Heart of the Sun Warrior
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-11-17 07:51:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sue Lynn Tan
- ISBN：0008479348
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Summary
The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology， concluding the epic story of Xingyin—the daughter of Chang’e， and the mortal archer， Houyi—as she battles a grave new threat to the realm， in this powerful tale of love， sacrifice， and hope。
After winning her mother’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor， Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home。 But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon， and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power。
While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger， the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation。 Forced to flee her home once more， Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm， encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs， beloved friends and bitter adversaries。 With alliances shifting quicker than the tides， Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward， seeking aid where she never imagined she would。
As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm， 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。
The epic conclusion to her sweeping Celestial Kingdom series， Sue Lynn Tan’s tale of Xingyin， the daughter of the moon goddess， delves deeper into beloved Chinese myths， weaving them into a wholly new and magical story。
After winning her mother’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor， Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home。 But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon， and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power。
While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger， the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation。 Forced to flee her home once more， Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm， encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs， beloved friends and bitter adversaries。 With alliances shifting quicker than the tides， Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward， seeking aid where she never imagined she would。
As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm， 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。
The epic conclusion to her sweeping Celestial Kingdom series， Sue Lynn Tan’s tale of Xingyin， the daughter of the moon goddess， delves deeper into beloved Chinese myths， weaving them into a wholly new and magical story。
Reviews
Shanti （readingwithtay）
，
Quotes•”Some people feel uncomfortable talking about themselves; some prefer to listen。”•”History was rewritten as it pleased the victor or buried when it was an inconvenient truth。”•”If they believed ill of you so quickly， their good opinion is not worth having。”•”With love came pain， and I had drunk my fill of it。”•”Fame is how the world sees you， what they imagine of your life。 A fleeting thing as capricious as smoke， and as easily reshaped through malice。”Quick thoughtsI LOVED Daughter of th Quotes•”Some people feel uncomfortable talking about themselves; some prefer to listen。”•”History was rewritten as it pleased the victor or buried when it was an inconvenient truth。”•”If they believed ill of you so quickly， their good opinion is not worth having。”•”With love came pain， and I had drunk my fill of it。”•”Fame is how the world sees you， what they imagine of your life。 A fleeting thing as capricious as smoke， and as easily reshaped through malice。”Quick thoughtsI LOVED Daughter of the moon goddess so when I was struggling through part 2 of HoSW I was really worried this was going to fall short for me。 However Part 3 ripped my heart out and then put it back together。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc。 I am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Magen
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Ultimately this follow up to 'Daughter of the Moon Goddess' was not exactly what I hoped for， even though I did enjoy it。 It felt a little disjointed， like the stories weren't fully connected and the characters seemed a bit out of character from book one。 But even so， I love the world and magic and story so much。 Sue Lynn Tan is an excellent writer and storyteller， she has an amazing way of setting atmosphere and that's what I liked best about his book。 I look forward to reading more of her work Ultimately this follow up to 'Daughter of the Moon Goddess' was not exactly what I hoped for， even though I did enjoy it。 It felt a little disjointed， like the stories weren't fully connected and the characters seemed a bit out of character from book one。 But even so， I love the world and magic and story so much。 Sue Lynn Tan is an excellent writer and storyteller， she has an amazing way of setting atmosphere and that's what I liked best about his book。 I look forward to reading more of her work！ Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Zepora
