This author (Sue Tan Lynn) has quickly made it to my top recommended authors. I first read The daughter of the Moon Goddess when it first released. I don't think I have ever read a 500 page book as quickly as I did that one. Fast forward.... O, Netgalley has Heart of the Sun Warrior. THIS IS A MUST HAVE BOOK for me. I requested. It was accepted. I sat down to read it and yet again, I was blown away. The world building she portrays in her books simply is magnificent and makes you feel like you are within the worlds itself. This book in-particular left me guessing like I would a mystery book about what is going to happen next. Need a side of romance? This book has that covered too. I was so much hoping Wenzhi got his forever happy after the ending in the first book as well. Everything about this book is BEAUTIFUL. The Cover, The story concept, the characters, the world. the Magic. Everything. This will definitely be in my running for favorite book of the year!

Heart of the Sun Warrior's prose was as flowing and sumptuous as the ethereal world held within. The world building continued from where Daughter of the Moon Goddess left off, and was just as superb. The relationships between characters felt honest and heartfelt, making my heart break for the characters time and time again.

Though I was invested in the individual characters and their relationships, I had a hard time feeling invested in the overarching plot. It moved too quickly for me to sink my claws into any one moment. Major plot points felt rushed, and undeveloped earning only a speck of page time, whereas the beautiful and flowing descriptions of the world took up most of the space. I loved the world building, but the story just felt overshadowed by it. I didn't feel this way when I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, so I'm not sure why it changed from one book to the next.

Overall, I enjoyed the continuation of the worldbuilding immensely, but wish the meat of the plot would have been thicker. I would definitely still recommend to friends looking for a sweeping Asian fantasy with stunning worldbuilding and complex relationships.

A great second book following the story of The Moon Goddess. I loved the characters and how the story is going. This author really knows how to write a mesmerizing tale. Look forward to more.

I hate to say it but I loved it even more than the first. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story continues where the first left off, confirming speculation about her father, that was given in the first. Xingyin has won the Talisman, giving her mother the freedom she never dreamt that she would receive. While fulfilling her goals Xingyin makes some great enemies in Minister Wu, who after the Celestial Emperor finds his pride bruised appoints him as General of the Celestial Army, dismissing General Jianyun. The emperor feels like he has been the most trusted advisor and has earned this place but he was so WRONG.

Xingyin and her family are forced to flee her home once more, venturing to new lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and monarchs who are discerning, gaining beloved friends and bitter adversaries. Overcoming past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward is hard for her.

She can't see past the betrayal although she cares for the person. Having to seek aid numerous times from the one person she feels like she just can't trust, never imagining having to go back into her heart in order to forgive and move past it. The angst and love in this story are top-tier, with the love triangle deepening, it has been everything I ever dreamed of. Liwei and Wenzhi both fight for Xingyin's heart even if they can just get a piece of it. The Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation--to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love . . . even if doing so demands the greatest price of all, herself.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pros:
* Beautiful and well written like the first, and a great wrap up to the duology
* I loved the peek into her family’s history and the new relationship she get to have
* Great growth and transformation for Xingyin
* I personally like the ending/last chunk of the book

Cons:
* Wenzhi’s redemption arc was necessary, but Xingyin harped on the lack of trust, “I still don’t forgive you” for way too long
* Not as action packed as the first
* The Moon Goddess could very well have her own POV, and I wish more of Xingyin’s relationship with her would’ve made it into the story/developed more

Overall, I liked seeing Liwei and Wenzhi work together for Xingyin’s sake, but I’m glad it focused less on that “triangle” and took a more focused path to help Xingyin and her family. Definitely still elements of it there though, which some may not like but not overly so.

There was betrayal, secret missions, sacrifice, and a political coup, but things definitely resolved quickly, and the pacing was pretty fast.
While there’s less action overall, I think this wraps things up in a more mature way, where we see character growth from quite a few of our favorites.

