Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in return for an honest review.

Wugang, advisor to the Celestial Emperor, becomes general of the Celestial Kingdom army and shoes more interest in Xingyin and her mother, the Moon Goddess. Their peace at home is broken when four visitors arrive unexpectedly all parties with different motivations to ask for the hospitality of the Moon Goodness. They are betrayed and Wugang's plot for revenge on his wife and the Celestial Emperor is revealed as he usurps power from the Emperor (didn't expect that!). During this time, Xingyin and Liwei make promises to each other, then Xingyin to someone else that causes all kinds of misunderstanding between the lovers. Wenzhi's constant presence is an annoyance to Xingyin but comes in handy when Wugang's evil plot is revealed. The love triangle really detracted from the story and grew tiresome. I wasn't convinced at the ending her love towards the man she selects but I understand her why. Not as great as the first installment but again, the author succeeds in creating a rich and magical world.

I prefer Book 1 as it felt more refreshing, but Book 2 gives a very satisfying ending to the beautiful duology😍 I enjoyed the series very much. Beautifully-written and action-packed. Enjoyed seeing the main character’s emotional growth. Highly recommend it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager Publishing (HarperCollins) for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I read the first book of this duology, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, last month and really enjoyed it. I noted that it was chock full of plotlines and action, and felt shorter than it really was. I wanted more world building and a little less of the love triangle. In this second book of the duology, Heart of the Sun Warrior, I got a little less action, definitely less world building, but far more character development and I absolutely loved it! In some ways, it's the (almost) perfect sequel.

Xingyin, despite leaving the first book with a solid resolution to the challenges she faced, must battle a new threat that finds her depending on and fighting beside both Liwei and Wenzhi to save the Realm. The love triangle continues in this book, but it's decidedly more grown-up than before. I found myself understanding her dilemmas and feelings more so than in the first book, where my more common response to the love triangle was an eye roll. Xingyin must really process through a lot of feelings in this adventure, and she does so with a lot more maturity than she did in the first book. In terms of the action, it's still there, but the plot is much more focused as Xingyin and her companions battle one main villain. At various times throughout the book, I cried, which surprised me because I hadn't realized my emotional investment into some of the characters. I think that speaks volumes to how our MC was written because I really felt all of my emotions through her experiences.

I am a new fantasy reader...and truthfully, I can still only stomach fantasy intermittently in my reading. However, I devoured both books of this duology and really hope Ms. Tan writes gifts us with more stories from this world. I know nothing about Chinese mythology, but Ms. Tan did a beautiful job introducing me to it in a way that left me wanting more. Overall, I rate this book 4.75 stars, rounded up to 5 when necessary. I think the story was tied up maybe a little too neatly in an effort to have a satisfactory ending. That probably comes with the romance territory...but I think that the specific ending that was chosen, despite being maybe a little too tidy, was the right one. Are you Team Liwei or Team Wenzhi? I think the author might surprise you...and you might surprise yourself!

Here's the deal with a sequel, following up one of my favorite books I read this year "Daughter of the Moon Goddess", OF COURSE I'M GOING TO LOVE IT, IT'S PERFECT. Also, as a sidenote, I am loving these duology's because they get rid of the middle book syndrome and I am HERE FOR IT.

Anyways, absolutely astounding. Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed Daughter of the Moon Goddess so I was extremely excited to read the second book of the series and Sue Lynn Tan did not disappoint. This was beautifully written and the pace was perfect. I was thoroughly pleased with the plot twists and new characters that were introduced.

On a whole, the Celestial Kingdom duology is a wonderous and stunning adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed both books. I'm not sure if this book was necessary for the story, but strong character development and the relationships between characters kept me engrossed the whole time.

I recently saw a Bookstagram post suggesting what books to read based on your favorite OG Sailor Moon character. The Daughter of the Moon Goddess / Heart of the Sun Warrior duology was listed for Sailor Moon and I cannot agree more.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a beautiful debut novel by Ms. Tan but like all fantasies that have a subsequent book in the works, left the reader wanting for something that couldn't quite be named. So much was introduced in the first book as to the mythology of this world we were entering into that was left unexplored, and I was so pleased to learn that the book was one of a duology. Where Daughter of the Moon Goddess was lovely, Heart of the Sun Warrior is a true masterpiece. The book is breathtaking and heartbreaking and explores so many of the nooks and crannies that the reader strived for more of in the first book.

