Sŏndŏk: Princess of the Moon and Stars, Korea, A.D. 595

The Royal Diaries

by Sheri Holman

In the late seventh century, the land that we now call Korea was embroiled with political and religious conflicts. Three kingdoms (Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche) fought for supremacy, and three faiths (Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism) battled for dominance. Princess Sondok, the eldest daughter of King Chinp-yong of Silla, must contemplate problems that few other 14-year-olds ever to think of. Another expertly crafted addition to the Royal Diaries series.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Asia

192 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Sheri Holman graduated from The College of William and Mary in 1988, mastering in Theatre. From there, she became an assistant to a literary agent. In that time, she began to write her first novel, A Stolen Tongue. It was published in 1996. She then went on to write "The Dress Lodger," which was published in 1999. Sheri Holman also wrote "Sondok, Princess of the Moon and Stars," which was published in 2002; and "Mammoth Cheese," which published in 2003. Sheri Holman now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked this one, other than a depiction of shamanistic ritual that was more detailed than I think was strictly necessary, even in the interests of historical realism. The author voice was also, perhaps, a touch modern, but really, who's to say?

Other than the religious stuff, I would have loved this if I'd read it as a child.

<< third book read for my 2024 Royal Diaries self-challenge >>

🎧 “Between the Stars” by Canyon City

[Carlyn Brody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sondok is one of the books from the Scholastics Royal Diaries range. I’ve been collecting the books for a couple of years now and you can see all my reviews here. The Scholastic Royal Diaries series are fictionalized diaries of real historical royal women. As the series is aimed at teenage girls, the books are set during the royal women’s adolescence. There’s some creative license to the dates and facts in the books so further research is required if you want to know the real story. For instance, Sondok’s original name was Dok-man and when she became queen, her name changed to Sondok. Sheri Holman states in the Author’s notes that she used the name Sondok instead of Dok-man as Sondok is more known by her queenly title. Just so you know Sondok is sometimes spelled Seondeok and Dok-man as Deokman but I am going with the spelling in the book.


The story begins in 595 AD. Sondok is the eldest daughter of King Chin-pyong and Queen Ma-ya. Sondok’s father is the ruler of Silla, one of three ancient kingdoms of Korea. The other kingdoms are Konguryo and Paekche. The three kingdoms are constantly at war with each other. King Chin-pyong is worried that Paekche will invade Silla so he courts an alliance with China to protect his kingdom. He invites Lord Lin Fang, an ambassador of China to stay in the palace.


Sondok is interested to meet Lord Lin Fang when she learns that they both are interested in astronomy. She’s notices that the Chinese lunar calendar predicts a lunar eclipse and based on her calculations there will not be an eclipse. When Sondok finally meets Lord Lin Fang, she is severely disappointed. Lord Lin Fang thinks it’s unladylike for a woman to have an interest in astronomy. He dismisses her opinions and tells her that she should focus on women’s work. The king is required to do certain rituals to scare the eclipse away but if there is no eclipse, he will look like a fool. In order to win favour with the Chinese, the king decides to adopt the Chinese Lunar calendar and forbids Sondok from astronomy.


Sondok spends more time doing domestic chores with her mother and sisters. She finds the work demeaning and that causes a rift between her female relations. As the months past, Sondok learns to respect her female family members and have the courage to voice her opinion on the day of the lunar eclipse.


I enjoyed reading about Sondok. I think that she is a character that teenagers can relate to as she was searching for her own identity and wanted to be taken seriously by the adults in her life. I had not heard of Sondok before reading the book. It was fun learning about an Asian princess as most stories focus on European princesses. I found out that there was no Lord Lin Fang in real life. He was added as a story point. His character annoyed me a lot and it was hard reading about Sondok’s despair and anger towards him. Although I thought she handled herself pretty well against a repulsive character.

[Katrin von Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read "The Royal Diaries" series a lot as a kid. They were my go to books and I often reread the few that I had over and over again, never becoming bored with them. Then I got older, discovered other books, and packed my "Royal Diaries" novels away to make room for new reading acquisitions. I recently got an itch to read some historical fiction. My (admittedly brief) foray into the adult examples of the genre left me disappointed...and then I remembered these books. Granted, they're meant for a younger reading audience than me, but that's never stopped me before. Better yet, I did some quick research and learned that quite a few more had been published since I had stopped reading this series in my youth. I hurriedly acquired most of the books I didn't already have and decided to begin with "Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars." This novel features a country I'm not very familiar with and a time that I know very little about, so it seemed a good place to start. I'm pleased to say that the quality of these books is exactly as I remember them and I was completely satisfied with the novel both in terms of reading experience and educational quality. Spoilers follow.

