After finishing the first book of the series, I was thinking how the sequel will exceed its perfection. Let’s not forget there was no cliffhanger at the end if you don’t count the unresolved love triangle.

But second book of the duology exceeded my expectations and it’s even better than the first book. There are so many epic moments including surprising family reunions, dragons’ cameo, bloodthirsty fight against the phoenix and eerie, frightening war against the army of death.

The love triangle between Xingyin-Liwei- Wenzhi is more powerful and reasonable. At the first book, things heated a little instantly and we couldn’t feel true intimacy between characters. But thankfully the author solved this problem at second round. Wenzhi is so adamant to make his wrongdoings right by giving his full protection and working as devoted ally. Liwei already confronts with his parents to choose Xingyin over them.

After the ending of first novel, I thought everything would be peaceful in Xingyin’s life after she ended her mother’s imprisonment and returned back to moon. But uninvited mortals’ unexpected visit to their home suddenly changes everything as the power balance changes to General Wu’s benefit in Celestial Kingdom.

The danger escalates out of nowhere. Xingyin’s house gets invaded, her loved ones’ life in danger. Once again her mother and she are sentenced to prison unfairly. Only way to save their lives is escape and accept to be ally with a powerful warrior who betrayed Xingyin’s trust!

The Immortal Realm is in grave peril, for the
Celestial throne has been usurped. A terrible evil threatens the realms above and below!

Xingyin needs to stop this evil raising in expanse of sacrificing her life as Liwei and Wenzhi fight beside her!

The fight between the evil incarnation and Xingyin was absolutely epic and memorable.

The world building, action packed fight chapters were well depicted! I cried at last parts! Xingyin was confused about her feelings as her heart tear in half till the last heart wrenching moment!

I loved the ending a lot, dabbing my eyes, giggling softly. Mythology, folklore, fantasy and romance couldn’t be combined so much better!

I’m a big fan of this duology and daughter of Moon Goddess and Sun Warrior!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing me this amazing arc with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

The gang is back and need to save the world again! Faced with a (not so) brand new threat from within the Jade Palace, Xingyin and her mother must once again navigate the loss of her father, the hatred of the Celestial Majesties, and people who would try and betray Xingyin and Chang’e.

I gave this book 4.5 stars because I really struggled through the beginning and my attention wasn’t as snatched as I wanted it to be. However, the adventures were great, the new enemy is pretty terrifying, and the emotions I emoted while reading this were…emotional lol. This is a great end to this duology and I highly recommend.

This book absolutely infuriates me in the best way. It tore me apart and put me back together in the same chapter. I can’t sort out my thoughts after that ending, but I will say that the sequel was so much better than its predecessor in terms of pace and flow. When the first book kept jumping from time to time without slowing down, I felt that the sequel was better plotted from scene to scene. It was so much more exciting to see Xingyin go through a process, or more of a journey, to confront the main antagonist rather than the some of the more unnecessary subplots of the first book. Although, I feel that the romance was weaker than the first book. A comparison between the two books may be a bit unfair because Xingyin has grown so much as a character, but she kept having the same thoughts about Liwei and Wenzhi and deciding between them. Which was honestly unfair to both of them, to the point where I felt that a certain redemption arc was forced. And that open ending.....while not unnecessary, I wish we gotten more closure after an entire novel of specific details of Xingyin’s journeys,

Things to know:

-Second in duology (Celestial Kingdom)
-Retelling of Chang’e in Chinese Mythology
-Romance
-Release Date November 15, 2022
-Strong female MC

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review:
A beautiful and heart-wrenchingly powerful conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom duology.
This duology owns my entire heart. I don’t have many books I would return to and re-read. You know, so many books, so little time..! I have a TBR the size of a mountain. This duology has made it to the top of that list. I will re-read this one often. I am heartbroken that I cannot read it again for the first time.
Xingyin is who I strive to be in my everyday life. She is strong and is able to articulate her thoughts/feelings no matter how hard it is to say, even if the only thing she can say is “I don’t know.” Even when she struggles with understanding herself she is able to just say, “I need time to figure out how to answer.” She is the strong female MC we all need in our lives! She is a warrior.
I cried, and I laughed, and then I cried again.. I always worry that the sequel in a series can’t live up to the first book, Heart of the Sun Warrior did not disappoint. It is just as good if not better than the first and I also rated that one 5 stars!
The release date for Heart of the Sun Warrior is set for November 15, 2022. Preorder your copy today! I’ve already preordered two different editions! I cannot wait to see the beautiful completed set on my forever shelf.
Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for early access to this title in exchange for an honest review!

I was so curious to see how this book would go after reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I'm pleased with how things turned out! Will try to leave a spoiler free review, and highlight the things that worked for me.

