I am deeply grateful to Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me the opportunity to immerse myself in this captivating set of short stories to supplement the original duology. Each moment spent with my favorite characters was a delight, thanks to the wonderful snippets provided. The closure I experienced was immensely satisfying, leaving me with a sense of fulfillment. I’m already contemplating a reread just to relish every moment once more!

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom is a collection of stories best read while reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior. The stories can be read on their own, but I think they will have the best emotional impact when interwoven with The Celestial Kingdom. That being said, I absolutely loved this little collection - especially the couple stories told from Liwei's POV. Ugh, my heart still aches for him. The epilogue was perfection and what, I'm sure, everyone has reallyyyy been wanting to read. The addition of illustrative work by Kelly Chong for each of the stories really enhanced the reading process. I'm so happy I got to revisit this world and look forward to more stories from it!

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found the variety of tales within the book to be both captivating and fulfilling. I appreciated how each chapter neatly wrapped up its storylines, providing closure for the main characters involved.

While the storytelling is commendable, some essential chapters, particularly those focused on Houyi and Chang'e, might have been better placed in the first book of the series. The true epilogue to Xingyin's journey, however, was a welcome and satisfying conclusion, tying up loose ends.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan is such a fun addition to this duology. It's short and sweet, making it a great follow-up that I personally needed after the end of Heart of the Sun Warrior. The illustrations in the book really bring the story to life and give you a deeper peek into the amazing world Tan has created . The four POV characters each have their own distinct voice, making them feel unique and real. I loved each and every short story in this novel, but I had an obvious favorite. This is a formal thank you Sue Lynn Tan for the not one but TWO Wenzhi POVs. They were absolute perfection. And the Xingyan epilogue made my heart so FULL. Even though I'm greedy and could read hundreds of pages of fluff and magic from this world, Tales of the Celestial Kingdom left me happy and content.

I feel as though Sue Lynn Tan has struck gold again with The Tales of the Celestial Kingdom. It was enthralling to be back in thus amazing world and reading stories related to Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior. Once again, we'regiven such amazing characters who have so much depth. As ive mentioned the world building in this book series is well developed and magical. There was a nice balance with the pacing so I never lost attention. I would definitely recommend this book.

Oh this was absolutely everything I didn’t know I needed. The daughter of the moon goddess duology was already so rich and beautiful but these additions were stunning.

Having TWO Wenzhi point of views had me giggling and kicking my feet. I adore him. Though I will say, my heart definitely swells for Liwei and all he has done and endured.

Sue Lynn Tan really gave a beautiful little treat to all who love this world.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan is a wonderful visit back to the world of the Daughter of the Moon Goddess universe.

What I loved

1. Returning to a familiar world and getting to see a bit of what happened after heart of the sun warrior was delightful.
2. Sue Lynn Tan's writing style remains as enchanting as it has been since book one
3. The Twilight section of stories was particularly interesting to me as it allowed some insight into perspectives that did not have room to be explored in the duology.

Who I recommend this title for

While this book is full of delightful lore for any fantasy reader it will be best enjoyed by those who have already read the duology it was written as a companion for.

This was a super cute read! I loved the stories in it and getting to revisit the characters. The first part felt like I was listening to a great storyteller telling ancient lore. I loved getting to see what happens after Heart of the Sun Warrior. If you have not read this duopoly then you are missing out and this novella is a must-read addition to the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book.

LOVED getting to spend more time with these characters. I'm so glad the author brought them back and offered us more insight into what happened before, during, and after the events of the duology. I loved hearing more of the emotion behind Chang'e's taking the elixir and could have lived forever in the epilogue with Wenzhi and Xingyin.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom follows the story of Chang’e and Houyi before they are separated, stories with Xingyin both with Liwei and Wenzhi, as well as Shuxiao.

Shuxiao’s story was the most interesting one because it felt like a new aspect to the world and overall story. The others seemed repetitive to me. Both Liwei and Wenzhi’s stories didn’t seem to add anything to their backstories or relationships with Xingyin and a lot of the writing felt like it was saying the same thing over and over just in slightly different ways.