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Heart of the Sun Warrior is a dramatic continuation of the tensions that rose in Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 It answers questions and hints from the first set in the duology， while adding more to the greater world of the Immortal Realm。Compared to Daughter of the Moon Goddess， the action and conflict is not weaved as delicately。 When before the betrayal of Wenzhi is shocking and heart-wrenching， the reveal of the “big bad” this time is obvious， and his reasonings just the same。 The attempt to Heart of the Sun Warrior is a dramatic continuation of the tensions that rose in Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 It answers questions and hints from the first set in the duology， while adding more to the greater world of the Immortal Realm。Compared to Daughter of the Moon Goddess， the action and conflict is not weaved as delicately。 When before the betrayal of Wenzhi is shocking and heart-wrenching， the reveal of the “big bad” this time is obvious， and his reasonings just the same。 The attempt to make his motivating sympathetic fall flat， and the path to resolution is not complex in the slightest。Yet Heart of the Sun Warrior， at its core， is a book about relationships。 The drive and main focus throughout this sequel is Xingyin’s deep desire to have her family whole and her inner turmoil dealing with the aftermath of Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 The way Sue Lynn Tan progresses through Xingyin’s healing is wonderfully done， always letting us feel Xingyin’s pain intensely。 And again， as in the first novel， Sue Lynn Tan does not ride on a several miscommunications to move plot forward — characters have honest， open conversations with one another about their feelings and turmoil。 Again， this was super refreshing。I have to also say， Sue Lynn Tan really tore my heart out， stomped at it， and then proceeded to almost put it back together at the last 15% or so of the book。 She’s very cruel， but the ending felt like the right conclusion to Xingyin’s journey。5/5 for amazing characters and relationship-driven plot; political/adventure-wise， this is not complex at all， but still a fun journey。 Beautiful writing too。 。。。more
eesha
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3。5would u believe i finished this a week earlier and just forgot to leave a review before publishing date。。😔although not as great as the first in my opinion， heart of the sun warrior is definitely a incredibly strong sequel and end to the duology。 i adored the first book because of how much i loved xingyin and this book is no different！ although the romance is a big factor i am SOO happy about how the book’s focus always remains on xingyin and her choices and struggles。 the ending romance choic 3。5would u believe i finished this a week earlier and just forgot to leave a review before publishing date。。😔although not as great as the first in my opinion， heart of the sun warrior is definitely a incredibly strong sequel and end to the duology。 i adored the first book because of how much i loved xingyin and this book is no different！ although the romance is a big factor i am SOO happy about how the book’s focus always remains on xingyin and her choices and struggles。 the ending romance choice is not who i wanted her to end up with （normally im on the winning side of the love triangle but this one…。not so much like i GET how + why endgame ends up together but the other couple was just SO much more my style。。） but i have no other thoughts to say besides WOW！ thanks to netgalley and avon/harper voyager for the arc！ 。。。more
Raquel
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Even thought i was very skeptical of the sequel of The Daughter of the Moon Goddess， it wasn’t as bad as i thought it would be。 I do still think it should have been a stand alone tho。
Becca
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Absolutely breathtaking。 This was perfect for me honestly。 I adored the first book， I adored this one just as much。
Annette Jordan
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Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan is the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess and concludes her Celestial Kingdom duology。 I would highly recommend reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess before picking up this book as not only is it a beautifully written action packed fantasy adventure ， it sets up a lot of the relationships and character dynamics that really come into play in this book。 Heart of the Warrior picks up shortly after the first book ended with our heroine Xingyin reunited wit Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan is the sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess and concludes her Celestial Kingdom duology。 I would highly recommend reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess before picking up this book as not only is it a beautifully written action packed fantasy adventure ， it sets up a lot of the relationships and character dynamics that really come into play in this book。 Heart of the Warrior picks up shortly after the first book ended with our heroine Xingyin reunited with her mother and living in contented peace on the moon。 Unfortunately this happy interlude is far too brief and as the balance of power is shifting in the Celestial Kingdom Xingyin and her mother soon find their world under threat again。 Forced to flee， Xingyin soon finds herself in an unlikely alliance and on a desperate mission to save the Kingdom from an internal threat。 Once again the world building in this book is wonderful and the writing incredibly descriptive and evocative。 I enjoyed learning more about the Celestial Kingdom and can only salute the imagination of the author and her skill in bringing it to life so vividly on the page。 Xingyin grows a lot as a character in this book， and she is forced to make some really tough decisions so the reader is taken on an emotional journey as her story unfolds。 I thought the love triangle storyline was cleverly handled and the ending reflected the maturity the characters gained over the course of the book 。I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Cait | GoodeyReads
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ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL。Full review to come！
Yuunka Lau
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4，5⭐️
Millie
