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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
'Celestial Banquet' is a young adult culinary fantasy.
First of all, the audiobook was enjoyable, with the narrator doing an amazing job of expressing excitement and interest. The production of the audiobook was also fairly well.
As for the story, the plot is unique but also feels familiar, with the quests being interesting and entertaining, and the food descriptions enjoyable. It was, in addition, filled with many details, like the story of the peninsula and the empress, as well as the whole mythology of the gods.
On the other hand, the romance was a big letdown. It didn't vibe well with the story, as the characters were supposedly trying to survive while coming up with interesting recipes for the gods, so the kisses and the romantic scenes were awkward and didn't make sense at the time that they were taking place. Furthermore, it was eye rolling how the love triangle was so intense and how everyone was interested in it, even outsiders.
The ending, final, was rushed.
Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
First of all, the audiobook was enjoyable, with the narrator doing an amazing job of expressing excitement and interest. The production of the audiobook was also fairly well.
As for the story, the plot is unique but also feels familiar, with the quests being interesting and entertaining, and the food descriptions enjoyable. It was, in addition, filled with many details, like the story of the peninsula and the empress, as well as the whole mythology of the gods.
On the other hand, the romance was a big letdown. It didn't vibe well with the story, as the characters were supposedly trying to survive while coming up with interesting recipes for the gods, so the kisses and the romantic scenes were awkward and didn't make sense at the time that they were taking place. Furthermore, it was eye rolling how the love triangle was so intense and how everyone was interested in it, even outsiders.
The ending, final, was rushed.
Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
I received this as an ARC from the publisher. All views expressed are my own.
Recommend - For those who enjoyed the likes of Food Wars (Shokugeki no Soma), but with less fan service and more gods
Blurb is at the end of the review, for those who aren’t into that sort of thing.
YA fantasy - FM romance, and plenty of it, no spice
I really enjoyed this one. It was a lot of fun, with a lot of diversity in environment and descriptions throughout.
Seen through the eyes of Cai, our FMC, we are given a glimpse of what life is like in the Peninsula. Oft looked down upon, and underestimated by, the Continent, Cai sees participating in the Celestial Banquet as an opportunity to further her own ambitions, as well as to uplift the profile of her town.
We follow her through to the Banquet, meeting the Major Gods, and her competitors. As Cai passes each stage of the Banquet, Lim takes the opportunity to showcase the mythical and fabled ingredients and delicacies of a fantasy China, as well as the venues and creatures through the stylings of the Major Gods.
The focus on the romantic plot between Cai and the two MMCs was certainly a regular story point throughout. I would argue that it was potentially focused on rather more than the food itself was. Unlike its Food Wars comp, we only loosely read about how each dish is prepared or how it’s put together.
Nevertheless, the story was a fun romp through a new world and its cuisine.
Synopsis:
Every 10 or so years, a banquet is prepared for the Major Gods to partake of. The winning team gets the fabled Peaches of Immortality; the losers’ prize is subject to the whims of the gods. Cai is looking for a way to fulfil her dream of opening her own restaurant.
When word of the next Celestial Banquet spreads, she sets out to join a team and compete for a chance to serve legendary meals to the gods.
Read: May 27th - June 1st
Format: E-Book
Rating: No rating, DNF-ed @ 50
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this listening ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I wanted to try to finish this book. It's only about 7 hours, and I was at 50%, but that entire 50%, the book felt like a 2-star read to me, and I couldn't imagine the next half getting any better.
I don't know exactly where to pin my issues. Maybe the fact it's so quick paced? The plot had to keep moving forward, so I never really learned who anyone was in this book, but also, there's this focus on a love-triangle, so it feels like I should know the people involved more? Yet I don't. I only know the role they fulfill, nothing more. And there's so many names, which makes sense in this sort of situation, but some of those names should have weight, you know? Instead they feel like fodder for people to lose.
The only character I really cared about was Kama. I always love gods that don't let godhood make them lose their humanity and genuinely care about the people they're patron over.
The cooking scenes, which was what drew me in because godly cooking competition sounds awesome, were at least pretty decent. I think they'd have worked better for me if not for the other issue: the writing felt juvenile. And yes, I know this is a YA book, but I don't think YA book means the writing has to feel so young. Books can still be fast paced, teenage accessible, and all that without feeling as weightless as the writing in this did. That lack of meat and weight to the writing is what I think made it come across as juvenile.
Others seemed to really like this book, so it may just be a me thing. As always, I hope people can pick this up and love it because all books deserve someone to love them. I just am not the right person in this case.
Format: E-Book
Rating: No rating, DNF-ed @ 50
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this listening ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I wanted to try to finish this book. It's only about 7 hours, and I was at 50%, but that entire 50%, the book felt like a 2-star read to me, and I couldn't imagine the next half getting any better.
I don't know exactly where to pin my issues. Maybe the fact it's so quick paced? The plot had to keep moving forward, so I never really learned who anyone was in this book, but also, there's this focus on a love-triangle, so it feels like I should know the people involved more? Yet I don't. I only know the role they fulfill, nothing more. And there's so many names, which makes sense in this sort of situation, but some of those names should have weight, you know? Instead they feel like fodder for people to lose.
