Sue Lynn TanBesprekingen

Extremely satisfying. Finally resolves the romance! This collection of short stories includes background stories and missing scenes. But most importantly, it provides a sweetly satisfying resolution for the Big Romance Questions that were not (entirely) resolved in the first two books. I mean, yes, at the end of the second book we got a very philosophically sound speech about looking forward to the future whatever it might bring. A+ for good life advice. I kinda liked that the end of the novel was not tied up a neat little bow like Heroine's life / adventures are over now. (Because they're not.) However, it is still very nice to see the big romantic finish. So I was glad that we got that, in this collection. If you liked the first two, read this. If you haven't read the first two, do NOT read this first. You'll ruin the ending for yourself.

Once upon a time the moon goddess was a mortal woman in love with the man who used his impressive bow skills to do the Celestial Emperor a big favor and win a vial of immortality elixir. But when he was away and she was dying in child birth, she took the elixir to save herself and her child and was punished for it by being banished to the moon. And so Xingyin – the child – has grown up knowing only the moon, her mother, and a servant. All that changes overnight when the Emperor’s servants pay a surprise visit and nearly discover Xingyin’s existence, so her mother sends her away to seek her fortune. This is the story of how Xingyin works to find a way to free her mother from the Emperor’s curse, becoming a skilled fighter in his army along the way, as well as getting herself involved in a messy love triangle, of course.

I enjoyed this romantasy for the most part. I love the mythical retelling, of course, but the love triangle gets too angsty and the star-crossed aspect gets tedious.

I still enjoyed reading the sequel for the most part, but also I feel like we didn't need this story. We didn't need to revisit the love triangle.

plot points were a bit convenient at times but i had fun

i feel like the bones are there with this one... i just can't decide if the aimlessness of this story should be attributed to the writing or the protagonist's lack of self knowledge. this really should've been a novella, if not just part of book 1. not to mention the most tedious gd love triangle ever written, i swear to his celestial majesty... case in point, one of the love interests literally DIES, only to get exhumed and forcefully reincarnated by the other love interest in order to appease the protag. let the man rest, simp

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom is a compilation of short stories set before, during, and after the first two books in the Celestial Kingdom series. Separated into three parts, Dusk – prequel, Twilight – expands relationships in first book, and Dawn – set after second book, the short stories re-imagine myths and are from different character point-of-views. As I've not read the series yet, I only read the Dusk prequel section to begin my journey into this world. I plan on coming back and updating this review as I read each section as I make my way through the series.

Dusk

He was a hero of the people, a legend of our realm...but for today, I just wanted him to be my husband.

If you have already read the first book in the series, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, you'll soon realize that this is the re-imaging of the Chinese myth the ten Sunbirds and is about the parents of Xingyin, the female lead character of DOTMG. Switching from both Chang'e and Houyi's povs, readers learn that the land is on fire and dying because all ten of the Sunbirds have decided to stay risen in the sky. Houyi is the Emperor's General and thus, taxed with getting the Sunbirds to set. Chang'e is pregnant and not wanting Houyi to leave her and possibly die.

Houyi was visited in a dream and given an amulet to protect himself but he still is leery of taking on the gods. We travel with him as he confronts the Sunbirds, who at first come off as unruly adolescents. Things don't quite go as Houyi wanted but the land is given reprieve and returns to one Sunbird that rises and falls. He returns home a hero and is gifted an elixir of immortality.

Months later we return to a Chang'e who's about to give birth a month early and all alone at the moment. Panicking she ends up taking the elixir, giving herself and her daughter immortality while leaving behind a betrayed look on his face Houyi, as she ascends to the heavens to be with the other immortals.

There were three illustrations that complimented the story and helped readers to visualize the world. For a story only around forty pages, the emotions, the love between Chang'e and Houyi, was intensely felt. I was drawn into this mythological world and after reading about Xingyin's origins, I can't wait to start her book.

First, I was really looking forward to reading this book, and after I finally did, it didn't disappoint. At first I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations. But it turns out I really like it and the plot just flows.

The characters are in accordance with their respective portions and needs. They have their own role to build the plot and to achieve the desired goals of the story.

I like the character of Xingyin who started out as a naive girl, the daughter of a moon goddess who is isolated and only knows Ping'er and her mother. Then an incident makes her have to face a wide world that is different from her own. How she deals with the events that hit her, makes a decision from every available choice.