Sondok's mother has failed to produce a male heir, which puts Sondok next in line for the throne. While Sondok's father, the King of Silla, stands by his decision of naming his daughter his heir, not everyone is pleased with the idea of a woman ascending to the throne. Silla's enemies are sure to attempt an invasion, which prompts Sondok's father to facilitate an alliance with the powerful Chinese Empire through ambassador Lord Lin Fang. Though initially excited to meet with the foreign diplomat and fellow astronomer, Sondok's opinion of Lin Fang quickly drops when he makes it clear that he disapproves of Silla's future ruler being female. Worse, he declares that Sondok's greatest love, astronomy, is a pursuit unfit for a woman...and the King of Silla agrees, banning Sondok for studying the stars. When the Chinese astronomers predict an eclipse on a different day than Silla's, Sondok is determined to prove that her measurements and calculations are correct, even if her father refuses to listen. And when Lord Lin Fang encourages even bigger changes in Sondok's life, she finds herself struggling to please everyone while battling with her own conflicting emotions. How can she train to be the future ruler of Silla with Lin Fang changing everything and seemingly turning her father against her?

I'll be honest, despite my love for this series as a youngster, I went into this with lowered expectations, expecting a simplified story with light themes...but I ended up being very impressed with the plot. Page-count wise, the book may seem a little short, but the author has packed a lot of content into the pages. It's a great story with big themes. While the main conflict is the Chinese astronomers versus Silla's and, as an extension, Sondok versus Lin Fang and their respective cultures, a lot of other issues are hit on, too. There are questions of religion in the form of Buddhism versus Shamanism versus Confucianism; gender roles with Sondok trying to balance the often conflicting expectations put upon her as a woman and as Silla's future ruler; rank and maintaining the social hierarchy when neither Sondok's father nor sole uncle has produced a male heir, which complicates the continuation of the royal family line; family with the changing the dynamics within Sondok's household and eventually forcing her mother to leave, and love, as, tragically, Sondok is in love with her best friend Chajang, but their positions in society will not permit them to marry. Not a page is wasted and it all boils down to a positive message for readers to take away: it is more important to trust yourself than it is to please others who will never accept you as you are. If you're looking for a more action-focused, fast-paced plot, then this book isn't for you. This is definitely more of a personal story of self discovery and is as a result a little slower. It's not boring, mind you, but the goal is to put you in Sondok's head and really make you understand her world, not tell a tale of riveting excitement and page-turning action. This is a beautiful story, full of big themes and conflict all working together to help us understand Sondok and her situation. Sure, it's not action-packed, but it's difficult to put down since every page is significant and the story is so interesting.

Perhaps more than any other girl I can remember from the "Royal Diaries" novels (heck, even more than any other protagonist I've read recently), Sondok faces prevalent sexism on a daily basis with her interest in astronomy and her future as Silla's ruler often coming into direct conflict with the traditional gender roles practiced by her people. A younger reader likely wouldn't be concerned with this, but as an adult reader, I was pleased to see that the author wasn't intent on shoving the "feminist" angle down the readers' throats. Rather than further an agenda (like other recent historical novels and movies), the story is simply meant to tell us Sondok's story, that of a strong young woman who stands up for herself in the face of opposition in a world that can't accept the concept of her ruling in her own right. Granted, this book was written over ten years ago, but I was pleased to see that the trends I've noticed in more recent historical novels and movies weren't present here: that is, characters that act like modern women spouting off about how unfair their society is as a result of the gender roles. Instead, the characters think and express themselves like women of their times, not women of ours, and the idea that woman deal with a huge inequality of the sexes is fully expressed without being preachy. It's incorporated into the narrative rather than being used to bludgeon the reader over the head. Again, younger readers likely won't notice this or care beyond the fact that Sondok provides a good role model, but as an adult, I appreciated seeing the issue being treated with the finesse it deserves without taking the reader out of the setting with modern opinions.

