Heart of the Sun Warrior (eARC) — 4 ⭐️

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Oh man, my heart!!! This book was the perfect sequel to The Celestial Kingdom series, and I couldn’t be happier with the ending. I left like the characters stayed true to themselves, and I enjoyed seeing them grown over the years.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy story when I was reading this book, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It took me quite a long time to finish it. I might have hyped it up in my head, but I totally think the author’s writing skills are strong and entertaining. For her next book, I’ll ensure I’m in a “fantasy book mood” before diving in!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
✨ Fantasy
🔺 Love Triangle
😨 Twists and Turns
🔐 Closed Door Romance
🥾 Adventurous

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
💞 You’d put yourself at risk for your family
🍷 Your drink of choice is wine
✈️ You enjoy traveling to new places
🪴 Home will always have a special place in your heart
💡 You think outside of the box

𝐓𝐖: violence, death, grief, war

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Daughter of the Mood Goddess is my favorite book of 2022, and Heart of the Sun Warrior is every bit as good. I really loved continuing Xingyin’s story and am sad to see my time with these characters coming to an end. I’m not usually a huge fan of love triangles, but it’s so well done here, and I absolutely love love love the way the book ended. I can’t wait to read more from Sue Lynn Tan. Color me a fan!

Wow, keep the tissues close by when reading this one. Sue Lynn Tan has written a stunner with this sequel. Xingyin is on a mission to save the entire realm this time and it will cost her dearly. I couldn't put it down. I was on vacation, travelling though some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen and still found myself picking up this book every spare moment I could find. The story was fantastic and pacing felt pretty quick to me. Just a really wonderful read.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and net galley for the eARC!

Sadly I ended up DNFing this book at 48%. I really loved the first book in this duology and felt that things had wrapped up nicely (other than the love triangle). I have been reading this book for weeks and I just can't find interest in the plot and characters. Things feel a bit forced and unnecessary.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is a BEAUTIFUL story. The author has amazing imagery and the characters have a lot of depth. I finished it all in one weekend couldn’t stop reading. It was me the book, and a box of Kleenex’s to get through the second half. Lots of emotions and feelings from all the characters and you feel them all. The author does a great job just as she did in the first book of really making the reader feel a part of the story.

**************Spoiler alert below: *****************



I would possibly rate this book a 4.75 but only because of my personal preferences when a book is so sad during 50% of it I personally like there to be really good closure for the characters which I didn’t feel we got. I’m HOPING Praying crossing my fingers that it’s because this is going to turn into a trilogy 🙏🏼🙏🏼 but even without the main characters getting a super warm and fuzzy closure it still was great. I just really wanted to know that Wenzhi, Liwie, and Xi had a happy ending more forward looking for the 3 of them. But again hopefully there is more to come on these 3 from the author!

