Illustrated by: Kelly Chong
Pages: 150
Published: 6th February 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Tales from the Celestial Kingdom collects nine spellbinding stories – two previously published, seven original, including the epilogue to the duology – set in the enchanting world of Sue Lynn Tan’s stunning debut. Filled with magic and mythology, friendship and love, these stories intertwine through the past, present, and future of the two novels, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, including Chang’e, Shuxiao, Liwei, and Wenzhi.
With beautiful illustrations from Kelly Chong throughout, these wondrous tales make the perfect complement to Sue Lynn Tan’s breathtaking series.
It is not often that you get a book that delivers absolutely everything you could possibly wish for, but here Sue Lynn Tan achieves that and then some. In just 150 pages she takes all the loose ends from her gorgeous Celestial Kingdom duology and ties them up with pitch perfect precision, complete with a range of previously unheard voices and delightful illustrations from the supremely talented Kelly Chong.
At first it might be easy to regard this as a spin-off; a bunch of short stories that accompany the main duology but do not count as essential reading. That presumption could not be more wrong, as several key plot points are not only revisited, they are given some form of resolution. Just about all of the lingering questions that remained following the end of Heart of the Sun Warrior, each little passing thought – they were answered in the most satisfactory way imaginable.
In doing so, this book adds some extra context to a handful of scenes as well as the relationships between certain characters. It is split into three sections, with the first few stories taking place before the events of the duology, some during, and the rest after. Strikingly, only the final story is told from the perspective of Xingyin, so it also offers the chance to experience the voices of several of the other protagonists for the first time.
The earlier stories focus on Xingyin’s parents as we finally receive the first-hand tale of how her mother stole the elixir which turned her into the immortal moon goddess. It is a powerful scene, especially coming after the story of how her husband Houyi shot down all but one of the sun birds. You really feel the pain and agony of her decision, along with the inevitable sense of betrayal as various emotions cascade around at once.
In addition to providing extra clarity and depth to the existing canon, the next few stories are truly fascinating as we get to see Xingyin through the eyes of others. Liwei’s feelings towards her are so wholesome, and with his first story you are given a reminder of the good times they had together during the early part of the duology while later on he performs a selfless act for the sake of her eternal happiness. It is poignant to see him go from an easy-going prince to a lonely emperor.
As for Wenzhi, his unshakeable desire to prove himself worthy of Xingyin totally shines through. It is difficult to choose a favourite story from this immaculate collection, but the ones narrated by him would perhaps get my vote. The one where he and Xingyin go out for dinner is a captivating slice of great writing and masterful dialogue, and every word glistened on the page. Meanwhile, Shuxiao gets a very welcome story of her own, and that embellishes one of the very few sub-plots in the duology that lacked a little development – the ideal remedy.
With the writing, it is hard not to run out of superlatives. Just like in the duology, everything in this breathtaking world is conjured so magically and with such vast amounts of detail, you cannot help just getting swept away by it. The power of the story and the characters’ voices make you feel so many things at the same time, and Sue Lynn Tan also imbues it with a personality that espouses all the highest virtues.
Overall, if the duology is an iced cake, then this is the cherry on top. There is not a word that could be changed to make it a superior book, as perfection has been achieved and the entire story now feels like even more of a whole than it already did. In her author’s note Tan stated that this might not have been published – all that can be said is thank goodness that it was.
My review says it all. The duology was special and this book was the absolutely perfect extra helping.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Writes 
you’ve convinced me to give this duology a go! it sounds beautiful and the cover certainly helps 😂
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