The only character I really cared about was Kama. I always love gods that don't let godhood make them lose their humanity and genuinely care about the people they're patron over.
The cooking scenes, which was what drew me in because godly cooking competition sounds awesome, were at least pretty decent. I think they'd have worked better for me if not for the other issue: the writing felt juvenile. And yes, I know this is a YA book, but I don't think YA book means the writing has to feel so young. Books can still be fast paced, teenage accessible, and all that without feeling as weightless as the writing in this did. That lack of meat and weight to the writing is what I think made it come across as juvenile.
Others seemed to really like this book, so it may just be a me thing. As always, I hope people can pick this up and love it because all books deserve someone to love them. I just am not the right person in this case.
adventurous
medium-paced
I received an audio ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The best thing about this was the food. I don't watch cooking shows (except Gastronauts - shoutout to Dropout), but I really enjoyed the descriptions of food and some aspects of the challenges. I also like the concept of humans having to deal with the power struggles between minor and major gods.
The worst thing about this was the love triangle. I personally hate love triangles (which is a real hindrance to my enjoyment of YA fantasy in general, to be honest), but this one felt especially pointless. I said "OH COME ON" out loud at least four times because the characters kept getting hung up on the romance when they should have been focusing on the life-threatening challenges. It felt so unnecessary and unconvincing. I was really hoping Cai would go off on her own or with the big strong woman at the end instead, but no luck there.
On top of that, Cai was a bit of a nothing character, and I never felt like she surprised or impressed me in the challenges. I would have liked to see her come up with some ingenious solutions along the way.
I didn't think this was bad, but it wasn't for me. That said, Natalie Naudus is one of my favourite narrators, so I still had a perfectly pleasant reading experience despite not being very into the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
This had me when I read food games and the author said The Mummy (1999) vibes.
This slightly lost me but I think for a debut it's a solid, engaging and a fun quick read! The very idea of the story is, I would say unique, I haven't read anything like this yet and I really liked it, and I liked the world building itself.
Where the book lost me is the romance subplot (and that choice in the final competition... what? Omurice?). Of course, I will preface this by saying I am not a love triangle fan and I am even less of a fan of love interests being jerks. So I am sad to say I did not vibe with this entire part. However, I loved Cai, such a good main character and I enjoyed spending time with her.
Besides the romance subplot, I think 3/5 stars is also because while this feels very unique and fresh story idea wise and world building wise, I just kept feeling as if something is missing. Maybe it will come up in the next installment (I am of the belief that this isn't really a standalone because of some things in the book), maybe not, but the feeling was there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and the author.
This slightly lost me but I think for a debut it's a solid, engaging and a fun quick read! The very idea of the story is, I would say unique, I haven't read anything like this yet and I really liked it, and I liked the world building itself.
Where the book lost me is the romance subplot (and that choice in the final competition... what? Omurice?). Of course, I will preface this by saying I am not a love triangle fan and I am even less of a fan of love interests being jerks. So I am sad to say I did not vibe with this entire part. However, I loved Cai, such a good main character and I enjoyed spending time with her.
Besides the romance subplot, I think 3/5 stars is also because while this feels very unique and fresh story idea wise and world building wise, I just kept feeling as if something is missing. Maybe it will come up in the next installment (I am of the belief that this isn't really a standalone because of some things in the book), maybe not, but the feeling was there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and the author.
fast-paced
Okay, love the narrator for this audiobook! I have listened to other books narrated by Natalie Naudus and she does a phenomenal job in bringing the characters and worlds to life. I ended up really liking most of this book because of her.
The parts I liked were Cai and her plan to make it to the Celestial Banquet by convincing minor god Kama to participate so she could fulfill her father's wish and also help out the peninsula which keeps being attacked by the awful Empress. The trials to get the special ingredients for each dish to be judged were cool and how though it is not like the Hunger Games in that the participants volunteered, you still get some cool deaths from not being prepared properly to make the dish. Also, there are interesting tidbits about the history of Kama that I found intriguing, and the secret princess. Those I could see being expanded in future books that I would like to read. Plus the cooking of the dishes which were cool especially since the chefs needed to be very careful or risk maybe having acid eat through your hands! I also enjoyed the excerpts from scrolls at the beginning of every chapter which helped give depth to this intriguing world.
Now what I did not like and was definitely not needed: a stupid love triangle! I mean, it was not the time for Cai to choose between Bo and Seon while trying to cook the dishes to impress the major gods and not end up cursed or killed! Those scenes were very irritating and had me telling them to shut up and let Cai concentrate! The only other thing that was odd was that the ending seemed incomplete. I am hoping that means there will be another book with more meat. I would read or listen to that.
So, great narrator and pretty good story that went by really fast and was mostly enjoyable (except the Bo and Seon showdown) and so five stars for the narrator and 3 1/2 for the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this entertaining audiobook.
