ya fantasy – tender curiosity

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is finally here! I was lucky enough to read it last year and I absolutely adored it. Whether it was flying on clouds, strolling through a mystical night market, or riding the claws of a venerable dragon, everything was so vividly painted. Sweeping adventures that took us through the Celestial Realm where gods and immortals resided, the Eastern Seas battling legendary creatures, and a shadowy realm of forbidden magic.

*Biggest thank you to Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC of one of my most anticipated reads!*

The story follows Xingyin, the daughter of the exiled moon goddess. She hides her identity and travels to the Celestial Kingdom where she learns magic and hones her archery skills alongside the crown prince; years of training and studying to find a way to free her mother. The only way is to win the Crimson Lion Talisman, the highest honor of the Celestial Army which grants the winner a favor from the emperor himself. The emperor who imprisoned her mother. That also means her romantic entanglement with the crown prince is forbidden.

So what does she do? Become a soldier of course! Not just any soldier, but the greatest archer in the kingdom, battling a monstrous serpent and a giant octopus, quelling a merfolk rebellion, and even saving the princess betrothed to the crown prince (it gets a little angsty).

The world building and fairytale-esque atmosphere made the tale feel even more immersive. It was reminiscent of the wuxia/c-dramas I used to watch when I was younger. I believe this book was pitched as Adult and older YA fantasy crossover but it solidly felt like YA to me in terms of tone and character voice. There’s even a love triangle of sorts and I normally abhor love triangles but I didn’t mind this one! Perhaps I rooted for the wrong person but…I’m excited to see how the story will continue to unfold in the sequel!

“In the darkness, the thousand lanterns flickered to life. The sky was clear. The stars infinite. The light of the moon was full and bright. On a night as this, my heart was content, awaiting the promise of tomorrow.”

This lush debut fantasy will sweep you away into a beautifully-crafted realm of immortals and magic, ancient myths and legendary creatures, and romance and adventure. Happy release day to Daughter of the Moon Goddess!

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I grew up on wuxia and xianxia dramas. From the little that I remember of my adolescence, I recall watching these Vietnamese-dubbed dramas with my mom, marveling over the grand adventures of martial heroes with magic and found family and martial arts in ancient China–The Legend of the Condor Heroes and Handsome Siblings are two of the most memorable for me.

Reading Jade Fire Gold gave me all those nostalgic feelings from my childhood. There’s ancient Chinese folklore woven into the world-building, forbidden magic in the hands of our heroine, a slow-burn romance that gave Zutara vibes (any Avatar the Last Airbender fans here?), a journey through desert and sea, and some heart-racing action. While there are some issues with pacing, this is a great debut for fans of YA Asian-inspired fantasy.

*Huge thank you to HarperTeen and Caffeine Book Tours for providing me an Advanced Reader’s Copy to review for the book tour!*

Synopsis

In an empire on the brink of war…
Ahn is no one, with no past and no family.
Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child.
When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities.
But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.
Ferocious action, shadowy intrigue, and a captivating romance collide in June CL Tan’s debut, a stunning homage to the Xianxia novel with a tender, beating heart, perfect for fans of The Bone Witch and We Hunt the Flame.

What it’s about:

Jade Fire Gold follows Ahn, a girl with a powerful and forbidden magic that can change the fate of an empire on the cusp of war, and Altan, a fugitive prince on a path of vengeance, seeking to reclaim the Dragon Throne as the rightful heir. Their destinies are intertwined, but there’s a price for everything.

My thoughts:

The Chinese folklore and mythos, immersive world-building, and wuxia/xianxia themes were my favorite aspects of the book. It really brought the world to life and painted the characters and settings in such vivid colors. Since the romance was pitched as Zuko and Katara-esque (from AtLA), I have to talk about it (I’ve been Zutara shipper since I was in high school). Altan definitely feels like Zuko in this story! From his whole tragic past to exiled prince to reclaiming the throne narrative. His relationship with Ahn is enemies to lovers on paper, but there’s not a great deal of tension and I found it to be a rather sweet romance! They’re more like reluctant allies. I even adored the side characters–Tang Wei was my favorite. The found family dynamic is forever my favorite underrated trope.

I must admit, the pacing was a bit jarring at times, but it didn’t detract from the story too much and I’m excited to see how things may unfold in the sequel (there’s going to be a sequel, right?!). After that epilogue, I’m crossing my fingers!

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We all carry burdens and joys of our past. Only those who chose to be blind to themselves forget what once existed and what continues to exist inside.
Jade Fire Gold

Content warnings:

Self-harm (gouging, eye horror; non-graphic), child abuse (physical, verbal, emotional manipulation/gaslighting), parent death (implied, off-page), character deaths, mentions and descriptions of fantasy/magical violence (blood, war, political violence), mentions and descriptions of physical symptoms that might be triggering to those with emetophobia, alcohol consumption.

About the Author

June CL Tan grew up in Singapore where she was raised on a diet of classic books and wuxia movies, caffeine and congee. After obtaining three degrees, she decided she had enough of academia. Thankfully, those degrees were somewhat related to telling stories and now, she resides in New York City, writing under the watchful eye of her crafty cat. Jade Fire Gold is her debut novel.