Uses the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese Moon Goddess, as a jumping-off point. Xingyin, daughter of the imprisoned Chang’e, sets off on a quest to free her mother. I almost didn’t get past the beginning, in which Xingyin’s escape felt overwrought and melodramatic; however, as she bravely inserts herself into the court of the Celestial Empire, learns to be a warrior, and forges her own uncompromising way forward, I found myself really enjoying the story. The book reads like a wuxia drama, all silk and steel and smoldering glances, with the characters preoccupied with plotting and honor, and it’s such fun. Slow start, great finish. Apparently there’s a sequel but this book stands alone well.
Day: November 21, 2022
This Poison Heart, by Kalynn Bayron
YA, urban (and small town rural) fantasy. Briseis Greene runs a flower shop in Brooklyn with her moms, and hides a secret: she has a magical ability with plants that she can only partially control. One day she receives news that her birth family has left her with a mysterious garden estate in the country, and she begins to uncover more than she ever could have known about her background; as she comes into her true power, threats coalesce around her. I found the pacing uneven and the events somewhat unrealistic, but I loved Briseis’ narrative voice and her relationship with her mothers (and the constant references to Get Out). Cliffhanger ending into the next book.