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I'll be honest, if I had to pick a favorite style of fantasy, it would always be East Asian fantasy. I absolutely love the ways those worlds are built and how magic is weaved into them, and this story was no different.
"Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, untrained, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos."
- from Storygraph
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This story was such a great adventure! I got this book on Kindle, so I didn't realize how long it was before I started...but by the end I honeslty could've done with a hundred more pages! (Patiently waiting for the sequel...) I loved Xingyin's character, she was so bold and courageous and strong. I loved how her relationship with Leiwei grew and changed throughout. This story had every fantasy lover's "chosen one" moment, as well as a twist that had me SHOOK. I was about to call out of work the morning after so I could keep reading to the end.
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Prompts Completed:
2022 Once Upon a Book Club Reading Challenge (A book with royal characters)
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Content Warnings: Violence, War, Grief, Kidnapping, Death, Blood
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