I want to start this review acknowledging how I absolutely ADORED Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Before finishing the book, I knew it was going to be one of my all-time favorites let alone a top read for 2022. So when I say that the Heart of the Sun Warrior is one of my biggest let downs at as a book is a gross understatement. There were at least two parts within this story where I strongly considered DNFing this book.

The writing in this book is just as lyrical and beautiful as the first, but it’s definitely more fluff than plot in this book. However, some of the dialogue didn’t flow and felt very unrealistic/unrelatable. There were numerous duplicate/repetitive moments and sentences where it made you feel like you were re-reading by accident. There were huge chunks from DOTMG repeated throughout this book. As a result, I felt absolutely no emotions from the characters, and everything felt like it didn’t have any actual weight to the story. My biggest disappointment with the writing is how such dynamic characters as Liwei (Emperor of the Celestial Kingdom), Wenzhi (King of the Mind Magic Kingdom), and her father (Infamous Slayers of the 9 Sun Birds) are depicted as useless, dumb man-children who exist solely for Xingyin’s protection and bidding.

DOTMG had some instances where Xingyin was aggravating, but it was in stride with her character development for the most part. In HOTSW, Xingyin was down-right disgustingly aggravating, selfish, self-involved, immature, arrogant, and stupid. She pushed me to the point of not caring about this story on multiple parts. Throughout the book, every character, including Xingyin, points this out, but she arrogantly ignores them all. She’s always placing herself in the middle of every situation because she’s selfish and only cares about the one problem that’s in front of her. Problems arise because she doesn’t care about anyone or anything else during that time, and she has no foresight to see how this decision may impact quite literally anything else. Book one had her learn how to work with a team and depending on someone doesn’t make her weak. In book two, she forgot all of that.

The pacing of this book was very painful to endure. I have an entire soap box about editors and publishing companies extending works to make more money, and I definitely think this was the case with this duology. It read like a CW superhero television show. The story beginning had absolutely the thinnest connection possible to the end. Most of the middle is the love triangle that I will talk about later. Characters that weren’t needed were brought back, and I’m guessing it was to invoke fond memories from the audience. However, it just strengthened the case that this book wasn’t needed.

Next is this goddamn love triangle. I love morally grey bad boys, so I completely understand the draw to Wenzhi. Personally, he was my favorite. I appreciated how he recognized his feelings early on and didn’t shy from them like Liwei did. He truly embodied the “I will burn down this entire world for you” energy that I love. Overall, I felt Xingyin and Liwei were a better match. Even the title of this book has you believeing the same thing, so we didn’t need 80% of this book focusing on who she was going to choose. Ultimately, I think Wenzhi and Liwei deserved better than Xingyin. She was totally in love with Liwei, but she didn’t want to deal with palace life and empress responsibilities, so she took every out she could to avoid it namely breaking Liwei’s heart. While I don’t agree with what Wenzhi did in DOTMG, the way Xingyin prosecuted him throughout this ENTIRE book was just overkill. While the book wants you to believe, it took Wenzhi literally dying for her to realize this; I think it was her first tasting her life as an empress. Do I believe she has love for both? Yes, but I also strongly believes she’s not IN love with either. I think they’re both better without her.

While on the topic of love, I was hoping for more from Xingyin’s parents. Their return to one another felt like filler where it could’ve been used as a very strong guide for Xingyin to decide on a love. Her mother felt even more weak and unnecessary in this book which is a huge disappointment. I was really hoping to see a stronger bond between mother and daughter. I also really wanted to see Xingyin’s relationship with her father, his connection to the dragons, and their connections with the jade bow develop into a strong story.

I’m just really overwhelmed with how empty this book is. I left this book feeling like the last chapter and maybe one plot point could’ve been the epilogue for DOTMG. This book was truly unnecessary. Also, why was this book named the way it was? Was the Sun Warrior supposed to be her father or Liwei?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Celestial Kingdom is a vivid world filled with monsters, villains, and magic. After so long, I loved returning to this realm, and it completely lived up to the hype. This book was action-packed right from the start when Xingyin tries to reunite her family, which never was. She's also forced to make a choice between her first love and the one she can't stop thinking about. I loved the end of this story so much! It was the perfect way to finish a fantastic duology.

This was a great sequel and conclusion to the duology! I really enjoyed this one, and I hope to see more in this world. I really loved the magical kingdoms, and Chinese lore. Thank you so much Netgalley!

Absolutely devoured this sequel! I loved DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS and this second book did not disappoint— it was action-packed and Xingyin is badass. Who cares if she wins all the time and excels at everything she does — I don’t mind it one bit! I also really enjoyed the retelling of Chinese mythology aspect of this duology. There were a couple of overly-dramatic / overly-angst-filled moments but overall, I stan this duology!