First of all, can I just talk about how much anxiety this second installment has given me?! I mean, usually you can predict the outcome even if there are things that suggest otherwise, but the story is told in such a way that nothing is impossible. Is it possible for me to still root for Liwei? Absolutely. But is it also possible to be conflicted about Wenzhi throughout the whole dang book? Yes! I didn’t want to be but you just can’t help it. And why does every decision that Xingyin make makes me so nervous? It was so much to take in but every part of it was nothing short of fantastic. It was such a crazy journey but this story is so very much a fantasy world that emits beauty and elegance. I loooooved the first one, but wow, this second one packs a punch to your gut like you never saw it coming. Incredibly action-packed, beautiful writing, great story-telling, and just overall a page-turner. I like that the character arc written for Xingyin isn’t about doing all of the glory work for redemption or for validation, but merely because it calls her to it. She has a wonderful family and people that she loves where she will not hesitate to protect. She’s bold but also vulnerable, strong but also weak, foolishly in love but also recognizes reality. She’s not perfect and her divided heart seems selfish but oh does it make the heart flutter and full of angst. I loved that this story has so much to tell. Even our main villain here. It wasn’t out of pure spite or hunger for power, but it came from a place of pain and I think that makes part of the story. It’s not just some adversary for the sake of writing but something that also helps Xingyin in her matters of conflict. And fair warning, being torn between Liwei and Wenzhi hurts the most. I can’t remember when a love triangle was so overwhelming and well-written. I had loved Liwei but man did the author do justice to Wenzhi – curse you for doing this to me. I was incredibly happy when Wenzhi was a traitor in Book 1 because it made it easier to root for Liwei but holy moly, Wenzhi in this book was nothing short of freakin’ amazing. I was so conflicted about him and knew that while I liked both enough to not mind whoever Xingyin ended up with, I would still be devastated for the other. This isn’t like your typical love triangle. One doesn’t trump over the other because one came later or earlier. It’s not about who was more in the right or who did wrong. It was just a sense of genuine longing for each other. It was so strong for both and untainted by the ugly around them that it made it hard to really hate one over the other. Wenzhi and Liwei weren’t even competing each other! It was done so well that even now, I am so heartbroken for the one left. While I’m left screaming my head off, I’m also floored by the lovely ending. It’s one of those where I don’t know if I should cry or be happy. So conflicted but it also makes sense. One of the best duologies that I have read in a long time. Highly recommend this to anyone looking to fall into an adventure. As you immerse yourself with the culture, you will find it pleasing that you gave the book a chance. Not to mention, what a great debut series for Sue Lynn Tan. Will definitely be looking forward to many more of her works.

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan is the second book to Daughter of the Moon Goddess and it’s one of my most anticipated books because I absolutely love Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
 
The last book had no open cliffhanger and only the characters' relationships were unresolved. That was fascinating to me, and this sequel really focuses on the characters. Xingyin, Liwei and Wenzhi must become a team to face the challenges of freedom and the threats to their world. Through that they get closer, and the slight love triangle added a bit of excitement. And there is also more intimacy that extends the dynamic between the characters. The dynamic was my favorite thing in this book, and I don’t want to spoil the outcome, but I’m definitely team Liwei.
 
Because of this character focus you don’t get to see that much more of the Celestial Kingdom, which was a bit sad, and it was also less action-packed. In general, that is no issue to me, but sometimes there were some lengths in the story and therefore I wish the plot would have been a bit more enthralling. It’s a fitting end to this duology and this sequel was still satisfying to me.
 
Overall, Heart of the Sun Warrior is a good sequel, but I liked the first book a bit more. 4 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

This was a letdown for me - I really enjoyed the first in this duology, but this one managed to drag on, while also not having anything interesting going on. There's a slight love triangle between two very boring dudes, the heroine has a whole dad arc go on. There's exponentially less action in this, and a very luke-warm romance subplot.

This could have been an excellent standalone, instead of whatever this duology was trying to cover in the second book. I think i'll just pretend like I didn't read this one and be happy with book 1's ending.

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.ds.com/review/show/4864160423

