Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute and quick read. Every 10 years, the Gods hold a banquet, which involves a competition between lesser gods and the best cooks they choose in the kingdom to win a peach of immortality. The concept was very unique and fascinating, and the book was done well. However, I feel that more regarding the lore and gods could have been elaborated on. The world building was good, though, and you did feel immersed in the story and world.

The characters were very interesting and well developed. I thought that the romance subplot needed some serious work though as it almost felt like an afterthought and was not well developed. All in all, this was a cute, quick read and for the author's debut book it was good! I am definitely interested in reading anything else this author comes out with.

This book had so much promise, it just doesn’t read like it was finished yet. Typically when you read an ARC you give some grace knowing that the draft you’re reading can be revised several times before publication but when it’s the audio ALC you know so it’s the final draft to be published.

I got drawn on with the description of a noodle chef with a high stakes competition but in a fantasy world! How great is that! And I’ll say that the food descriptions were incredible. You could almost taste everything the author detailed! For that alone it made the book enjoyable.

On the other hand, there was a lot of tell and no show. The plot suffered as it feels like it’s not finished. An outline if you will. There is also a “romance” which seems like an idea that was thrown in but not actually developed.

With all that being said, the narrator Natalie Naudus did a fabulous job with her vocals. The production as a while was very good and probably made it more enjoyable to tread than if I had the eARC.

So do I recommend it? Sure. It’s a quick read at only 6.5 hours at the 1x speed so you can get it done in just over 3 hours at 2x which is easily understandable at that speed. Just don’t read when you’re hungry!


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Dreamscape Select through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

First, thanks so much to the publisher for the opportunity to review this e-Book and the audiobook for this book. Both were remarkable as far as a debut novel is concerned. I am really excited to read the rest of this series. The explanation of cooking show meets hunger games is absolutely correct and it is incredible. The one issue I had is the love triangle. First of all, the FMC is wildly naive and the whole ingenue thing doesn’t work super well. Additionally, the audiobook narrator sounds significantly older than Cai and it undercuts the young ingenue thing in a way that takes you out of the narrative. Lastly, she chose the wrong guy so hopefully she will pick again in the next book! lol!

Okay, love the narrator for this audiobook! I have listened to other books narrated by Natalie Naudus and she does a phenomenal job in bringing the characters and worlds to life. I ended up really liking most of this book because of her.

The parts I liked were Cai and her plan to make it to the Celestial Banquet by convincing minor god Kama to participate so she could fulfill her father's wish and also help out the peninsula which keeps being attacked by the awful Empress. The trials to get the special ingredients for each dish to be judged were cool and how though it is not like the Hunger Games in that the participants volunteered, you still get some cool deaths from not being prepared properly to make the dish. Also, there are interesting tidbits about the history of Kama that I found intriguing, and the secret princess. Those I could see being expanded in future books that I would like to read. Plus the cooking of the dishes which were cool especially since the chefs needed to be very careful or risk maybe having acid eat through your hands! I also enjoyed the excerpts from scrolls at the beginning of every chapter which helped give depth to this intriguing world.

Now what I did not like and was definitely not needed: a stupid love triangle! I mean, it was not the time for Cai to choose between Bo and Seon while trying to cook the dishes to impress the major gods and not end up cursed or killed! Those scenes were very irritating and had me telling them to shut up and let Cai concentrate! The only other thing that was odd was that the ending seemed incomplete. I am hoping that means there will be another book with more meat. I would read or listen to that.

So, great narrator and pretty good story that went by really fast and was mostly enjoyable (except the Bo and Seon showdown) and so five stars for the narrator and 3 1/2 for the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this entertaining audiobook.

My mouth is watering, the food descriptions in this book were so good! I live for watching cooking competitions but I have never read one. This did not disappoint, I had so much fun! In Celestial Banquet we follow Cai a young noddle chef who joins a cutthroat cooking competition to feed the gods to win immortal peach’s and fulfill her and her father’s dream of owning a restaurant. The challenges kept me on my toes. The pacing was engaging. The romance subplot a was fun, I love a love triangle. I enjoyed the folklore elements. If you like cooking shows or are just looking for a quick fun YA read I highly recommend picking this one up.

A cooking competition called the Celestial Feast, a competition from the gods. Where you must kill your meat and try to stay alive.

Loved it! 4 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Select for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe I enjoyed this way more than I should’ve ’cause I watch similar animes. It gave Food Wars, but like Toriko vibes ☠️ Definitely deadly games & trials w/ cooking, iykyk. It’s more so God of Cookery than Iron Chef lmfao, but not sure if anyone remembers that movie to reference it 🤣

All the characters were enjoyable & I loved the premise of it all- Definitely could’ve worked on the romance a bit w/ the chemistry (the MMCs both lowkey gave me the ick), but that would be the last thing on my mind in a competition- ESPECIALLY if I’m cooking, pls get outta my way lmfaoo.
(I hate people in the kitchen when I’m cooking ☠️)

Overall, I thought this was so fun!! The twist at the end- Oh 😬 lmfaoo. Did this make me hungry? Yes. Did I end up eating a bunch of food while listening to this? Also, yes lol. I love that Ayesha Curry also reviewed this ‘cause ok Bay Area!! 👏🏽
Natalie Naudus did an amazing job narrating!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Celestial Banquet is a delicious, riveting YA fantasy with scrumptious food descriptions, tender romance, and a strong main character that hooked me from the first page.

I had a blast with this one. From the first page, Cai captivated me with her strength, determination, wit, and personality. The characters were vivid and well-developed, and I especially enjoyed Cai’s relationship with Minor God Kama. The love triangle was well-written and entertaining. The food and cooking descriptions were exceptional; I felt like I was right there in the kitchen with Cai, cooking and tasting the mouthwatering food. Roselle Lim’s prose was beautiful and immersive, delivering a fast-paced story with atmospheric world-building. The story occasionally felt rushed, but I enjoyed the competition aspect and the many dangerous and creative trials Cai endured. The incorporation of Chinese and Southeast Asian folklore was terrific, and I loved the exploration of food’s connection to one’s culture and loved ones. I highly recommend this delightful YA debut!

Natalie Naudus narrated this one beautifully. Her performance, filled with emotion and enthusiasm, was immersive and entertaining. Her accents fit the characters wonderfully. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC/ARC!