I can't wait to read the next book because there are still many unanswered questions in this book.

I was so close to hating this book. But thank goodness, in ended with the guy I was rooting for. Still I'm pissed at her so -1 star.

I just finished this yesterday and if I was just in the middle I would disagree with anyone saying that the main character is annoying, but after her "kidnapping" yeah, she did annoy me haha

the story moved a just the right pace. I love how it unfolded and pulled me in. This was sun an enjoyable read and I’d definitely read it again.

This is a compilation of short stories from before, during and after the Celestial Kingdom duology. I really enjoyed the duology and was interested to see more from this author. As always, the cover and illustrations are fantastic. I found that this collection of stories wasn't bad but it did not really add much to the original books.

The first few stories form a prequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess by expanding on the Chinese mythology that formed the basis for the series. These were probably the strongest, featuring the parents of Xingyin. Other stories focused on different characters in various scenes from the books, often expanding on sequences from other points of view. The final story in this collection is an epilogue which was fine but I was satisfied with the ending of the book already so it felt unnecessary.

I would definitely not recommend reading this before the original two books as there is little explanation provided on who the characters are if you have no context. The stories were fine but I did not think they expanded on much that we did not already know. I look forward to future books from this author in a new setting.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager in exchange for honest feedback.½

I like the main character in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I found her extremely annoying in this sequel. She appeared selfish and proud, but also always had the wisest answer. Too many conflicting qualities, just very unlikeable.½

Everyone needs more Chinese mythology in their books, and that’s the truth. I really liked the writing, the gorgeous imagery and beautiful detail.

Until about halfway through, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Xingyin. She came across as kind of dim, immature and self-absorbed. I don’t mind characters being frail, of course not. Yet, when they are less skilfully drawn, as is the case here, it becomes annoying. Xingyin’s inner voice often felt childish and shallow.

In the last half, the book came together. The plot began to rush ahead, adventure after adventure, battle after battle, and revelation after revelation, with satisfying character development for Xingyin and extremely predictable, but enjoyable romantic entanglements.

My melodramameter (there should be such a word!) broke ;) I didn’t mind, because it fit the setting and the Chinese fantasy drama atmosphere.

I ended up enjoying Daughter of the Moon Goddess a lot more than I had expected after the first few chapters. Yes, I will read the sequel!

I’d love to see this made into a series – garments swirling, hair flying, trees blossoming, eyes blazing, swords flashing, people sinking to the ground in despair at least three times per episode. Are you writing this down, Netflix?

Argh, another book I wanted so badly to fall in love with, and I didn’t. There was so much on the surface that was up my alley - Chinese mythology, a feminist retelling of the Chang’e tale (a story I heard growing up), a gorgeous cover, and what sounded like an epic adventure of a girl who would do anything to save her mother. I couldn’t wait to dive in.

So, what I loved. First, that cover! So beautiful. I loved all the mythology characters and realms in it and it brought me back to my days growing up in Asia. The writing flowed and the prose was lyrical. I adored the fantastical, mythological world this was set in. I enjoyed reading about Chang’e and Houyi and truly think this story would have been much better if it were about them. And I loved the tension-filled beginning and the ending that seemed fitting.

What I didn’t love - the pacing and the characters. It was SLOW and took a long time to get to the heart of the plot as advertised. Too much filler. This book is over 500 pages long. I felt that a good 100 pages or so could be cut and it wouldn’t make a difference.

And the characters. I liked Xingyin at first and I admired her noble motive - wanting to free her mother, Chang’e, from imprisonment. And then it fell apart. She is flawless, clearly a Chosen One and a Mary Sue. She is a “not like other girls” type and coming in hoping for a feminist story, this annoyed me. I don’t like perfect Special Snowflake characters, I can’t relate to them and I lose interest in them. I want to root for them to win and have their happy ending but how can I if everything just comes so easily for them? I never felt scared or worried for her, that each time she faced adversity I knew she would get out alive and well without much of a struggle. Even when she did get hurt, she was back to 100% a couple pages later. If this is an Immortal power, I don’t remember reading about it. Overall, nothing interesting or memorable about her.