Heart of the Sun Warrior was a beautiful and heartbreaking conclusion to the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. I didn't reread the first book before picking this one up, which I probably should have, but even though it took me a few chapters to figure out what was going on, I really enjoyed this one. It has just as much action as the first book, and we get to see Xingyin develop her relationships with characters from the first book, as well as some new ones. There's always a ton going on in every scene, but Tan has such a great writing style and every scene reads like a fairytale. I'm not sure how I feel about the conclusion to Xingyin's love triangle with Liwei and Wenzhi. I thought it was done beautifully and I absolutely cried at the end, but I don't know that the person she ended up with was the one I wanted her to end up with. The way the scenes were presented between Xingyin and the man she eventually chooses were wonderful though.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is the stunning and heartfelt sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I loved the first book and couldn’t wait to see what happens next! Xingyin has finally been reunited with her mother on the moon. Yet the adventure is not over, as mysterious visitors come to the moon in search of magic. The Celestial Emperor has not forgotten Xingyin and her mother, while the Celestial Empress holds a fierce grudge against them. Xingyin will need her alliances, her magic, and the help of both Prince Liwei and Wenzhi to save her family and kingdom once again.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is filled with betrayals, triumphs, magical battles, and romance. Sue Lynn Tan’s prose is so beautiful and flowing. Whether she is describing an epic battle or a romantic scene, every detail is exquisite. I love stories of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, and I really liked how Sue Lynn Tan showcased her quiet strength and persistence in this retelling. Xingyin shows excellent character growth, making her a compelling character to follow. While love triangles can be tricky, I enjoyed how this one was resolved. I hope there are more stories to come in the world of the Celestial Kingdom! I’m excited to see what Sue Lynn Tan writes next. Thank you to Sue Lynn Tan, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect is equal to one of my new favorite duologies! Just like in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Heart of the Sun Warrior was full of lush prose and magical world building. The storyline was fast paced and exciting, but deeply emotional at times. Xingyin is such a well written character who was brave and selfless when it came to protecting her loved ones. This book had my heart racing at parts and breaking at others. The ending was so sweet and perfect! Sue Lynn Tan is such a great story teller and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

Oh I love this SO MUCH MORE than DOTMG. DOTMG was beautiful but HOTSW? IT’S MAGNIFICENT.

So we came back to the Celestial Kingdom with Xingyin and... everyone. It all started on the moon, picking up where DOTMG had left, where we thought everything was fine and peaceful. This book followed another dire matter that forced Xingyin and everyone she loved to flee her home on the moon and became fugitives.

The writing was still beautiful and lyrical, with enchanting and vivid imagery and impressive setting. The story was action packed and full of tension. It gave all kinds of emotions. The last 10% was hurting me SO MUCH I couldn’t stop sobbing until hours after I finished reading it, in the best way possible. Everything was beautiful. Wouldn’t ask for anything to be done differently. No criticism from me. Absolutely epic. But I’d like to have an extended epilogue please… I didn’t want the story to end:(

Can’t wait for the next Celestial Kingdom novel! Even though the characters are new, I HOPE Xingyin, Wenzhi, and Liwei will make appearances!

I received this eARC from Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

I utterly adore the language used by the author in this book. In fact, I enjoyed it in the previous installment too. However, the pacing in the book was chaotic and needed some refinement. I also felt there was no build up or anticipation going into action scenes. They just sort of happened. The ending was also not satisfactory but quite hastened. It would have been better if it was extended to a third book for proper drawn out important scenes.

I'm giving it three starts solely based on how beautifully Ms. Tann uses her words!

Oh, Xingyin how I had such high hopes for you. Don’t get me wrong, I think that a lot of her personal growth, in regard to her family, was amazing. The love interests though were really hard to follow and get behind.

This book starts shortly after book 1. Xingyin is with her mother and trying to heal from all the events in book one. Her life force is quickly becoming stronger and we learn that there’s a reason for that. In fact the main antagonist of this book is after the reasoning but I don’t want to give it away. I loved her relationship with her mother in the first book. We get some surprises in this book and I’m glad that she got what she always wanted- her family. I just didn’t feel the bond was as strong as I would have liked. I think part of the problem is that there’s so much chaos and they are strung all over the place.

The biggest downfall of this book is the love triangle. It’s quite easy to figure out where Tan is going with this and who she ultimately wants Xingyin to wind up with. WHY all the heartbreak though?! The constant back and forth?! I’m so sorry but I just can’t get behind the treatment of book one and the flip-flop in book two. I get how it’s important to the overall plot but that’s what this felt like. It was just there to get the plot to connect and make sense. I still didn’t feel the emotions of either one of the guys which made the ending a bit surprising.

