I have a book hangover. It's that feeling you get after finishing a really great book series, but it's also the feeling you get after watching an incredible drama. If you're a fan of Chinese fantasy dramas filled with flying martial arts, magical powers, and the romance, then this is the book for you. And similarly to when I watch those TV shows, I I have that hangover once its over. I want to listen to the soundtrack online and watch YouTube videos of the actors singing the songs and doing bloopers. I need the supplemental material of watching a show that I've become obsessed with to let that high of a great story carry on way past the last episode.

It's going to be tough reviewing this one because if you haven't read the first book then you're going to miss a ton of context. If you've read the first book, then you know that the pace of the second one is exactly the same. Events unfolded one right after the other like dominoes set up to fall and just when you've recovered from one big surprise, another one happens right after. I felt bad for the people around me as I read this book in public. I was gasping and laughing and nearly throwing this book across the room because of what's going on.

There was so much drama. Similarly to the Chinese dramas, this doesn't skimp on it and while you're being slung between Liwei and Wenzhi, you're also reading about Xingyin trying to save her friends, her family, and the Celestial Empire from someone willing to destroy everything in an act of revenge. I won't tell you the details of that (since that would be considered a spoiler), but the stakes are extremely high for this world and Xingyin and her friends are ready to fight for their world.

One feature I absolutely love about Chinese dramas is that it's never fully clear who is the villain and who is the hero. You'd imagine that Wenzhi from the Demon Realm would be the villain because, well, he's from the Demon Realm. But the story is much more complicated than that and I absolutely loved the winding path it takes to find the true face of evil.

But let's talk about the romance because I know that was a big part of the first book and it's definitely a huge part of the second book. The love triangle isn't the central focus of the story, but Liwei and Wenzhi and the fight for Xingyin's heart finally comes to a head in a way that I didn't anticipate. I think I might have gasped very loudly as that finally unfolds and at the same time it was so satisfying and it had the perfect level of drama to make you think it's come down to the worst only to be uplifted at the end.

Another component I loved is the level of hopefulness I got from this entire story. While there were some moments where the story feels like The level of endurance and strength Xingyin is able to muster facing whatever it is she comes across is admirable. It's definitely the kind of heroic female protagonist that you want to see!

While for the most part I absolutely loved this book, there was a lot of repetitive language especially coming from Xingyin. I understand wanting to emphasize the devastating moments that contributed to the person Xingyin becomes by the end, but I think saying it more than twice makes it a bit repetitive and forced. They were said so many times to the point where it got annoying. "Ok, we get it. Let's move on." But as issues with the books go, that's the only one and something that I could have easily ignored.

Overall, this entire duology has just been a whirlwind of adventure and romance and surprises around every corner. I'll be over here reading more books in this style as well as starting another C-drama to keep me entertained in the meantime.

4.25 stars

✅Romantic fantasy with fighting and angst
✅Love triangles, finding lost love ones , and healing heartbreak
✅ A badass MC who remains true to herself and fights for what she believes is right even in tricky situations

A great follow up to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Everything I loved about the first book is in this one and more. Whereas Daughter of the Moon Goddess focused on Xingyin's relationship with her mother Heart of the Sun Warrior follows the relationship between Xingyin and her father, restoring her family and resolveing the romantic tensions between her and Wenzhi and Leiwei.

I really got into the plot around 50% because a lot of action picks up and moves into the series' endgame.

What I love about Sue Lynn Tan's writing is that the plot of both novels remains complex and nuanced without overreaching or leaving massive plot holes. Everything is wrapped up nicely and I felt good about the ending with open hope for the future of the characters. Everyone comes into their power as characters, even the Celestial Empress, and I liked that Xingyin's quest remains about healing and redemption.