No spoilers, but the Phoenix scene is probably my favorite of the whole book just because we get to see Xingyin be herself and do things her way, and not need to rely on anyone else.

I was very happy with the ending Xingyin got! It was gut punch at first, and then a surprising turn. I was not as sucked in overall as I was throughout the first book, however this was very well done in its own way.

Thank you for the e-Arc!

"A life without love was a night without stars"

Again, thank you @netgalley @suelynntan and @harpervoyageur for this beautiful arc. 🥰

Holy. Wow. Where to even start?! I am still recovering from how emotional that last 1/3 of the book left me. I can honestly say I don't like love triangles. I predicted early on what had to happen in order to break the triangle, and it did go that way, but it had a nice twist 'happy' at the end.

This sequel felt more targeted to the emotional parts of the adventures and issues encountered in the book vs the actual battles and workings of them. I did rate it accordingly because to me the last 'battle' of the war felt ... Small? Compared to what it could've been. It might've just been me but it didn't feel like what I would predict of the actions of the main character.

I would've also loved to see more on what happened with the people that could not continue in the series. They were given maybe a paragraph of explanation and I just needed more personally.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed every thing that was written. (except for the parts that made me cry but also good writing and character investment will do that to you though so 🥹) I hope in the 3rd installment of the celestial kingdom series we will at least get to see where my 2 favorite chatacters end up at after all, past the ending of this book. ♥️

I really enjoyed Heart of the Sun Warrior. Sue Lynn Tan paints a beautiful picture with her descriptions, and I love Xingyin. She is so relatable, but I love that she is a powerful and accomplished warrior. I don’t usually enjoy a love triangle, but this one was so believable. I could understand her complicated feelings for both Wenghzi even though I felt the deep betrayal during book 1. I am constantly on edge while reading The Celestial Kingdom Duology because the stakes are always so high, but the writing is so beautiful that I also feel comforted while reading Tan’s prose. It is really just a wonderful experience. The magic system is interesting and the world building is mystical. Xingyin struggles and makes mistakes, but doesn’t give up, and she fights fiercely for the people she loves.
My only con is that Xingyin had to break into the Jade Palace multiple times, and so that started to feel a little repetitive though she did it in very different ways each time. I would definitely pick up anything else Sue Lynn Tan writes because I really enjoy her characters and her world building. I have really enjoyed going on the journey with Xingyin. I liked the chapter length and I felt like the pace of the story moved quite quickly despite Tan’s very thorough and artful descriptions. This story has a lot of traveling, but the time spent traveling is not extensive.

I am not typically a fantasy reader but I may have become one after reading this book. After reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I was anxious to see what was in store for the characters in this story. Sometimes the second book can be a disappointment. Heart of the Sun Warrior exceeded my expectations! It was a roller coaster of emotions. Characters that I grew to dislike in the first book became my favorite in this second book. I absolutely adored the ending, which I would not have anticipated if you had asked me 75% of the way through. It threw me for a loop, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I will be recommending this to my fellow readers.

In the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, our protagonist, Xingyin, is forced to flee her home again as she faces a new foe who threatens the entire existence of immortals and mortals.

I read this book immediately following my first read of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, so the plot and characters from the first book were fresh in my mind. In my review for Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I praised the author for delivering an action driven story without too much excess fluff; however, in this novel I found myself wanting more descriptions. The author has clearly envisioned a rich and vibrant world, but does herself a slight disservice by not elaborating more on these mythical and beautiful settings.

This book was much slower than the first book but I loved the themes explored, especially the author’s exploration of death and grief. Xingyin’s reaction and reflection on the death of a character was extremely touching. It was both sweet and sad, and served as a reminder about how someone who has passed on still serves as an important part of our lives. The author also touches on duality and how the world is not always black and white or good and evil. There are always two sides to a story, and right/wrong are sometimes not as clear cut as we want it to be.

I found the ending of this book so incredibly touching that I cried multiple times in the last few chapters. The ending was satisfying and wrapped up this duology extremely well. I did not finish the book asking questions or being frustrated at a lack of story. I would love to read more books set in this world and by this author, but with new protagonists.