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Having loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess so much， I was excited but nervous for the sequel。 I wanted it to live up to expectations I had set and was scared to be disappointed。 I can happily say， I was not disappointed and the book far exceeded my hopes！ This story is one of pure beauty， it is the perfect sequel and ending to this amazing duology， even though the ending was incredibly bitter sweet （I was fighting back the tears as I finished this during my lunch break at work！）。 I hope that one Having loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess so much， I was excited but nervous for the sequel。 I wanted it to live up to expectations I had set and was scared to be disappointed。 I can happily say， I was not disappointed and the book far exceeded my hopes！ This story is one of pure beauty， it is the perfect sequel and ending to this amazing duology， even though the ending was incredibly bitter sweet （I was fighting back the tears as I finished this during my lunch break at work！）。 I hope that one day there might be a novella after the events of this book， or if there are further books set in this world （which I really hope there will be！）， I hope there will be small hints to the main cast and side cast of this book。 Sue Lynn Tan has shown how to write a perfect duology and why I often prefer duologies to trilogies。 Nothing in either book felt unimportant or as if it was padding out the length of the story。 Everything was important and necessary for this beautiful tale of trials， tribulations and heartache。 I cannot wait to see what Sue Lynn Tan writes next！ 。。。more
Lacey Stephens
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This is book 2 and the conclusion of the Celestial Kingdom Duology。 This continues after the events in Daughter of the Moon Goddess; you will need to read that one first。 As with DOTMG， there are new challenges， adventures， and quests around each corner。 As a new evil threatens both the Immortal and Mortal Realms， Xingyin must put aside her differences and grudges and work together with those who have hurt her in order to save the Kingdoms。 Her heart is torn in two as grief takes hold of her。 Sh This is book 2 and the conclusion of the Celestial Kingdom Duology。 This continues after the events in Daughter of the Moon Goddess; you will need to read that one first。 As with DOTMG， there are new challenges， adventures， and quests around each corner。 As a new evil threatens both the Immortal and Mortal Realms， Xingyin must put aside her differences and grudges and work together with those who have hurt her in order to save the Kingdoms。 Her heart is torn in two as grief takes hold of her。 She must fight for the Kingdoms no matter the cost。 This story is filled with betrayal， redemption， sacrifice， duty， alliances， forgiveness， second chances， loss， and healing。 It is heart-racing， heart-warming and heart-breaking。 Oh my gosh， the emotions in this story just gutted me。 This was truly an amazing book and might threaten The Ballad of Never After as my favorite book of the year。 “This pain you feel 。 。 。 you might believe that you will never recover。 And while it might always hurt， the pain will fade a little more each time—until one day， there will be no more tears。 Just the memories and the hope， that you might find some joy in them again。” 。。。more
reanne
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I loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and my affection for Heart of the Sun Warrior did not falter。 Although there is not much action compared to the first book， it still got its fair share of adventures here and there。 New characters are introduced who are just as intriguing as the one we’ve known。 Fyi， crying is mandatory in this book。The writing is still as beautiful as the first。 I lost count how many sentences I highlighted because the narrative ran deep ✂️ One thing I’d like to point out th I loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and my affection for Heart of the Sun Warrior did not falter。 Although there is not much action compared to the first book， it still got its fair share of adventures here and there。 New characters are introduced who are just as intriguing as the one we’ve known。 Fyi， crying is mandatory in this book。The writing is still as beautiful as the first。 I lost count how many sentences I highlighted because the narrative ran deep ✂️ One thing I’d like to point out though is the pacing。 There were actions that take place so quickly yet so little build up。 Xingyin， Wenzhi， and Liwei。 They are just so precious to me that I don’t want either of them hurt 🥺 I expected to be satisfied with the ending but I want more。 Miss Sue Lynn， please let me in！ Just a glimpse would be enough 😭 I was satisfied of how the love triangle was resolved。 I just wished I did not wait that long for Xingyin to finally choose and embrace her feelings。All in all， I loved this duology。 The story is poignant and hopeful。 It’s about myths， friendship， first loves， and last loves。 It’s about grief， letting go， and finally healing。 Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC of one of my most anticipated sequels this year！ ☀️ I am looking forward to what the author has to offer next 🫶🏼 。。。more
Of Pens and Swords
