Officially a huge fan of this author. There are a few authors that I love so much that I can purchase their books w/o ever having to read the synopsis. Sue Lynn Tan has officially been added to that list.

I’ve read the first two books of the series and this book made them so much better. It’s a prequel and gives a gave me a better understanding and appreciation for this series, I experienced all the emotions while reading and hoping we get more from the series. I’d say this is one of the top series I’ve read in the past few years.

A sweet return to the Celestial Kingdom. Apart from the last two stories which form an epilogue for the duology, I feel the collection focuses more on revisiting key moments for the joy of reliving them rather than exploring new facets of the world. They’re very much about in-betweens, and addressing lingering imaginations of what-might-have-been for Xingyin and her companions during their adventures. I would’ve loved to see an expansion of the world in place of the alternate perspectives (which are mostly key characters saying, “Does Xingyin love me, does she not”) but the stories are sure to bring a smile to everyone wanting a few more moments in the Celestial Kingdom.

I love the interior illustrations. A very nice addition.

I also appreciate the author’s guide to spoilers/when it’s appropriate to reach each short story while reading the main duology. I’ve included it for reference below, since it’s buried in the Author’s Note at the back of the book:

“As there are spoilers for the duology within the compilation, I wanted to share a little about the arrangement of these stories. The three tales in “Dusk” are reimaginings of the original legend that inspired the books, a prequel in a way, reinterpreting the myth in the world of the Celestial Kingdom—and these can be read without prior knowledge of the duology. The first two stories in “Twilight” explore blossoming relationships in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, expanding upon moments as the ginseng root that was gifted to the Celestial Empress, and the monster recounted by Xingyin upon her return to the Jade Palace as the First Archer. While the remaining stories, including those in “Dawn,” would ideally be read after Heart of the Sun Warrior as they contain spoilers.”

"Only once we understand who we were, and what we are now, can we claim our future."

Thank you NetGalley and the author for granting me access to a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m so grateful for many reasons, but the biggest always being how much I adore Xingyin.

I was absolutely positive at the end of Heart of the Sun Warrior that I didn’t have a favorite, that I wasn’t sure who I wanted her to choose. It’s something you figure out when that choice is finally made, and I’m so glad Sue Lynn Tan hasn’t kept us waiting any longer for Xingyin’s choice. It’s exactly what I wanted for her, exactly what she needed, exactly what she was probably working towards in the now three installments of her story. I’m so grateful for an ending that is truly just another beginning. The epilogue I would have done anything for, and received. Again, I say, I am so grateful for these stories.

Because this isn’t just the end we’d been waiting for. It was an alternate twist to the myth these books revolve around, one that I found just as compelling and exciting as the first. Heart wrenching, and yet beautiful for its truth. Because decisions, no matter their outcome, should never be taken lightly and that was so extremely present in these words. I was so proud of the way Chnag'e was brave even while condemned, and how she took her punishment without argument. In any circumstance, I believe she would have done the same thing, because she knew how much she hurt the one she loved.

I loved the behind-the-scenes-esque part two, and I loved seeing Liwei and Wenzhi again. Though maybe, especially, Liwei. He’s grown so much since we first met him, and it only made me more proud. This was the ending you hope and wish for an author to give you. A gift. I’m so blessed I got to read this one early, and I hope you all grab your copies on February 6 so you can feel a tiny bit of this joy as well.

The Celestial Kingdom duology is among my favorite reads of all time, and in this book, Sue Lynn Tan took me right back. I love her writing style, it's so descriptive and draws me right in. Such a great read.

I absolutely loved the Celestial Kingdom Duology (and I would highly recommend reading the duology before this). The covers and illustrations are beautiful. Sue Lynn Tan’s writing style is just perfection. She achieved diving back into the world and giving her fans exactly what they needed. My personal favorite is the Dawn section. I also loved getting more insight from reading side characters pov.

Thank you netgalley an Harper voyager for this arc.