Overall, another enjoyable and quick read that I would definitely recommend to others after reading the first book.

The heart of the sun warrior is a beautiful story which carries on from the previous Sue Lynn Tan book- Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
**SPOILERS**

This time we see Xingyin enjoying her life back home a year after she tricked the Emporer - giving him the dragon peals he asked for but void of their essence.
A group of people come to visit her and Chang'e and stay for a short while. Xingyin wakes to a disturbance and finds one of the men trying to cut down a tree with an axe.
Liwei asks Xingyin to be his partner again with intent of marriage but Wenzhi has also been showing up again.... Playing with Xingyins heart !!!
The Celestial Emporer tries to once again imprison not only Chang'e this time but also Xingyin and Ping'er after Chang'e receives word her husband, Xingyins father is still alive in the mortal realm, not dead as they once thought and forgets her duty to light the moon on the Emporers birthday- which is seen as a huge insult.
Xingyin learns her father is dying and the only way to help him is to give him the Emporers elixer to make him immortal. She risks everything to help steal the two remaining elixers in the Emporers treasury with someone she meets along the way but it turns out there is only one elixer left and they steal it from her.
With no elixer to help her father, Xingyin returns home to find the Celestial army on its way to imprison her family again. Xingyin attempts to flee with her family but the Emporers newly appointed general- Wugang, who also happens to be the same axe welder from earlier puts his axe to Chang'e and Ping'er sacrifices herself to save her.
Xingyin, Shuxiao, Wenzhi, and Chang'e travel to lay Ping'er body to rest in the Southern sea. Liwei is being held in his own Palace and Xingyin goes to rescue him, finding the elixer thief along the way, taking it back and using it on her father, making him immortal. Whilst they all rtry to leave the southern sea Wugang ambushes them with Liweis mother as hostage. He has used the seeds from the laurel tree on the moon which turns out has restorative properties on fallen celestial soldiers and has made an army of the undead. Protecting Prince Yanxi , Prince Yanming is killed.
Wugang gives them a week to regroup and as they realise fire can burn the undead warriors they search for the hottest fire they can to destroy the laurel-the feather from a sunbird from Lady Xihe goddess of the sun though this task is not an easy one as Xingyins father is the one who slew 9 of her children on the Emporer orders.
Lady Xihe makes Xingyin battle against her phoenix and instead of killing it, she rides it back down to Lady Xihe where her 1 remaining sunbird offers her her feather.
As Chang'e is the creator of the laurels with her tears, they realise Wugang will come after her so he can plant new laurels for eternity. To keep her safe, Wenzhi tells of an enchantment he knows of that can make a person look like someone else but his father holds it. They travel to beyond the cloud wall where Wenzhis father will offer them the enchantment but only as a wedding gift. Xingyin and Wenzhi fake the marriage bows but just as they approach Wenzhis father for the scroll, Wenzhis brother assassinate their father trying to claim his right to the throne. A battle commences and Wenzhis brother and father die but not before his father renounces the throne to him leaving Wenzhi King of the demon realm.

Wugangs forces are getting ready to attack the cloud wall and now with the scroll and feather acquired it is time for Xingyin to change appearance to look like her mother so she can plant the feather at the laurel trees roots.
As she gets taken to the moon in the guise of her mother, Wugang ties her to the laurel tree and she let's go of her shield and uses the feather. The soldiers are no more with the laurel trees death. Xingyins father kills Wugang will the jade dragon bow and as Xingyin uses the last of her energy on the trees she can see the battle over and Wenzhi, Liwei and her family rushing towards her. Wenzhi with no energy left after keeping himself tethered to Xingyin tells her he loves her and then his life force is gone, theast of it used to keep Xingyin alive. Xingyins life force is almost gone when her mothers tears help the laurel to make enough sap to save one person and it chose Xingyin over Wenzhi.
After the battle and when the dead are laid to rest Liwei becomes celestial Emporer and asks Xinying to marry him. She refuses and tells him she needs to leave as she has too much grief to sort through. She returns home to the moon to her family. A few years pass and she yearns to travel. She keeps finding herself on the cloud wall border time and time again, able to sense Wenzhis spirit slightly. One day she returns to find that spirit gone. She rushes the Liwei who tells her his spirit had been fighting and growing strong enough to enter the mortal realm. She asks Liwei for 2 elixer (one for herself and one for Liweis half sisters husband) and then leaves to find Wenzhi in the mortal realm. With no memories of her or what had happened in the immortal realm but there's a hint of recognition from him as he asks to see her the next night. Finally, Xingyin and Wenzhi can have a life together and Xingyin can start to put her grief to bed.

