Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

prequels, deleted scenes, and aftermath - this book is truly the author’s gift to her readers after finishing the duology! the perfect book when you’re not ready to leave the world and the characters! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! my heart feels so full

the breathtakingly beautiful art with intricate details - such a perfect addition to each story!! the imagery depicts the exact emotion conveyed from the story which also gives the words you’ve just read a greater impact.

incoming spoilers ahead

reading the story of xingyin’s parents, chang’e and houyi really brings you perspective of the pain they endeared especially xingyin’s mom chang’e, where she experiences such a terrifying night alone when pregnant

i love liwei’s story !!! - so hopeful yet a little sad at the same time ouch

WENZHI !!!! reading his thoughts esp about xingyin made me grin from ear to ear!!!!! he’s so down bad for her even from the start

shixiao - unexpected duo that we didn’t know we NEEDED!!!!

WENZHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bless the author for giving us the sun moon teahouse story in his pov!!! like i need this ingrained in my memory - WOW HES JUST SO DOWN BAD FOR HERRRR like the way he loves xingyin is so eternal, timeless

the epilogue of the duology in xingyin's pov felt full circle with her finally finding peace and home

thank you sue lynn tan for your beautiful words!

A fantastic addition to the Celestial Kingdom series!

I did not realize how much I missed these characters until I started reading this. DOTM has definitely been added to my reread list now because I need to experience this all over again!

Tan picked the perfect parts of the story to show and her writing is as engaging and beautiful as ever.

This is definitely a must read for anyone missing the world of the Celestial Kingdoms!

For anyone wishing for more of the celestial kingdom, you won't be disappointed! These short stories are great and give extra insight into characters we already know and love. And if you wanted a little more closure at the end of The Heart of the Sun Warrior, the last 2 stories from Wenzhi and Xingyin's perspectives really give the perfect epilogue to the duology. And Sue Lynn Tan very kindly spelled out when it would be ok to read each of the sections without spoiling anything and I thought that was a nice touch. I honestly loved this so much and it is a perfect campanion to the duology.

Thanks to Harper Voyager, Sue Lynn Tan, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I heard someone say this was a love letter from Sue Lynn to her readers and I truly believe that.
Tales is written in 3 parts
Part one are the tales of Chang'e and Houyi and the story of their lives together.
Part two we get the perspectives of Wenzhi, Liwei, and Shuxiao
And Part three is the gorgeous epilogue to the duology that captured my heart where we get the meeting between Xingyin and Wenzhi at the teahouse and then from Xingyin's perspective, their life together after that fateful meeting.
Sue Lynn has such a beautiful writing style, it completely immerses you in the story. I loved returning to these characters, they feel like home.
When I thought about writing this review I was worried about spoilers but honestly, why would you read this without reading the duology? Haha

Lastly I'll leave you with the quote that made me break down and cry:
"I would move the stars for you"-"I would defy them all"

Thank you to Sue Lynn Tan and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan - both steeped in Chinese mythology and written in a beautifully lyrical manner that can also be found in this collection of stories. Tales from the Celestial Kingdom has several short tales that take place before, during, and after the duology, and are as richly woven. I loved learning more about Xingyin's parents and taking a peek into her life at the palace, and see what happened later, the first and last tale perfect bookends to this gorgeous story. I truly enjoyed this collection and look forward to more from Sue Lynn.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom is a novella containing several short stories set before, during, and after the events of the Celestial Kingdom duology by Sue Lynn Tan. This book has Tan's usual beautiful writing as well as beautiful illustrations to go along with each short story. The stories really serve to enrich the story that we already know and love, as well as allowing a look into the minds and POV of characters that we did not get to see through the eyes of in the original duology. An absolute must-read for fans of the duology!

