This book certainly did not hold back. Just like Daughter of the Moon Goddess, it was such a jam-packed plot! So many twists and turns, reveals, and excitement. It doesn’t slow down for even a second! The stakes are so much higher in this book compared to the first and as a result it is darker and much more devastating.

I actually really enjoyed the love triangle. Like seriously kicking my feet and fawning over Whenzhi and Liwei. Things were more fleshed out and it was so realistic. It adds the right amount of tension and angst!

The themes of love, family, forgiveness, fear, and grief were beautifully done. There is also so much character growth and development. I loved seeing the characters work together to overcome a greater evil while trying to figure out their own hearts and desires.

AND THAT ENDING! I cried. A lot. I loved it so much. This was such a perfect conclusion to the duology.


Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!!

thank you to netgalley and avon and harper voyager for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

after reading “daughter of the moon goddess” and loving it so much i had to immediately start this beautiful sequel which is also the conclusion of the duology. if you liked the first book as much as i did you’re absolutely going to love this one.

heart of the sun warrior is one the best and most heart wrenching conclusions to a book series that i have read this year without any doubt. the stakes were high in this and there was much to be lost.

as i mentioned in my review for the first book, the main reason why i love this series is the characters. they have become so dear to me that i can’t even describe it. the focus of this book was mainly on the relationships between all of them. it was about the power of family, friendship and love which in my opinion was so beautiful. xingyin, my dearest goes through so much hardship in this book, my heart was hurting for her constantly. wenzhi and liwei remain the best love interests i have ever encountered, on god. i love them both equally and i am satisfied with the way this love triangle ended. she could have picked either of them and i still would support it. they both always put her feelings and her happiness first no matter what. much praise to the author for not ruining their personalities and development in order to justify xingyin’s final choice as some authors would have done. to be honest, all the choices made perfect sense and they were handled immaculately.

not going to spoil anything but i’ll just say that if you plan on reading this book you should prepare yourself to be emotionally destroyed. there were moments when this book had me gasping for air quite literally. i was drowning in tears and i didn’t know how to function.

overall, a great fanstasy romance and one of my new all time favorites. i hope that everyone enjoys it as much as i did.

"To live a life with love, was to live without regret."
The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Heart of the Sun Warrior held my heart captive from start to finish. Ever the imperfect hero, Xingyin's journey is far from complete, and her peace with the Moon Goddess short lived. Constantly fighting one battle after the other, Xingyin struggles to set her world right, all while enduring the turmoil within her split heart.
As soon as I finished Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I knew I had to get my hands on this book and it does not disappoint. Much like the first book in this duology, Sun Warrior consists of one plot twist after the other, building multiple climaxes on top of one another so that you do not know what is coming next. I throughly enjoyed reading this book (and can't wait to add the physical copy to my ever growing library)! The enemies to lovers trope gets me every time <3
Perfect for fans of enemies to lovers, strong FMC, love triangles, and a thrilling fantasy filled with characters that will make your heart bleed for them.

This one was just a bummer for me after the first book. The writing was still beautiful and I liked how it ended but it just felt way too fast-paced. It was one action scene after another and I felt like we had no time to sit with our characters and the way they were feeling. There were a few character deaths and I just didn't feel anything when they happened which was unfortunate. I'd say pick this up if you need to know how it ends but if you didn't love the first book, I don't think you need to finish off this duology. Still had a fun time reading it though even if it didn't live up to my expectations.

To start, I loved the first book in this duology, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Excited, I jumped into the new book and picked up where we had left off.

What I loved:
- Revisiting the characters and expanding the world. Part of me feels like the second book could have been two books and spent more time in some of the new places. I wonder what it would have been like to give Xingyin more time in each location (but I love a slow/middle paced).
- Tying up loose ends, I appreciated the option for people like Wenzhi to become more robust characters and not merely villains based on where we left off. I also loved getting to meet her Father and learn about her families past.
- The writing. Tan's writing is beautiful, and it's fantastic to listen to as an audiobook or read on an iPad.

Areas of Improvement:
- Pacing: While it was new and compelling, the pacing let you learn about the work without a rush. The second book, on the other hand, while still beautifully written, felt oddly paced. At times it was slow, and other times too quick.
- Dramatization of Love Triangle: I love a good redemption arc, but at this point, I think you can only drag on a love trial for so long. I would have loved her to do something remarkable like in Iron Widow or determine sooner who was just a friend.


Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a copy of this book for review purposes.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the eArc.
Some Spoilers Below.

I want to start this off by saying that I absolutely loved daughter of the moon goddess. It was such an enchanting tale and was so beautifully written. I went into Heart of the Sun Warrior with very high expectations. Sue Lynn Tan did not disappoint. Her writing style is absolutely stunning. For such a complicated world, she writes everything in a way that is so easily digested. Her storytelling is beautiful and I whole heartedly loved these books because of it.

Xingyin is such an amazing heroine. Throughout this book she was met with such difficult choices where she has to face herself and her flaws. She is very thoughtful in her decision making whether or not she is fully supported by her loved ones. She stays true to herself and completely deserves the respect she has earned through her actions in adversity. She tested her limits completely and gave everything to make sure her family was safe. She is a completely different person by the end of the book because off all she went through but she is still just as lovable.

The ending was really different to see because we really get to explore the grief and loss Xingyin experiences. She has been constantly doing something to help save the Celestial Kingdom or her family and I feel like she was left without a purpose and we really explore that at the end. While some of that felt very drawn out, it was very raw and made her more relatable and real.

Major Spoilers Below:

The love triangle of this book really felt drawn out. I will say I am a little bitter because I ended up rooting for the wrong person, so like Xingyin, I felt as though I was holding onto grudges for too long which I think lessened my enjoyment of the story. However, I really did enjoy Wenzhi’s redemption. I do wish that throughout the book instead of immediately attempting to win her love back, he would have simply tried to win her friendship back at first and then had that grow back into a relationship. He just felt very pushy and it was exhausting to read sometimes. But by the end I really grieved with Xingyin as he truly had changed his ways out of love. While I am not surprised that Xingyin did not stay and become the Celestal Empress, I was very surprised that Wenzhi was still alive and as a mortal. While I am happy that she is finally able to be happy, him not actually being dead felt very out of place. I guess it’s just crazy that two characters that we thought were dead ended up being alive and well.

While I am happy her father is alive and well, I didn’t feel much for him. There was a big emotional disconnect between everyone. I wish there was more of an emotional reunion between all the characters. It just felt like a “how are you alive? … oh cool, let’s bring you to my mom” type of thing. After the reunion there wasn’t enough interaction to really build any bond between them.

Plot wise, while not to the same level as the last book, I still really did really enjoy the story. I loved the interactions of betrayal and resentment. Going to see the mother of the sunbirds and fighting honorably was my absolute favorite scene. The way the sunbird gave Xingyin her feather out of respect and yet seeing the grief between the sunbird and her mother when confronted with Xingyin the daughter of the man who slayed the others was amazing. I loved that interaction so much. I would say this entire scene was my favorite of the whole book. I also really enjoyed how the villain wugang was someone who when you really understood his origin story and it explained perfectly all the events that followed.

Anyways I did really enjoy this book. It was a stunning sequel to an amazing first book. I wholeheartedly recommend this duology to anyone.

I received an ARC of Heart of the Sun Warrior in exchange for my honest review!

I liked what Tan did with the end of this duology. In my opinion it takes a lot to execute a duology well, in this respect I think this sequel really delivered! I’d say this book was more character-driven than DotMG. Which I didn’t mind at all!

If you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll love this emotional conclusion to the duology!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishing house for the opportunity to read this amazing book! Sue Lynn Tan has done it again! Like the cover, the prose and worldbuilding are absolutely exquisite! I couldn't put this book down--ever since I read the first book in this series, I couldn't wait to read the sequel! And this sequel takes the first book to a whole new level! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

Book Review:

Themes: Action, Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure, Betrayal, Romance, Love Triangle, Chinese folklore, Chinese mythology

Heart of the Sun Warrior is the second book in The Celestial Kingdom duology; it is the sequel to the Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Therefore, if you haven't read the first book, GO READ IT BEFORE THIS ONE COMES OUT.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is a YA fantasy that follows Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, Chang'e, and the mortal archer, Houyi. After the events of the first book, Xingyin seems to have fallen into a life of peace with the people she loves. However, a new threat arises and destroys this home she has long desired and built. This story dives deep into Chinese mythology and is a tale about love and sacrifice. It also includes many of the characters I loved in the first book!!