I also unfortunately noticed the author’s favor of starting sentences with “For”. Once I noticed this I couldn’t stop and it pulled me out of the story every time.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

TALES OF THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM is a compilation of short stories that occur before, during, and after the events of the associated duology. Thus, to avoid spoilers I recommend first reading DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS (DOTMG) and HEART OF THE SUN WARRIOR (HOTSW). However, the beautiful prose alone is enough to tempt new readers to dive right into this collection.

Each story is a different point of view divided into different times of the day and parts of the larger story. This compilation first starts with Dusk and stories from Chang'e and Houyi leading up to the start of DOTMG. Time then moves to Twilight during which the reader encounters stories from Liwei, Wenzhi, and Shuxiao. These occur over the span of both books from the Celestial Kingdom duology. Finally comes Dawn, the stories of which are from Wenzhi and Xingyin, and occur after the end of HOTSW.

These points of view offer a glimpse into these characters' lives in the past and future. This allows readers to have more insight into the thoughts and reasoning behind various characters' decisions. Though Xingyin is a fantastic character throughout the duology, it was refreshing to read events through others' eyes.

Houyi's story in the Dusk chapter showcases his unshakeable moral compass to save the mortal realm from the devastating heat of the sunbirds. Also, Chang'e's stories show her deep devotion to Houyi, her inner strength, and why she drank the immortal elixir. In the Twilight chapter, readers go on a short adventure with Liwei and Xingyin to gather berries from the snow ginseng root. There is also more "behind the scenes" with Wenzhi and Xingying battling the Bone Devil and Shuxiao freeing the Celestials in the Jade Palace. Finally, the last few stories provide insight into Liwei's emotions about his broken relationship with Xingyin, Wenzhi's life in the mortal realm, and Xingyin's and Wenzhi's reunification.

Like the novels in the duology, I just loved Tan's writing style. It's lovely and slightly poetic without overdoing the similes and metaphors. Jumping back into the lives of the characters felt like sinking into the comforting embrace of a loved one. Reading about Liwei's thoughts and emotions also offered some closure regarding the history between him and Xingyin. Additionally, there are lovely illustrations by Kelly Chong sprinkled throughout the stories.

If you loved the duology and didn't want to let it go, definitely pick up TALES OF THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM. It's like coming home after a long while and picking up right where you left off. Read about these characters' drive to do right, gentle strength, resolve, and love.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sue Lynn Tan is one of my absolute favorite authors. This series is my favorite duology and I was so happy to be back in the world. It was magical. If you loved the duology, you will absolutely love this.

After the breathtaking conclusion of The Celestial Kingdom duology, Sue Lynn Tan invites us back to the world in her newest book, Tales of the Celestial Kingdom, to expand on unexplored moments from the series. If you have not read Daughter of the Moon Goddess or Heart of the Sun Warrior, I bid you farewell because it’s nearly impossible to review this book without revealing major spoilers.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom is broken into three parts and features nine stories:

- Dusk: Featuring perspectives from Chang’e and Houyi that expand on the fateful events that led to their separation.
- Twilight: Stories from Liwei, Wenzhi, and Shuxiao that provide details on events that were mentioned but not explored in the duology.
- Dawn: Perspectives from Xingyin and Wenzhi following the events of Heart of the Sun Warrior.

Dusk is where Lynn Tan shares her version of the Chinese myth surrounding Chang’e the moon goddess and her ascension to immortality. The main series features the immortal realm and its many wonders, so it was refreshing to hear from Chang’e when she’s a mortal and plagued with worries over her fearless husband and the future of their family. We also get a glimpse of the famous hero, Houyi, and his role in slaying the sunbirds which play a prominent role in Heart of the Sun Warrior. I was fond of this section, and it set the scene for the troubles that plague the main series nicely.

Of all three parts, I enjoyed the Twilight section the least. Liwei and Wenzhi tell us about a random quest they each took with Xingyin which was fine but unremarkable. The series already did an amazing job painting the complicated relationship between the three characters, and these extra stories didn’t tell me anything new. They paled in comparison to living in the emotion of the moment so looking back at these instances doesn’t have the same impact. Liwei’s second story was the strongest of the entire section because it gave us a look at his inner turmoil about Wenzhi’s spirit. I did not mind this story, but I also wasn’t desperate to pull back the curtain to understand his decision to help Wenzhi. Then we have a story from Shuxiao about a battle in the final book. I had absolutely zero interest in her story, and to be honest, I have not thought about Shuxio once since finishing the series because she was an incredibly minor character.

