The Celestial Kingdom series by Sue Lynn Tan

Introduction 

The books, Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior,  follow Xingyin, the daughter of the Moon Goddess, and her journey for justice, truth, self understanding and, of course, love. The story is a coming of age type, however, as Xingyin is an immortal the concept of being young is more abstract. She fleas from her home on the Moon to correct the wrong that has caused her mother so much suffering. Along the way, her heart is torn in two, but it is never the main focus of the story, but still it is crucial for her development as a person. It is impossible to put shortly, what she goes through, as so much happen, yet none could be left out. 

World building 

I have, unfortunately, not read that many books by Chinese authors, let alone books inspired by Chinese mythology. I believe this one to be only my third of the kind. So perhaps, some of the themes or topics have not become cliché for me yet, this I do not know. Either way, I enjoyed the world building tremendously. It has helped, that I watched Heaven's Official Blessing this year as well, as it gave me the context of the Immortal Worlds, as it is never truly explained, it is simply the way things are. The same could be said about Western fairy tales. Either way, the simple yet believable way the story was written was amazing, as it still felt unique compared our real world, the Mortal World. It had a sense of wonder and elegance that made it distinct from ours, as it reflected what a world inhabited by immortals would actually be like. I also enjoyed how each person has one or more elements that they can 'bend'. To me, it appeared as if the 'bending' was a way to showcase status and create riffs between people, and so much a trait to be cherished, as some people are simply born with less power than others. Still, as far as I know, it is a part of the mythology, and it was used in a way that suited the story well.

Characters 

I loved Xingyin as a main character, she was so strong (both mentally and physically) yet she never appeared as a Mary Sue in my eyes. She had growth as she struggled to reach her goal, even as she on occasion would forget, it was never far in her mind. She knows and acknowledges the skills she has, never undermining herself or others, a trait I value and love to see. The losses she suffers only adds to her strength, and I find it rare that a character is given the time to grieve and heal. Too often, the next big adventures awaits, and decisions must be made in a panicked moment. 

Liwei is her first love, and the heir to the throne. He ticks every single box of being the perfect, charming, teasing, and supporting love interest. He views Xingyin as his equal in every way, yet he still does not have enough power (or will?) to push his heritage away. Wenzhi is his counterpart: dark, mysterious, reserved but with big dreams. His betrayal is well depicted, and the scars Xingyin are left with goes deep. I honestly find it rare, that grieve is portrayed in such way. Perhaps because the characters are immortal, they can spend the time to grieve and heal at a pace that humans wish they could. At the beginning, I was convinced that she would pick Liwei as her partner, but as Wenzhi literally dies for her, she realises her true feelings. When boiled down, I see the men as the choice between freedom and prison. She loves them both, dare I say equally, but only Wenzhi is willing to give up his heritage for her. The thing he betrayed her for, no longer of any importance. Liwei cannot make the same choice, as he is the 'good guy'. Put differently: Liwei would sacrifice the Xingyin  to save the world, but Wenzhi would sacrifice the world for Xingyin. 

My thoughts on other people's thoughts

I went through some Goodreads reviews, as I always do after finishing a book. It happens, that I am humbled and realise that I had been critical enough, however, these days people do not seem capable of producing any critical thinking whatsoever. Some people thought the sequel had less action and was more boring than the successor. However, the books are meant to be different, Tan would have failed if she had repeated the same format as the first book - and how could she even do that? You cannot write a coming of age story twice. Someone called the love triangle for 'silly' and needed quicker resolving. If you do not like the theme of love, I can see that a lot of scenes could come across as long, but they were well crafted and did not include unnecessary battering like certain romantasy books out there. Furthermore, both love interests are so vastly different, that I can understand how Xingyin can be torn between the two of them. 

Lastly, someone complained saying it is written as a children's book. There is no doubt in my mind, that this person believes a book needs lengthy descriptions, long scenes and an emphasis of character's outer appearance (besides clothing) before they think something is written well. Which is silly, writing something elegant and simple like this requires skill and hard work. People forget that not everything has to be spelled out directly; show not tell tends to be forgotten these days. The books have a more soft romantic vibe emanating from it, which is not found in the hardcore world of romance books where everything must be overexplained with 'doki doki' sounds before the reader is truly sure, that yes, the main character is indeed in love. Love comes in many shapes and forms, and not everything has to be lust or use graphic scenes to make message come across. 

Overall rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

What I hope will not be a rare rating, but a 10/10 rating nonetheless. This series (not including Tales of the Celestial Kingdom) was an absolute pleasure to read, with a great world, unique and powerful characters that aim for the stars to reach their goals. It has a lovely mythological vibe to it, that is soft but firm, and it drives the story forward, so you are never bored, yet never stressed either. I can only recommend this series to others to enjoy.