Celestial Banquet by Roselle Lim
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Celestial Banquet in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
When I picked up Celestial Banquet, I expected food to play a strong role. What I didn’t expect was for nearly every emotional beat, memory, and plot turn to be filtered through recipes, ingredients, and cooking. That’s not inherently a flaw—it’s simply not to my taste. If you love food-centric stories, you may find this novel magical. But if you prefer your fiction with less focus on culinary detail, you might struggle like I did.
The Details
Roselle Lim’s writing shines with elegance and sensory depth. Her prose feels lush and lyrical. She paints every dish with care—steam rising, spices blooming, textures woven into emotion. Each meal tells a story. Her descriptions are immersive, and for food lovers, they’ll likely be a highlight.
The story follows a woman dealing with loss and reconnection. As she explores her heritage, cooking becomes her way of grieving, healing, and understanding her place in the world. This emotional core holds real power. I connected with several scenes where the protagonist reflects on her family, identity, and what it means to honor the past. Lim brings that sense of longing to life through carefully crafted moments.
Still, the narrative often pauses for food. At times, the pace slows so much that the emotional arc feels secondary. Plot development takes a backseat to another lovingly described dish or food metaphor. That constant return to the kitchen left me feeling disconnected. I wanted more forward motion—more time with the character’s thoughts and less time on the page savoring sauces and garnishes.
This isn’t to say the book is poorly written. It’s quite the opposite. The themes of cultural identity, grief, and self-discovery resonate. The style is gentle and poetic. But the execution leans heavily into one mode of storytelling, and it just didn’t resonate with me as a reader.
If you’re someone who finds meaning in food, especially when it intersects with family and cultural roots, this book might be exactly what you’re looking for. It has warmth, depth, and sincerity. For me, though, it felt like being at a beautiful banquet I couldn’t fully enjoy. I could admire the craft, but I wasn’t truly satisfied.
The Verdict
Celestial Banquet is a heartfelt, delicately written story. It offers plenty to appreciate—even if I didn’t walk away hungry for seconds.