A majority of the "Royal Diaries" books I read as a kid took place in European countries, so the setting of "Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars" was completely unfamiliar to me. The author does a great job of explaining the customs, culture, and atmosphere of early Korea. She weaves it into the story rather than just dumping it on the reader, which makes for a smooth reading experience while still ensuring that the reader is learning about Sondok's world. That being said, the method of presentation is sometimes a little corny. The diary is framed as Sondok putting the entries into the ancestral jar containing her grandmother's remains as an offering and plea for guidance, so a lot of the cultural information is introduced with "as you know, Grandmother..." which launches into explaining to "Grandmother" (and the reader) things she would already know. The overuse of this lead-in aside, I ultimately came out of the book feeling like I had learned a lot about Sondok's world (the 20-some page historical note at the end is also incredibly informative). I also liked that the realities of Sondok's Korea aren't sugar coated; while this is solidly a book for a preteen audience, the darker aspects of the culture (Sondok's father wanting to kill Chajang after he turns down a position on the Council, for example) are still there, present enough to make themselves known but not expanded upon to make the book unsuitable for its audience. A lot of research went into this, and it definitely shows!

Sondok is a highly intelligent, mature, level-headed girl. Though she exhibits the occasional outburst born out of the frustration of being pulled in so many directions at once, she usually conducts herself in a calm, dignified manner that demonstrates the positive qualities that eventually make her a successful ruler. If anyone was up to the task of ruling in a country in a time that opposed the idea of a female sitting on the throne, it was Sondok. Her resilience is truly admirable; she continues to fight for what she wants even when it seems hopeless. And if things don't work out for her, she doesn't fall into despair and instead strives to make the best of her new situation. Her feelings, as revealed in her "diary," are often tumultuous and strong, but she hides it well, knowing that she has to prove that she is prepared to come into her birthright when the time comes. I was particularly impressed by her interactions with her father's new wife. Rather than be bitter towards the new queen, Sondok acknowledges that she can't be mad at her because she is simply a pawn in the greater game of Silla needing a male heir. Instead, Sondok helps her become adjusted to her new life and a sort of friendship forms between them. She's a wonderful protagonist and a great character for younger readers to look up to.

On a random note, I love the covers of these books, and this one is no exception. The colours are so rich that they draw the eye, yet the design is simple. I've always enjoyed just looking at the covers to get a feel for who this particular princess might be (or in this case, rather, how the artist depicts her since there are no known images of Sondok). It's an elegantly designed cover, so kudos to the artist.

"Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars" is a book that, while aimed at a younger audience, can provide a satisfying reading experience for adults. Regardless of your age, this novel is definitely worth a read, and I'm personally very pleased that I enjoyed a "Royal Diaries" book now just as much as I did when I was a kid. Don't let the target age scare you away - this is a great example of historical fiction. Five stars.

This review is also posted on Amazon.com.

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking at my reviews in "cloud" form, I realized that most of my reviews are on fantasies and that is because it is one of my favorite genres. However, I know I need to be more inclusive, so I remembered that I had not reviewed any of the books from "The Royal Diaries" series and I picked this one up.

This book is narrated by young Sondok in messages she writes to her grandmother's spirit living in a sacred jar. Sondok's father is king and her mother has provided no male heir, so that means Sondok will have to serve if a male heir isn't born. She realizes her importance and her role and believes that her interest in astronomy should be valued be her father. Instead, the Chinese ambassador chastises the young girl for interests that are clearly alien to his idea of the "proper female" and he appears to affect her father's decisions about her activities. Throughout the book there is the struggle of what Sondok wants to be versus what others want her to be.

I enjoyed this book because it provided another glimpse into the history of Korea, a country that I first visited through the wonderful fiction of Linda Sue Park. Historical information, including images, provided at the close of this book help the reader make the connection to a history with which most Americans are unfamiliar.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had one of the best "I told you so moments" I ever read. Princess Sondok was clearly trapped in a very tough position. She was obviously very intelligent, but because she was a girl she was constantly set aside even though her advise was good. The fact that she was able to have as much impact as she did was pretty impressive. I also found many of the Korean traditions interesting, especially the role of the ancestor jar with becomes her diary writing to her grandmother.

[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest in my series read-through project. This one was fine. Some parts were interesting, such as Sondok's family dynamic and some of her interest in constellations and astronomy, some parts were more on the boring side. Not bad, not great. I think I have more personal interest in tales set in Japan or China vs. Korea, so different strokes for different folks.