Sue Lynn Tan takes you back to the most beautiful place, The Celestial Kingdom. These wonderful stories were beautifully written and I loved every second of them. I will say if you haven’t read the previous 2 books before this you may want to, as there maybe spoilers for you. I didn’t realize how much i missed all the characters and was so happy you read this book. If you want read a beautifully well written novella this book is for you! I adore Sue Lyn Tan and cant wait for more.

Congrats to Sue Lynn Tan for knocking it out of the park! With your beloved characters, Tales of the Celestial Kingdom takes you back to the Celestial Kingdom. For those who enjoy the duology and are looking for more enchanted tales, this book is ideal. There are three portions in this book: Dawn, Twilight, and Dusk.

With nine stories told from six distinct points of view and only one narrative told from Xingyin, the protagonist of the duology, this book offers us a wide range of fresh viewpoints! More information about the duology's world and supporting cast members is revealed in each story. There are four stories in the Twilight section. There are two stories in Heart of the Sun Warrior and two in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Thank you to Tan for giving us these delightful short stories that take place in the realm of Celestial Kingdom.

From the viewpoint of the characters concerned, the tales expand on the events and incidents mentioned in the original duology. Tan's exquisite writing style transports you back to that breathtaking realm. Beautiful graphics are also available.

Thank you to the publisher for this arc in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

A fun bonus collection of short stories set in the Celestial Kingdom universe with gorgeous black and white illustrations. This was also fantastic on audio read by my very fav, narrator, Natalie Naudus!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Plus who wouldn't OBSESS over that gorgeous purple cover???

The Celestial Kingdom duology was one of those series that was beautifully wrapped up, but that I also never wanted to end. This collection of short stories was a beautifully immersive way to reenter the Celestial Kingdom.

Taking place before, during and after the duology, these stories added an amazing level of complexity and depth to the characters that I already loved so much. I loved getting to see so much more of this amazing world without taking anything away from a duology that I hold so close to my heart.

This is an absolutely incredible extension of an amazing, completed duology. If you loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior, you will not want to miss this book.

I didn’t know I needed a collection of short stories about these Celestial Kingdom characters until I read this book. Each story expanded on the relationships between some of our favorite characters, giving them even more depth and making me, personally, appreciate them even more.

It’s hard to narrow down my favorite stories because I really do just love these characters so much, but I really appreciated Chang’e and Houyi’s story. After reading Tan’s notes at the end, the entire compilation of stories made more sense (she even recommends a reading order between the short stories and duology for those who come to the series for the first time). She notes that this story is a reimagining of the myth that the Celestial Kingdom duology is based on. Getting to witness both perspectives was amazing - it was a breath of fresh air after witnessing events through only the eyes of Xingyin for the last two books. It deepened the affection I had for both characters and sets the groundwork for all the events to come in both Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior . (I LOVE background stories!)

While I loved the fun, character-shaping stories that take place in the “Twilight” section of the book, my indisputable favorite stories were Wenzhi and Xingyin’s in the “Dawn” section. These take place almost immediately after the conclusion of HotSW and we see Wenzhi’s perspective and thoughts after he meets Xingyin for the first time as a mortal. They’ve arranged to meet for dinner because he is so drawn to her. He goes through the motions of preparing an elaborate dining experience and we watch as their date unfolds from his POV. It’s all absolutely heart-wrenching and swoon-worthy.

Xingyin’s entry is the epilogue, and how appropriate it is for her only story to be the final one. I felt a sense of closure with the end of HotSW: happy to imagine the life that Wenzhi and Xingyin would go on to live together, but this was real closure. They’ve lived together now for over a decade (her as an immortal and him as a mortal) and Wenzhi desperately wants them to marry so they can be together in every way. She’s been refusing him for quite some time, biding her time until Liwei delivers on his promise to provide another Elixir of Immortality. It is in this story that we witness a reunion between Liwei and Xingyin in the mortal realm, and he provides her the promised elixir. Grateful, she asks Wenzhi to consume the elixir to restore his memories and immortality. Upon doing so, they are truly reunited after all these years, and they return to the celestial realm to live for the rest of their immortal lives.