Ok, first off, the illustrations in this book are GORGEOUS 😍

I had thought we'd get new short stories from the DotMG world, but we actually get more in depth looks at parts of the story we know.
We get more details on Xingyin's parents marriage before she took the elixir.
We also get a glimpse of Liwei's struggle with the decision he made at the end of Heart of the Sun Warrior regarding Wenzhi. AND we get an extended epilogue!
Kinda wish the epilogue continued a bit longer but I enjoyed it. I loved reading these stories from different povs. Made it fun and filled in some of the pieces.
Fans of the Celestial Kingdom duology will definitely enjoy this addition 😊

Sue Lynn Tan is a new-to-me author. I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess last year and loved it. Such a beautiful mix of mythology and romance. It was one of my favorite books of 2023, and when I heard that she was writing a collection of stories that go along with the mythology from the first two books, I knew I had to read them.

And I was NOT disappointed.

Lyn is one of those authors that when you read their words, you think to yourself, "Why can't I write like this?!?" I'd give anything to write (or even HAVE) the imagination that Lyn has. It's incredible. Chinese mythology is such a dense subject to read, but Tan makes it so enjoyable and accessible. All of the stories were awesome, but the ones under the "Dusk" group were my fave.

Seriously, if you like a good mythology world-building, this is an excellent place to start. Unlike a lot of other fantasy/mythology novels, the world building is easy to understand.

**A big thank-you to to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy of this book to read and review for my own opinions.++

I absolutely loved Tales of the Celestial Kingdom! This short novella is a companion to Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior. Ideally, these books would be read first, as Tales of the Celestial Kingdom provides a series of short stories that are companions to the full length books.

It was wonderful to reunite with some of my favorite characters from Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior in this new book. We have some prequel chapters, some chapters that are concurrent with the main novels, and some epilogue chapters as well. The story that is set in the first two books is really enhanced and expanded with the short stories in Tales of the Celestial Kingdom. It was also fun to read some of the chapters in the additional POVs like Chang'e and Shuxiao. Of course I loved the chapters with Whenzhi and Xingyin especially. There was also a good amount of art in the book as well, which was lovely in the electronic version. I can't wait to see how the art looks in the printed versions!

This is a short read, and I think for those who loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior, Tales of the Celestial Kingdom will be a lovely addition to Xingyin's story. I really enjoyed this book! Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager for the electronic eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I only read Heart of the Sun Warrior a couple days ago, so the events of this book are still fresh in my mind. I thought that it would be nice to pick up Tales of the Celestial Kingdom right away, because I wasn't ready to leave the dreamy and magical world that Tan has created just yet. It was very heart-warming to encounter familiar characters, only this time reading not from Xingyin's perspective, but from her parents', Liwei's, Weizhi's and Shuxiao's. I think it was a really interesting choice and it was very well executed. After reading it, I was left with a feeling of wanting to know even more about these characters and where their choices will lead them in the future. I also really liked that there three parts - Dusk, Twilight and Dawn, which represented different times in the duology, before the events of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, during the course of this book and after the second novel, Heart of the Sun Warrior. It felt very cohesive I'd say that it was a good choice. I truly enjoyed all of these stories as each one of them brought something new and different, but I have to admit, that my favourites are probably the ones featured in Dawn, because I was very curious about the conclusion of this series. Overall, although this was way shorter than the original duology, this was very good and necessary to wrap everything up neatly with a bow.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

After reading the Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior, I couldn’t believe I had to leave the characters and the beautiful universe behind. I loved this continuation of the stories, from before the first novel, during both novels, and an extended epilogue. I loved these stories as much as those in the duology, and would not be mad if these became graphic novels in the future. Or an anime mini series.

This is a compilation of short stories from before, during and after the Celestial Kingdom duology. I really enjoyed the duology and was interested to see more from this author. As always, the cover and illustrations are fantastic. I found that this collection of stories wasn't bad but it did not really add much to the original books.

The first few stories form a prequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess by expanding on the Chinese mythology that formed the basis for the series. These were probably the strongest, featuring the parents of Xingyin. Other stories focused on different characters in various scenes from the books, often expanding on sequences from other points of view. The final story in this collection is an epilogue which was fine but I was satisfied with the ending of the book already so it felt unnecessary.

I would definitely not recommend reading this before the original two books as there is little explanation provided on who the characters are if you have no context. The stories were fine but I did not think they expanded on much that we did not already know. I look forward to future books from this author in a new setting.