I did enjoy my time with the story in this book though. We get to see so much more of the different worlds and that was awesome to see. I think that might have been one of my favorite parts. This world is large and there are so many different moving parts, Queens, Kings, and they all have their own powers/magic. I loved learning about them all and getting more of the bigger picture. The plot itself was also much more developed and interesting than in book one. There are a lot of twists in turns and some really high and low points. I did manage to cry a bit, haha.

Overall, I did enjoy this one a tad more than the first book. I do love the world-building and all the magical aspects of them. The mythology and cultural elements are amazing. She is a very descriptive writer and I felt like I could picture everything so clearly. For me, the biggest drawback of this duology is the love triangle. I never connected to either one through Xingyin and it felt like friendship more than anything. Love triangles are personal preferences so I can see how many people love these books!

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager and Negalley for an e-arc to review.

Fans of Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess won’t be disappointed in the eagerly awaited sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior. The second book of the Celestial Kingdom Duology raises the stakes with a new threat to all the kingdoms of the Immortal Realm.

In the opening chapters, we learn that Minister Wu, the manipulative advisor to the Celestial Emperor, has been promoted and now leads the military as General Wu. With this new power, Wu quickly turns his sights on the Moon Goddess, and slowly the extent of his ambition becomes clear.
.
Xingyin, who is highly suspicious after Wenzhi’s betrayal, finds she needs to trust her adversaries in order to stop the threat of General Wu.

I appreciate how Tan raised the intensity for the second half of this duology. Revenge certainly becomes a driving force for action, but it’s balanced by Xingyin’s growing empathy. She begins to see how a person’s history shapes their personality and feels great sadness for the suffering and loss others’ have endured.

I was less enthused by the continued triangle of Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi. And Liwei’s naivete regarding his parents was a bit unbelievable. While my personal tastes would’ve preferred an ending before the events of the final chapters, I think most readers will be satisfied by the resolution.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for sharing this ARC.

I was very excited to finally get to this sequel, and I'm happy to say that the things I loved about the first book were present in this one too. The writing was exquisite. Reading the descriptions felt like stepping into a vibrant painting. The quality of the writing seemed to have even improved since the first book, which also displayed beautiful craftsmanship with its words. After this duology, there's no doubt that Tan can craft otherworldly prose that easily transports the reader into her imagined worlds.

The world-building was just as stunning here as in the first book. There were a couple new places that I enjoyed visiting, and the narrative returned to many of the wondrous set pieces previously introduced, including the moon, Celestial Palace, and Cloud Wall. New and old creatures played a part in the story, and it was all just so fascinating. I loved the mythology and the way the author used it to tell a gripping story of loss, love, and forgiveness that felt very intimately human despite the divine nature of the participants.

I liked the plot in this book a bit more than the first. It felt less disjointed and the pace was more even. Where the first book felt like several distinct stories mashed together because of all its side quests, this one seemed more cohesive with a single major story thread and clear villain from start to finish. Speaking of the villain, I really enjoyed Wugang and thought his motivations were believable. I even felt a bit sympathetic to his cause given how horrible the Celestial court treated him and literally everyone else. I wish there had been more of the court intrigue in this one, though. I would have loved to read how the coup happened from the emperor's or Wugang's POV. I'm sure the emperor's reaction was priceless.

Now to the part I think some people won't really like: the love triangle. That's right. It's back again. lol. I didn't hate it in the first book because I found the two men worked well as avatars of the warring parts of Xingyin's psyche. I was REALLY ready for the story to move past that, though, and it didn't. Xingyin went through a lot in this book and had to come to terms with some major, gut-wrenching losses. I loved her journey, and she was no less persistent here in her convictions despite the enormous scale of the opposition she faced. The whole time I was loving her strength and fortitude and wondering why she was putting up with these two whiny guys constantly trying to get her to love them while all this terrible stuff was going down. One of them, Wenzhi, started out with serious stalker vibes and had some serious making up to do for the brutal betrayal in the first book. Although, he grew on me again as the story progressed, and I liked his redemption arc and Xingyin's journey to forgiveness. Liwei still had as much personality as a piece of stale bread, and it just felt like he was sort of there only as a foil to keep Xingyin from falling right back into Wenzhi's arms. I'm sure some people will love this dynamic, but I just found it distracting.

