#Celestial Kingdom

[random-citizen2008]

One of my favoritest things in the world is getting to rant to people who think all Christians believe people who are gay/commit sexual sins/petty theft/any other sin that's minor(or even the worse ones, that aren't quite as bad as denying christ) are going to hell about the 3 degrees of glory. "You're Christian? So you think I'm going to hell for____?" Great news, bestie.

seeing people discussing the concept of hell and how cruel the idea of eternal punishment is like, wow! i know this belief system you would love if not for your knee-jerk reaction against its name

[moplayspoke]

Reading the Celestial Kingdom series and every time they mention someone traveling on a cloud my “first thought, head empty” is this:

[spiritonadventure]

The sun on my head is my crown

[booksaesthesic]

-celestial kingdom playlist-

[fatalwhims]

i am going to ramble about Heart of the Sun Warrior into the void in hopes that someone will actually browse the tags and join me because i need to gush about this book through incoherent rambles

Wow how do I put into words how this book (and duology) made me feel?? Tan had me guessing throughout the entire book about who would be endgame. Just when you think the scale tips one way, she follows it up with a tender scene with the other boy (?? ok technically man, but we’ll affectionally say boy because they are my boys). It swung back and forth so much that tbh I got frustrated at one point and legitimately thought that Xingyin wouldn’t end up with either. 

With Wenzhi’s last scene in DOTMG I had a feeling that he would be endgame. So I’m surprised that even with that feeling, I was so unsure throughout the entire book. With Xingyin + Wenzhi’s conversation before the final battle and the finality of the word “Friends” and Xingyin’s monologue: “a part of me mourning the end of something precious, that never truly had a chance to begin”, I thought that was it. I convinced myself that the “I love you” when he died was just her speaking in the moment. Yes it was a truth, but not the truth. And with Wenzhi dead I didn’t think there was any chance that she would end up with him in the end.

Unless he was reborn as a mortal. Which brings me to the ending... oh the ending. It was such a beautiful resolution. What a way to bring Wenzhi and Xingyin back together, but also involve Liwei. With his death, I thought the only way Wenzhi + Xingyin would end up together was if he was reborn as a mortal and she found him. But to have Liwei send him down so that he could regenerate his immortal self, to do this out of love for Xingyin to see her be happy...we love to see growth! And not just growth of Liwei, but also Xingyin in her decision to wait for the elixir of immorality. It’s the classic tale of an immortal falling in love with a mortal and having to watch them die and then find them again in each new life. Tbh it’s a tragic curse, but there was so much joy in Xingyin’s thoughts as she describes all the moments that they would share together, that it filled me with hope instead (that and the fact that it shouldn’t be centuries hopefully). And the resolution really comes full circle with Chang’e and Houyi’s circumstances. 

My thing with love triangles is that I feel like the author can sometimes force their resolution by just writing out the one who isn't chosen by giving them less screen time. For a while I felt like that's what Tan had done. Liwei just didn't have as many opportunities as Wenzhi here to prove himself or do something for Xingyin. Wenzhi had the pivotal role of getting the scroll from his father and then casting the enchantment, which was the key part that tethered them together and allowed for the sacrifice. Liwei was imprisoned for part of the novel. Etc. Etc. But as I thought more about Wenzhi's death and how he gave his life for her and thus his crown, I realized that Liwei could have given up his crown too. Ok yeah, it's easier for Wenzhi to do that when he knows it's a choice of life or death. Maybe if Liwei was tasked with the same decision to save her, he would give up that duty as well (tbh he probably would). BUT in the aftermath, when he still wouldn’t make the choice and help her heal... when he still believed that she would be able to live there, despite how much he could sense her hurting, that was when I knew that Liwei just couldn't choose her over everything. And he admits it when they meet for the final time. I guess all this to say that, I’m glad that Liwei did have his chances and his choices and that he wasn't just written off as shitty guy.

[nezukoo-channn]

i finally finished tales of the celestial kingdom and sue lynn tan will pay for my tears... holy fucking shit.

its so GOODDDDDDDDDD but so SADDDDDDDD and emotionalllllll

nonetheless 5 stars :)

[judahmaccabees]

God is One.