This book managed to sweep me off my feet just like the first one, but I am not at all surprised. This series is incredible in every way. The writing, the characters, the vibes, the beautiful imagery. I'm in love with this story and I want everyone to read it and fall in love with it as well.

review♥
heart of the sun warrior- sue lynn tan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

•chinese mythology and legends
•enemies to lovers
•friends to lovers
•plot twists
•betrayal
•forced proximity

After a brief year of peace, evil lurks in the Celestial Kingdom's ranks. Wugang, the Celestial Emperor’s new leader of the army has overthrown the Kingdom. After trapping the Emperor, his next target is the Moon Goddess and her laurel. Xingyin is forced to leave her home on the moon and take her family with her. Xingyin has to learn to save the immortal realm while balancing the emotions pulling at her heart. To end Wugang’s destruction, Xingyin has to learn about herself and the importance of love.
When Daughter of the Moon Goddess came out, I was enamored by the story. I loved Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi with all of my heart. The first book was full of action and mythology, while the sequel gives us more character development. Throughout most of the book, I was frustrated with Xingyin and her pride. As the story continued, I realized the lesson she needed to learn. This story is beautiful in every shape and form. I adore these characters and this world with all of my heart. If you loved the first installment, get ready for this fantastic ending! It was gut-wrenching in all of the best ways. Although I am a big fan of the love triangle, you never know which way Xingyin is pointing. This love triangle also took a twist that I didn’t see coming. Also, chapter 35 will forever haunt and torture me.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess has been my favorite book all year long, and this one put it over the top! An amazing duology that everyone should pick up!!
Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an arc of my favorite duology!!!

This was another epic fantasy steeped in Chinese mythology and picking up where Daughter of the Moon goddess left off. I loved how this book balanced family drama, court intrigue and romance so perfectly. Excellent on audio narrated by Natalie Naudus too! Recommended for fans of Elizabeth Lim, Marie Lu or Joan He. Much thanks to NetGalley, Libro.fm and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review. It also can't go without mention just how stunning the cover artwork is for this series!!

I'm going to be honest, and say that, I'm not enjoying this book like I thought I would. I enjoy seeing the characters again, but I feel like that the character development from book one has been erased and we are back to square one with Xingyin. I also feel like Daughter of the Moon Goddess' ending didn't leave an open ending to really warrant another book.

This book took everything I loved about DOTMG and improved upon it. I felt this novel was even more beautifully written and evenly paced. The characters felt even more alive and the relationships deepened. I'm riding the high of finishing this beautiful duology so perfect articulation of my thoughts will come later but I am so thoroughly impressed and enchanted by Sue Lynn Tan and I'll pick up ANYTHING she decides to write next

this was a great sequel and end to the duology i found the writing a lot more improved in terms of pacing of the plot and characters seemed much more developed and their actions were more planned out and less sparatic everything felt like a tighter more pht together story and you can see the authors improvement from her debut novel

I cried so much at DotMG but this had me bawling; I wasn’t sure where this was going to go since the first book ended in a way that left no major cliff-hangers and allowed you to envision what would happen after but then this book came along and kicked me in the teeth in the best possible way.

The relationships developing between Xingyin and Wenzhi, and Xingyin and Liwei were really interesting, and you could see the character development and emotional maturity shining through.

I felt as though there was a lot going on plot-wise, and it could have been overwhelming but I felt as though it all flowed really well with some amazing plot twists.

One thing I would have loved to have seen more of was the relationship between Xingyin and Houyi; it felt a bit rushed and I’d have liked to see the father-daughter relationship develop more.

The ending of this book full on broke me, an ending should not be that beautiful. I now need a total of seventeen novellas to see what happens afterward.

This one is just as amazing as DOTMG!! And a perfect end to the duology!

I feel like the writing improved, and was even more beautiful/lyrical. The world building is amazing in this too. After the betrayal in the first book that I didn't see coming, I was excited to see how this one would play out plot-wise, and if I'd be bored or not. I was definitely surprised!