The two love interests, Prince Liwei and Captain Wenzhi were bland as hell and cardboard cutouts. And there’s a love triangle!! I despise love triangles because they are so rarely done well. They both fell into insta-love with Xingyin and if I had to be honest, there was no chemistry at all between them and her. I honestly didn’t understand why they liked her so much, let alone love. So the romance came off very wooden. I did relate to Xingyin here - she was shocked that these two high ranking, handsome men loved her, and like her, I couldn’t figure out why either.

I felt that Liwei and Wenzhi had more passion when they interacted together than when they did with Xingyin. I wasn’t as invested in them as I wished I was and I didn’t care if they lived or died. Oh, and can I just say that there was a part of their “romance” that I hated? When he became betrothed to another and Xingyin left him (for good reason), he follows her around and won’t leave her alone despite her saying she wants nothing to do with him. This is not romantic just because he’s a handsome prince, it’s stalking.

I was also confused on the age group for this. It seemed too deep for YA, yet too light to be adult. I had no sense of how much time passed in the book.

Overall, sadly, this book didn’t really do it for me. I slogged through the middle 80% of the book, and by the time I had lost interest (around 60% or so), I was so far in that I finished it anyway. I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel, the story and characters didn’t compel me enough to want to know what happens next.

Dnf; stopped at pg 400

Yet again I’ve been fooled by a beautiful cover.

It is not my intention to be overly harsh because writing is hard, but these are my true feelings. I’m a completionist at heart, so it has to be a lot for me to throw in the towel.

Unfortunately, I didn’t mesh well with the writing style. We’ve immortals, magic, DRAGONS, and court politics, but GOLLY do we have a boring bland MC. Very rarely do I throw out the Mary Sue title because it’s disheartening to hear as a writer, but Xingyin feeling sad for her parents is not a personality. It’s giving they are an orphan, so now they have built-in character development. She’s pretty, plays music, has magic, and can fight. Oh, but her flaw is she doesn’t know how to use her magic well. Okay, but she eventually learns, so now what?

Even during Part I where Xingyin decides to accept the cattiness of those girls, it just felt like she was going through the motions. She’s upset, but she tries to hold her head high. She’s sad because of her parents’ situation. Okay. That’s expected. Sad stuff happens character sad. Bad stuff happens character disappointed. I just … I don’t know.

Action and war play a part here as well. But every big bad villain felt cartoony. Some of the best villains you understand where they’re coming from or at least they make a worthy opponent/good foil to the hero. Xingyin "struggled" with the various ones, but none ever felt satisfactory.

And the relationship between Xingyin and Liwei is literal day-old stale bread. I generally enjoy childhood friends or royal character falling in love with MC who is of a lower class/not royalty. The author had the foundation to build their relationship until she started telling us they were close and these feelings they supposedly had. I felt no chemistry, ma’am. Maybe some geometry at best. when we had the fakeout that Xingyin killed Liwei... like girl, I FELT NOTHING.

Love interest #2 Army Dude was slightly better than Liwei, but I don’t know why he fell for Xingyin either. She’s not that interesting nor is he to be honest. Major Wenzhi spoiler: Wenzhi being a demon felt abrupt. There was little to no foreshadowing at that. How was he talking he doesn't like that side of him that threatened the merpeople but then he's like secretly evil??? chile, is this a rebrand? The characters felt like chess pieces that just had to move to from one area to another to keep the story going. None gave deep connections, whether friendship or romantic. I don’t even care about the girl’s doggone mama, which is what the story hinged on.

Because I didn’t enjoy the reading experience, none of this was entertaining and it just dragged along. Many of my mutuals enjoyed this story, but I couldn’t see it in that light. Overall, this story wasn’t for me. Some of this may be my own personal enjoyment tainting the story, or the fact I’m more inclined to character-driven stories. I could’ve liked this more if I had seen it as a soap opera or an animation.

Really enjoyed this debut! Brava

The highly anticipated (at least for me) sequel to Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess delivers in all the ways that made the first novel great: action, romance, magic, all of it is there and more. Whereas DotMG introduced readers to a vibrant, pulsing world of immortals and enchantments, Heart of the Sun Warrior provides a more emotional follow-up that will leave readers turning the pages in a frenzy to get to the end.

At her core, Xingyin is still the same. She desires to spend eternity quietly with her loved ones, but that is not possible when the glittering Celestial Court shows up at their door, demanding more. She is marked by her adventures. She is weary of intrigue and suspicious of strangers. This restlessness is best personified in her inability to choose between Liwei and Wenzhi. Both men are very different but also the same. They both offer her the same future of a regimented and two-faced court life, only one is in the Celestial Kingdom and the other is in the Demon Realm, and either situation would kill Xingyin. Nevertheless, I still found the romance compelling and filled to the brim with angst.

