Sue Lynn Tan Books In Order

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Publication Order of The Celestial Kingdom Duology Books

Sue Lynn Tan
Author Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy stories that are inspired by the legends and myths that she fell in love with when she was a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in France and London, before she settled with her family in Hong Kong.

Sue’s love for stories started with a gift that she received from her dad, her first compilation of fairy tales from all around the world. After devouring every fable that she could in the library, she discovered fantasy books, spending a lot of her childhood lost in magical worlds. The first stories that she wrote even back at this time were of magic and fantasy lands.

She has always loved writing, but never once imagined that she would ever have the opportunity to write full time, as she’s a former finance graduate, though with some questionable math skills. Whenever she’d have some brief periods in between working, she would pick up her laptop and start typing up snatches of ideas, a few lines, and some character outlines. The idea for “Daughter of the Moon Goddes” just struck her and she has not looked back since then.

Sue wrote the story whenever she had time—like before dawn, in the middle of the night, during her vacation. She felt this intensity inside of her which she’d never felt before.

For research on the novel, she studied some of the different variations of the legend of Chang’e and Houyi, even though she could not include every single one of them in the story. Additionally, she researched archery: an archer’s posture, the materials of ancient bows, the sound the arrows would make while slicing through the air. She particularly loved researching Chinese dragons which are very different from their Western counterparts.

She’ll write an initial draft in order to make sure that the key plot points are in there, then she tends to follow her instincts, with the characters evolving while the story keeps developing. She will work any place that she is able to set her laptop down on, and which is relatively peaceful. Music will help her get into a certain mood, even though she generally prefers writing in silence, whether it is late at night or early in the morning.

When Sue isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys exploring the many lakes, hills, and temples around her home. She is also grateful to be within reach of bubble tea and spicy food, which she can’t cook unfortunately.

Sue tends to find the drafting stage more challenging than editing, as she’s figuring out the story while trying to develop the characters at the same time. That said, it’s the most exciting stage of the process. It’s a slower process, for her, with a bunch of back and forth. She enjoys editing, refining her story and pondering how to improve on what’s there, although it does depend on the deadline.

“Daughter of the Moon Goddess” is the first novel in the “Celestial Kingdom Duology” series and was released in the year 2022. A captivating debut fantasy novel inspired by the legend of Chang’e, which is the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mom pits her against the most powerful immortal in the entire realm.

Xingyin, while growing up on the moon, has grown accustomed to solitude, so is unaware that she’s been hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor that exiled her mom for stealing his elixir of immortality. However when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is revealed, she’s forced to flee from her home, and leave her mom behind.

Afraid, alone, and powerless, she heads to the Celestial Kingdom, which is a land of secrets and wonder. While disguising her identity, she seizes on an opportunity to learn along with the emperor’s son, mastering magic and archery, even while passion flames between the prince and her.

Xingyin, in order to save her mom, embarks on a rather perilous quest, confronting vicious foes and legendary creatures across the skies and earth. However when treachery looms and some forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she is forced to challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she’s torn between losing all that she loves or plunging the whole realm into chaos.

Fans of the book found that Sue paints a sparkling and lush world in this inventive re-imagining of the age-old Chinese folktale. Her intimate prose makes her wonderful debut an immersive experience, one that is exquisitely detailed fantasy with a strong and vulnerable protagonist. She delivers a story that is mythic in its scope but is personal in its execution, and the result is an all-consuming work of literary fantasy which is breathtaking both for its suspense and its beauty.

“Heart of the Sun Warrior” is the second novel in the “Celestial Kingdom Duology” series and was released in the year 2022. Xingyin, after winning her mom’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor, thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home. However her own fragile peace is threatened by finding a strange magic on the moon, and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his hold on power.

As Xingyin is determined to steer clear of the rising danger, the discovery of this one shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation. Xingyin is forced to flee from her home yet again, and along with her companions, ventures into unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering shrewd monarchs and legendary creatures, bitter adversaries and beloved friends. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin must overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a whole new path forward, looking for aid where she never imagined she would.

While an unspeakable terror is sweeping across the realm, Xingyin has to uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation—in order to rise against this evil before it can destroy everything that she holds dear, and the worlds that she has grown to love. Even if doing so is going to demand the greatest price of all.

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