This is the second book in The Celestial Kingdom Duology. It was as amazing as the first book. Sue's writing is so beautiful with amazing descriptions and details. You feel like you are part of their world...the clothing, food, animals, locations!
This book carries on with Xingyin's life post release of her mother and herself from the Celestial Emperor. Just when you think things have calmed down Xingyin's life is thrown back into turmoil. There are new enemies threatening her world and family and Xingyin is not going to just let life happen around her. This story carries you through Xingyin's amazing journey of protecting those she loves at all costs. This is the perfect conclusion of The Celestial Kingdom Duology. If you love Chinese mythology, love triangles, strong family bonds, this is the perfect series for you.

Against all odds, Xingyin succeeded. She freed her mother, the goddess of the moon, and returned home. However, her return isn’t as peaceful as she would like. After the betrayal of whom she trusted most, she finds her heart broken. The half that used to love Wenzhi now hates him, but the other half that loves Liwei knows that her life beside him as his empress would bring her no happiness. But Xingyin doesn’t have long to consider her feelings before trouble stirs on the moon once again. The emperor is under evil influences, and Xingyin and her mother are now in the crosshairs. Xingyin will have to perform more impossible tasks, this time not to free just her mother, but also the rest of the Celestial Kingdoms.

I received an advanced reading copy of Heart of the Sun Warrior in exchange for an honest review.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is a fantasy novel by Sue Lynn Tan. It’s also the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and the second and final novel in the Celestial Kingdoms duology. After reading the first book and loving it, I of course had to read the second one. I can’t tell you how excited I was to get an advanced reading copy of it too, so I could find out what happened to Xingyin and her companions in the story.

Before I continue, a warning: there may be spoilers for the first book of the duology in this review.

I’m still processing what I just went through. There’s a lot to talk about, and even just sorting out my thoughts is hard, but know from now that I really liked this book. The places that Tan is able to conjure are just so magical, and I loved exploring the different kingdoms, their customs, what they look like, what foods they have. The descriptions she made in that almost lyrical tone of writing she has made this book something very different and something very special. She swept me away into something that almost felt like a fairy tale, but ended up with me curled up on a ball on my couch, crying my eyes out. Was I crying because it had a happy ending? A sad one? Of course I can’t tell you that! You’ll have to read the book!

But why am I talking about the ending? I’ve barely started the review!

The book has plenty of action, and Xingyin is one of those characters who is so capable, even as she sometimes makes mistakes. We’ve already learned that sometimes she puts her trust in the wrong person, and in this book, she’s incredibly guarded because of that. But even when she’s guarded, her heart still feels so much compassion and love for those around her, and I loved how much she was guided by that as she made her way through the story, even in some very desperate situations. Even in her pain, she remembers that others feel too, and does what she can for them.

I did spend so much of the book wondering if she’d go back to Wenzhi, even after all he did. If you were worried about that after his actions in the last book, rest assured, he has quite a big part in this one! But with his return, even with Xingyin’s insistence that she hates him now, I knew that sometimes there’s a very thin line between love and hate, and if she loved him once, she might love him again. I’m not sure how I felt about how persistent he was, and how he ignored every time she rejected him, but he continues to be a big character in this book.

Tan played with a lot of threads here too. So many plot arcs were added in this book, and I often wondered how they would fit in with the others, but I shouldn’t have worried, as Tan wove a tapestry of them all, bringing each arc to a satisfying close, and leading her character and the reader through an intricate story.

I really enjoyed Heart of the Sun Warrior, and thought it was the perfect end to Xingyin’s story. The ending in particular made me cry (although I won’t say if it was sad or happy tears). Just know that it felt absolutely right to the tone of the book, and especially how much like a myth it felt.

I’d recommend this duology to any fantasy fans, since I think it has something for everyone. There is magic and action, court politics and love, family and friendship. Fans of Asian-inspired fantasies would especially love it, but I do think anyone who picks it up would enjoy the story inside.

Heart of the Sun Warrior will be released on November 10. You can preorder your copy from Harper Voyager here.