I loved and enjoyed this book so much. I was dabbing my eyes throughout the entire thing. I really didn't know what was going to happen as I was turning the pages and that kept me highly engaged. It wasn't as action-packed as the first one, but it was still filled with adventure and battle. The characters you loved or even hated in the first one, you will love and hate even more in this one. I think that this is also one of the most successful love triangles I have ever read. Sue Lynn Tan knows exactly what she is doing when writing love interests and love triangles. I loved both characters for Xingyin so much AND THE ENDING WAS EVERYTHING. Our main character, Xingyin, is also wonderful. She is a strong, brave, and fantastic female main character. I really enjoyed her thought process and truly felt her emotions when faced with difficult decisions. I wanted to know what else happened after the final page. I WILL ALWAYS WANT MORE.

Again, read Daughter of the Moon Goddess if you haven't yet, then 10000% read this one! You won't regret it!

Heart of the Sun Warrior comes out on November 15, 2022!! Happy reading!

I'm incredibly sad that The Celestial Kingdom duology has ended but Sue Lynn Tan delivered a perfect conclusion to one of my new favorite series. Xingyin is an incredibly complicated protagonist who spends much of this novel trying to understand her own feelings, while also having to stop the greatest threat the Immortal Realm has ever faced. It may not be as fast-paced as the first book, but Heart of the Sun Warrior covers a lot of ground, taking the story in several directions and giving us one of the most lived in worlds of any recent fantasy releases.

So, I just don't think this author's writing style is for me. I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess and didn't fall in love with it but wanted to give Heart of the Sun Warrior a try to see how everything got wrapped up. After reading it, I honestly wish I had just let it alone after not clicking with the first book.

One issue I have with this book is the pacing of it. There are a lot of time jumps that confuse me. In one chapter they'll be doing one thing and in the next it's a completely different thing, but the time jump isn't necessarily introduced just expected to be understood. And then at times months or years will just pass with very little context of what occurred in between. It forced me a lot of times to remove myself from the storyline to try and piece together what was going on.

In addition, I felt very detached from the characters. While the author talked about the characters' feelings a lot, I didn't necessarily feel like the characters genuinely felt those emotions. They just came across very surface level, and at times just robotic and going through the motions, which made it hard for me to feel invested in the story.

Lastly, my least favorite part of the story was the dreaded love triangle. I think the author handled it very poorly in this book. There are many reasons I don't like the love triangle trope because it's just difficult to execute without making a reader want to eye roll and this book was just a prime example of it. One side just kept professing his undying love and the other just kept saying how wrong the other guy was for her. She basically dismissed them both throughout the whole book and then suddenly made up her mind at the end after a major sacrifice was made. How it got wrapped up at the end was confusing and I honestly still don't really understand what happened.

I do think the author is talented in the actual construction of her sentences and the lyrical quality of her writing. It just didn't work enough with the actual composition of the story to help me enjoy the book more. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5-4 stars.

Ah, man, where to begin. Heart of the Sun Warrior picks up right where Daughter of the Moon Goddess left off, and while I really, really liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I found I didn't like the sequel nearly as much. This is in part because I felt this book was much, much more emotion-heavy than the first, and I think that highlighted that this feels much younger than I'd expect.

But! First, the good: Tan's writing is still really lovely, and the world she's created is so dreamy. I liked that this felt like a natural progression for the characters, and that the pacing felt much more consistent. I think Tan's writing has tightened up with this one, and overall this was a fun read. Though the ending felt a bit dragged out, I think it was still a good one, and in many ways it felt "earned." I also liked that, while things mostly worked out for Xingyin (maybe too neatly, sometimes) not everything did and when they didn't, there was devastating consequences. Good stuff, that.

Sometimes, though, the resolution to conflict felt almost too convenient, and this just felt so *young* from what I'd expect from a book marketed as adult (I do believe the author has said that it's a crossover between adult and older YA, which uh. yeah. it's definitely more crossover than adult). I think this is in part to being deep into Xingyin's emotions (this was? a very emotions-driven narrative?) and the focus on the love triangle/romance. My interest in the love triangle and heavy focus on the romance has fizzled out from the last book, so I just sort of felt very meh about that aspect, and boy is it a huge part of the narrative.

Overall, this was a good and satisfying conclusion to the series, which is why I gave it four stars instead of three, I just wasn't as captivated as I was by the first.

