Review: Celestial Kingdom Duology

Titles:
Daughter of the Moon Goddess [498 pages]
Heart of the Sun Warrior [465 pages]
Author: Sue Lynn Tan
First Published: 2022

This duology series warmed my heart and were such a comfort read. It really took me back to my childhood where a great proportion of the fantasy worlds I immersed myself into were built on the foundations of mythology. And now my knowledge has slightly branched out to Chinese mythology as well!

The writer’s style appealed to me; there was a lot of description that wasn’t overly flowery, but just the right dabble of poetic and imperfect which reflected the inner turmoil present within all the characters. I was able to visualise and have my own movie reel playing in my mind as I read, and even experiement and toy with alternative plotlines once I put the book down. That’s how attached I got to the Celestial Kingdom and some of the characters.

There were a lot of characters within the series that should be despised. People, who if I met in real life or in another author’s book, I would hate and have no sympathy for. Yet somehow, Sue Lynn Tan manages to evoke some empathy within me. The “demon” Wenzhi – my mind screeches at me, that his past actions can’t be forgiven, he can’t be trusted, yet my heart ached. In fact I’m pretty sure it cracked when he sacrificed his life and left Xingyin behind. And let’s not forget the Celestial Empress – like hello, she was such an awful human being, but then why was I saddened by her death and felt pity?

The death of the young prince from the Eastern Seas…and the way the dragons remembered and paid their respect and assisted where they could. Just everything about the narration had you holding your breath.

I hate, hate, HATE love triangles, especially when they’re so cliche and overused…but I’m going to let the one in this series slide because it was so agonizing and I could understand why Xingyin was torn. It really made me think about how you can love someone so deeply, but that love can fade and morph into something else, if your lover isn’t present or attentitive or there for you. Emotional support and connection is a key form of intimacy. Liwei chose to ignore how his path as a royal, and his family’s hatred for Xingyin is something she can’t compete with alone, whereas Wenzhi was there emotionally and present. As a result, the spark with Liwei was lost and potential in Wenzhi was recognised; yet the question arises, if you truly loved one, how could you fall in love with another?

I also appreciated how despite the love triangle, both Wenzhi and Liwei didn’t do anything outlandish or prance around trying to win her hand. They were able to spar with words but remain united when it really mattered. And the way Liwei played his part in assisting Wenzhi descend to the mortal world *sobs* UNREQUITED SELFLESS LOVE you guys. In another life, I truly believe Wenzhi and Liwei could have been best friends.

Anyways, at times I did want to bash Xingyin around for being so selfish or stubborn. Like her pride got in the way of repairing friendships and relationships…like her words were so harsh at times, but then again, they were coming from a place or hurt and trauma, and if I was in her shoes, I’d probably self-combust.

My only grudge against the series is that I would have loved to see an additional chapter where Wenzhi ascends to the immortal realm again, and his reaction as he remembers Xingyin and their story. It would also be interesting to see the interactions between him and Liwei as well.

To conclude, the themes explored within these two books really spoke to me. It really made me think about the price of forgiveness and betrayal, and how power has the ability to corrupt love and justice. But also, it taught me that honour is all about the choices you end up making when you are pushed to your limits, stripped of everything you own and love, and are vulnerable…and if you still end up making a selfless decision for the greater good, that’s what makes you a honourable person.

One day, I hope to see these in my local bookstore to grab a lovely hardback copy for my shelves. I am obsessed with the covers! They’re gorgeous!

If you’ve made it all the way to the end, let me know your thoughts if you’re read the series too! If you have any other mythology based books you think I may enjoy, let me know too in the comments. And if you want more of my bookish content, be sure to follow me on here or insta @kiyaslibrary.

My favourite quotes:

to live a life with love, was to live without regret

i told you once, my heart is yours, that it will always be yours. i hope one day you will want it again

i now knew that was an illusion. demons were everywhere, by deed if not by name, and they did not wait for you to seek them out

all magic is dangerous, especially when wielded as a weapon

by refusing to see the good in them, you might lose something precious that you never allowed yourself to find

a palace you cannot escape is a prison nonetheless

some scars are carved into our bones – a part of who we are, shaping what we become