Liked:
- The world building continued to be impressive. So many glorious details from the cloud transporting to the various realms. I enjoyed spending more time in the Seas and learning more about the Celestial Kingdom.
- The romance was very believable this time around. I struggled with the romance in DotMG and felt that it took away from the main storyline. I didn't feel that with Heart of the Sun Warrior. It was not important to the main storyline and think it worked well relegated to a side plot.
- The writing was gorgeous and lyrical. So readable. I finished this book in one day as I couldn't put it down.
- I feel that a couple of characters had great redemption arcs. For those who felt that there were some loose ends from the first book, it wraps up nicely here.

What Didn't Work For Me:
- I would've liked to have seen more father daughter bonding!
- Can't say much without spoilers but one of the characters seemed to change a bit too abruptly from book 1.
- The big bad villain wasn't entirely believable. I felt that his motivation was lacking a bit.

All in all, I really enjoyed this second book in the Celestial Kingdom duology. Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the change to read this ARC! I'll be getting a physical copy for my library when it comes out.

A fantastic sequel to such a rich and intricate fantasy world!!! Sue Lynn Tan is an absolute favorite author of mine. She has an amazing skill in not only creating a complex and enticing world, but also giving each character their own unique voice. The magical and political systems of the world she has created is done so fluidly that you can easily immerse yourself in the story. I highly recommend this book to any fantasy lover!!

Going into this book, I had no idea what to expect; the first wrapped up in a satisfying way, albeit with a few questions lingering in the background. However, this sequel did not disappoint in the slightest. I felt every emotion possible reading this: joy, sorrow, excitement, fear. All of these characters have come to mean so much to me, and I ate up every word eagerly. Such a beautiful story, both gut-wrenching and heart-warming.

When I first read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I couldn’t believe Sue Lynn Tan was a debut author. Her beautiful prose and expressive story telling were back in full force with the second installment of the duology. Heart of the Sun Warrior is a masterclass on how to drive both the plot and characters. The author does this so well. I feel even more deeply for the protagonists than I thought was possible from the first installment. This duology is my gold standard for fantasy storytelling. I will be waiting with baited breath to see what comes next from this author.

I've read my share of disappointing conclusions to duologies and series this year so it was with a bit of trepidation that I started Heart of the Sun Warrior. Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my fave reads early this year so I was hoping for a worthy sequel.

And let me tell you-- this did not disappoint! It picks up where it left off, almost without any effort. If ever, there are higher stakes in this one, and it is beautifully written. The depth in these characters is exemplary, and I love how each one grows, sometimes in directions the reader doesn't expect. Wenzhi finally gets his redemption arc (and so much more-- this was the highlight of this book), and Xingyin and Liwei aren't far behind. Sue Lynn Tan isn't afraid of showing us death as well-- we say goodbye to several characters, each one a strike to the heart.

A truly worthy conclusion to an already amazing and beautiful duology. I cannot recommend this enough.

This was the perfect way to wrap up a duology, even if it absolutely broke my heart in doing so. The author has this beautiful way of weaving a story that captivates the reader, brings them through conflict and chaos, and leaves them asking for more.

The conflict in this book begins almost as soon as the story starts and follows Xingyin to every corner of the kingdom. She is forced to make tough choices, experiences unbelievable joy and also tremendous heartbreak. In typical Xingyin fashion she is willing to risk everything for those that she loves and that is a risk she takes pretty often in this book.

The romance seems to be more at the forefront in this book compared to Daughter of the Moon Goddess (where the romance felt more like a subplot). A decent portion of the book was spent with Xingyin caught in that same love triangle and struggling with her own feelings. These feelings do eventually resolve themselves and she finally makes her choice (one that I am really happy about).

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager books for giving me a digital arc of this book in exchange for my review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I was so excited receiving this arc, trying to rush through my current read in order to get to it. I adored the first book, and this one did not disappoint. I’m even more excited to buy the Fairyloot edition when it goes on sale. I wish I could also buy the US jackets just to have them. The cover art is beyond stunning. This story had everything I hoped. The ending was more than I could’ve hoped for. Although I want a bonus story with the date and elixir. I would 100% recommend these books to all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Fantasy duology (book 2)
𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩: eARC

𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:
“For the fools do not fear the odds, the reckless do not care—and only the truly brave proceed regardless.”

“Live. Be happy.”

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

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
Absolutely perfect conclusion to the duology
Wenzhi and Liwei have my heart ❤️
Fearless MC who stays true to herself
Themes of honor, family, love, sacrifice
Plot resolutions for many of my favorite characters
Emotional, perfect, unexpected ending

𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
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 and just wishing I could read it again for the first time. I’m absolutely going to be revisiting this entire duology.

So many of my favorite characters from the first book reappear in this one, and have really phenomenal character arcs. The author does a great job of developing characters besides just the MCs, and while not every character has a perfect happy ending, it still all felt like the RIGHT ending. I enjoyed the new characters and parts of Asian folklore that were introduced; it was a good extension of what was introduced in book 1, while also feeling new enough to keep things exciting.