This book was a whirlwind of emotions, especially getting more into the second half. I easily get emotional from books but rarely do I full on cry so when an author can make me cry, I consider it a win, and Sue Lynn Tan did just that. She is also one of two authors who have made me thoroughly enjoy a love triangle. I can usually tolerate them, But it is one of my least favorite tropes and can easily bring a five star book down to 4 stars, but this books remains 5 stars even with the love triangle. For a while, I was team Liwei but as I read this book, I started warming up to Wenzhi to the point where I would be happy with either of them being endgame and ultimately, I am more team Xingyin than anything else. Whoever she decided, I would be happy with. One of my favorite things about this series is that while there are two prominent love interests, not once do either of them take away from Xingyin being her own person. She's stubborn in the best way possible, she doesn't let anyone deter her unless it will help her get what she wants in the long run, and it's clear that she knows what she wants for her life and will not give that up for love.

As for the ending. the direction I thought it was going in switched up so many times. From about a quarter of the way, through I suspected what the endgame would be, but then towards the end, in the final climax of the story, it suddenly was not going in that direction but I was happy with the direction it did take. That is until it seemed like something else was going to happen, and I wasn't too thrilled about the concept but not disappointed either, but the way it was done and written made me absolutely love how it ended. It wasn't easy and it wasn't too cut and dry, it was done in a way that made sense for the story and for Xingyin's character.

Overall, Sue Lynn Tan has become one of my favorite writers and I cannot wait to see what else she has up her sleeve!!!

I adored Daughter of the Moon Goddess, so I was thrilled to return to this magical world again. While this second installment doesn't quite have the sweeping scope of the first book, it's still a beautiful, heart-wrenching story. I loved spending more time with these characters and the ending was very satisfying! I will continue to recommend this duology to many of my customers.

4.5⭐️

I absolutely loved the first book and was soooo excited for this one! Heart of the sun warrior was just as amazing. I love the world and the characters. I already miss the characters so much.

I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely obsessed with the romance in this book. Both love interests are equally compelling, and I was surprised that for once I would be happy regardless of who Xingin chose to be with. I loved all of the characters, and bawled my eyes out when some of them didn't make it. The worldbuilding is of course stellar, and the tension in the plot kept me reading and reading. I flew through this one and loved every second of it.

What a great follow up to the first book in this beautifully written duology! I love the continue world building, but I hated some of the heart wrenching deaths that happened in this book. I loved the growth that is seen in the MC, and how she maneuvers her way through love, loss, and finding her own strength when all seems bleak. I will read ANYTHING that Sue Lynn Tan writes!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Amazing amazing amazing. An epic conclusion to a beautiful duopoly. Magical and poetic, this was one of my favorite books I read in 2022 and one of my new all time favorite series. I can't wait to read more of Sue Lynn Tan's work!

Amazing, loved everything about this book!! This duology was absolutely incredible and I’m already planning to read it again soon.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I really liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but this book was everything! It was so intense throughout the whole book and it almost brought me to tears. I felt so many emotions while reading. This has possibly moved to my favorite read of the year and it deserves all the love.

Thank you so much Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

After Xingyin saves her mother the Moon Goddess from exile on the moon she thrives in her home on the moon. She notices that there is a strange magic that is building on the moon after a strange visitor from the Celestial Kingdom. Xingyin ever ready for the challenge dives deeper in to find that there is someone who wants to take control of not just the Celestial Kingdom but the world. Along the way she struggles with many losses including some of her friends. Xingyin also tries to figure out her feelings for her two loves, the emperor's son and Wenghi. Who will she truly love? Will Xingyin be able to save the world from this power that seeks to destroy or take over everything that they know?

This book was one that I will never forget. It was another 5 star read for me just like the first book (Daughter of the Moon Goddess). I enjoyed the adventures and that I could not predict how it would end. Sue Lynn Tan knows how to write a story that is so beautiful it sucks you in and will not let you out. I have seen a few reviews talking about how the first book (Daughter of the Moon Goddess) was mostly a romance. To me that was not an issue, however for those that were not as interested in the first book because of the romance. I am here to tell you there are so many more adventures in this second book. These battles and tests are well worth the read. There is still romance however it is so beautifully written with no excessive details that you may find it worth your time. This book features a love triangle that is written in a way like no other love triangle. There is so much heart and desire written into each interaction you understand Xingyin the main character way better. I cannot wait to see if there is a third book in this series.

Read if you enjoy:
Love Triangles
Retellings
Strong female leads
Family relationships
Action/adventure

“How could I have wept in Wenzhi’s arms, the arms of my enemy? A betrayal of Liwei and myself.”

THIS was it. THIS was the book I was looking forward to MOST this year. I loved nothing more than the beautiful drama fantasy vibes of the first book and I was so so ready for that to continue for this book. Unfortunately - this book chooses to focus on the love triangle over anything else, to the detriment of the entire book.

This book is called Heart of the Sun Warrier - so it's fair to say some characters will be coming back from the past. Unfortunately, I felt like everyone's arcs, all the "danger", all the things that made Daughter of the Moon Goddess great were gone. Sadly, these were my favorite parts - the fantasy, the adventure. Even when Xingyin is attempting to save all of the realms, it still feels overshadowed by her love triangle and the two men being jealous over each other.

