I’ve loved Roselle Lim’s adult novels, so I knew I had to read Celestial Banquet. And it was everything I wanted and more! This YA debut delivers food, fantasy, and friendship all at once! Keep reading this book review of Celestial Banquet for my full thoughts.
Summary
Once every generation, the Major Gods hold a Celestial Banquet, inviting chefs from all over the Continent to prepare mouthwatering fantastical feasts. The winner is awarded the fabled Peaches of Immortality, along with a lifetime of fame and fortune. The losers perish per the whims of the fickle gods.
Hot-headed noodle chef Cai enters the competition with dreams of owning her own restaurant and supporting her impoverished Peninsula town. Along with the drunken Minor God Kama, her childhood crush-turned-friend Bo, and dreamy noble Seon, Cai must now compete against the Continent’s finest culinary masters in trials that range from hunting and serving up mystical sea serpents to preparing a magical omurice from the eggs of the legendary Jian bird.
Battling impossible odds and inconvenient feelings for both Bo and Seon, Cai is determined to prepare a feast fit for the gods—even if she loses her life
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Celestial Banquet is perfect for all the foodies who love fantasy. It screams Roselle Lim in the best way and I’m so happy for her! If you love cooking competitions, fantastical and magical trials, and swoons this is for you! I loved Cai immediately. She’s clever, the ultimate underdog, and is increidbly resourceful. The competition delivers danger from the beginning as Lim wraps us up in an atmosphere of magic and danger. Because everything has a price even failure. I found myself immersed in the action and adventure and forgot to take notes!
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Not to mention Celestial Banquet delivers the swoons and love triangles! I’m always here for a childhood crush, but even I was having trouble picking! I’m not even normally a fan of love triangles. Celestial Banquet is about Cai figuring out what motivates her. What is she willing to sacrifice to win? The competition changes her irrevocably. And that’s not a bad thing, but the person she was before she entered is gone now. Some things, once broken, cannot be mended. A theme I loved, which was developed later in the book, was the cruelty of the immortals.
Any book with immortals and mortals always catches my eye. Celestial Banquet surpassed the hype I created myself. 100% recommend! Find Celestial Banquet on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.