Where Xingyin was naive in the first book, she becomes wiser to the world and allows the book to explore the darker side of mortality and the grays of the world. Not everything is quite as black and white as it seems in the first book, and even the acts of the characters who we initially viewed as heroes or villains is not so clear as it once was.

I have grown a bit fatigued with the love triangle genre, but I was so pleased with how Ms. Tan chose to explore the dynamics of the Xingyin's romantic relationships in this book, especially after the deep betrayal in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. It was also refreshing to have much more to explore within the family dynamics in this book, both within Xingyin's own family but also those of the characters around her. We see much more depth to such characters as the Celestial Empress and the mother of the sun birds.

Overall, this book is a must for any lover of the fantasy genre.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Ms. Tan for an advanced readers' copy of this book.

I will be posting this review to Goodreads on the 15th of November as well as to Amazon and on my blog: Thoughts from a Millennial Fantasy Reader: https://themillennialfantasyreader.wordpress.com/

Heart of the Sun Warrior is just as magical and immersive as it’s predecessor, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I’m looking forward to reading anything else Sue Lynn Tan writes.

I often struggle to read fantasy books because the writing is detached and more flowery than necessary. This author writes in a clear and relatable way, even though the book is based in mythology. Heart of the Sun Warrior takes you on a journey with Xingyin and her companions, revisiting friends from the first book and confronting new enemies. Some of the love triangle parts felt repetitive throughout the book, with Wenzhi constantly apologizing for his betrayal in the first book. The happy ending feels earned, although I would have loved an epilogue to update readers on Liwei, Xingyin, and Wenzhi.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heart of the Sun Warrior brought back Sue Lynn Tan's epic writing with exquisite details to world building that makes you feel like you're there with Xingyin. Though there's not as many new places to delve into this time around, the beauty of the world doesn't seem to miss a beat.

Your favorite cast of characters is back! I was so glad to get to see everyone again, and working together all at once at the end of the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed Heart of the Sun Warrior, as I did Daughter of the Moon Goddess - though not quite as much. My main critique of this sequel is that the plot really seemed to drag in places, where some arcs of the story didn't feel like they got the attention they deserved and others felt too long and boring. The ending especially felt a bit rushed to me, though I was happy with the result.

Overall, if you read Daughter of the Moon Gooddess, then this sequel is a must to know what happens of Xingyin, her friends, family, and lovers. But, in my opinion, be ready for some less than optimal pacing.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-arc of this book to review!

Wow. What an absolute masterpiece. This was the perfect ending to this duology, which is now my top favorite duology that I have ever read.

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is so magical, her prose flows beautifully. I absolutely adored Xingyin - she is the perfect heroine. I am not a huge fan of love triangles normally, but Wenzhi and Liwei are perfection. Tan does the love triangle in such a wonderful way.

Everything about this book was amazing, I don’t have one thing that I would’ve changed.

Heart of the Sun Warrior

This is a very hard review to write. The Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my favorite books of the year, maybe of all time. When I found out about the sequel I was beyond happy. However, I almost wish I hadn’t read this book.

First of all, the writing is very stiff. The dialogue does not flow nor does it feel relatable in any way. I almost never felt any real emotions from these characters whom I had so greatly loved in the last book.

Xingyin feels like a different character. She faces many battles in her quest to save the Celestial Kingdom. However I never really felt she was in any danger. Everything wraps up very conveniently and you just know nothing bad is really going to happen to her. Even when there is a death it never really seems to affect anyone and its more just a plot device to move to the next location.

Chang”e felt very weak and not smart at all. The love triangle was the worst part. It really ruined things for me.

I did like the setting and the different magic types and the different rulers. It was fun seeing the ride on clouds and seeing Xingyin use a bow again. The writing is still beautiful. I love the setting, food, and magic. It’s just not what I was expecting after having read the first book.

Spoilers

Do not read any further if you do not want spoilers.

Last warning

Liwei was done so wrong in this book! The love triangle felt like what would have happened if Bella chose Jacob instead of Edward. I hated this triangle, the romance between Wenzhi and Xingyin. It felt gross, wrong, and not real at all. I did not feel anything for these two except disappointment. The emotions I had for Xingyin and Liwei went deep and seeing them reunite in DOTMG was so rewarding. Now seeing all of that turn on its head juts makes me sad.

The love triangle felt so forced. There was no chemistry between Xingyin and Wenzi

I want justice for Liwei. He did not deserve the treatment he received.