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Heart of the Sun Warrior， by Sue Lynn Tan， is the sequel to her masterful debut Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 In it， Xingyin， Liwei， Wenzhi， and many of the other characters from the first book face new dangers as political instability threatens the Celestial Kingdom and new evils emerge。Daughter of the Moon Goddess was easily one of my favorite reads all year， so I was really looking forward to this book。 That book had a wonderfully crafted plot and world， compelling characters， and was simply Heart of the Sun Warrior， by Sue Lynn Tan， is the sequel to her masterful debut Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 In it， Xingyin， Liwei， Wenzhi， and many of the other characters from the first book face new dangers as political instability threatens the Celestial Kingdom and new evils emerge。Daughter of the Moon Goddess was easily one of my favorite reads all year， so I was really looking forward to this book。 That book had a wonderfully crafted plot and world， compelling characters， and was simply amazing。 I wish that I could say the same for its sequel。The best thing about this book is easily the characters， though even those pale in comparison to themselves in the first book。 Xingyin is wonderful and I love her， though I didn't like her as much here as in the first book。 She seems less self-sufficient， weaker， and overall less herself。 Liwei and Wenzhi continue to be great， but I also feel like they aren't given much personality in the sequel。 I still love all of them， just not as much as I did in the first book。The actual quality of writing continues to be superb。 Tan's prose is compelling and readable， and Xingyin's point of view is rendered extremely well。 My largest issue is that the plot feels far too disjointed。 There are story threads that are important in the first third of the book but have no real bearing on the rest of it， while the central plot never really feels developed enough。 I had some trouble understanding why certain events were happening， and there were quite a few side-plots that took up a lot of page time but simply weren't that compelling or relevant。 Additionally， I didn't appreciate the return of the love triangle， which I thought had been resolved in the first book。 I never liked Wenzhi that much， so to have to deal with Xingyin's feelings for both of the love interests again felt tiring and like it was completely ignoring the events of Daughter of the Moon Goddess。Additionally， the ending simply did not live up to expectations for me。 It felt underwhelming， out-of-character， and somewhat inconsistent with the expectations and characterizations built up over the duology。Overall， despite having really high expectations for this book， and having adored Daughter of the Moon Goddess， I honestly cannot give Heart of the Sun Warrior any more than 3/5 stars。 Honestly， I would probably recommend that people just stop reading after the first book; the story wraps up reasonably well， and it truly is one of the best books I've read in a long time; the sequel， unfortunately， just doesn't live up to the legacy of its predecessor。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Tiffany Martin
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Exhilarating and soul stirring conclusion to what has now become my newest favorite duology！ *****SPOILER FREE REVIEW*****Writing this， without spoilers， will be hard but I’m doing it。 Truly wondrous high fantasy novel and I am rendered speechless。 My mind is swirling with thoughts about this incredible world and all the characters that I have come to love so much。 Having to say goodbye to them is bittersweet。 What a beautiful and heartwarming story based around Chinese Mythology。 It is also qui Exhilarating and soul stirring conclusion to what has now become my newest favorite duology！ *****SPOILER FREE REVIEW*****Writing this， without spoilers， will be hard but I’m doing it。 Truly wondrous high fantasy novel and I am rendered speechless。 My mind is swirling with thoughts about this incredible world and all the characters that I have come to love so much。 Having to say goodbye to them is bittersweet。 What a beautiful and heartwarming story based around Chinese Mythology。 It is also quite gut wrenching and emotional！ I found myself openly crying so many times while reading this。 I went through an entire thesaurus of emotions and it was great！ I felt like I lived the journey within these pages and didn’t merely read it。The world building is lush and vivid。 The immortal world of the Celestial Kingdom is described so astutely that you can actually see the colors and feel the weather！ It is enchanting and harsh， romantic and cruel。 I treasured every moment spent there！ Xingyin is a most fierce， determined， and headstrong mc。 She makes a lot of mistakes， has a ton of flaws， and yet she never gives up。 She’ll do anything for those she cares about。 I appreciated that about her。 I also now have two new favorite characters to add to my list but， no spoilers， so I won’t name them （yet）。 I was really drawn to several secondary characters as well。 And of course， if you like mythological creatures， this has dragons and phoenixes！ And it is not without some glorious magical battle scenes， too！ If you enjoy the political intrigue， shifting loyalties， revenge and love triangles tropes， this book has these in abundance！ I now have a new favorite love triangle story to sit alongside The Infernal Devices and Will， Tessa and Jem。 If you are usually wary of love triangles， don’t be！ This one is executed exquisitely！ This is a narrative about love， loss， grief and huge sacrifices。 It is also about friendship， strength， and hope。 It is definitely one to read if you like action packed， emotionally charged fantasy novels！ 。。。more
Jodie Moone