Compared to the previous novel, Xingyin is more active in this one. While she kills a lot less monsters, she drives the plot this time. Previously, she was at the mercy of her circumstances, but now she makes an effort to plot, steal, and attack all in the name of helping her family. She is aware that she is a hypocrite for stooping to the methods she uses to achieve her goals while disdaining when others do the same. Again, this showcases that Xingyin isn't perfect. Just as she is a relatable character, she is also unique with her own strengths and weaknesses. She's compelling to read about, even as she makes mistakes. This story is more about learning to accept grief and to grow from it, and that is a long, hard road for Xingyin, as it is for many of us too.

Once again, readers are taken all over the map on what sometimes feels a bit of a wild goose chase. Yet, the evocative settings make up for this. It's still fun being introduced to new characters of Chinese mythology and experiencing the ever-increasing stakes.

I have a couple of critiques for this book, but I know they won't bother me on a second reading. I felt the romantic heroes didn't really do as much this time around. They just bickered, brooded, and vied for Xingyin's attention. Liwei, in particular, was more of a damsel in distress type character and is much more passive than in the first book. Second, the laws of magic were really pushed to the boundaries this time around, and I struggled to grasp what was possible and what was not. What saved this book from 4 stars was the unexpected yet hopeful and completely satisfying ending.

This duology will take you on a journey just as emotional and heroic as the one Xingyin takes. You are right there with her from beginning to end. The emotional weight is there, and Tan's messages of acceptance, growth, and hope are palpable on every page. I said before that this represents the best of what fantasy can be, and that statement remains true until the very end.

Now this is a fantasy novel! It has everything I've always wanted: a strong but flawed heroine, gorgeous settings on a grand scale, a lack of blatant sexism, gripping romances, fast-paced plot, and great action. More than anything, this novel is just pure fun. I couldn't put it down, and it was a delight from beginning to end.

Loosely based on Chinese mythology, Tan's debut novel reads exactly like a Chinese fantasy drama series. That's not a bad thing, but it does mean the story doesn't unfold in a straightforward manner. It winds and twists, which honestly makes it more fun. The unexpected directions it takes make the reader question if our heroine actually will accomplish her goal of freeing her mother, the Moon Goddess. However, each moment is meant to foreshadow the climax. For all it seems the plot meanders, the pacing is steady, and it all comes together beautifully.

Readers are taken all over the immortal world, evoking vivid landscapes in the process. Everything is described as jewels or minerals, giving a sense of a rich and vibrant world, pulsing with life. The fashion is equally descriptive. Magic silks in a rainbow of hues help set the scene. All of this sucks the reader in, and you don't realize how much time has passed while you're reading.

Our protagonist, Xingyin, has an inspiring trajectory from sheltered daughter to the best archer in the immortal world and the romantic interest of the Crown Prince and a celebrated captain of the Celestial army. While she goes on adventures and travels the Celestial kingdom, holds onto her core principles of filial piety, simplicity, and disdaining violence even as she causes it. Xingyin is likable and relatable, but she is also flawed. She makes mistakes, eventually accepts them, and learns from this. It is this trait, more than any other, that make her such a strong character. Oftentimes, heroines are either perfect or their flaws are such that they don't make waves in the story. Meanwhile, Xingyin grapples with her choices, both of the heart and the mind, and I loved her for it. The novel is told in first person, and I was initially concerned it would be too much, but it worked really well to underscore Xingyin's struggles.

The rest of the cast is equally dynamic from the ferocious Empress to the terrifying Emperor, to calculating Wenzhi, romantic Liwei, vindictive Lady Hualing, and, of course, the tragic Moon Goddess Chang'e. Even the more minor characters fleshed out the scenes with their desires and personalities. Just like Xingyin, they are multi-faceted. They add to the color of the world, and it feels like you could step into it if you tried.

We've been conditioned to think fantasy is one thing: a gritty European medieval setting with strict rules for magic and even stricter gender norms. Here, everything is bright and colorful and free. There is poetry and music but also dragons and sword fighting. It is everything that the genre can be and more, if you're open to it.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a highly evocative and captivating fantasy steeped in Chinese mythology and I was so here for all of it!

