Matcha & Motifs Book Review 3.8/5 

The daughter of the Moon Goddess, Xingyin, is forced to flee her home when her secret existence is detected by the Celestial Magesties. Things go wrong, and Xingyin finds herself in the heart of enemy territory, the Celestial Kingdom, spending her days with the Crown Prince all while hiding her identity. Can Xingyin free her mother from imprisonment, and will she ever return home to her loved ones?   

Ah, what a beautiful read. It kind of feels like I’ve lived multiple lifetimes or I’m over a century old. This tale is inspired by the Chinese mythology of the moon goddess Chang’e. It reads like folklore and takes me on the adventure of Xingyin’s growth and experiences in her immortal life. It reminds me a bit of fiction based on Greek Mythology, but with Chinese folklore instead. 

***CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!***

Writing

The writing is beautiful, and the tone feels gentle, yet poised. Our narrator feels graceful. For a while, I had a hard time with the storytelling and pacing. Here are some of my qualms:  

There were instances that felt very tell and not show. At the beginning, we saw a lot of Xingyin’s obedience, her wanting to ask questions but holding her tongue. So when Prince Liwei mentioned that Xingyin is outspoken, honest, and sure of themself, I was taken aback. I hadn’t gathered that notion at all. Even in the early stages of the book, while we were still discovering who our protagonist is, it didn’t feel like her. 

The pacing at the beginning felt slow; it didn’t intrigue me outright. Also, the pacing reads like a folktale; some arcs were more in-depth while some were glossed over. There felt to be many arcs in this one book, and sometimes I wish we sat with a problem a little longer. For example, one of my favorite subplots was when we were rescuing Princess Fengmei, and Liwei got captured by the enemy. As Xingyin was rescuing him, we learned who was behind this grand scheme: Lady Hualing. She was a worthy villain. She was a villain who was made, and I feel like those are the best types. I was excited about her introduction in the book because she was a parallel to Xingyin. Her path was so similar to Xingyin that Xingyin could’ve turned out just like her. 

Despite Lady Hualing’s quick defeat, I really enjoyed this part of the book, and it made me doubt our protagonists’ escape. I do feel like sometimes they win too easily. Don’t get me wrong, this was probably one of the most dire situations we’ve been in, but Lady Hualing felt worthy of a long-term villain. 

Additionally, in some instances, I felt the book was more focused on what happened to our main character rather than being character-driven. For example, Xingyin was able to become the Crown Prince’s companion because he was the one to oversee their first task of tasting the tea they brewed. Essentially, he gave her a pass because he liked her. Yes, she did “win” the third challenge by playing the flute, but things seem to work out too conveniently for my liking. I think there can be a good blend of plot-moving character and character-moving plot, but this book feels too one-sided. 

Once I accepted this type of storytelling, I was able to lean into the book a lot more. The events in this book lend themselves to folktale-style storytelling. It reminds me a lot of Hmong folktales, and how things seem to just happen without too much rhyme or reason. Not everything needed a why; things were just bestowed upon our heroes. I’m learning to appreciate this type of storytelling because it highlights different types of cultural storytelling. I had a hard time accepting things for what they were in this book, but I think it’s a good reminder that sometimes, in stories and in life, luck is on our side. 

A note on plot: 

I enjoy the overarching plot. I like following Xingyin’s journey to free her mother from the Moon and to uncover how she can “rightfully” do it. I enjoy the stages of her life. She goes from schooling with the prince to honing her warrior abilities with the royal army. From there, she learns of and tries to earn the Crimson Lion Talisman, a favor from the emperor. The stakes of keeping her identity a secret from everyone, even the people she loves and trusts, add a layer of stress and adventure. In the midst of it all, she can’t help but fall for the son of the person responsible for her mother’s imprisonment. It’s really romantic and makes the story such a delight.  