The parts I liked were Cai and her plan to make it to the Celestial Banquet by convincing minor god Kama to participate so she could fulfill her father's wish and also help out the peninsula which keeps being attacked by the awful Empress. The trials to get the special ingredients for each dish to be judged were cool and how though it is not like the Hunger Games in that the participants volunteered, you still get some cool deaths from not being prepared properly to make the dish. Also, there are interesting tidbits about the history of Kama that I found intriguing, and the secret princess. Those I could see being expanded in future books that I would like to read. Plus the cooking of the dishes which were cool especially since the chefs needed to be very careful or risk maybe having acid eat through your hands! I also enjoyed the excerpts from scrolls at the beginning of every chapter which helped give depth to this intriguing world.
Now what I did not like and was definitely not needed: a stupid love triangle! I mean, it was not the time for Cai to choose between Bo and Seon while trying to cook the dishes to impress the major gods and not end up cursed or killed! Those scenes were very irritating and had me telling them to shut up and let Cai concentrate! The only other thing that was odd was that the ending seemed incomplete. I am hoping that means there will be another book with more meat. I would read or listen to that.
So, great narrator and pretty good story that went by really fast and was mostly enjoyable (except the Bo and Seon showdown) and so five stars for the narrator and 3 1/2 for the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this entertaining audiobook.
This book is, unfortunately, deeply not for me. I loved the premise, but the delivery just isn’t keeping me engaged. Additions to the plot don’t feel natural, the main character annoys me, and don’t even START me on the unnecessary love triangle - one of whom isn’t even a good option!!
I really do hope this works for others, because the premise is so intriguing, but it’s just not for me.
I really do hope this works for others, because the premise is so intriguing, but it’s just not for me.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received a digital copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for feedback.
Cai, chef of the Peninsula, faces off against other skilled cooks, magical creatures, and cruel gods in a cooking battle to the death. The first chef to attend from her region in ages, she is belittled, doubted, and almost killed. The price- peaches of immortality that would set her up for life, and protect her region from impending conquerors.
I had so much fun with this book. It was pretty exciting, as our heroine faced trails to even get the ingredients, not to mention cooking with hazards, each round more difficult than the last. Kama, her sponsor deity, was great, I really enjoyed everything about him. And the twists and turns of the tale kept me locked in until the very end. There is no sequel listed that I can find yet, but I really hope for another one.
Cai is a great lead, I enjoyed watching her both cook and problem solve throughout the story, maintaining her strong morals in a way that was pretty amazing.
I thought the world was pretty interesting, the minor gods and the major ones all felt pretty unique and interesting, excluding the minor gods we don't really meet, but that's understandable. I enjoyed the different creatures they used for the meals, each a new test for them to solve.
The only mild grievance I had was the romantic subplot. It felt more intrusive than relevant, and I thought it was the weakest part. I would have enjoyed more on friendships with Kama or Tara over her trying to decide between Bo and Seon.
Cai, chef of the Peninsula, faces off against other skilled cooks, magical creatures, and cruel gods in a cooking battle to the death. The first chef to attend from her region in ages, she is belittled, doubted, and almost killed. The price- peaches of immortality that would set her up for life, and protect her region from impending conquerors.
I had so much fun with this book. It was pretty exciting, as our heroine faced trails to even get the ingredients, not to mention cooking with hazards, each round more difficult than the last. Kama, her sponsor deity, was great, I really enjoyed everything about him. And the twists and turns of the tale kept me locked in until the very end. There is no sequel listed that I can find yet, but I really hope for another one.
Cai is a great lead, I enjoyed watching her both cook and problem solve throughout the story, maintaining her strong morals in a way that was pretty amazing.
I thought the world was pretty interesting, the minor gods and the major ones all felt pretty unique and interesting, excluding the minor gods we don't really meet, but that's understandable. I enjoyed the different creatures they used for the meals, each a new test for them to solve.
The only mild grievance I had was the romantic subplot. It felt more intrusive than relevant, and I thought it was the weakest part. I would have enjoyed more on friendships with Kama or Tara over her trying to decide between Bo and Seon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this eARC ahead of the publication date.
Celestial Banquet is a sensual delight. The food-related imagery that stretches far beyond the confines of the cooking scenes leaves a warm and satisfying sensation in one's stomach. This novel is well-paced and exciting, with a wrenching twist at the end that has me desperate for another instalment. I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, Cai's personality and story arc, and my favourite side characters have to be Kama and Tala without doubt.
Overall, a wonderful read! I'll be eagerly anticipating the official publication date.
Celestial Banquet is a sensual delight. The food-related imagery that stretches far beyond the confines of the cooking scenes leaves a warm and satisfying sensation in one's stomach. This novel is well-paced and exciting, with a wrenching twist at the end that has me desperate for another instalment. I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, Cai's personality and story arc, and my favourite side characters have to be Kama and Tala without doubt.
Overall, a wonderful read! I'll be eagerly anticipating the official publication date.