Freedom has a price and the Celestial Emperor is determined to make Xingyin pay. When a new magic is discovered in the moon, everyone becomes a threat. Xingyin is forced to flee with her family, turning them all into fugitives of the Celestial Empire. This is the perfect follow up to Daughter of the Moon Goddess with new threats, powerful love, and high stakes.

No major spoilers in this review but it’s a little spoilery I guess.

Plot: 5/5
I hadn’t originally thought there would be much potential plot for a sequel after the ending of Daughter of the Moon Goddess. But Tan crafted a story with new conflicts that easily grew from the problems we knew in book one. The stories flow seamlessly together.

Characters: 5/5
Oh you thought the love triangle was resolved!? You thought wrong!

Xingyin faces new conflicts both between the main characters and the empire of the Celestial Kingdom. The way she acts with continuous honor is almost unbelievable but you see how her choices plague her and how she debates for the best possible options. While we see her grow from child to legend in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, we now get to see what a legend becomes next.

My feelings on Wenzhi and Liwei still stand from the first book honestly. Within the first few chapters that was clear. I immediately hoped Xingyin and Wenzhi would be able to over come their pasts and that Liwei would just kinda go be elsewhere. He’s an incredible character who brings so much to the story but Xingyin is someone who needs to be free and Wenzhi wouldn’t try to change that.

Writing: 5/5
Tan is a phenomenal writer but we all new that after book one. Her style is so immersive and it completely draws you in.

She is especially skilled at writing dialog which is such an important factor for me in a book. The banter between Xingyin and Wenzhi was perfect and I was cackling over the interactions between Liwei and Wenzhi. It brings so much life to the characters to see how their emotions show in their words.

Overall: 5/5

I feel speechless having finished Heart of the Sun Warrior. Tan almost had me there in the end! But damn if that wasn’t a beautifully crafted ending that left me full of hope with tears in my eyes.

"Reach for the joy you have, revel in it. For it is scarce enough in the world."

⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

content warnings: grief, death, blood/violence

Heart of the Sun Warrior follows Xingyin in the aftermath of Daughter of the Moon Goddess. After reuniting with her family, life on the moon should be peaceful. Unfortunately, both new and old enemies have a way of creeping in, and there is no lack of difficult decisions at play. Battling a new (and far worse) foe, will Xingyin be able to stop them before everything she holds dear is lost?

I really enjoyed book 1, and the main element that kept me from giving it 5 stars was the dramatic and drawn-out love triangle. This is coming from someone who doesn't really mind the love triangle dynamic in fiction. I hesitated only slightly before requesting a review copy of this and... boy, do I have thoughts.

The writing in this duology is 11/10. I have SO MANY inspirational or moving quotes about grief, family, independence, and passion. This book, however... is almost 500 pages of one of the most dramatic and drawn-out love triangles I've ever read (and I've read Twilight and The Vampire Diaries LOL). I was literally laughing out loud and some of the scenes either because it felt so over-the-top or I had secondhand embarrassment. If you don't like or hate love triangles, you will despise this book and highly *don't* recommend it.

The pacing in this book felt a little wild, with some sections dragging and many scenes feeling so back-to-back that I had to catch my breath. I still think it was a great improvement to book 1 and, for the most part, enjoyed it!

The atmosphere was stunning, and I could easily envision all of the kingdoms and realms. I was only confused at one point involving the logic of the underwater kingdom, but I may have missed something.

While I enjoyed this book, the ending 15-20% was a little too heavy for me to handle tonight. I did not reflect that in the book's quality, because that's absolutely bad timing on my part. I think I <i>did</i> enjoy the ending, but the fact that 90% of this book was still a love triangle of sorts was far too dragged out for me to be satisfied. I'm still immediately adding Sue Lynn Tan's upcoming retelling to my TBR and just... hoping there is even a little less love triangle next time. The chemistry and dialogue was great, so I'm confident I will like another book by her.

I would recommend this duology to lovers of love triangles, books that aren't afraid to shy away from grief, and absolutely stunning writing!

(Big thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving us this eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

I was super excited to get into this book because I loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and I think that Sue Lynn Tan is creating an amazing world for these characters. The author does a great job developing these characters and showing the character arcs and development. It felt like the author gave everyone the ending that they deserved and that the book didn't end super abruptly or on a cliffhanger. This sequel was a perfect ending to a duology that had lots of war and very powerful fantasy elements. There was so much power and magic involved, a new villain, a love triangle that I didn't absolutely hate, and a fantastic heroine. She was so incredibly strong and impressive, she was very headstrong and knew her worth, which I really admired. I was a bit apprehensive of reading this since it is a duology and the second books to most series tend to not reach my expectations, but this book absolutely tied up the story line and made it incredibly interesting. I enjoyed the finale to this duology and I know that many others that loved the first book will absolutely love the second!