I ADORED this book so much. Its made me cry even more than DotMG! I love that Xingyin and Wenzhi got to be together in the end and that it was Liwei who helped make it possible.
One of my favorite reads of the year!!!

This is the second book, followed by Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Like the first book, Heart of the Sun Warrior is filled with beautiful magical elements and descriptions. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Chinese mythology, including the healing magic and phoenixes.

While this book focuses less on world-building, the conflict becomes more of the main storyline instead. At times, it did feel like the action and beginning were just dragging on. However, Tan does a great job of delivering those aspects with a unique premise and emotional story.

I absolutely loved reading the journey of Xingyi’s character development. Also, I enjoyed how the love triangle showed some more chemistry between the two love interests and Xingyi. Unable to choose one, I found myself going back and forth between each love interest.

Overall, this was a great conclusion to the story. I don’t want to give any more information so as to not spoil the book, so please give this duology a chance!

Thank you to Netgalley, and Avon & Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review!

An equally enticing sequel and satisfying conclusion to a wonderful duology.

While not quite as action-packed as the first book, there are still moments of adventure as Xingyin's newly found freedom is threatened. From a brief period of peace, to new enemies and plots, and recovering from past betrayal, all while trying to fight for a future, there is no denying that this story doesn't move.

And although the magical world of the Celestial Kingdom is still explored, much of the narrative is focused on the characters and their relationships to one another. Their development is amazing. Working together, forgiving each other, and finding comfort are all the driving forces and focuses of this novel. And I found it to provide a really great balance for everything else that is going on.

So a fitting end to this cosy fantasy tale that is vibrant in heart and mythology!

It took me a minute to get into this book but by the end I felt very deeply for everything the characters had to go through over the course of their journeys. I personally didn't care very much for the love triangle but I could see why others would find it appealing. I just wanted Xingyin to be happy and she goes through so much in this book that it only makes the lovely hopeful note we end on more gratifying. The world this book takes place in is so beautiful and I love how many places and things we get to explore throughout the adventure. A fun sequel that I overall enjoyed

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year after finishing Daughter of the Moon Goddess in March, and I'm glad to say it did not disappoint.

Heart of the Sun Warrior has the same gorgeous prose and description that its predecessor had, and I was sucked into the world from the get-go. I am so happy that this book does not suffer from second-book syndrome, as both installments are equally developed and well-written.

After the events of the first book, Xingyin is ready to relax and spend time with her mother. However, those who want power and seize it affect the innocent citizens most of all. When she's forced to flee her home on the moon, Xingyin has to face new enemies while protecting the ones she loves.

I loved so many elements of this book. The love triangle is believable and fleshed out while demonstrating what direction it will take. After Wenzhi's betrayal in the first book, Xingyin is understandably upset, but there is such a good balance in this book of her conflicting feelings for him. The relationships between the characters, romantic or otherwise, are all developed, and each character has their own distinct personality. The ending and its meaning is pulled off incredibly well.

There were some parts that prevented me from giving this book a full 5 stars. Some plot points seemed too convenient and were explained through "reasons," and the villain does do his fair share of talking to Xingyin and company to explain his reasoning when he could easily just take what he wants.

