"There was a girl who lived on the moon as its guardian. She was its heart and its breath."
An Arrow to the Moon is a uniquely respectful take on the Chinese mythological tale of Houyi and Chang'e. I'd personally had not heard of the mythology before, so to up the stakes, I went in totally and completely blind. Unsurprisingly, I was not disappointed.
Emily X.R. Pan weaves a tale that is fast paced, intriguing, and has you wondering what it is exactly that is going to transpire between our two star-crossed lovers. Though the chapters are on the shorter side, it aides the Pan's style of writing and adds onto the feeling that inevitably, our main characters are running out of time.
Though the plot never left me feeling bored or disinterested, where An Arrow to the Moon truly won me over was in its gorgeous storytelling. Here's one of my favorite quotes that takes place after a romantic scene between our MC's.
She peeled away her shirt and saw the purple blooms where his lips had found her skin. The marks were already fading. They weren't hickeys—what an ugly word, and equally ugly on the skin, like some kind of injury. No, these were more of that same magic they'd discovered on the bus. Their bodies in conversation.
It is only fitting that such a beautifully woven story would be accompanied by skillfully artful wordplay, and this is what I know will make An Arrow to the Moon a read not so easily forgotten.
Had I been in my teens when I read this, I know it would be the type of read I'd lose days of sleep on, just thinking to myself...Where are Luna and Hunter now?
An Arrow to the Moon is a story I won't soon forget.
So fun that you have a blog! 😍 I think I saw that this book is part of the Fairyloot box next month. 👀