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emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I usually love a diving into details and behind the scenes book. However, this one fell flat for me because I was not as invested in the characters as I usually am. It was nice to see the background, but I simply wasnt interested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Murder, Gaslighting
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
Breathtakingly dreamy and utterly immersive, I absolutely loved this collection of short stories— which transported me back into the lush and gorgeously descriptive world of The Celestial Kingdom series (Daughter of the Moon Goddess & Heart of the Sun Warrior.)
Capturing the rich emotional depth of some of my favourite characters during pivotal moments— from Chang’e and Houyi’s folklore inspired backstory, to Xingyin, Wenzhi, Shuxiao and Liwei’s POVs. Sue Lynn Tan gives us a glimpse into their inner thoughts, feelings and emotional struggles, that beautifully highlighted each character’s complexity (and flaws) that made me love them even more than I already did (especially Wenzhi and Liwei)
If you haven’t read The Celestial Kingdom duology yet, I definitely advise doing so before starting this. As several of the short stories contain spoilers that may ruin your enjoyment of the duology (should you try to read it afterwards.)
That being said, if you have read them, you’re gonna thoroughly enjoy being back in this world and seeing some of the characters (particularly Wenzhi who’s story I needed more of) in a newer, intriguing and much more introspective light.
There are also some absolutely stunning illustrations throughout (from Kelly Chong) that I’m completely obsessed with—seriously, I need full colour versions of each they’re soo beautiful.
So, whether you’re in the mood for a sweeping romance or a tragically heartbreaking origin story, Lynn Tan’s lyrical prose is not to be missed. Each story was beautifully written and really enriched the series’ mythos (and character development), and has me soo eager to reread the entire series all over again!
Also, a huge thank you to Rachel Quinn and Harper Voyager UK for this gorgeous finished PB copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Murder, Gaslighting
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
📱
This was an adorable collection. My favorites were the last two.
This was an adorable collection. My favorites were the last two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Murder, Gaslighting
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is definitely worth the read, and I believe it enhances one's pleasure in the story! I loved the "Dawn" section, but I wish it had been included in the previous book since it wraps up the story nicely. This series has become a favorite of mine, and I will miss the characters! I have rated this book by sections and then taken the average of the sections to rate the entire book.
"Dusk" - Prequal: I liked this section, and I believe it gave depth to the storyline. However, I wish I had read it before starting the novels because it would have given me a better frame of reference never reading Chinese myths before. I probably would have enjoyed it more as well because after completing the novels, the section felt kind of boring and repetitive to what is covered/implied in the books. 3/5 Stars
"Twilight" - Retelling of events: I really enjoyed the differing POVs and seeing the characters thought process and eventual growth. 4/5 Stars
"Dawn" - Events after Heart of The Sun Warrior: I absolutely loved this section! The connection between the mortal and immortal, knowing someone is meant for you, was so sweet and heart warming. I'm happy with how everything turns out in the end, and I believe this was a perfect ending to the series. 5/5 Stars
"Dusk" - Prequal: I liked this section, and I believe it gave depth to the storyline. However, I wish I had read it before starting the novels because it would have given me a better frame of reference never reading Chinese myths before. I probably would have enjoyed it more as well because after completing the novels, the section felt kind of boring and repetitive to what is covered/implied in the books. 3/5 Stars
"Twilight" - Retelling of events: I really enjoyed the differing POVs and seeing the characters thought process and eventual growth. 4/5 Stars
"Dawn" - Events after Heart of The Sun Warrior: I absolutely loved this section! The connection between the mortal and immortal, knowing someone is meant for you, was so sweet and heart warming. I'm happy with how everything turns out in the end, and I believe this was a perfect ending to the series. 5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Minor: Blood
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
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: Violence, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Murder, Gaslighting
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Honestly loved it, it was such a fun collection of stories so if you loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior. This collections a really fun way to look deeper into the stories from that world and learn more about different characters. As well as get a bit more of an epilogue and I'm not gonna lie, I've listened to the stories more then once.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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:
No
Sue Lynn Tan has wrote another fantastic trilogy. Her passion for her stories is all in the pages themselves. You envision it like you are there with the characters. Xingyin is a fierce and bold young lady who goes above and beyond for her loved ones and for the Celestial army. This book is the perspectives from all the well known and beloved characters from the book "Daughter of the moon goddess and heart of the sun warrior. " Focusing primarily on Chinese mythology. The trilogy is worth a read. You won't be disappointed!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy