4.5 ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of this book! This was an amazing sequel, I liked it even more than the first book. Xingyin is one of my favorite FMC’s of all time, and I loved how her character grew even more in this book. This story took me on an emotional rollercoaster in the best way, and I loved all the action and politics. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, but overall I still highly recommend!

An absolutely thrilling and riveting end to one of my newest favorite duologies! Heart of the Sun Warrior works so well because the characters we already knew and loved get FLESHED OUT so much more. This was such an adventure. Somehow these two books feel like a 5+ book series.

An amazing conclusion to the duology! I am so glad we got to see a lot more of our characters and needless to say I love them even more than book 1!

When I found an email in my inbox from NetGalley, my breath caught in my throat. As soon as I opened it, I had to suppress a scream while my body starting shaking - I had been approved for an ARC of the second book in Sue Lynn Tan's Celestial Kingdom duology, Heart of the Sun Warrior. I read the first book (and her debut novel!) Daughter of the Moon Goddess at the beginning of the year and have been anxiously awaiting this release ever since.

All thoughts contained in this review are my own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this advanced copy!

As this is a sequel, this review may contain spoilers for book one in the duology, Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

In this breathtaking conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom duology, Xingyin has won the freedom of her mother and is able to return to her home on the moon where all she wishes for is quiet and peaceful existence away from the animosity of the Celestial Kingdom. When strangers arrive at their home and a strange new magic is discovered, Xingyin is again forced to flee her home, this time with her mother (and other loved ones) by her side. With a new terror threatening both the Immortal and Mortal Realms, Xingyin must work through her complicated feelings and find allies in places that she never imagined she would.

Myths and legends have always felt like stale, old, and dusty, but Sue Lynn Tan brought life, elegance, and a sense of modernity to Chinese mythology that took my breath away. Diving back into this world after an approximately seven month break felt just as magical as the first time around.

After the events of book one, Xingyin's reactions and motivations are incredibly relatable. She holds grudges, she's suspicious, and she just wants to be left alone. But when a battle comes for her, she falls back into her warrior training and once again does what she has to in order to protect those she loves.

I never felt safe reading this book. There were times where I felt like I knew where the story would go and other moments that shocked me to my core. Tan weaved a story that felt grounded in reality and human emotions with elements that felt larger than life.

Most of the characters, whether new or old, felt fully fleshed out and it was easy to understand where each person was coming from. The main antagonist of the book surprised me when first revealed but felt very logical as the story progressed. The book is separated into three parts and each part ended in a way that made me bawl my eyes out (in joy or sadness? You'll have to see for yourself!).

There were a couple new characters introduced that I would have liked to see more of (I wouldn't mind a spin-off story following them, if I'm being honest). But that might be my only complaint about this book, other than wishing there would be more.

If you enjoyed Tan's debut Daughter of the Moon Goddess, buckle up. Her sophomore novel lives up to the high expectations of the first novel while elevating expectations for future projects (from Tan as well as others who choose to incorporate mythology into their novels).

Heart of the Sun Warrior hits shelves November 15, 2022 and is available to preorder now wherever books are sold. An exclusive edition is available at Waterstones now with another coming to FairyLoot later this month.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. This is the follow-up to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, which I really loved.

I think I liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess more than this sequel, but it's a pretty solid sequel. I cried a lot (there are some tragic deaths that will be spoiled below so read at your own risk). I felt frustrated often by Xingyin and her decisions, wanting so badly for her to have a happy ending and to choose the right Prince. Tan's writing is still lush, deliciously detailed and vivid. Reading this is like stepping into some sort of beautifully animated film.

*the following contains spoilers*

We start where we left off and things get crazy fast. Xingyin is recovering on the moon when a mysterious visitor is caught red handed chopping up the laurel tree. Then when she visits the Celestial Kingdom is is obvious that Wu is doing shady things to gain the emperor's trust and it's very obvious that he was the one harvesting the tree and also set's up her mom for failure, letting her know that Xingyin's father is still alive. Xingyin then decides to steel the immortal elixer to reunite her parents but Wu and a bunch of soldiers arrive to imprison them. Wu kills their beloved helper P (I cried) and they flee to the sea kingdom to return P to her home. That Queen is crazy and decides to hand them over to Wu even though it's apparent he is doing crazy things. He wanted those seeds from the tree to reanimate corpses and create a huge army to take over every single land and make himself emperor.

The young sea prince is killed (this made me cry too). They flee again with the help of the dragons. They go to W's home at the Cloud Wall (he's been visiting and making stupid apologies for you know betraying her and locking her up and trying to kill the people she cares about). She is supposed to marry W to get some scrolls from his father but it's like not going to be a legitimate marriage. Oh also, she had to save Liwei who was imprisoned by his father/Wu. But W's dad is killed by his brother, W becomes King. They concoct a plan to fool Wu into thinking Xingyin is her mother and taking her to the moon so she can finally destroy that tree.

Before this we have a brief trip to some Phoenix lady who mourns the loss of her sunbirds, honestly this was sad too. Like why can't more of these birds be born?

Anyway, in order to destroy the tree Xingyin uses the feather she got from the bird but is tied to the tree so she basically has to kind of burn through herself to burn the tree. She nearly kind of does die as does W who was connected to her and refuses to let go so the fire raged through him as well. But her mother/the tree saves her with the last of its magic.

Xingyin is heartbroken that W died to save her/protect her. She decides to break up with Liwei because she "doesn't want to be empress" or live in the celestial kingdom, which is SO DISSAPOINTING. The people who don't want to rule often make the best rulers and seeing her come into herself and have the confidence to realize she can help change things and help others in that kind of position should have happened because it makes sense and I generally want stories with women being in charge. And Liwei was always the better match. He never took from her, didn't really lie or ever betray her, never locked her up, he was always there to offer support and kind words and together they could have been exactly what the kingdom needed. I don't see why they couldn't be together and she could still be on the moon sometimes (like a hades/persephone arrangement if you get my drift).

Here's the thing, I know people love a tragic hero, a reformed bad boy. I am one of those people, most of the time. But having Xingyin end up with W feels very much like a Beauty and the Beast kind of situation. Like is he sorry? Kind of but mostly because his plan didn't work. Does he love her? Yes. Is that love healthy, is how he demonstrates it healthy? No. He saves her in this book, helps her a lot, yes, but that doesn't make up for what he did in book one or the fact he keeps showing up and invading her privacy even though she keeps saying no. We do not like a boy who doesn't listen.

Anyway, Xingyin becomes super emo and leaves Liwei (mistake) and returns to the moon. She often leaves to visit other realms and the Cloud Wall, feeling a connection still with W. Then she learns Liwei (who is literally so kind and further proof that he loves her in a good way) says he returned W's spirit to the mortal realm so that they can be together, eventually he will give Xingyin the immortality drink to return W to his former self (and return his memories). She is grateful. Apparently, the laurel tree was also able to save his spirit in a way just not his body.

The book ends with her meeting his mortal self. He doesn't remember her but he wants to see her again and she agrees.

I will say I was surprised that her father didn't end up being some plot ploy in betrayal (I was expecting it but pleasantly surprised it all worked out). But yeah, my main complaint is that Xingyin ends up with someone who locked her up, who doesn't listen to her and they have an unhealthy relationship. Also she didn't want to be empress so not certain what happens when W returns to his immortal self considering he's supposed to be the King of the Demon Realm. His mother took over after him but seems like she probably won't be having more kids so...I assume once he's back he will be heir again. Will Xingyin want to be Queen this time around?

With the exception of the ending, it's a pretty good book.

So I was very very excited that NetGalley sent me this ARC. I had to read it as soon as they sent it. I adored Daughter of the Moon Goddess and was not so patiently waiting for the Sequel Heat of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan! This one drops on November 15, 2022, and is definitely worth a pick-up!

“As long as you are mine as I am yours, we have all the time in the world.”

Daughter of the moon goddess ended on such a perfect note with no cliffhanger, and I didn't think it could be exceeded, but I wanted MORE!

When I say I adored this book, I mean I am OBSESSED with it. It’s the kind of book that I just couldn’t put down, and was still thinking about in the days after I finished it ( hell I'm still thinking about it now!), and just like the Febreze brothers, I want a fresh start so I can read this duology for the first time...again.

There’s a good balance of action scenes filled with elemental magic, political maneuverings, and a new evil villain. It is definitely a bit of a love triangle, but I LOVED how both of the MMCs pulled at my heartstrings. I'm not normally big on love triangles, but it really worked here.

I also adored the Chinese lore that was in the book. I always feel like a lot of fantasy is... eurocentric, and It's been cool seeing a lot of other cultures' fantasy stories surpassing them tenfold.

I think with a lot of duologies you never know if it is going to live up to the first one, and this one was definitely as good, if not better than the first!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC of this book!

Have you ever had an experience where you’re out to dinner and you have a pretty great meal and then you order dessert and then the dessert was kind of like “Hm. Okay. Not what I anticipated.” That’s my feelings on this sequel. I went into this with such high hopes after Daughter of the Moon Goddess and I think this fell just a little flat for me. In this sequel, a hot mess in brewing in the Celestial Kingdom and poor Xingyin is trying to just live in peace but of course she gets swept into the foolishness the Emperor and his little friends are cooking up. I was really excited to see seasoned Xingyin hop in and really fight back with everything she learned in book one and instead I wound up fussing at my Kindle asking “…Now girl, why would you do that?”. It felt like Xingyin was making some really silly decisions at parts especially in Part 1. I tried to chalk it up to her age but it’s like, don’t we know better after Book 1, sis? I think I wanted more moments of badass mom and daughter duo decision making and fighting but that’s probably more my own fault because of course Chang’e doesn’t have the same skills as Xingyin. I did find the ending very refreshing in that unlike the first book things aren’t wrapped up in a tiny little bow, it’s an ending with complexity and pain. I still enjoyed this one but think I definitely preferred Book 1. Will I still purchase a copy for the gorgeous cover? Of course. Did I still have a good time with this book? Yes. Will I pick up Sue Lynn Tan’s work again. Absolutely.

Heart of the Sun Warrior was a lyrical, wondrous follow up to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Whereas the first book stuffed a LOT of plot in, Heart of the Sun Warrior spends more time with thoughts and feelings of characters - while not sacrificing plot either! This duology was perfection and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any Fantasy fans, especially those with interest in Chinese mythology.

Hoooooly cow. Just like Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Tan packs a punch with Heart of the Sun Warrior. My pet peeve with fantasy is when books spend too much detail on things not imperative to the storyline, making them all unnecessarily long. I am now ready to crown Tan the Queen of moving a story along. When she focuses on detail, you know it’s pivotal to the story—I love it!

While the first book left me with wild and thrilling vibes, this one felt more bitter and a little sweet (for good reason & in the name of growth!) The ending reminded me of the last Hunger Games book when everything was broken and Katniss was *not fine* but still trying to find happiness—and yet not everyone agreed with who she found happiness with. I found myself in that bucket with Xingyin. While I recognize all of the growth (and battles & redemption) that brought us to the end, I’m not sure it’s how I would’ve pictured her at the beginning of this story.

Outside of my personal feelings on the ending, I will shout from any rooftop that Tan is wildly underrated. She writes epic stories with moving relationships and characters! This duology is like grown up Mulan in the very best way. Honor, family, and loyalty abound! It left me wanting to start all over again, which is THE BEST feeling.

I am thrilled to have received an eARC of this book from NetGalley so I did not have to wait until November!

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan Review
5/5
First, I want to say a big thank you to Harper Collins Publishing, Avon, Sue Lynn Tan, and Netgalley for giving me an earc. I can't tell you how beyond honored I am to have gotten to read Heart of the Sun Warrior early.
The Heart of the Sun Warrior is an excellent sequel and completion of The Celestial Kingdom Duology. If you thought you couldn't imagine a book better than Daughter of the Moon Goddess, then prepare for me to rock your boat because this book is even better. We all know sequels can sometimes not live up to the first book but I can say for a fact this book is one of the best sequels I have ever read, I even will go as far as to say it is better than the first. And that is saying something because I seriously thought nothing could be better than Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I believed it would be my favorite read of 2022 but I think Heart of the Sun Warrior has just inched its way into that spot. So what is Heart of the Sun Warrior about? Well, Xingyin is once again caught in the turmoil of the Immortal Realm, being ripped from her home yet again, and set on a perilous journey that might just leave her devastated by the end. She faces an evil that threatens all that she loves most in the world but as she rises against it will the cost end up being too much? Sounds good, yeah? This book instantly draws you in and leaves you breathless, I cried and laughed. I felt emotionally drained at the end, and we all know that's a sign of a well-written book. All the things you love about Daughter of the Moon Goddess you can find in this book. Great dialogue, heart-wrenching confessions, epic fight scenes, insane world-building, and exquisite prose. Not to mention the mythology in this book is even more intricate than in the first. Sue has eloquently woven a fantastic story that you can’t put down again, and I doubt this will be the last time. Sue has once again left me hungry for more with every sentence, figuratively and literally. The food in this book, the descriptions are *chefs kiss*. If anyone wants to set up an event where we eat food from this series, you have my support. I’ll take two tickets, please. But seriously she is an auto-buy author for me and I will be reading everything she releases from now until the end of my days. I am sad to see the story end for Xingyin, Wenzhi, and Liwei but am beyond satisfied with the end of this book. To end my review I highly recommend you go preorder this book right now, it comes out on November 15, 2022.

This book is a wonderful follow up to Daugther of the Moon Goddess. I really enjoyed part 1 but there were some things left unsaid and unfinished between some of the main characters. I feel that the author did a good job or wrapping things up even though Xingyin didn’t end up with the person I hoped she would. I won’t give the book away but if you loved prt 1 this is a great conclusion to the series and would definitely recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" earlier this year, so upon hearing about Tan's second novel - and the end of the Celestial Kingdom Duology - I immediately jumped at the chance to read it.

"Heart of the Sun Warrior" picks up promptly from where the first novel ended; Xingyin has been banished to live on the moon with her mother, still recovering from the betrayal of Wenzhi. Her relationship with Liwei is no less complicated either, as his father and mother, the Celestial Emperor and Celestial Empress, consider her a traitor to their kingdom. Xingyin and her mother are forced to flee when a new threat appears and threatens not only their lives but the entire Immortal Realm - and she's forced to work with both old and new characters in order to unravel how to defeat it.

I appreciated this second novel and the additional topics and themes Tan was able to explore; while Xingyin has evolved into a skilled fighter with reknown, she nonetheless continues to face new challenges that test her skills and her sense of self. The underlying theme of family, both by blood and by not and the sacrifices one makes for them are also strengthened in this novel. While there's certainly elements of romance in this novel, it isn't at the forefront, and Tan handles the topics of love and affection delicately, highlighting just how complex and multi-layered they can be. The pacing is relatively quick, the descriptions of battle and magic enthralling, and I overall felt that Tan's writing grew stronger and more developed.

I'm already sad that this is the final novel in this duology, but am looking future to future work by Sue Lynn Tan!

This book lived up to every single expectation I had. Daughter of the moon goddess is one of my favorite books and is one of the most perfect stories that I have had the pleasure to read. I went into the sequel with excitement and trepidation that it would not live up to the perfection of the first novel. I should not have worried because Sue Lynn Tan delivered a beautiful and impactful story. Heart of the sun warrior is even more emotional than the first book. I finish this book unbelievably quickly as it just drags you into a story. The entire time my heart was aching. Sue Lynn Tan is one of my favorite authors because they have a talent for writing unlike anything else. They are able to make complex and beautiful stories that give you hope and make your heartache. This sequel was exquisitely done with so much thought and care being put into the novel. This surpassed every expectation I had and reduced me to tears more than once.
I am so pleased with the ending; Xingyin is an amazing and complex heroin that defies so many of the stereotypical main character traits often seen. She is strong and powerful but compassionate and loving. Her character growth in the first novel was one of the main things I adored about these books. I was so glad that the direction of her character didn't change that. The way the love triangle was wrapped up and how the story ended was great! It avoided being overly guessable and I'd love the twists given to us. I thought I knew it was going to happen only for it to change which makes it feel much more unique. To avoid spoilers all I will say is I was unbelievably pleased with the decisions made and it felt very powerful and connected to the characters.
Not only is the love story wrapped up amazingly but I love the direction they took the overall plot. This novel thankfully delivered on having a wonderful and innovative plot. There is so much heartache and hope and joy. I am honestly at a loss of words to explain the beauty of this story.
I will be recommending the daughter of the moon goddess and heart of the sun warrior to everyone.

I think the most concise way I can put this is that if you liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess, you will enjoy the sequel. If, like me, you were really hoping that the second book would explain why this most young adult of novels was published in the adult section, brace for disappointment. From my limited exposure to xianxia television (i.e. watching Legend of Fei, which despite its flaws is terrifically entertaining television most of the time and I do recommend it if "girl kicks butt, boy holds her flower" is your jam) I can see why the plot lurches from sidequest to sidequest the way it does, but it's still deeply frustrating to be in the first-person POV of a heroine with no impulse control and no backup plan. The premise of the novel seems to invite some palace drama or political maneuvering, but all the conflicts are framed in a really boring way and Xingyin's lack of interest or insight into the desires of others constantly sets her up for "unexpected" betrayals or convenient assistance without which the plot would just stop dead in its tracks.

At the end of the day, I think my main issue is that DotMG/HotSW operate on the assumption that happiness, not power, is the sole moral goal, which really doesn't work for me in an adult story of this scale. I actually enjoyed the epilogue most of the series, because that's the one point where the story is no longer on an epic scale and it makes *sense* to focus on personal happiness. The love triangle gets resolved in as sensible a way as possible, aside from an Iron Widow-esque "everybody in this triangle has two hands" twist. If you like YA fantasy, I do recommend the series, just not if you're looking for a more mature read.

Thank you thank you thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I loveeee this story, and to be able to read the next chapter in the story ahead of time was an honor. This was an absolutely beautiful, heart-wrenching story that made me feel ALL of the feelings at once. I’ve already convinced numerous people to preorder, can’t wait to add this to my physical bookshelf!

The realm is in trouble, and Xingyin's mother is in the center of the issue without meaning to. This time Xingyin does put her mother first, but the book still focuses on the love triangle. I personally always liked Wenzhi more, especially after what the prince did in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but this time both men redeemed themselves. Liwei was fighting for her, so was Wenzhi in really awesome ways but...she seemwd to be leading Liwei on and that didn't sit right with me. The last few chapters were also a bit depressing, which is understandable after the loss everyone suffered but I was hoping for a happier and more solid ending.
I also wish we got more fighting scenes like in book 1 but this time around they focused more on magic which just doesn't read as skillful as the weaponry and battle plans.
Outside of those things the plot was still pretty good.

After the sweeping and beautiful Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I worried over how a sequel would conclude this story. We often find second books lacking after a strong debut, but I can assure that is not the case with Heart of the Sun Warrior!

This book saw some wonderful character development, even more terrifying foes, a surprising family reunion, and a greater build up of the love triangle between Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi. While I typically dislike love triangles, this one was compelling. I found myself flickering back and forth between the two love interests, although ultimately cheering for Xingyin and her happiness. I was a bit worried as we reached the end of the book - I'd already cried twice throughout this read and was not prepared for any more loss. However, I think the author gave a satisfactory ending to this duology. It is a sweet sort of longing when you know you are done reading about such beloved characters and their stories. But Sue Lynn Tan left us with enough details to picture how the rest of their lives may play out.

Once again, we have received a sumptuous tale filled with folklore, mythology, romance, and such visual descriptions I felt myself completely swept away.

This is a sequel to the fantastic Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and much like its predecessor, the story focuses on Xingyin as she's set off on another hero's journey. A year has passed since the end of book one and Xingyin and her mother Chang'e have enjoyed a relatively peaceful life together on the moon, until a mysterious power is uncovered in their woods. This is poor timing, as at the same time, there's unrest in the Celestial Empire, as newly promoted General Wugang makes a power grab. Xingyin and her family have to flee their home and seek a way to win it back while grappling with the larger issue of the Celestial Empire potentially collapsing. Xingyin's journey is more conflicted this time around, with her often weighing her desire to save her home versus her apathy towards the Celestial Empire as a whole. This book also sees the return of Liwei, the crown prince and Xingyen's sort of boyfriend, and Wenzhi, the heir to the demon kingdom and the one who betrayed Xingyin in the first book. The characters were solid, but I didn't like the return of the love triangle between the three of them, things had felt more of less settled already, and Xingyin spends a large portion of this book finding it difficult to trust Wenzhi, so it really made no sense to me. I also didn't care for how the romance ended up, though I will say it was perfectly in character, just not my preference. I had some issues with the plot, some aspects seemed contrived, and it largely felt like the characters were just going down a checklist of feats at times, but overall, this was a fun book and a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Oh my god, this was such a beautiful ending to The Celestial Kingdom Duology! I adored Daughter of the Moon Goddess when I read it last year and after the multiple cliffhangers at the end of the novel, I was so excited to read Heart of the Sun Warrior. And let me tell y'all, it surpassed all my expectations. I loved the character dynamics, the conflicts, the mythology, and worldbuilding of this sequel, but I think by far, my favorite aspect of the sequel was Xingyin's growth. I empathize with her so much as a character, and I cried several times alongside her throughout this book. I loved how this story focused on her conflicting morals, and watching her actions in this novel when considering the training and traumatic events she had to go through in Daughter of the Moon made me so proud of how far she's come!

Without spoiling too much of what happened in the sequel, I really loved how the duology ended and the final outcome that Sue Lynn Tan chose for Xingyin, Wenzhi, and Liwei. I'm not sure if every reader will be happy with the outcome of the novel, but I think it makes the most sense for Xingyin and the growth she's achieved over the course of this duology. I really hope that Sue Lynn Tan releases an extended epilogue at some point in the future because the last chapter was not enough for me 😭. All in all, I definitely have to give this book 5 stars all around. I was immersed in every second of this story, all because of Sue Lynn Tan's incredible ability to pull readers into her fantasy world without overcomplicating her descriptions, politics, and magic systems. Definitely pick this up in November, especially if you loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess!

This was so incredible that now I need to pick up a physical copy to keep for myself when it releases. Just as good as the first book, if not even better. I cried multiple times, I feel drained after finishing but in the best way. I can’t recommend highly enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an electronic copy for review