Swooon. What a beautiful and romantic collection of short stories that serves as a prequel and epilogue to the Celestial Kingdom Duology. I loved the Duology but was left wanting a bit more closure with our main characters. Tales of the Celestial Kingdom gives us that! These moving stories from the POV of different characters gives us an extremely satisfying ending. I’m so so glad she wrote this!! A very fitting ending to such a moving and beautiful story.

Thank you Net Galley for this arc!

A collection of amazing tales from the Celestial Kingdom and amazing illustrations! I loved the first story, the story of Chang’e told from each perspective rather than the dry tale without the love and fear.

Tales of the Celestial Kingdom transports you back to the Celestial Kingdom with your favorite characters. This book is perfect for fans of the duology who are seeking more magical stories.

This book is separated into 3 sections: Dusk, Twilight, and Dawn. There are 9 stories from 6 different points of view, and only one story is from Xingyin, our main character from the duology, which means we get a lot of new perspectives in this book! Each story provides more insight into the world and the side characters from the duology. In addition to these magical new stories, there are also illustrations throughout the book–and let me tell you, they are stunning!

Dusk contains 3 prequel stories from Chang’e and Houyi’s point of view. We learn about their relationship and the events before Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

The Twilight section contains 4 stories. 2 stories occur during Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and two occur during Heart of the Sun Warrior.

Lastly, the Dawn section is an extended epilogue for Heart of the Sun Warrior. We have two stories, each from a different point of view, and they couldn’t be more perfect!

Section-wise, my favorite is Dawn. Sue Lynn Tan knew what we all needed as fans, and she delivered! This epilogue was everything I wanted and more. I had a permanent smile on my face while reading these stories!

Fans of the duology will devour these short stories! If you haven’t read the duology yet, I recommend only reading parts of this collection to avoid spoilers. Each story states where it falls within the timeline of the duology.

So incredibly grateful to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read an ARC of Tales .
Tales of the celestial kingdom is a collection of 9 short stories set before , during and afterthe Celestial kingdom duology . uring and after the events of the Celestial kingdom duology. And each of the stories are unique and beautiful in their own way .
Dusk ( Chang'e and Houyi)
This section has 3 short stories from the perspectives of Chang'e and Houyi . These tales give an insight into the Chinese myth of the Sunbirds and the Moon Goddess that is the foundation of the duology and the decisions that change Chang'e and Houyi's life forever.

Twilight ( Liwei , Wenzhi , and Shuxiao)
This section has 4 tales , two from Liwei's POV and 1 from Wenzhi and Shuxiao each . These stories are set during the events of the Celestial kingdom duology. The first story explores Liwei's budding love with Xingyin as he wars between his heart and his duty to the kingdom. The second story delves into Wenzhi's time in the celestial army battling a fearsome monster , his growing feelings for Xingyin and his inner war over love and desire for the throne that would lead to his inevitable betrayal ( it was a really well written story that highlights the complexity of choices and Wenzhi's character ) . The third story explores Shuxiao and General Mengqi's quest to rescue Wugang's hostages and their interactions as they get to know each other . The fourth story explores Liwei as the Celestial Emperor as he throws himself into his duties of looking after the skies and earth . One night , he learns that the spirit of his old foe has been lingering by the cloud wall , growing stronger . Liwei goes there to meet him and Wenzhi , in spirit form requests to go to the Mortal Realm . Liwei , initially very reluctant is convinced by Wenzhi's deep love for Xingyin and puts aside his past grudges and jealousy to send Wenzhi to the mortal realm .
Dawn ( Xingyin and Wenzhi)
This section has two tales , from the perspectives of Wenzhi and Xingyin. In the first tale A mortal wenzhi meets Xingyin in a teahouse and Wenzhi or Minister Zhao gets to know the mysterious woman who captured his heart which leads to a whole lot of flirtation , banter and tender moments .
The second tale the epilogue, Xingyin is living with Wenzhi/ Minister Zhao as his lover much to her scandalization as she acquires a reputation of a mistress and witch . Wenzhi persistently proposes to her but she hides the reason for her refusal , wanting his whole self . They get a surprise vistor from the heavens , the Celestial Emperor. Liwei gives the elixir to Xingyin, wishing her happiness . Xingyin finally discloses the truth to Wenzhi , who declares that he sees Xingyin with his soul and he loves her eternally. He drinks the elixir and have an emotional reunion with a kiss . Finally they leave together for the skies .
My Thoughts :
I really loved the prequel stories and Sue Lynn's twist on the Chinese Myth of Chang'e and Houyi . They really influenced the motivations of their daughter Xingyin in the duology and so it was great to get a background of their individual character .