Just some final notes... I loved getting to see more of Xingyin's family dynamic. I honestly wanted much more of it than I got. There was so much focus on the love triangle that her relationship with family, which was her driving force in the first book, was relegated to only a few scenes and seemed like somewhat of an afterthought. I also was a bit annoyed at first that most of what Xingyin worked so hard to obtain was stripped away again fairly quickly. Although, this is a problem I often have with duologies when the first book ends on a fairly settled note. Things kind of have to blow up again for there to be a reason for another story. I got over that nit-picky annoyance pretty quickly with this one, though, because the plot was different enough that it didn't feel like a pointless retread.

I know this review probably sounded fairly negative, but I really did enjoy reading this book. I have pretty strong opinions about the characters and the story because I've come to care about them, especially Xingyin. This was a good conclusion to her story. If you enjoyed the first book, definitely be sure to pick this one up too. Even if you didn't, this one may surprise you because the storytelling definitely improved as the author gained more experience. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

A stunning sequel to The Daughter of the Moon Goddess, the second and final book in the Celestial Kingdom duology did not disappoint.

The author’s ability to transport you to a different world is indescribable. What she creates is full of color, opulence, and beauty, and it is truly a joy to read. I will be looking forward to more stories from this author in the years to come.

This book lacks some of the punch the first one had when it comes to action and adventure, but does a pretty nice job tying up Xingyin’s story. I was left wanting a little more, but was overall satisfied with how things ended up.

5/5 stars

I really, really loved DOTMG so I was a little disappointed when I struggled to get into the beginning of HOTSW, Fortunately, it was 100% me and 0% the book. After setting it aside and returning to it later, I found myself lost in the Celestial Kingdom once again.

If you haven't started this duology yet, I highly recommend doing so. The writing is fantastic, the characters are well-developed, the plot is compelling, and it is overall a great read.

I really want to say more about HOTSW specifically, but there is little I can say without spoiling it. My best suggestion is to go in blind and enjoy the ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for providing me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

These covers are so exquisite and possibly my favorite of any cover.

This book is just as beautiful as the first with it's descriptive language and world building. I adore the Chinese mythology and the very well developed characters and relationships.

These books are so amazing! I just wish I had a cloud that I could travel on and magical weapons!

Thank you harpervoyagerus and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

“Family, whether through blood or bond, who gave a place its heart. And that was more important than any tile or brick, whether of gold, silver, or jade.”

The Heart of the Sun Warrior is an EPIC and fitting conclusion to one of my favorite fantasy duologies of 2022.

The transition into book two is flawlessly done as changes in the Celestial Kingdom start to appear and the unique magic found on the moon starts to concern Xingyin. Like book one, Sun Warrior is full of heart pounding action and a plot never contains a dull moment. YES...the love triangle still exists and honestly I have never been so conflicted over one before. Sue Lynn Tan has created two men who are both valiant and imperfect but also are just genuinely good despite their flaws and bring out a different side to Xingyin.

This is a book about family and friendship. The bonds made between each character are sound and lasting. This is a story about the things that are worth fighting for and how love drives us to risk it all for the greater good.

I loved the theme of sacrifice and love and how each character uses these two themes interchangeably. The ending was absolutely perfection. It had this rich maturity that I feel is lacking in love triangles and an ending I couldn't make better if I tried.

This will be a series I will re read and be recommending for years to come. It is full of heart and bravery, beautiful cultural descriptions, wonderful world building, and brave/vulnerable characters.

ALL THE STARS.

Thank you Harper Voyager and William Morrow for my advanced reading copies