The daughter of the Moon Goddess, finally reunited with her mother after freeing her mother from her imprisonment and healing from the betrayal from both her love interest must now face off against the Celestial Kingdom who threatens to destroy everything she holds dear... and she must choose between the two love interests that are once again in her life as she faces off against a new evil. Xingyin is still reeling from the betrayal of Wenzhi, who still haunts her dreams and visits her while also dealing with her feelings for Liwei, the prince. Wenzhi is the prince of the demon realm who trapped her but she defeated him, yet now he comes back begging for her forgiveness, telling her he regrets everything and that the only thing that matters to him is her. He’ll do anything she wants yet she is firm in her refusal of him. She firmly believes that he broke her trust, thus forever closing the door to anything between them. Now there is Liwei, the prince who was betrothed to someone else and wanted her to remain his mistress but now he is no longer betrothed but his family is bent on killing her and her family. Despite everything Xingyin is in love with both of them, despite the entire book being her denying and refusing Wenzhi and trying to stay firm in her love for Liwei ( obviously I am all for Wenzhi, honestly, Liwei is as bland as they come and the guy had basically zero character growth, I just didn’t like him despite him being considered the sweeter love interest). Wenzhi on the other hand is willing to do anything for her to get her to see that he loves her. While this back and forth is going on in the love triangle, there is also the issue that the Celestial Kingdom has kicked out Xingyin and her family, they are being hunted, a evil rises that wants to destroy them, and she might have found her father whom she thought was dead. Xingyin must find a way to save those she holds dear and finally pick a path for herself and who she wants to be and who she wants to be with. Overall it was an okay ending to the series, in terms of the love interests, the one I wanted ended up doing nicely so yeah, in the end it all worked out.

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Heart of The Sun Warrior
By Sue Lynn Tan
Out November 15th!

Brief Summary:
Xingyin freed her mother and is living peacefully after the adventure in Daughter Of The Moon Goddess.
Their peace is soon disrupted. A threat arises and Xingyin must band together with allies to protect those she loves and the entire realm.

My experience:
I didn’t know what to expect from this one. The first book in this duology was fantastic but it felt very complete. With no real cliffhangers, other than an unresolved love triangle, it took me awhile to pick this one up. Tan quickly brings up new and old conflict to get the story going. Just like Moon Goddess, Sun Warrior is full of beautiful description, excellent world building, and a high stakes plot. It was an extremely satisfying conclusion to this series.

I highly recommend this fantasy duology.

My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley @suelynntan @harpervoyagerus @avonbooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest

Just like Daughter of the Moon Goddess, this one feels like an epic journey, but written in a beautifully whimsical way, reading like a fairytale. This story follows the aftermath of the first, and I found myself feeling so much for Xingyin, jaded and broken in invisible ways, but still so strong and forced to face a new evil that threatens the entirety of the world this time. I know many readers shy from love triangles, but I feel like this one was done really well, and the banter between them was probably my favorite part, aside from the end. I was so mad when I thought I was at the end guys, I almost didn't even want to read the last chapters... but I'm so glad I did. My heart broke, I cried, and everything ended... so perfectly. I didn't give it a higher rating simply because I struggled to feel connected to the story in the middle. It felt a bit longer than necessary and stretched thin in some places, however I did read an arc so that could be improved in final copies that go on sale here in a week. Regardless, if you dive into this duology, I hope you enjoy Xingyin's story♡

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a proof in exchange for an honest review!

This reviewer received a digital ARC from Netgalley.

I loved the first book (Daughter of the Moon Goddess) and was thrilled to be able to read Heart of the Sun Warrior before official release! The sequel has just as many fantastical adventures as the first, with Xingyin traveling across the immortal realm to stop a new evil that threatens her loved ones. As someone who's enjoyed a few Chinese wuxia and xianxia dramas in my day, this story sits with the best of them. There's interpersonal drama, a despicable villain with a power that threatens even immortals, choosing between duty and love, making the honorable choices, and the raw honesty of the toll being a hero can take.