The Dawn section dispels the magic at the end of Heart of the Sun Warrior and puts the tragic lovers’ story to paper. If you want to know how the conversation continued after Xingyin meets Wenzhi in the mortal realm, you will happily find more details in this section of the book. Wenzhi’s story takes place a day after they meet, and Xingyin’s story picks up almost two decades later. I love that Lynn Tan ended the duology with a potential future for Xingyin and Wenzhi, but she didn’t guarantee us anything. It was a fitting ending, and I was satisfied thinking of the possibilities ahead for them. I still prefer the duology’s uncertain, yet hopeful future over the concrete ending shared here in Tales of the Celestial Kingdom.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom was a collection of stories that were nice to have but exists for someone not ready to leave the world. It served to expand the world’s lore and removed all musings we had about the relationship between Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi at the end of the series. Personally, The Celestial Kingdom duology is one of my most favorite book series of the past couple of years, and I didn’t have lingering questions or desires after it concluded. So, here’s my final thought: I both appreciate that Lynn Tan shared these stories with us and acknowledge that they did not add to my enjoyment or love of the series. However, there are still delightful moments to be experienced here especially if you are not ready to leave the world or are simply curious about where the characters ended up.

Rating: Tales of the Celestial Kingdom - 7.0/10

Sue Lynn Tan has crafted a breathtaking world that I absolutely adore, and her prose beautifully complements it. The characters are just fantastic, and I was eagerly awaiting this release—However, I have to admit, it didn't quite meet my expectations.

Loved going back into this world and filling in the gaps to some of the loose threads/glossed over aspects in the original books.

I really enjoyed reading Shuxiao’s story, seeing Liewie grow into his role as Celestial Emperor, as well as spending time with Xingyin and Wenzhi again as they navigated his mortality and their eventual reunion.

Definitely recommend for fans of the first two books who want to revisit their faves again.

I am a huge fan of this duology so I was super excited to see this novella!!

I love how this was split into three different sections with better explanations to all of the events that occurred in the previous two books!

The writing and the characters and the world that the author has given us is so incredibly beautiful!!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

Do you miss the Celestial Kingdom duology? Well, the author wrote a short novella which takes place before, during, and after the events of the duology. Plus there is illustrations and all profits go to a charity! This was such a lovely, short read. I read the nine short stories in one sitting and really enjoyed going back to the world of the Celestial Kingdom and seeing the characters again. The stories were well written as you get more information about the characters and the world instead of it being chaotic. I do wish the stories were longer as some of them would kind of end fast with a slow beginning but overall it was a great read.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

It was so nice to be back in the world of the Celestial Kingdom, and to see the behind the scenes of these characters.

Sue Lynn Tan's writing is very visually descriptive, and I can tell the illustrations in the physical book alone will be worth the price of the book.

My favorite set of stories, of course, was the final one where we see what happened after the end of Heart of the Sun Warrior. That extended epilogue was sweet, romantic and brings the story of these characters full circle.

As beautiful as the journey through The Celestial Kingdom duology was, this little piece of gold was absolutely chef's kiss! The icing on top of the very top tier of the cake! Sue Lynn Tan took us on a deep and beautiful journey through Daughter of the Moon Goddess, where my heart was torn apart and took some time to heal. Heart of the Sun Warrior came in and soothed out the ache, and made the world feel more complete. However, these little slices of heaven takes us full circle. We see what happened next, along with what happened before and during as well. The short sections were perfectly placed and beautiful.

This is definitely a five star read for me, or ten stars if that were possible. You definitely won't regret picking up this duology with the novella on the side, as they definitely make the world a bit better with their existence!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love when authors of my favorite series give me a collection of short stories with my favorite characters. I'm so happy this anthology exists. I missed these characters so much and I've created my own happy endings and now I have an official, author written version.

If you enjoyed the Celestial Kingdom duology you need this collection!