#Sue Lynn Tan

[afterblossom]

I have the great honor of illustrating Sue Lynn Tan's phenomenon Series Tales of the Celestial Kingdom 🏹🌙 with the cover and interior illustrations! I cannot wait to show you all!💖🙌🏻

#tales of the celestial kingdom #daughter of the moon goddess #heart of the sun warrior #sue lynn tan #illustration

[smokefalls]

Some scars are carved into our bones—a part of who we are, shaping what we become.

Sue Lynn Tan, Daughter of the Moon Goddess

#Sue Lynn Tan #Daughter of the Moon Goddess #quote #fiction #fantasy #romance #ya #2023 reads

[nanowrimo]

Happy New Year, Writers! Did you read author Sue Lynn Tan’s Pep Talk this November? It’s a great reminder about ways to find wins in your daily writing. Read the full Pep Talk here!

Image description: A green background with illustrated pink flowers, with text that reads: “NaNoWriMo: “Celebrate the one good line you wrote that warms your heart or the hard paragraph you churned out of a scene you were dreading, the words written whether fifty or a hundred. They are all wins, all another reason to be proud of yourself, each one a step forward.” —Sue Lynn Tan”

Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in London and France, before settling in Hong Kong with her family. Her debut Daughter of the Moon Goddess was published by Harper Voyager, with the sequel Heart of the Sun Warrior coming out in November 2022. Find her on Instagram and Twitter @SuelynnTan, or on her website www.suelynntan.com.

#nanowrimo #writing #writing inspiration #writing quote #pep talk #by pep talker #sue lynn tan

[thepaige-turner]

#books #booklr #bookblr #bookstagram #bookworm #reading #YA #mine #daughter of the moon goddess #sue lynn tan

[fantasybooktournament]

#nk jemisin #the fifth season #broken earth trilogy #sue lynn tan #nina varela #criers war #round 1 #polls #fantasy book tournament

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Little Moments with Massive Impacts

I absolutely adored Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun God, and there is something lush and comfortable and quietly gripping about Sue Lynn Tan's writing. When Tan's original duology ended, I was satisfied, but honestly this is one of those worlds where I would happily take anything more the author was willing to give us. And she has given us some new small moments and an epilogue that just wrapped my heart in a warm blanket and squish hugged it. Let's talk Tales of the Celestial Kingdom.

SPOILER WARNING!!! I am going to spoil not only TotCK, but DotMG and HotSG. BE WARNED.

This little short story collection is divided into three main sections: "Dusk," "Twilight," and "Dawn." Each section covers moments before, during, or after the main duology. The only story from Xingying's perspective is the last one; the other stories are from the perspective of other characters.

"Dusk" focuses on Chang'e and Houyi and expands their relationship before Xingying's birth. It also explores the toll killing the sunbirds took on Houyi and the choices that led to Chang'e taking the immortality elixir to save her own and Xingying's life. Seeing their relationship and their clear love for each other before decades of grief and change have colored and complicated it was a delight. Chang'e and Houyi in this version of their tale are fiercely in love, and that is ultimately what makes their story so tragic.

I also loved that, despite the brevity of the stories, the emotions were clear, complex, and communicated effectively. That can be hard to do in short form (I have always been terrible at it; I like to have a little more space to really wallow in feelings when I write) and I've never been a major short story girl; I like novel-length stuff. But I was entirely here for this reimagining of the Chang'e myth.

"Twilight" fills in spaces that were implied but not explored during the DotMG and HotSG timelines. We get a little more Liwei and Xingying as students, with a quick little adventure just as Liwei realizes he is beginning to fall in love. We also get a little more Wenzhi and Xingying in the Celestial army, also as Wenzhi realizes he is falling in love. I absolutely adore seeing Xingying through their eyes, and it was very instructive to see how they perceive their relationship with Xingying. I was ALWAYS a Wenying (Xingzhi? I dunno, reblog with your preferred ship name) girl, because quite frankly Liwei had too many Prince Jonathan of Conte vibes for me to think he was a good idea. Getting into Liwei's head just strengthened that perception, and while I can understand that he and Wenzhi were both inherently flawed characters...frankly I could support Wenzhi's flaws a lot more smoothly than Liwei's. (Honestly y'all, I might actually need to slap Liwei, especially when he's out here being an UTTER DICKHEAD).

Our boys aren't the only perspectives in "Twilight." We also get Shuxiao and Mengqi's mission to free the Celestial Emperor from Wugang. We are always here for BFF Shuxiao, and honestly if we were ever to get another short story collection in the Celestial Kingdom, I want a slice-of-life first date for these lovely ladies, because they have SUCH A SPARK. Like, we get one short story for them. It is 19 pages. And yet I am HERE for them to have a long, happy life snarking off at each other. The chemistry was just beautifully done. Give our girls their own book.

