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

A year after the events that led her back home to the Pure Light Palace, Xingyin lives a quiet life, surrounded by her loved ones. She does not want to concern herself with the world outside home, but a surge of strange magic on the moon is about to upend the life she knows. Danger is lurking in unsuspecting places, and indifference is no longer an option. This time the stakes are higher, and the entire realm is in danger. Caught in the political maneuvers of the Immortal Realm, allies will become enemies and enemies will become allies. Lives will be gained, but more will be lost; power and grief will be exploited. Forced to face her biggest challenge yet, Xingyin will take the ultimate risk at an unimaginable cost while trying to come to terms with her heart’s true desires.

This book exceeded my expectations. It is an exciting wild ride full of adventure and of heart-wrenching moments. The mythological aspect is richer, the setting is stunning, and the pacing is brilliant. The book’s cover art is every bit as gorgeous and elegant as that of the first book in the series. The author crafted a stunning world made more interesting by its political and magical elements. While I was not a fan of certain aspects of its predecessor, this time around I felt connected to the story and to the characters. The plot did not feel repetitive. Xingyin’s character is forced to grow. Through her struggles she gains an understanding of other peoples’ predicaments, and about the ways loss and grief shape lives. She strives to understand her own heart and to abandon the recklessness of her past, while allowing herself the possibility of happiness. The love triangle finds its resolution and the ending feels earned; a perfect, unexpected conclusion to Xingyin’s saga.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book prior to its release.

I enjoyed this sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. It was just as adventurous, if not more, adventurous as the first book. While I connected with Xin on the first book, I didn’t feel as connected with her in this book. She felt selfish, prideful, and unforgiving at times. It was hard to read. The love triangle was drawn out and repetitive, which is why I give this 3.75 stars. The last five percent of the book were the most enjoyable for me. Overall, I enjoyed this sequel. I did enjoy the first book more.

When I first finished Daughter of the Moon Goddess I left with mixed emotions. It was a whirlpool of emotions, sometimes settling on frustration, other times anticipation. I was desperate for the sequel, but also nervous for it. A push and pull until the pull came in form of this arc. I was all in then, and hoping by reading this sequel I could finally sort through the mixed emotions the first book left me in.

And I did.

In fact, I left this sequel desiring more. Before opening the book, all I hoped was to reach the end satisfied. A clean walk away. Instead, I’m banging at the doors, desperate to be let back in because I just want one more look, I want to know what happens when the reader is led out of the story. I want want one last glimpse of this world and these characters I’ve come to know.

And all the credit to Sue Lynn Tan’s magnificent writing.
Since the first book, one thing that is absolutely undeniable in my mind is Tan’s excellence in writing. She writes gorgeously—taking a string of words and weaving poetry with them.

It’s beautifully written.

However, to be open in all feelings, sometimes that was what I felt was lacking— a narrative that could emote. Where instead of just seeing an action take place, I could feel it too. Where that poetry of words could also lead to symphonies in the heart. Some actions take place so quickly that there is no build up, no anticipation, no lead up into the thing that happens. It reads more of “Here’s an action for you.” “Ok, I’ll take it.”

Once more, with feeling.

It’s an odd thing to say to a book that continues the first’s love triangle, there’s much feeling there— but it’s one I never embraced. I wished the love triangle had resolved itself earlier to allow the chosen love to further deepen. I was very satisfied with the triangle’s resolution, but not so much with the journey getting there.

Once more, with feeling!

Luckily, emotions do shine through, not for as long as I’d like, but the emotional chord is eventually struck, and struck quite well. Even if it at times broke my heart, I welcome that emotion— I had been desperate for it all this time. The last 25% of the book or so is layered with feeling, that symphony finally playing.

It was brilliant to finally feel.

The ending is poignant, beautiful, powerful, and left me longing to peek into the story that would unravel past its final words. It’a a feeling I yearned to have throughout the book, and while it arrived later than desired, it still arrived. And I happily embraced it.

Perhaps this is exactly what the author intended— to mirror Xingyin’s own whirlpool of emotions and the defenses against expressing them. To mirror the wall she placed in her heart, the stubbornness that didn’t let her sit and settle with any emotion she didn’t immediately welcome. To be more stoic than outwardly feeling. But once Xingyin began to recognize those feelings, the story shined even more brightly.

I may walk away from this duology wishing for certain paths to have been taken rather than the ones chosen, but I also walk away holding onto this story tightly. I may not always have loved it, but I will always cherish it.