Overall, I highly recommend this duology - it's among my favorites. If you haven't already, go preorder this book!

I didn't think this book series could get any better after the first book but I was proved wrong! I honestly kinda thought that Liwei and Xingyin were official at the end of book one so seeing the distance between them in book two was disheartening but also I get it. Both characters still have a lot to work through especially Xingyin. I was really on edge while reading this book just because I wanted everything to be ok for Xingyin and her family. I felt like everything was going wrong in this book. It made me really frustrated to see everything kinda fall apart (I don't want to say too much just because no spoiling) I will update once I completely finish this book

I did enjoy the first book in this series, but initially I was not planning on reading the sequel. After seeing this cover, I just had to request it. The one word that describes this series the best is disappointing. The premise is too good to be true, and it fell flat pathetically.
Honestly I'm going to forget these books ever existed.

"There might be a field of lowers, yet all I need is one."
"Some flowers have thorns, I said coldly. "If you pluck them, you will get pricked."
HIs gaze flicked to mine. "Those are the most precious of all."

This follow-up to Daughter of the Moon Goddess and conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom Duology retains all of the magic of the first book, while showing us new parts of the Celestial realm and introducing us to new characters, and uncovering new sides to old ones.

Xingyin has successfully freed her mother from the Celestial Emperor, but she clearly feels unsettled as the novel opens. Her love for Liwei is still strong, but political intrigue and conflicting needs seem determined to let a wedge come between them. Her mother's peace seems unsettled, and the Celestial Emperor is turning to new advisors who don't seem to have the realm's best interests at heart.

I want to try to write this review without spoilers because I do want people to be able to read it, but I obviously can't include a lot about the plot past this point. I will say, I appreciated that this is a sequel with a clear purpose. Sometimes duologies seem stretched out, and the second book feels unnecessary or like a side edition to a completed story. I think this book successfully demonstrates why Xingyin's story was unfinished, and provides what I consider to be an incredibly successful ending to the duology.

As with Daughter of the Moon Goddess, the prose is incredibly descriptive, which is a specific style I think the author is going for in order to show us these enchanting kingdoms and mythical creatures. The series retains a magical feel, romantic and sweeping, while also introducing new adventures and conflict.

I'm so excited that this series not only exists but is so popular and so successful at this point because I truly see it opening so many doors for even more mythological retellings and fairy tales from around the world, and I can't get enough of those.

Finally...I really have to congratulate Sue Lynn Tan on a gorgeous, gorgeous ending. I found myself with tears in my eyes, and I think these landings can be incredibly hard to stick, especially with such grand and epic stakes.

this was the zuko redemption arc i wanted thank you. i would not have the ending any other way. i almost just put the book down multiple times because the emotional damage, i wasn’t gonna continue if it would end that way. and i was happily surprised by how things were settled, all i needed was a little bit of emotional stability.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for sending me an eARC of this book! Below is my honest review:

Man, this book really put me through it. It ripped out my heart, stomped on it, and then slightly put it back together 😂

First off, I want to say that this is an almost perfect duology. My only real complaint (other than getting my heart destroyed) was the pacing. I often wished the author took a beat and slowed the plot down a bit to really grapple with what was happening. I think this series could have been three books if the author wanted to do that, but I would rather have a series be too short than too long so I’m fine with this.

The author’s writing in this book is so lyrical, almost resembling a fairy tale, just like the first book. I love Xingyin as the main character as well. She has a lot of heart and the way this book tackles her grief is both heart wrenching and deeply moving. Her journey as a character was truly wonderful and I think the ending did her justice.

I highly recommend this duology (which will be completed when this book comes out in November!!), especially if you love fantasy that reads like a fairy tale and that’s heavy on the romance.

Every once in awhile the perfect story falls into your hands. I felt this way with the Daughter of the Moon Goddess and yet again with Heart of the Sun Warrior. I wish I could read them both again for the first time!
Thank you to the author and publisher for trusting this advance copy to me! 5 perfect celestial stars.