70% of this book was Xingyin debating with her heart over which boy to choose, the prince that's never done anything but love and show mutual kindness and respect to her OR the demon prince that kidnapped and lied to her. (I think it's fairly easy to see who I was rooting for!) This really stopped Xingyin from her own growth.

I do want to point out one of the BEST parts of this book - the writing. It is still so so lyrical and beautiful. It flows off the page as poetry come to life. Even with Xingyin fighting for her home and her life, I still felt like I was in a c-drama. There is no way to deny how lyrical this book is. I will always love the way Sue writes - even if it's not my ideal plot.

This duology is PERFECTION. Xingyin is my favorite kind of heroine: she is flawed, but that is what makes you root for her. She is loyal, compassionate, stubborn, unyielding, with a righteous sense of duty and justice.

This is hands down the best love triangle I have ever read. both Liwei and Wenzhi are well-suited for Xingyin in different ways, bringing out different qualities in her, but both have previously betrayed her trust. Somehow, Sue Lynn Tan writes the romance in a way that has me constantly second guessing which “team” I’m on and switching sides. At one point, I would’ve been happy no matter which one she ended up with…but the resolution absolutely THRILLED me.

But this book is so much more than romance. It is about Xingyin’s love for her family, her desire to choose her own path, and her willingness to sacrifice her own safety and happiness for the sake of others. It is epic adventures and action and magic. And it is so many tears, of both the sad and happy varieties. I cannot recommend this duology enough. Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a fantastic debut at the beginning of the year, and Heart of the Sun Warrior proves that I have a new series and author among my all time favorites.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC.

WOW.

I cannot believe that this is Sue Lynn Tan's debut duology. Daughter of the Moon Goddess was excellent, and I think Heart of the Sun Warrior was even better.

The beginning of the story starts a year after the events of the first book, with Xingyin enjoying her calm and settled life with her mother on the moon. But the political plottings and maneuverings of enemies in the Celestial Kingdom soon force Xingyin to take action to protect those she loves the most.

The pacing of this story is incredibly well done, with plenty of battle action, aptly-timed revelations, and heart-breaking losses.. Just as in Moon Goddess, the rich descriptions of setting, clothing and food add so much to real-ness of this story, and is one of the reasons why I love books based on Asian mythologies.

All of the characters in Sun Warrior are really well developed, and I think Xingyin is one of the most subtlest strongest female characters I've ever read. I will admit that about halfway through, the love triangle in this story was causing me major stress, mainly because both Liwei and Whenzhi are incredibly honorable and noble characters.. And I don't know how she did it, but Sue Lynn was able to resolve these relationships in the most beautiful way possible.

This book is about much more than the love triangle, though. Sun Warrior is a story of family, honor, bravery and forgiveness. It's the kind story that stays with you and makes your heart hurt in the best way possible, because it touches on the most vulnerable and emotional parts of what it means to be human.

I will be recommending this duology for years to come.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fantasy, Chinese Mythology
Age Level: Adult
Content: kisses

I feel so conflicted by this book and I'm honestly not quite sure how to review it. I'm left feeling similarly to how I felt at the end of Mockingjay - emotionally spent and unsure of whether or not the book was actually good or if the characters were just put through the ringer.

The pacing was choppy, the wins didn't feel earned, the villain was completely random and weak, and this installment was missing a lot of the elements that I loved about the first one, to the point where it all just felt...unnecessary? Daughter of the Moon Goddess resolved the plotlines I actually cared about, and while it was fun to see the love triangle develop and for certain characters to get a bit of a redemption arc, I don't think it was needed, or at least strong enough to carry an entire additional book.

I will say that I actually did enjoy the love triangle element. I could see why people would be frustrated, but I live for the tension and drama. This plotline was really the only thing that kept me going at some points.

So yeah, I'm just left feeling a bit confused. I definitely enjoyed certain parts, and I thought the beginning was pretty strong, but too many things bogged this one down for me unfortunately.

I read the first one of this series and was a bit disappointed but I was intrigued enough to want to continue this series, unfortunately this book was the same for me. I was disappointed by the rapid pace of this book and had a hard time feeling investing in the characters and the story. I think the first really was an epic story and this book did not pull me in like the first one did.

This lush and beautiful story is based on the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess and it is, in my mind, the perfect mythology-based fantasy story. If the trend in fantasy is toward incorporating world mythology, I am ready for more of these stories. The fierce female protagonist reminded me of Shiori from Elizabeth Lim’s Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon’s Promise. Where Lim’s story is based on fairy tales and East Asian folklore, this duology delves into the beloved Chinese mythology of the moon goddess.
This spectacular fantasy duology is a must read – Xingyin is a fierce female warrior who will fight for her family, love and what is right. The second novel in this beautiful fantasy world is full of action and adventure. This is a most satisfying conclusion and resolution to this amazing story.

Beautiful covers always bring me in and I’m so glad i was given an ARC of this book. It motivated me to read the first by the author and I’m so happy i did. These books are wonderfully written. Such great characters. I highly recommend.