I’m glad to have explored this world one final time.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

It starts off well and builds up enough backstory that you didn’t have to read the first to jump in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

"Once you have looked death in the face, every moment after is a victory."

Heart of the Sun Warrior finds Xingyin after a peaceful year spent back at home with her mother on the moon. This is a beautiful sequel to a gorgeous book. Heart of the Sun Warrior keeps alive the main theme of Daughter of the Moon Goddess: a daughter's love for her family, and the lengths to which she will go to protect them. I cried way more reading this book than I expected to, but I felt really connected with a lot of the characters more this time around.

4 stars because I have a personal disagreement with some of the choices made for the characters. I also felt that one storyline involving Xingyin's family wasn't as developed as it needed to be and was instead brushed aside to further the more central storyline. Given how long this book is, I felt there was room to spend more time on that particular storyline and round it out more.

Overall, though there are parts of the story I would wish to change, this book is still very well-written and beautifully finishes Xingyin's story. I am content with where Xingyin ends the novel. I am excited to see what Sue Lynn Tann does next!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

This book was amazing I absolutely loved the first book and didn't think it could get any better but man was I wrong this was amazing ill definitely be purchasing as well I can't wait to reread it.

This highly anticipated sequel definitely packs a punch and builds upon the expansive and rich world first introduced in DotMG!

Taking pace 1 year after the ending of DotMG, this essentially picks up right where we left off, as a year is basically like the blink of an eye for immortals. We find Xingyin trying to relish the peace she fought hard for, while still feeling tense and changed after everything she’s gone through and the continuing looming presence of an Celestial Emperor she defied. We see Liwei trying to get back to the days where he and Xingyin were young and in love, and find Wenzhi on a redemption tour.

Yet of course, stability doesn’t last long as the emperor and a cunning advisor make their play, throwing everything into chaos. This was action packed with confrontations abounding. There’s break ins, break outs, prisons, battles, dragons, a flurry of new magical creatures, and new characters that rock Xingyin’s world. Along with all this, there are heavy losses that leapt off the page. You can feel Xingyin’s hope and grief, her torn emotions, and truly how she’s come so far from the unblemished and longing girl of DotMG.

I did love the political plotting and action sequences, the writing is again lush and well done. The world expands significantly to show how full the Immortal World is. There’s a big focus on how grief and trauma change is, sometimes making us stronger, while also stripping us of other things; changing us. Xingyin also does a lot of self reflection over all her trials and set backs, and it was great to go on that journey with her. She doesn’t get supercharged and powered, she really stumbles and loses, but still she persevered, ultimately finding her courage and her mettle.

That said, there were some things that I didn’t love about this. Some of which I will put in spoilers.

First, Chang’e’s uselessness and naivety, including what her choices cause are so blindingly frustrating. It’s like Xingyin must be the parent to a hapless toddler. There are other ways to have the conflict unfold or at the very least have her mother put her instinct to protect her own child first. I kept waiting for that moment of soft strength, or quiet guidance from Chang’e that would turn Xingyin’s perspective or fears on their head, but nothing. Our girl needs support, mom!! There were a lot of missed opportunities for Xingyin and Chang’e to connect and come together as a force, to give some space to the idea of the Moon Goddess also coming into her own form of fierceness. For example, the scheming at the Southern Sea and even in the climax. Chang’e was used in a very perfunctory manner that didn’t add much depth or background to Xingyin and I thought better incorporation of different types of strength and coming back to strengthen that bind that so motivated Xingyin in DotMG would have made this much more emotional and deep.

<spoiler>Next, and this is more minor, but I’m not sure why Xingyin acts like Wenzhi doesn’t know about the bargain she had to strike with the Celestial Empress when he was right there in the same room when it was struck. I also felt like the way the loose ends with the Celestial Empress were ignored or tied up with her death was strange. I think it was a stretch to far to make Xingyin this perpetually empathetic character who somehow could decided what may have formed or shaped the Empress’ cold heart. I don’t think every character deserves some kind of understand and redemption and keeping all of it from Liwei wasn’t necessary.

