single minded focus to just take care of their own, and yet both of them realize that that comes with it’s own consequences and is never as neat and satisfying as you might think. And ultimately, through Wenzhi’s redemption, we see that there are some things that are worth everything, worth giving all of it up for the chance at a simple life.

The author should've let him actually die in Book 1 if his character was going to be nerfed this hard in the name of a ship - and this is coming from someone who was rooting for Wenzhi! This book is about so much more than a girls choice between two boys. If you're looking for a love triangle done the right way, it's right here. To see Xingyin work through her feelings for Liwei and Wenzhi while also suffering all different kinds of heart break is powerful beyond measure. She believes she can't forgive and trust, she believes she will never be enough, she recognizes that at some point her choice shouldn't be based on words, but action. Xingyin loses what little braincells she had and makes some of the most ridiculous decisions for the sake of plot. She does not develop as a character in the slightest as everything falls into place for her. Also, could she not shut her mouth in dangerous situations for TWO SECONDS??? Xingyin may be amongst the worst protagonists I've encountered in the genre AND THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.

I think that Sue Lynn Tan's writing is absolutely stunning - it's lyrical and descriptive, but if there's one thing that she truly excels at, it's an action scene, which I feel like isn't a combination that you see very often. The pacing of this book is, in my opinion, much faster than the first book - I think a common complaint that I've seen of DOTMG is that the first half the book is too slow, and I think if you were one of those people, you'll be much happier with this book. The pacing is very similar to the second half of DOTMG, and it's just non-stop, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but it works really well here. I’m just really overwhelmed with how empty this book is. I left this book feeling like the last chapter and maybe one plot point could’ve been the epilogue for DOTMG. This book was truly unnecessary. There were times when a group of characters were together, then Shuxiao would say something and I had to remind myself who she was. Her friendship with Xingyin in Book 1 was terribly developed and the result was glaring. But second book of the duology exceeded my expectations and it’s even better than the first book. There are so many epic moments including surprising family reunions, dragons’ cameo, bloodthirsty fight against the phoenix and eerie, frightening war against the army of death.

Action is all that matters, in the end. Action and follow through. While they both do all they can to do both, only one is there every step of the way. I told myself I wouldn't choose, but by the end I think it was impossible not to admit I was swaying one way over the other. Some may call this true love at its finest. I call this crap. Wenzhi emotionally scarred Xingyin for the rest of her life and destroyed any chance she had at a happy future with either himself or Liwei. He knew that his death would haunt her till her final days. He cared less about Xingyin than he did about "conquering" her heart over Liwei (made very obvious in their stupid catfighting over her). Xingyin’s whirlwind adventure through the beautifully described Immortal Realm is an intricate dance that encompasses multiple quest lines, thrilling battles, romances, magic, and mythological creatures. Tan raises the stakes significantly, grounding Xingyin’s strength in love even when her heart is buffeted by shifting loyalties and tragic sacrifices, and leads the reader to a bittersweet yet hopeful conclusion." — Booklist (starred review) With all the beauty and heartbreak of a Chinese fantasy drama, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an enchanting joy from start to finish.”As for the arcs that weren't romance related. I felt that one of the arcs related to Xingyin's family wasn't quite as strong this time around. It had to compete with a different plot and so it didn't get quite the same level of care and attention that a similar plot in the first book got and that felt pretty unfortunate given how little these characters really knew each other. The other non romance arc, this government coup situation... that... that really didn't need to be here. I see why it was, because aside from what will happen with the romance it was the only part of the story that had any firm footing in the first book, it makes this feel more like a direct sequel than just a companion to the first book. Still though, with how the family plot was sort of used as a parallel it really took away from some of the time spent with the larger plot... It also didn't help that the larger plot was spearheaded by a character that had pretty valid reasons to be doing what they were doing... and like... the government was already questionable so I'm not sure what this little plot really had going for it? This story was great! I enjoyed the read and audiobook. Love is more complicated in this book as well as family. I loved the twists at the beginning and at the end. I enjoyed the men fighting for love. There's more actions and adventures in this story I believe. The ending was good but I was hoping the new Celestial King would also get a happy ending. A gripping adventure inspired by the legend of Chang'e, Daughter of the Moon Goddess explores how far one woman will go for the sake of family, loyalty, and love. Prepare to be swept off your feet by this absolutely magical tale."