I couldn’t imagine a better ending to a beautiful love story or a better addition to a beautiful duology. Thank you so much for providing these bonus stories to the readers who have loved these precious characters.

Solid 4.5/5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Technically I have not read the second book in the series yet, but I loved returning to this world and learning more about the characters. Seeing scenes from another's perspective was insightful and I especially appreciated how only one story was from Xingyin's POV.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom Review
4.5/5
It's probably well known but I absolutely adore the Celestial Kingdom duology, and when Sue announced a selection of short stories I was so excited. Tales of the Celestial Kingdom was perfect, if you already adore the doulogy like me then you will find this book is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. I loved getting alternate POVs of scenes from the first two books and the new POVs of new scenes. HoTSW really was such an amazing book and I loved the ending but with the addition of tales, I think this series is just perfect. As always Sue's writing was beautiful and tear-jerking. I think what I found most surprising was what my favorite short story ended up being after finishing it was Liwei’s. Seeing his POV was something that I was missing, and finally getting to read it was amazing. I liked Liwei before, but this inside of his mind was really what made me love him. I hope we maybe get a spin-off book for him.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

This collection of short stories had every scene I wanted but was initially left out of the duology. While reading the second book, I had several "oh, I wish we could have seen that" moments, including the Shuxiao and General Menqui scene.

That story and the Dawn segment were my favorites. I'm so glad Xingyin and Wenzhi finally got a real happy ending.

I actually ended up eating this a 3 because I loved the first story and the art inside the book and the fact that there was a few ch that gave us backstory and and ending but like with the second story Heart of the Sun Warrior I had problems.

My main problem is how hard the author tries to be poetic that it ends up sounding forced and everything is resolved so quickly at the end.

I would probable read something else by this author but…I think I’m done :/

I loved this book so much! This was an amazing continuation of the series. The writing was beautiful and the world was so immersive. I loved the short story’s in this book!

5 stars for this beautiful addition to the Celestial Kingdom Duology. Overall, I was incredibly impressed by the way the author adapted to the voices of each character's POV. In such a small collection of short stories, it is incredibly difficult to feel fully immersed in a character's mind and view, and yet Sue Lynn Tan does this with ease. The writing, as with the Duology itself, is incredibly beautiful and creates a world within the reader's head that is easy to follow. I think it suffices to say that every expectation I had for this collection was met: I got to revisit characters I know and love, I got to experience different perspectives on important events from the duology, and I got to see a *final* final ending that brought me joy and truly felt like closing the storyline. Anyone who loved the Celestial Kingdom Duology will find this collection charming, fulfilling, and emotional, leaving the reader wishing there had been even just one more page to cling to :)

I just finished this one and honestly I have to say I did like Wenzhi a lot better than in the original duopoly. It did bothered me that he got his powers back at the end it makes me feel like he just got a pat in the back after what he did. I don't think like dying and coming back as a mortal was enough penance for him. To be honest I would have liked him to recover his memory but without his powers but oh well. I loved that I got to see more of Liwei and that we know now how he is doing and honestly I liked Xingyin a lot less lol.
I think it was entertaining and I loved to read more stories about the Moon Goddess and Sun Warrior.

Short but cute! If you've enjoyed the duology, you won't want to miss this! Sue Lynn Tan has quickly risen to become one of my favorite authors due to her ability to get me engaged with her pacing. Looking forward to what she does next.

Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC! It was so fun to return to the Celestial Kingdom & hear from some lovely characters. I loved getting to read from more POVs, especially Liwei. And of course the final epilogue of the duology was such a sweet edition. I appreciated the true closure to the story. This book was like a warm hug & a wonderful addition to a wonderful duology!

4.5 stars

Omg I loved these short stories so incredibly much!! Returning to this world brought me so much joy! I loved the insight of things that happened before during and after. Then that epilogue was amazing! Gah! I will miss these characters!

All the art included was incredible! I can not wait to get my hands on a physical copy! They are absolutely gorgeous!

Highly recommend this series!