Xingyin grows up in a lonely whitestone palace on the moon, watching her aloof mother, who is still grieving her banishment for a decision made long ago that granted her and then-unborn Xingyin immortality. When Xingyin’s existence, hidden until now, is threatened, she is forced to leave the only home she’s ever known and sets off on an epic journey that will take her to imperial courts and demon realms, experiencing both love and betrayal, in order to set her mother free. While some truly beautiful descriptive passages help bring the setting to life, a convoluted plot is further slowed by repeated exposition about Xingyin’s emotions, a drawback not aided by Natalie Naudus’s somewhat melodramatic narration.
VERDICT Tan’s debut is a bit too long, but is a good fit for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Sabaa Tahir, along with those who like romantic and mythic fantasy retellings.
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