Characters

The more I read, the more our protagonist grew on me. I love that she has a strong will to fight and has a strong moral compass. I think what I loved more was seeing her inner monologue and her struggles. Moments like when Prince Liwei asked her for assistance in rescuing Princess Fengmei, his betrothed, and she refused. I FELT THE EXACT SAME WAY! The audacity of the prince to accept his duties of marrying for his empire, and yet still toying with Xingyin by professing his love- what a player. The seething anger, jealousy, and darkness that consumed her are the reason why I adore her, because I would feel the exact same way. She is very human for an immortal, and I’m finding myself loving her selfish side. But of course, our protagonist is better than that. She does the right thing, whether for their friendship or out of kindness towards the Princess; she joins the prince in his rescue.

This book has a way with frankness in dialogue that makes me audibly gasp. My jaw is on the floor a lot. For instance, when Captain Wenzhi asked why she would assist Prince Liwei, even after he broke her heart. I was flabbergasted. I mean, he’s right, but why would you say it out loud? Tan’s dialogue feels very bold and something I haven’t encountered much. I think it pairs well with her type of storytelling, and I love how it reveals our characters and their inner thoughts. I feel like a lot of Western romance novels tend to hold their tongue more, but in Tan’s work specifically, there are a lot of bold, rash declarations, and I’m really enjoying it. 

Romance

This is the first romance book where I could not decide which guy I favored more. I was truly torn. How could the Crown Prince claim that his heart was with Xingyin, yet accept his duty so easily? Isn’t true love something worth fighting for?!? So when Wenzhi accepted her and created a steady source of comfort, I felt like his affection was less playful and more straightforward; he felt more like a man. 

Honestly, the build-up to Xingyin and Liwei’s romance wasn’t great. It was okay. I liked their banter, honesty, and competitive nature with each other. Their love story and time spent together sometimes feel glossed over. It’s like Tan believed that their routine together and the passage of time were enough to build their relationship, but I wanted more! I admit that it was cute when they got together, but the real kicker was when they broke up. Hehe, I was grinning like an idiot. Something about the tension, the fleeting looks, and holding on to one’s pride while one’s heart betrays everything was amazing. Even as Xingyin creates physical distance between them, he’s everywhere. Seeing and healing her in the Eastern Sea. In her room when she returns to the Jade Palace. Liwei fuming with jealousy over her closeness and rumors with Captain Wenzhi; now this is romance. Hey, call me crazy, but Xingyin felt the exact same way. 

Despite this messiness, I do believe the bond between Xingyin and Liwei is so deeply rooted in their friendship and honesty that it feels unbreakable. It’s the kind of bond that lets one look past the fact that they’re rescuing their lover’s betrothed. The declarations of love and raw emotion when facing Lady Hualing by both characters tugged at my heartstrings. I could really feel all the emotions and history between them and, more sadly, their possibility. I also think that the vengeful history in their family ancestry makes their love story even more of a feat and so much more romantic. I think these are some of the reasons why I’m leaning towards the prince. 

But how could I talk about romance without talking about the plot twist? OH THE PLOT TWIST! We can’t win. Not only is Xingyin betrayed once in love, but twice!!! The agony. The despair. Where is the good guy in this? Though I do feel like Wenzhi’s betrayal is harder to forgive, his morally gray character doesn’t completely deter me. I may be delusional, but hey, Xingyin felt the exact same way. AND his love for her was true, despite all the lies. Plus, the Celestial Empire has some shady, merciless people on the throne, so overthrowing them doesn’t seem like the end of the world. Except that the Demon Realm is using their powers of mind control to do so… In all, Tan does an amazing job of intertwining romance and plot. Truly, there cannot be one without the other.

Even though I am leaning towards the Prince, like 51% Team Liwei, now that Xingyin and Wenzhi are on bad terms, the tension is going to be thick. It may just sway me back to Wenzhi’s side. After all, this is what Tan’s good at. Romance of complicated feelings, betrayal, and yearning. 

I really did enjoy this read, and I want to make it a goal to read more books by Asian authors. It feels good to be represented. I’m very excited to read the sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior, so keep an eye out for that!