[Angelique Sapone · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the Royal Diaries books portray these princess as trying to triump over their sex. This is a prime example of why your title doesn't totally matter...because you have a vagina. Sondok wasnt hearing any of it though...good for her.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok. I enjoyed it because I learned a little about ancient Korea, but the journal entries were confusing. If it weren’t for the historical info in the back go tie it together I would’ve been confused about a lot of it. Obviously sondok was an interesting person but I wish that the story written of her in this diary was more interesting. I learned about people in her life but the events were obviously fictitious and the places and things mentioned were so confusing. I wish I had realized before finishing the book that there was a glossary and more info in the back. But I read books from front to back. So why would I page to the back first? There should’ve been some announcement in the beginning that we should reference the back of the book as we read. They even had all the italicized words in the back as a glossary. Would’ve loved to have known THAT before finishing the entire story. Overall, confusing and uneventful :/ disappointing read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is decidedly not how a fourteen year old girl thinks or writes, but maybe that's not the point of The Royal Diaries books.

Years ago my daughter collected all the books in this series and read them all. I borrowed this from her in order to fulfill some tasks on a couple of challenges, and out of respect for her I finished it. The book is filled with interesting historical facts about the people and the era they lived in, but it lacks any depth of feeling for the characters and their ordeals.
Maybe it's just the particular author of this one book, as the books in this series have all different authors.

[empressofeverything · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really remember reading this one more than once as a kid, and honestly I'm not surprised. This book was really dull, which really was disappointing. I don't know much about Korean history and this could've been an interesting introduction to it, but it really just...didn't go anywhere. Sondok is older than many of the other princesses in the series. I don't know if that really impacted the book at all.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written as letters to her grandmother. So it was really weird how she would say things like, "grandmother, you remember how we do xyz cultural tradition," it was just so unnatural and weird. Then the author stopped doing that about a third of the way through the book, which almost makes it more weird I think. 🤷

[Isabelle✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously though, the portraits/paintings/artwork of these historical figures on the covers are beautiful.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this gem at a library sale! Still my childhood goal to own and read every book in this and the "OG" Dear America series and this one was well worth it, especially as Holman had essentially NOTHING to go on.

Four stars.

[Morgan Le Fay ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s funny rereading a book you have some vague memories of from years before. I remember random small details but not actual plot points.

[Sloan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this series as a kid and was thrilled to find one I hadn’t read at a used bookstore. Learned so much about part of the world I know almost nothing about.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book in The Royal Diaries series and takes place in Korea, 595 A.D, about 900 years before Columbus "discovered" North America.

Sondok is a Princess due to inherit a throne since her father did not have any sons. This would make her the first female to be an actual ruler in the area, and, as such, she is warned that other countries probably won't respect her country since it would have a female ruler.

She is a very intelligent girl and her passion in life is astronomy, but that does not sit well with her father, the King, or a man brought in from China to help the Korean astronomers. She's also very attracted to one boy, but the boy is not on her same social status and thus they cannot have an actual relationship.

The story is quite good, showing how Sondok tries to do the best she can but is handicapped by the attitude of the Chinese representative who represents a government which holds women to be definitely of secondary status. She tries to be herself, then gives in an tries to be what her father and others expect of her.

As with all the other books in the series, this one has a really good historical section on it and there's a lot in there, including information on Buddhism, Confucianism and Shamanism.

Definitely worth reading.

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book. Loved that last line.

Perhaps Father's new wife will bear him a son, and I will never have a chance to govern well. But judging from the sky today, the heaven's seem to think differently. The Entire court has come outside and stands staring upward. Their jaws drop and they cast awed glances at me. Even Lord Lin Fang looks at the sky and trembles. The planet Kumsong is shining in the daytime, Grandmother. What is normally only seen at night is now perfectly visible in the brightest day. And as you know, the legend say that when Kumsong shines by day a woman is to rule. And there Kumsong shines. And here I stand. - Excerpt from "Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars"

[Carmen lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

i hated the way how they treated women back then other than that it was a great story.

[Liss Carmody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying these Royal Diaries books, much more than I expected to. Sondok is written about a princess of Silla, an early medieval kingdom in modern-day Korea, and it is filled with carefully researched details and reasonable inferences about the life of this historical person. Her character's passion for astronomy is based on an astronomy tower she built early in her eventual reign as queen, and serves as an excellent focal point for the tension between Silla's culture and the adjacent Chinese culture that they are delicately exploring. As in The Lady of Ch'iao Kuo, there are romantic threads through the plot but they are definitely subordinated to other plot threads of politics, familial relationships, and culture.

I read this for Nell's Torchlight curriculum, and got through it quite a bit faster in part because it was a little bit shorter, and in part because I realized what a risk it was to get bogged down in it and made a point to keep moving through it at a good clip. It made for very enjoyable reading, though!