-

[adrasteaeydiate]

The Celestial Kingdom duology and Tales of The Celestial Kingdom

Yesterday I finished reading The Heart of the Sun Warrior and the epilogue in Tales of The Celestial Kingdom (I really was so in love with Daughter of the Moon Goddess that I had to order Tales in a language other than my native language because they are not translated yet and I think I would have gone CRAZY if I hadn't read the epilogue) AND WHAT A JOURNEY IT WAS. These wonderful descriptions, interesting characters (watching each of them evolve was amazing) - XINGYIN , WENZHI, LIWEI, CHANG'E, HOUYI, SHUXIAO, YANXI, YANMING, PING'ER I LOVE YOU ALL FOREVER ❤️. And I think I really cried all my tears because of what happened there, especially when reading The Heart of the Sun Warrior (PING'ER, YANMING AND OF COURSE WENZHI - my heart BREAKED INTO A MILLION PIECES 😭😭😭💔) but also the epilogue, although here I cried with joy and relief. I still have to read ,,Twilight'' from the Tales (because I had to, I just had to read the epilogue RIGHT NOW) but I have to spread it over time because I really don't want to say goodbye to this wonderful world created by Sue Lynn Tan 👑 (THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART & HATS OFF FOR CREATING SUCH A MASTERPIECES ❤️) - although I already feel this emptiness. To repeat: WHAT A JOURNEY IT WAS. Never before, no book, no duologies or trilogy has influenced me as much as The Celestial Kingdom duology, I really have never felt like I do now and I have never felt such a bond with the characters, with all the events. And it wasn't like I couldn't read a chapter because tears were covering my eyes. I'M HAPPY LIKE CRAZY, NO, EVEN MORE THAN HAPPY with the ending (including the epilogue, of course), THE EPILOGUE REALLY HEALED MY BROKEN HEART, AS IT MADE IT BACK TOGETHER, "A rival's spirit" (Liwei's pov) also had a huge impact on me. Duology and Tales are undoubtedly books that I would like to read over and over again - for someone to come to me, erase my memory and so that I could read them over and over again. LOVE LOVE LOVE. What I wrote above is only close to what I feel because I don't know what words I should use to describe it all exactly & I know it's chaotic but I'M A MESS

[beatrixacs]

📚 Book #11/2024 - Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

[idealog]

I have revealed for you the tricks of the lighted ones.

Truth protects and saves. Honesty, under the way, which I have made clear, allows for everlasting Life and Joy. Stop stifling people and animals and throwing them in cells, or I will Return with you and make you See.

Jehovah ~

[robyn-weightman]

Anyone else love Sue Lynn Tans duo?

[moplayspoke]

Mini review for Daughter of the Moon Goddess! 4.5/5

(There are spoilers)

I went into this with zero expectations or idea of what this was about and enjoyed every moment!

I don’t recall a single moment of a lull in the plot and I feel like the storytelling here was exceptional. The world itself was beautiful and ethereal in its depictions and it only made me want to learn more of the heavenly realms.

My main critiques were the love stories. We’re given timeskips where we are told the FMC builds friendships with her love interests over several years to the point she knows both of them like the back of her hand. And of course these love interests have developed crushes on her but we rarely see her interest in them outside of a few jealous moments spurned by a persistent love triangle. In fact, I feel like if any of the characters were to randomly profess their love to her she would just immediately accept them and add yet another love interest to her growing collection of admirers. Overall they just felt like they came out of nowhere and I couldn’t truly connect to any of the relationships.

I also felt quite frustrated at the main character. For a girl that was so sure of herself and so determined to save her family, she sure seemed to enjoy stringing her men along. It was like a game of ping pong for her going back and forth between men and it made me want to facepalm so many times. I recall a quote where she questions her heart being fickle and I felt my eyes almost roll to the back of my head.

I will say, although I hate love triangles, this one I was able to tolerate the longest… until the end of course. New record.

Buuuuut ignoring that mess of a love triangle soap opera, everything else was fabulous. The action, adventure, friendship, growth? And then throw in some badass magic? Who wouldn’t like that? Overall a solid 4.5/5.

[cuppajj]

THE NEOBEASTS

[booksaesthesic]

-celestial kingdom aesthetic-

[cosmicwhoreo]

took a stab at drawing ocean lesbians.

[alex-frostwalker]

☀️𝕮𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖆𝖑 𝕮𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖘𝖊 𝕮𝖔𝖔𝖐𝖎𝖊🍪

Beast Ancients AU belongs to @cuppajj