This debut novel by Sue Lynn Tan draws from Chinese myths of dragons, gods and immortals. This fantasy YA book received starred reviews from Library Journal ("an exquisitely detailed fantasy") and Publishers Weekly. ("a riveting page-turner"). Kirkus call's Tan's prose "lovely and fluid, [with] lush descriptions of magic and immortal life buoying the narrative."
BookPage also gave it a starred review and provides this succinct summary: "Xingyin has never met her father, a mortal archer who saved the human
world from destruction. She is also the daughter of Chang’e, the
infamous moon goddess who became immortal after drinking a potion that
was given to her husband in recognition of his heroic deeds. Xingyin has
lived a lonely life, hidden away in her mother’s sky-bound prison. That
changes when she accidentally accesses her own magical powers and is
forced to flee to avoid detection by the Celestial Emperor and his
court. While on the run, Xingyin is thrust into the uncomfortable role
of learning companion to the Celestial Prince, the son of the very man
who imprisoned her mother. As she trains and learns alongside the
prince, Xingyin is torn between loyalty to her new friend and the
desperate desire to free her mother from her eternal prison." Xingyin goes from a frightened adolescent to a formidable warrior through her training with Crown Prince Liwei and then as a soldier in the Celestial army. It is an elaborate world building book with the immortals portrayed as capricious--no surprise there--and the dragons as wise and benevolent beings. There are lots of hints about where the sequel of this story will go.
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