There’s a good balance of action scenes filled with elemental magic, political maneuverings and a new evil villain, and plenty of romance and swoony scenes. It is definitely a bit of a love triangle, but I LOVED how both of the MMCs pulled at my heartstrings and I found myself switching back and forth between Team Liewei and Team Wenzhi (and if you think you’ve guessed how it all ends… you haven’t 😊)

Xingyin is a strong, independent, and resolute FMC, who does a great job of staying true to her own personal moral compass, even when it is difficult. I love that she doesn’t give in and change herself on a whim, but sticks to her strong belief in family and doing what is best for the greater good.

I think sometimes it’s easy for the second book in a duology to fall flat compared to the first, but this book two made the series even better. It took the story in a new direction, while still staying true to the amazing characters I fell in love with in book 1. I HIGHLY recommend these two books, and if you’ve already read and loved The Daughter of the Moon Goddess, then you definitely will NOT be disappointed by The Heart of the Sun Warrior!

A beautiful sequel. The world is still gorgeous, and I love Xingyin and her growth by the end of the novel. This was a very good end to the duology, and I think that it can be hard to wrap up a duology well as was done with this.

Sometimes improvement matters...

How much though? I'm not sure.

This time around I had a better time more consistently. I think it helped that we dropped the triangle. It was very clear the entire book where the reader was supposed to care about in terms of the romance arc, and the narrative was focused on building that up and so those beats just felt a lot more close to home.

As for the arcs that weren't romance related. I felt that one of the arcs related to Xingyin's family wasn't quite as strong this time around. It had to compete with a different plot and so it didn't get quite the same level of care and attention that a similar plot in the first book got and that felt pretty unfortunate given how little these characters really knew each other. The other non romance arc, this government coup situation... that... that really didn't need to be here. I see why it was, because aside from what will happen with the romance it was the only part of the story that had any firm footing in the first book, it makes this feel more like a direct sequel than just a companion to the first book. Still though, with how the family plot was sort of used as a parallel it really took away from some of the time spent with the larger plot... It also didn't help that the larger plot was spearheaded by a character that had pretty valid reasons to be doing what they were doing... and like... the government was already questionable so I'm not sure what this little plot really had going for it?

In some ways I don't think that there was nice payoff in the end. Sure the last 15% of the book is a wild time, we had some really high highs followed by whiplashing lows, but we also hit a brick wall. The last few chapters felt like we spent a lot of time dealing with the same thing and not really getting on with it. They definitely felt like they could have been condensed into one chapter... but yeah. I don't regret having picked this one up.

For someone that had a spotty record with the first book, I think this was still a good time. For fans of the first installment I think there is a lot to like here and they'll be happy. I'm excited to see what the next book in this world is going to be, because the vibes of this setting are definitely immaculate and I will be keeping an eye on what Tan puts out next that isn't in this world.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book! It was beautiful and magical, and it hooked me from the beginning.

An absolutely stunning sequel to one of my favorite fantasies of 2022. I was once again captivated by the mystical world in which Xingyin lives, especially as we got to see more of what lies beyond the moon and the Jade Palace.

Through war, love and loss, all of the characters I grew to love in the first book developed so much more as they were forced to take a stand and rise above their assigned stations in life.

Although the love triangle lives on, I appreciate how Xingyin did not make decisions for the sake of the men she loves. To the very end, she stays true to her own heart and does what she believes is right, no matter the risk. Did she lead both Liwei and Wenzhi on for awhile? Perhaps, but she never denied she had feelings for both, and I respect that.

My one minor complaint is that I felt many of the conflicts in this book both came about and were resolved extremely quickly.. While I did appreciate the fast pace for the most part, sometimes it felt like there wasn’t enough time for the suspense to settle in before a big moment.

Still, I absolutely adored this story. I’m so sad this duology has already come to an end, but I am so so excited to read whatever Sue Lynn Tan gifts us next.

Will post on Instagram about this book closer to release date!!

With any duology, you have to wonder if the sequel will be able to maintain the same excitement and wonder of the first book, especially when many major plot points seem resolved. I can promise you that Heart of the Sun Warrior is exactly the beautiful and epic sequel to The Daughter of the Moon Goddess you were waiting for!

The story picks up a year after the first book ends, with Xingyin back home with her mother on the Moon. Immediately the action starts with new threats, new adventures, and answers to your remaining questions from the first book. And of course the love triangle between Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi continues as a secondary plot to the overall narrative.

I don’t want to spoil anything for readers, but Sue Lynn Tan’s lyrical prose coupled with the characters, their arcs, the relationships, the subtle romance plot, the action, and the world building is seriously everything you could want in a fantasy novel.

I highly recommend picking up The Daughter of the Moon Goddess if you haven’t already because this sequel is one you don’t want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is my favorite book so far this year, and after reading several disappointing arc sequels in the past few weeks I was a bit scared for this. Happy to say I finally have a sequel that did not disappoint! Tan's writing is so beautiful and lyrical, the battle scenes are so easy to picture in my head and fun to read. All our fav characters are back, although I felt like Shuxiao barely had a role in this book but I am super happy with where this book ended for her. The love triangle with Xingyin, Liwei, and Wenzhi frustrated me at times, but I'm at peace with the way it was resolved for the most part. I recommend if you liked the first book!