I knew this book would be quite something right from the start, where we jump straight into it with a chase scene shortly after the brief introduction. All the settings were gorgeously drawn, with very vivid descriptions (at one point, I could almost smell the flowers!), and the worldbuilding was absolutely on point! This world feels rich and deep, and even though I was a bit confused by all the names at first (alas, a common problem for me with fantasy), by the end I had it all pretty much clear in my head. There were intrigue, drama, politics, secrets and backstabbing, and it was delicious. Plus, dragons!

Xingyin was an interesting main character and I loved watching her grow up throughout the book. Her journey from servant to archer in the Celestial army was a delight to follow, as she finds new ways to make her own fortune, constantly trying to free her mother. I also liked the bond she developed with her study companion - none other than the Celestial Emperor's son. The relationships were probably the best thing in this: be they family relationships, romantic ones or just friendships, they all felt teased out perfectly and given a chance to grow in a way that made sense within the story. There is a love triangle, which I honestly wasn't terribly keen on but it did make sense so I wasn't too annoyed, despite rolling my eyes maybe a few times.

The plot kept me on my toes for a while, trying to guess at all the mysteries and secrets, and there were a few surprises there! I struggled a bit with the pace in certain sections towards the middle that felt a tiny bit repetitive but maybe it had more to do with me being extra tired when I read them rather than it being the book's fault.

Overall, this is a great epic fantasy and a fantastic first book in the duology. I'm curious to see where the story will go next, since most of the mysteries seem to have wrapped up in this one.
I received an advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.½

Sadly a DNF
I was really excited for this book. I had preordered it and admired the cover, so now I’m finally getting round to reading it, it really pains me that I’m not enjoying it.
It’s absolutely not what I expected, which is only a reflection of me not the book. I thought it would be a retelling of a myth, but instead it is a romance, with a girl going through many hardships, having to serve a mean woman, until she is noticed by a prince and then literally competes to study with him. This part made me think of Cinderella, one of my least liked fairytales. She then receives an education with the prince and progresses so quickly, and is so gifted… which made my eyes roll a bit….also then it’s a love story.
I’m sure it would absolutely appeal to a younger reader, or a reader who is really into this kind of Romance, but sadly it wasn’t for me.

This was an absolutely gorgeous novel from start to finish. Tight, beautiful prose. Perfect pace. Action-packed, careful and effective world-building without information dumps, and characters that tugged at my heart-strings along the entire journey. I haven't read such a solid first book of a series in a long, long time. There is nothing not to love about this re-imagining of the traditional myth of the Moon Goddess.

This is a book EVERYONE should read!

While not as perfectly paced as book one, this final installment is a master-class in story-telling. The weave of Tan's prose is seamless, leaving the reading thinking we know what's coming only to be whisked in a completely different direction. This book is all action. So much action, in fact, that I wouldn't mind slowing down and zooming in on more of the intimate character work happening in the pages. But this isn't that kind of book, and it's perfect as it is. I'm definitely a Tan fan for life!

Read it.

This was an absolutely gorgeous novel from start to finish. Tight, beautiful prose. Perfect pace. Action-packed, careful and effective world-building without information dumps, and characters that tugged at my heart-strings along the entire journey. I haven't read such a solid first book of a series in a long, long time. There is nothing not to love about this re-imagining of the traditional myth of the Moon Goddess.

This is a book EVERYONE should read!

Reading like a YA retelling of one of my absolute fav Chinese dramas, this was a pleasure from beginning to the end. While I understand the reviews that said it's cliche re female lead, love triangle etc., it's those same familiar tropes that endear the book to me. Honestly it felt like I was reading a beloved drama and I found comfort in the good male lead, the "doomed" second lead, the clueless female lead, the merfolk, Sea kingdom! LOL. It simply hit all the points for me. The realization that the Celestial Emperor will always be the biggest arsehole is also affirming.

Though a duology, I think this has a satisfactory ending.

A lot of fun.

A great sequel

*4.5 stars*

This was such a great sequel. I gobbled everything up. The minor squabbles I had are related to the love triangle and XingYin's wishy-washyness about it all. Nevertheless, I so enjoyed this story. The action doesn't let up with so many surprises along the way (1 particular heartbreaking one).
I'm so ready for what the author writes next