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hello_lovely13's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This made my heart happy. I was quite disappointed with the second book in the duology, so I was happy to revisit the characters I cared about so much in this collection (and I enjoyed this much more, though you definitely need to finish the series to fully get the most out of this book). The strongest voices were definitely from the first section with the retelling of the legends of Houyi and Chang'e. However, apart from the first stories of both Wenzhi and Liwei, the other stories' narrative voices were nearly as strong. The stories from Wenzhi and Liwei that were set during the first book just seemed to read a bit more YA and juvenile than their other stories. I understand that they were younger and encountered a good amount of character growth in between the two, but the style itself didn't haven't read with as much of a jump in age as it did (the narrative voice is much stronger in the respective second stories; I did prefer Wenzhi's first story to Liwei's as Liwei's felt a bit too short). I really liked that we got a story from the perspective of Shuxiao. She was always such a badass and we never got enough of her. Also, the event that this story centers around was a pretty big deal, and I was surprised it was glossed over in the second book the way that it was. I was not disappointed, though having read the second book definitely influences the reader because we know what direction the story is going to go after it ends (the fact that the demon general and Shuxiao get together was not quite subtle during this story, and sometimes felt a bit rushed ). The main reason I wanted to read this was to see Xingyin and Wenzhi finally be happy together, and I am so satisfied with the result. It was left a bit too vague (though hopeful) at the end of the second book, so I'm glad that I got to see the resolution (I will admit that I want even more of them, but this time I feel like their story is more complete and I can be satisfied with it ending). Anyone that has read the series should definitely read this. I will definitely be thinking of how much it adds to the series and be wanting to reread it. This has definitely rose my ranking of this series back up (I loved the first book, was disappointed by the second, and enjoyed this one).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Murder, Gaslighting, and Blood
daniellekat's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
A cute collection for readers to return to this world. Tan is a talented writer, but her characters lack depth. While I enjoyed this, there was nothing new or memorable about reading these stories in the voice of other characters. I especially liked Shuxiao's chapter but otherwise this was fine. Very happily ever after (which is not a bad thing, I just wish Tan gave us more).
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Blood, and Pregnancy
nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is such a lovely companion to the Celestial Kingdom duology. In it, we get to see glimpses of Chang'e and Houyi's life before Xingyin is born as well as some side stories that take place during the events of Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior. The collection concludes with short stories that serve as a sort of epilogue to the events of the duology, which were swoon-worthy and an absolute balm to my romantic heart.
Chang'e and Houyi's stories are more directly interpretations of Chinese mythology, which Tan crafts here into a fitting prologue to the events of her books.
I should note that if you have not read the Celestial Kingdom duology, the stories told from the perspectives of Liwei, Wenzhi, Shuxiao, and Xingyin won't make a ton of sense. If you HAVE read the duology, though, these stories add some depth to familiar characters, and it was a delight to revisit them.
Chang'e and Houyi's stories are more directly interpretations of Chinese mythology, which Tan crafts here into a fitting prologue to the events of her books.
I should note that if you have not read the Celestial Kingdom duology, the stories told from the perspectives of Liwei, Wenzhi, Shuxiao, and Xingyin won't make a ton of sense. If you HAVE read the duology, though, these stories add some depth to familiar characters, and it was a delight to revisit them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Blood
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