I’m not sure how to rate this book. It’s interesting. The magic is unique, but the dialogue, characters and romance are terrible.


2.5-3 stars

I signed up for NetGalley specifically with the hopes that the odds would weigh in my favor and I would be granted an e-arc of this book, and they did! Thank you NetGalley!

I am a huge fan of the first book of this duology (Daughter of the Moon Goddess) and had very high hopes for this one. And let me tell you, I am nor disappointed! This book was amazing!

This book was as beautiful as the first one, filled with enchantment and wonder in a lush world that I hope to dream about. I contributed cheering on the MC, Xingyin, and felt myself torn with her between her two love interests: Liwei and Wenzhi. I laughed, cried several times, and savored every second of it. New characters arrive, a new villain, as well as characters familiar to the reader from the first book.

I highly recommend this book to any fans of fantasy, romance, battle scenes, magic, dragons, Chinese mythology, and much more!

Please read this book so everyone. An obsess about it with me!

I had high expectations for this because I LOVED the first one. Dare I say that this is better? Yes. I’m going to be real, Xingyin’s animosity towards a particular character drove me CRAZY and I wanted to shake her. She also had a horrible habit of not letting a good moment last. Girl!! Hang it all and enjoy it! I still love her though. There's a reason why I despise love triangles. I went from liking it to hating it and back again. The seemingly endless stalemate was so aggravating. But in the end, it all made sense. Especially knowing the unyielding stubbornness of our MC and I’m not angry about it.

I ADORED the development of the characters here. It was truly lovely to watch multiple characters grow the way they did. The expansion of this amazing world was a joy to experience.

There was a moment when I nearly threw the book across the room!! but since the ARC is on my phone, I stopped myself (barely). Hubby would not have appreciated me breaking my phone over a book. I had to settle with screaming into a pillow. Haha!

I love this so much. I'm a grown woman and I cried like a baby. What have you done to me Sue Lynn Tan!? Any crazy negative reviews can burn. (If there are any) I refuse to acknowledge them. I hope that everyone who loved the first book, loves this one too. Also, I wanted sooo much more of that ending. A 5-chapter epilogue would have been perfect. Lol!

BASICALLY...
Read the first one if you haven't already, pre-order the book, get it, drop your TBR and read it. And to anyone who attempts to spoil this story for others, you are vile, and I hope you get cut off in traffic. (This comes out November 15th. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!)

CONTENT: violence. closed door romance.
Characters - 9
Atmosphere/Setting - 10
Writing Style - 9
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 10
Logic/Relationships - 10
Enjoyment - 10
Total: 68
Divided by 7 = 9.7 (5 stars)
1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

I absolutely loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess if I could have I would have given it 100000 stars. Heart of the Sun Warrior is enjoyable I just enjoyed the first one more. I think the writing as always is beautiful. Sue has a way with words and I loved the world she created. Everything feels poetic but not purple prose. I loved how we got to explore more of the immortal realm and the mortal world. The descriptions are absolutely breathtaking and I want a whole silk wardrobe. I so appreciate books like this having a full cast of Asian characters. The descriptions of food made me so hungry. Reading Sue’s books always feel a bit like being home around friends and family.

I am a fan of xianxia stories and I could not get Love Between Fairy and Devil images out of my head. Wenzhi is now Dylan Wang and Liwei is now Zhang Linghe. The deceit and past grudges definitely kept things interesting and I loved the inclusion of the mortal and immortal realm and the elixir of immortality.

I think my biggest “issues” keeping this from being 5 stars were the pacing and the romance. I personally hateee love triangles and I thought the love triangle was dealt with in the first book but it came back with a vengeance. I think this time there was a bit too much back and forth. It came off a bit cringe and unnecessary at times. The characters aren’t 16 misreading text messages… beyond the romance they are adults and were friends and comrades before. I understand there were betrayals but if you’ve been betrayed … more lies aren’t going to rebuild things. I didn’t mind the redemption arc I just wish we could have focused on that earlier. I think it would have been much more enjoyable to see the lovers come into their fully realized romance and have them in love while facing the threats. It really felt like the love triangle was the main plot.

The pacing was a bit confusing at times. I almost felt like I couldn’t fully realize what happened in situations and boom we would be moving right on. There were some significant characters who met an untimely end and it felt a bit glossed over. I think at one point there were at least 3 subplots happening and at times I found myself missing that emotional connection. The last 25% of the book really flew by. While the first 3/4’s of the story was a bit choppier as the characters worked their way through the smaller conflicts that arose.

