#wenzhi

[littlemoondance]

I couldn’t resist making mood boards for the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. I loved everything about these books so much.

[cheryroseart]

Xingyin and Wenzhi from Daughter Of The Moon Goddess 💜

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Please don’t repost without credits

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[harlequinideath]

Wenzhi <3

[jessfandrawer]

Celestial Kingdom Duology character portraits

Xingyin

Wenzhi

Liwei

I finished this series (audiobook version) and felt a little sad that it was over. So I made some drawings.

Spoiler-y silliness for Heart of the Sun Warrior below ⬇️

[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

[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.

[teartra]

The best character is the one you once despised

[a-quiet-journal]

"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 in mine. For you are the reason I rise each day, for you I live and breathe."

- Wenzhi, Heart of the Sun Warrior

[thegildedfantasy]

I'm more than halfway through Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I swear, if Wenzhi is not endgame, I will fucking riot. I don't care what I've heard, I don't care about no betrayal. I need my precious babies together.

[nezukoo-channn]

Taylor Swift wrote midnight rain from Midnights (2022) for the love triangle in Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior

[thelov3lybookworm]

I love prince Yanming. He's such a cute little guy.

[inniminan]

Wenzhi

[octopusoptimusprime]

i’m on part 3 of daughter of the moon goddess by sue lynn tan and can i please just say. FUCK liwei. with my entire soul oh my god??? he’s so rude to xingyin wtaf. if she doesn’t get her happy ending w wenzhi i’m gonna riot

[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

[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

[mariasbookishcorner]