Also, I felt like Houyi’s reveal was done a bit haphazardly, it felt clumsy and not at all with the emotional gut punch it should have had. I actually kept waiting for him to be a fraud the whole time because the connection was just never there, which is crazy given the sequel’s title. You would expect more heart to hearts, an emotional reunion that really changes Xingyin. Some bonding that inspires Xingyin in her new trials, but there isn’t any of that. </spoiler>

The love triangle mellow drama was exhausting this time around because they overlapped so much and the choice, to me, felt clear and very heavy handed. I liked the Wenzhi redemption arc and all, but I would have preferred something more akin to friendship and renewed understanding instead of the obsessive and constant self flagellation attempts he goes through at trying to winning her back. It’s just a bit “me thinks she doth protest too much” and this happens for far too many hundreds of pages. Also for the love triangle aspect to really work like it did in book 1, or even in the bad way where it’s a constant vying from each suitor, there needed to be more Liwei throughout but he was an afterthought and often absent, making him a much less compelling character to invest in even though he’s the idealized choice presented.

<spoiler>I saw the Wenzhi death coming a mile away but the resurrection piece was a nice twist. I’m not totally sure the resurrection magic checks out — how exactly does her power manifest and change?! But, I can ignore that. I think the ending love story with them makes sense and feels very right as Liwei really only fit for the whole and unblemished version of Xingyin, ultimately never being the man that would put her above the Immortal Realm. I also feel it was a poetic and full circle way to come back around and give Wenzhi and Xingyin a chance at truly starting over, without the pressures of protecting family or positions.

It’s interesting that while Liwei never has to struggle or have ambition for his throne, we see that he can’t relinquish it, and even if he did, it just would fit with the world and who he is. With Wenzhi it’s a journey that is similar to Xingyin in a way because it’s a single minded focus to just take care of your own, and yet both of them realize that that comes with it’s own consequences and is never as neat and satisfying as you might think.

There’s a couple things with the magic system and characters that felt a bit wonky still at the end — the big baddie emperor goes into isolation and it’s chill? What happens with the dragons, they make some minor appearances but generally do nothing, where they were such a powerful focus in DotMG. With the expansion of the world so much in this book, we don’t really circle back to how the Immortal world is changed after the big battle — is the Celestial Kingdom mending fences? What about the sea kingdoms that allied with Wugang?</spoiler>

Lastly, while I loved that the ending was a bit more drawn out to be realistic — giving Xingyin time to grieve and heal from everything that happens, I did also find that it was a bit too long and with some scenes more like just giving us a peak at supporting characters than really offering and healing and strength to Xingyin. By drawing it out, it also felt like it detracted a bit from the power of the climax, though the last 2 chapters were truly worth it, it might just feel like a lot of moping and aimless wandering until then.

Overall I think this is satisfying and ties everything up well enough. Is it a bit too long winded like book 1? Yes, but the writing is beautiful and in truth that detail was helpful in building and painting in the broad world expansion we get with all the kingdoms and the full journey and transformation Xingyin goes through. She’s fully changed and she’s no longer the girl we first met, and that’s ok, her peace was more than hard won and she’s finally be selfish with her happiness.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess was a pretty meh book to me. The writing is beautiful and I had no trouble finding the motivation to read it, but I never got attached to the characters or story. I did like that they travel by cloud.

Fans of the first book will like Heart of the Sun Warrior. Aside from a few characters that seem to have sudden personality changes, both books are consistent in plot and writing. But if you thought the first book was meh like I did, you'll probably feel the same way with Heart of the Sun Warrior.

It was going to be a three-star book for me, up until the last few chapters. I LOVED the ending. It was a little sudden and I would've enjoyed an additional epilogue, but I feel like it was a very fitting ending. Totally redeemed it for me. It's a better book, overall, because of how it ended. If nothing else about this duology sticks with me, the ending will.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the ARC!

What a stunning sequel to an amazing duology! I honestly could not have wanted any more from this, Sue Lynn Tan absolutely outdid herself. I liked the first one, but I loved this one. The plot was amazing and well-paced, constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat. So many twists and turns that kept the book exciting. Xingyin remained a fantastic protagonist and she really came into her own this book. She is stubborn, strong-willed, true to her resolve, and will do anything to protect her family and find the peace she longs for. One theme this book touches on that I really like is every character’s familial duty and the sacrifices we make to uphold that. Tan utilizes this theme to perfection. On top of the beautiful writing, story steeped in Chinese culture, and heartbreaking moments, I was a goner. Highly recommend this duology to every fan of fantasy! One of my favorite reads so far this year.

I had a very strong preference in this love triangle and I wasn’t sure how Tan was going to wrap it up but it was honestly it was a fantastic conclusion. I love a bittersweet ending and while not every character got their HEA, it was very fitting. I need an epilogue immediately!