Finally, "Dawn" gives us a little more from Wenzhi in his mortal life, and Yingxing inserting herself into it. It's darling, and I appreciate the subtle nuances and differences that highlight that yes, this is definitely Wenzhi, but it's not Wenzhi the Prince of the Demon Realm. And yet he and Xingying are still perfect for each other, still love each other. And they have their first mortal date at Wenzhi's favorite tea house. It's DARLING.

What the final story does, however, is give me the ending that I desperately hoped for--but notably did not get--at the end of HotSG. The end of that book gives us the hope that Wenzhi and Xingying will have an immortal life together with Wenzhi's memories and experiences as an immortal restored to him. It was a wonderful, uplifting end to a book that had a lot to do with grief, but the thing it didn't do was make it too easy. Which I think is so important for good storytelling.

That said, actually getting Xingying and Wenzhi reuniting as immortals, and--for Wenzhi--picking up after he had just sacrificed himself for Xingying was SO. SATISFYING. We had the hope, we knew it was a possibility, and that's often what we have to sit with and exist with in real life. That's fine. But every once in a while--a very great while, it seems--we get the fruition of that hope and promise. We actually get the unambiguously happy ending and we, along with Xingying, remember that happiness is crucial.

Y'all, the end of this collection is so soft and happy, and I'm so deeply grateful that it's in the world with me.

#sue lynn tan #tales of the celestial kingdom #daughter of the moon goddess #heart of the sun warrior #xingying #wenzhi #short story collection #ya fantasy #chinese mythology #chinese literature #books and reading #books #books and novels #books & libraries #book recommendations

[from-books-i-read]

"I would welcome your friendship. I would welcome any part of yourself that you choose to give me."

Heart of the Sun Warrior - Sue Lynn Tan

#the celestial kingdom series #heart of the sun warrior #sue lynn tan #books #quotes #xingyin #liwei #wenzhi

[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.

#dotmg #hotsw #daughter of the moon goddess #heart of the sun warrior #sue lynn tan #tbh i have more thoughts but this is a little too unhinged already #also if you follow me and see this very random post on your dash #this is your sign to read this duology please lmao #celestial kingdom #*my post

[vensulove]

we should appreciate the flower, regardless of it’s roots

#have another one in a different color scheme ! #daughter of the moon goddess moodboard #daughter of the moon goddess #sue lynn tan #the celestial kingdom duology #book moodboard #chinese mythology #Chinese mythology moodboard #chang’e #chang’e moodboard #kinda #mat’s moodboards #fantasy moodboard #blue moodboard #blue aesthetic #moon #moon aesthetic #moon moodboard

[undervmountain]

Daughter Of The Moon Goddess / Heart Of The Sun Warrior US / UK

#Daughter Of The Moon Goddess #Heart Of The Sun Warrior #Sue Lynn Tan #Celestial Kingdom #ya books #young adult books #fantasy books

[smokefalls]

… pain struck my heart so sharp and clear—it fractured—only kept whole by a slender thread of hope.

Sue Lynn Tan, Daughter of the Moon Goddess

#Sue Lynn Tan #Daughter of the Moon Goddess #quote #fiction #fantasy #romance #ya #2023 reads

[fantasybooktournament]

#daughter of the moon goddess #sue lynn tan #the kingkiller chronicle #kingkiller chronicle #patrick rothfuss #the name of the wind #round 2 #polls #fantasy book tournament

[andothegoblin]

Just some things I’ve read recently.📚🥰🐉

#the girl who drank the moon #she who became the sun #tress of the emerald sea #the priory of the orange tree #a day of fallen night #annihilation #authority #the southern reach trilogy #jeff vandermeer #samantha shannon #brandon sanderson #the adventures of amina al sirafi #sa chakraborty #shelley parker chan #sue lynn tan #lgbt fiction #fantasy #queer writers #kelly barnhill

[literiry]

[Liwei] Heart Of The Sun Warrior // Sue Lynn Tan

#heart of the sun warrior #the celestial kingdom duology #liwei #li wei #daughter of the moon goddess #dotmg #sue lynn tan

[checkoutmybookshelf]

“Some scars are carved into our bones - a part of who we are, shaping what we become.”

-- Ping'er to Xingyin in Sue Lynn Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Art credit to Grace Zhu for the character card illustration.

#sue lynn tan #daughter of the moon goddess #xingying #book quotes #ya fantasy #ya romance #books & libraries #books and reading #books and novels #book recommendations #books

[from-books-i-read]

"Hate me then, for I would rather have your hatred than indifference." His eyes were the shade of wintry rivers, glints of light traveling in their depths. "The past can't be undone, but my hope lies in our future. Trust me with your heart again and you will find the truth of mine. For you are the reason I rise each day, for you I live and breathe."

Heart of the Sun Warrior - Sue Lynn Tan

#the celestial kingdom series #heart of the sun warrior #sue lynn tan #books #quotes #xingyin #liwei #wenzhi