CELESTIAL BANQUET, by Roselle Lim, Zando – Sweet July Books, June 3, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
A young noodle chef competes in a cutthroat cooking competition for the gods in Celestial Banquet, by Roselle Lim.
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. —Synopsis provided by Zando – Sweet July Books
Celestial Banquet is set in a world inspired by Chinese and Southeast Asian folklore.
But the star of Celestial Banquet is the food. It’s clear that author Roselle Lim is a fan of cooking. No one could write about composing dishes the way she does if they didn’t like creating in the kitchen. These are the places where Lim’s writing is most assured, almost poetical.
That’s not to say that there aren’t other strong elements. The trials are exciting and engaging. There’s action and problem-solving and teamwork there.
Where the plot kind of stumbles is the love triangle, which sometimes feels forced and a little unnecessary. Lim’s ending also breaks with the rest of the book, feeling too fast and a little disjointed.
The Celestial Banquet is the first book in a planned series, and I can’t help but wonder if the kitchen magic will be there. Fingers crossed. I look forward to the next book.
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