This story also opened up a more complex look into each character and their personal growth. I did think we got to see Xingyin grow to accept herself more and realize that not everything is solved by winning a fight and having more power. Sometimes in life we can find happiness in the struggles and imperfections. That it’s okay to not react so quickly and take time processing.

Overall I loved this series as a whole and its bitter sweet that it’s over. I’m looking forward to the next spin off books. I think if you loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess you should definitely read this one to see how the ending of the duology wraps up.

Thank you Harper Voyager for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heart of the Sun Warrior was a beautiful, gut-wrenching conclusion to this enchanting duology. It made my heart sing, only to split it in two and heal it over.

This book was not perfect, but it captured the essence of war, betrayal, and love so incredibly well. I did find the first half to be a bit slow and easy to put down, but as the plot picked up I noticed everything that had been laid down in the groundwork of the book coming back and playing its part in the conclusion. The stakes were real, this was a war story and war has its casualties, but the losses were surrounded by an incredibly well-written story of grief, forgiveness, vengeance, and love strong enough to defy the odds.

I was more than a lease Roy surprised that I didn’t hate the love triangle. I often find that love triangles feel contrived and unnecessary, but Xingyin’s feelings for both Liwei and Wenzhi are so real and complex that I could feel as her love shifted between betrayal, deep love, friendship, and all the stages in between. Love was a theme explored through the book, not only romantic love but also familial and platonic love. Having this balance helped to keep the love triangle from overwhelming the book.

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing was just as beautiful in this book as in her debut, the story is even more tightly woven, and the characters increasing in complexity. I will definitely be buying myself a physical copy of this book when it is released. 5 beautifully imperfect stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager I received an arc of the sequel to one of my favorite books this year, Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
It had some issues with pacing in the first third of the book. I think there was just ALOT to get to that would matter by the end of the book, but the way it was presented felt clunky. The love triangle was a primary plot point and as a hater of love triangles first, I had some issues with the plot.

Although I didn't enjoy it as much DOTMG, it still delivered ethereal prose with enchanting settings and that magical fairy tale feel of the first.

The ending had me SWEATING but I ended up really like the ending.

CW: child death, war, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this ARC!
This was such a beautiful conclusion for the duology. Sue Lynn Tan has such a unique and beautiful writing style that I enjoy a lot.
Heart of the Sun Warrior picks up right where Daughter of the Moon Goddess leaves off and provides a well written conclusion arc for the characters. Tan does a great job at writing moments of surprise, shock and heartbreak. I love a good redemption arc and this book has a great one.
I can’t wait to pick up my physical copy and read more of what Sue Lynn Tan writes!

Heart of the Sun Warrior is the second book in the duology that started with Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Daughter of the Moon Goddess was on a TBR pile of a favorite author, so I decided to read the story. I was amazed at the story and looked forward to reading the sequel. Heart of the Sun Warrior does not disappoint. In similar fashion to the first in the duology, this book has amazing imagery and description that I could clearly picture the places described, the clothing worn, etc in my mind. The love triage between Xingyin, Whenzhi and Liwei continues in this novel. At times I felt too much focus was on this rather than the story and I found the back and forth aggravating at points. This story had many twists that were completely unexpected. Overall, it was a well written story. I enjoyed the book and the ending wrapped up well. This was my first read in Chinese fantasy and I found the world that was painted in the story fascinating. Bonus - the artwork on the cover is gorgeous! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This book broke my heart. I loved it so much while also being in pain the entire time. I loved everything about this duology from the writing, the world, the magic, and even every single one of the characters. I was worried going into this book, not seeing where we were going to go after the end of the first one but Wugang was the perfect villain and I left this book feeling like everyone was where they needed to be. So I don't plan on forgiving Sue Lynn Tan for breaking my heart this entire book but maybe I do because it was one of the best books I have ever read.

Every year in May, I read mythology books and call it my “Maythology” reading challenge. One of those books was Sue Lynn Tan’s “Daughter of the Moon Goddess,” and so it was with giddy anticipation that I read an e-arc of “Heart of the Sun Warrior.” And, dear readers, I loved this book. It was a story of choosing love over revenge and sacrifice over selfishness. I must have highlighted at least 2-3 dozen quotes in my Kindle and I look forward to preordering HOTSW to complete the Celestial Kingdom duology.