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish that this book had been written by an author of Korean descent, but it was published in 2002, which was a vastly different time to now. Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars is about fourteen year old Sondok who is her father's heir apparent. She has always taken an interest in astronomy and the reading of the heavens. The journal starts when she is given the jade container of her Grandmother. She is to fill it with rice and write out prayers and thus the narrative continues through. I found this to be a very engaging read, and I loved how Sondok pushed for the science of the stars and her own calculations instead of relying upon the flawed method of those who visited her court. There are certain events towards the end which really were heartbreaking, but on a whole everything ended up okay for Sondok at the end of her year long journal.

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been needing to read something uplifting yet something that reminded me of my childhood. Luckily, I had the entire royal diaries series. And this is the first one. I only remember reading one or two of the royal diaries series and so glad I'm able to start at the beginning. I loved the simplicity, the research, and the way the story of Sondok was told. Her voice is clear and pure. She's intelligent, kind, and observant. It hurt reading as Lin Fang tried to diminish her and how her father started treating her. Small men have no use for strong women. Even though she made herself small, in the end, she grew and became her true self. It's a beautiful story done with simplicity, but done well.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would have worked better in more standard narrative.

It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd be a bit problematic.

I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.

I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings

[Erica Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to continue reading series I enjoyed when I was younger and honestly was worried I wouldn’t enjoy them as much as an adult but I truly enjoyed this book . Like learning some history and feeling naughty reading someone else’s journal even though you really are not . This one really got me thinking about how different the world may have been had women been valued earlier on . Also about how balance and self acceptance are truly important to one’s life and purpose . So remember to water your root and keep what you came from and add what you learn in perfect harmony . Can’t wait to keep reading this series .

[DJ Divine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is very inspiring to read about the first Queen of Silla Dynasty in South Korea.
I am really intrigued by her wisdom and her intellect, that's why I read this book.
One of the things that I am satisfied is the origin of the oldest astronomical tower
that still stands today ~ it was constructed by a Queen! And how accurate it was too!
Another would be the fact that she utilizes logic more than superstition.
She only use superstition as last resort. She was quite a marvel and modern, way ahead of her own era. I think that plot became a little bit mundane towards the middle. That would be the only reason why I won't give it a 5 star.

[Cheyenne Langevelde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt a lot different in tone than the other Royal Diaries and it took me several entries to get into the story, but once I did it was quite interesting. The conflict and lessons that Sondok has to learn are very important ones, and it was nice to see her growth and character development throughout the story amid changing political environments. There was a lot of pagan discussion, unsurprising considering the time period of this book, that some readers may find discomforting, but it was interesting to get to see the religions of the day and how they impacted daily life for the Silla.

[Cuideachd · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, this was one of my favorite books. I was fascinated. I found her conflict with the Chinese ambassador very interesting and her struggles made me very invested in what she thought and felt. Losing her mother, only to have her replaced by a younger woman. Running on stage to save her father from humiliation from the failed eclypse ceremony. Trying to piece together the traditional ways with the mudang and the newer, fancier, 'more scientific' ways from China as well as her own skills as an astronomer. She really goes through it in this book but never crumbles.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This covers a lot of history, culture, generational gaps, and historical gender roles. It can be pretty confusing to follow the storyline, due to the amount of details, and there's a lot that's tempting to skip over. The Romanization also seems outdated and it can come off as Princess Sondok just complaining a lot with very little character or storyline development. However, I think my thoughts are from the perspective of an adult. A much younger reader would find the descriptions fascinating, although I think they, like I did at 11 or 12, would get easily lost in the historical depth.

[Erin Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had low expectations for this one, based on the fact that the author "didn't know anything about Korea before she decided to write a book about it. She just knew she liked the food." I don't know how much of the culture Holman got right, but the story itself was very moving and enjoyable. I loved Sondok's character and her struggles feel very real and appropriate for a 15 year old.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading all the Dear Americas and Royal Diaries (56/63)

Another one with a lot of creative license taken, but it's a well-told story. I feel like I learned some surface level things, but I can't rely on a lot of it because some of the main characters and story points were made up for the narrative. Sondok sounds cool, though!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that is especially encouraging to young girls who wish to pursue STEM careers. Seondeok was a lover of astronomy, traditionally a man's activity in her time. Holman writes well, too, and I was engaged in the entire book and could not wait to pick it up again.