The middle stories , hmmmm . I feel it would be better if they were added to the duology or in a newsletter . I kind of felt it was unnecessary to include them in this short story collection .
The epilogue stories were fantastic and really gave Xingyin and Wenzhi their happy ending . I feel instead of the middle stories , we could have had a few stories set in the mortal realm exploring Xingyin and mortal Wenzhi's relationship and perhaps a tale or two of their new life and home in the immortal realm . But never mind that . I can fill these scenarios with my very active imagination .

Overall 4.75 ⭐️. I really enjoyed returning to the immortal realm . However I so hope that Liwei finds love and also I wonder if some scenes allude to Sue Lynn's new book . We shall wait and see.

This isn’t a bad book but to be honest the best part of the book is the gorgeous cover. I had mixed feelings about the original Celestial Kingdom duology, and this one continues those same feelings. Sue Lynn Tan’s prose and world building were the best parts of the original duology and that remains true here. Her prose is so lush and lovely, it makes it easy to overlook pacing issues and wonky plot points. I think the strongest section of this book is the prequel stories in the beginning, they are easily the most interesting and emotional, I found I wanted more of that and less of the other stuff. Reading the rest of the book after that point I kept feeling my mind drift. I think people who really enjoyed the original duology will enjoy this, and if you don’t want to commit to the entire book I would just check out the prequel stories in the beginning.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

HUZZAH! What a beautifully added masterpiece to the Celestial Kingdom world. I have mourned finishing the books and leaving behind such beloved characters and once this was announced, I counted the days down until I'd get my greedy hands on it. Thank you Thank you THANK YOU netgalley and Sue Lynn Tan for this beautiful gift 2 weeks before the release. I absolutely tossed everything else to the side to read this and get back to the world and characters I feel in love with in the duology.

I loved the Dawn chapters quite a bit. Because we got to delve deeper into Houyi and Chang'e and the events that transpired before we were introduced to DoTMG.

And while I loved every other POV and chapter I'm between...the epilogue 😍 what can I say other than I'm eternally grateful to read it. My heart is so full.

I will forever recommend this series to anyone and everyone.

First of all, I'd like to petition to get this kind of book written for all of my favorite completed series (including the beautiful art) because this was perfection.

I had high hopes for this epilogue/novella and it blew my expectations out of the water. After loving DOTMG and HOFTSW I can easily say this book made me like them 100x more. It was everything I was craving at the end of the duology, it let me sit with my favorite characters a little while longer and any lingering questions I had were answered.

Sue Lynn Tan's writing is both beautiful and accessible. I loved how vivid the images and stories based off of Chinese mythology are in my mind.

Also did I mention the ART because OH MY GOSH STUNNING.

I loved everything. I cannot wait for my copy to come in the mail. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the gifted Earc.

My heart is so full. Anyone who knows me knows I was crying, screaming, and begging for an epilogue after Heart of the Sun Warrior. So I would have been happy with just 1 chapter from this book. But we are also graced with more stories and POVs to get a fuller picture of things that happened before and during the duology. I loved the prequel with Chang’e and Houyi’s story. But absolutely most of all I loved the 2 stories we got that happened after the end of Heart. I cried, I smiled, I laughed, and overall my heart is just overflowing with joy for this extended HEA.
I also can’t wait to see the hardcover, because the illustrations look so beautiful. If you loved the duology, this is a must read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a preview. All opinions are my own.