This was a great end to a breathtaking duology, but do I think it's better than the first book...

I don't know. It took me a while to get through this. There were plot elements dropped from the first book that I enjoyed and new plots that I didn't care about as much. There weren't any scenes that stuck with me as strongly as that initial scene in "Daughter" where Xingyin take the time to bow to her home as she's fleeing, but it was still written with Sue Lynn Tan's wonderful touch.

One thing I really loved about this series is that Xingyin stays true to herself and her ideals throughout the book, and doesn't change when the love element is introduced. For a duology that both titles are inspired by XIngyin's parents, though, I could have used more family stuff in this book. Oh, well. Can't win them all.

I'm very excited to see what comes next from Sue Lynn Tan!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"...clinging to both light and dark, and lost somewhere in between... a child of mortal and immortal heritage, in the shade of my luminous parents."

I've read a lot of amazing books in 2022 but Heart of the Sun Warrior surpasses all of them!

After re-reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I knew my heart would break while reading HOTSW. I knew my soul would hurt. I could feel the anxiety creep through my bones as each chapter built and built.

"The pieces were set on the board, and I only wished I knew what game was being played. One thing was for certain; I was done being a pawn, and if I moved, it would be of my own violation."

Sue Lynn Tan is officially an auto-buy author for me. I fell in love with her cinematic and engaging writing during DOTMG and it was no different with HOTSW. I could feel, hear, and see everything from Xingyin’s point of view. This duology is now a part of me and I plan on re-reading Sue Lynn Tan's words every year.

"For a life without love was a night without stars, and only the darkness awaited me now."

The tension between Liwei, Xingyin, and Wenzhi is chefs kiss perfect. It frustrated me in all the right ways and each moment Xingyin had with both men is heart wrenching and left me an emotional wreck.

"It was real. Lie to me all you want, just don't lie to yourself."

I'm so excited Sue Lynn Tan's next two books, one set in the same world and the next of a different Chinese legend.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is a gorgeous story with beautiful character development and bittersweet moments that will leave you longing for more in the best way.

"True happiness springs from within, a contentment with oneself. And while it may be humbler and quieter, there is nothing more precious and lasting."

5 stars and beyond.

Ended up finishing this yesterday evening. I decided to pick up the sequel because I remembered the first book being pretty solid, and I wanted to see how Tan would follow up on the threads from it. Again, pretty solid follow up. I'll give Tan credit for doing well on the fantasy chase and action scenes that make up most of the book, as well as some of the quieter dialogues between Xinying and other characters. The vibes this time lean more wuxia than historical fantasy anime, but they're good vibes regardless. There are parts that feel incredibly quickly and vaguely glossed over, while the rest leans more into tropes (find the supposedly dead father! fight the evil power hungry general attempting to usurp the imperial throne! the prince's mother hates the main character and refuses to let them marry!). On top of that, I've been spoiled by books that have love triangles actually being acknowledging polyamory as a possibility, and found the resolution to the love triangle pretty underwhelming. Manageably well worth reading.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I am distraught because this book is over. I would have kept reading because I just didn’t want it to end. And if you had told me at the end of the last book how this one would end I would never have believed I’d be happy about it. But I am. We earned the ending we got. And goodness we earned the emotions and the tears. I cried quite a lot; my heart was gripped, ripped out, and then stitched back together. There was still tons of action, so many hard choices, heartbreaking moments, tender moments, hand over my mouth moments, and everything in between. I’m also plotting a campaign for Sue Lynn Tan to give us an epilogue because I just can’t say goodbye to these characters and this world.

This somewhat disappointing sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess has a lot of action and sumptuous description as it follows Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi through a host of challenges, not least of which is the challenges of the heart. The story picks up pretty much where Daughter of the Moon Goddess left off, with political intrigue between various immortal kingdoms based on Chinese myths. The action and description move the story along, but to the detriment of further character development. While this isn't a bad story, it is not anything particularly memorable. Readers of Daughter of the Moon Goddess might enjoy the story, but those coming into this book without that background will struggle.