The early events of the book that set up the eventual plot that drives the majority of the book felt a little disjointed in pacing, but as someone who enjoys CDramas it fell within the kind of storytelling I've seen before so it didn't feel that out of place to me. Tan continually references and connects back to the first book, weaving the two together to make it feel like one long and continuous story where the characters grow even further.

Regarding the romance: I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed with the love triangle in DotMG. It felt like Wenzhi was introduced just as a tool to hurt Xingyin before being discarded, with Liwei as the de facto endgame despite the glaring issues. I was much happier with how the romance was handled this time around! Tan did an excellent job presenting doubts and conflicts to Xingyin's relationships; not just trials to overcome, but very real differences in values and responsibilities that make you question if love really is enough to overcome everything. I normally dislike love triangles, but I give HotSW the award of 'Only Love Triangle I Will Ever Recommend' even though it generally ran alongside the main plot instead of being part of it.

A sweet and enthralling love story to conclude the story of the daughter of the moon goddess. I said in my review of the first book that this would make a great movie or drama series, and the second book is just a good!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Daughter of the Moon Goddess stunned me when I finished it earlier this year. The lyrical prose, adventurous story, sweeping romance, wonderful characterization, and gorgeous imagery blew me away. While the prose continues to shimmer in this sequel, many of the elements I loved about the first book are missing.

Sue Lynn Tan's writing continues to be beautiful. Nearly every sentence was clearly crafted with care. But that writing was employed in furthering a slogging story, downright frustrating love triangle, and disappointing characterization.

Elements of the story frequently appeared as one-offs with the payoff only being to further the next beat of story. Characters were introduced with such fanfare I thought they would stick around, only for them to disappear within the next pages. Often, it felt like I was reading a particularly beautiful summary of a fetch side quest. The high-quality writing wasn't enough to keep me from being bored. 2.5/5

This thrilling sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess captivated me from the very first eloquently written line. The lush descriptions transported me right back into the enchanting immortal realm, where a new enemy threatens the entirety of Celestial Kingdom. Xingyin is tested in more ways than one as she recovers her lifeforce, only to enter into a new war to fight for those she loves. Her family, her friends, and the two men who hold her heart despite the betrayals by each in different ways.

HOTSW introduces us to more kingdoms, builds out the realm further, and gives us more of the mortal realm too. We get some wins, some tragic losses and thralling adventures but also slower emotional narrative ARCs in development of the relationships with her and others as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery in a story against what it takes to be brave and fight back. Sue Lynn Tan has impeccable and evocative prose.

Inspired by different elements of the core Chinese mythology, this sequel was a fitting conclusion to this fantasy duology.

A very big shout out to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Heart of the Sun Warrior.

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan is the sequel to one of my favourite books that was released in January 2022. It follows the main character of Xingyin and plays out not long after the events of the first book in the duology.

Xingyin is the headstrong daughter of the archer Houyi and the moon goddess Chang'e from Chinese mythology. In the first book she finds herself on a quest to free her mother from being imprisoned on the moon as part of her punishment for drinking the elixir of immortality meant for Houyi. Heart of the Sun Warrior continues to deal with the politics of what happened as a result of her quest and some new and more sinister characters make their appearance, forcing the Celestial Kingdoms to pick sides in an inevitable war.

Aside from the politics and war, Xingyin's heart is also divided and we see her having to deal with her feelings towards the two princes in her life as well. After everything that's happened to her, which side will she choose?

In general, I struggled a little to get into the rhythm of this sequel. I don't know if it was because of my own mental state or if the beginning of the book is a little bit slower than the previous book. Once the quests started and everything was rolling it took off quite successfully. I did feel like the romance side was perhaps a little bit too much in the foreground, although it did play an important part in the plot as well.

All in all, I really liked reading this book and I would definitely recommend this duology to anyone wanting adventure, Chinese mythology or a good read that really fits well with the Lunar New Year.