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I fell so hard for the first book， A Daughter of the Moon Goddess， that I wanted to pace myself through the sequel。 I wanted to savour it more than I did the first。I couldn’t。 And I tried really hard。 The moment I began reading， I wanted time and the world to pause so I didn’t have to stop reading。 Immediately， the world welcomes you。 The characters standing firmly off the page。 This sequel was everything I wanted， and I’m so happy it was a duology。 The love triangle， the world building， the ris I fell so hard for the first book， A Daughter of the Moon Goddess， that I wanted to pace myself through the sequel。 I wanted to savour it more than I did the first。I couldn’t。 And I tried really hard。 The moment I began reading， I wanted time and the world to pause so I didn’t have to stop reading。 Immediately， the world welcomes you。 The characters standing firmly off the page。 This sequel was everything I wanted， and I’m so happy it was a duology。 The love triangle， the world building， the risks！ The pacing throughout was well-balanced， and full of so many emotions I felt empty （in a good way） when I finished。 It was a book so full of difficult decisions， character growth and beautiful imagery that sweeps you off your feet。 The difficulties that Xingyin and the other characters faces in this were well explored。 This book focuses far more on the characters， and I was here for every paragraph。 I thought the ending was well-thought out and fitting， and as sad as I was for the books to end。 I can’t wait to begin them all over again。 I cannot wait to read the next thing Sue Lynn Tan’s writes， as their works has captured my heart and mind that I’ll read anything。Five stars。 A huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC。 I am forever in debt。 。。。more
Laroxs
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Just finished。 I loved it！ It's a very unique book。 The fist one caught， but this is one of my favorites。 I love how the book doesn't prolongue itself。 Everythig evolves in a good rythm。 And it is full of feelings。 It's really a masterpiece。 I'm looking forward for more os this amazing author。 Just finished。 I loved it！ It's a very unique book。 The fist one caught， but this is one of my favorites。 I love how the book doesn't prolongue itself。 Everythig evolves in a good rythm。 And it is full of feelings。 It's really a masterpiece。 I'm looking forward for more os this amazing author。 。。。more
Toya （the reading chemist）
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What a fantastic conclusion to this duology！
Karen
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This book ripped my heart out and put it back together multiple times。 There's only one thing that happened that I'm not sure I forgive the author for doing （though I can see why it was done） and a lot of the book was bittersweet。 And I'm quite satisfied with the ending。The first half of the book did seem to meander a bit as there wasn't a clear goal for Xingyin。 In the first book， the goal was to free her mother and although there were times when that goal was less clear for her， she always cam This book ripped my heart out and put it back together multiple times。 There's only one thing that happened that I'm not sure I forgive the author for doing （though I can see why it was done） and a lot of the book was bittersweet。 And I'm quite satisfied with the ending。The first half of the book did seem to meander a bit as there wasn't a clear goal for Xingyin。 In the first book， the goal was to free her mother and although there were times when that goal was less clear for her， she always came back to that and it was the momentum driving Xingyin and the story。 There's a smaller goal toward the beginning but that gets achieved fairly early on， and the larger goal isn't made clear until about the midway point， though I can see why the timing had to be as it was （more things had to happen first before that new goal became apparent--I'm being vague here to keep this spoiler free）。All in all， this is a solid duology with characters I cared about and a lot of character development， action （some quite intense）， and various relationships at its center。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Sarah
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Heart of the Sun Warrior is the equally stunning sequel to Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 This gorgeous story is the final book in her Chinese fantasy duology。 With her freedom threatened， Xingyin finds herself on the run with those she loves most from the sudden changes within the Celestial Kingdom。 Exploring the Immortal Realm， Xingyin encounters legendary creatures， adversaries， and various monarchs in a beautiful tale of Chinese mythology。 While Daugther of the Moon Goddess cen Heart of the Sun Warrior is the equally stunning sequel to Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 This gorgeous story is the final book in her Chinese fantasy duology。 With her freedom threatened， Xingyin finds herself on the run with those she loves most from the sudden changes within the Celestial Kingdom。 Exploring the Immortal Realm， Xingyin encounters legendary creatures， adversaries， and various monarchs in a beautiful tale of Chinese mythology。 While Daugther of the Moon Goddess centers on Xingyin’s growth as a warrior， Heart of the Sun Warrior focuses on love and sacrifice。 This sequel is heavier on the romance; the love triangle between Xingyin， Liwei， and and Wenzhi is much more satisfying and better developed than in Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 The author has a great talent for crafting imagery of the Celestial Kingdom， while writing in beautiful prose。 I really enjoyed this duology， I felt Tan masterfully handled the pacing of this two book set。 She has written a magical and enticing story worthy of those stunning book covers。 Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Michele Dancer
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In this second book of The Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology， inspired by Chinese mythology and fairy tales， Xingyin and her friends and family must do battle with an enemy they could never have imagined。 One that could mean the end of the Immortal and Mortal Realms and everyone they hold dear。 But defeating an enemy that dangerous involves risk， pain， and possibly the greatest sacrifice of all。This book was SO much better than the first！ Tan's writing has improved immeasurably from that one。 In this second book of The Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology， inspired by Chinese mythology and fairy tales， Xingyin and her friends and family must do battle with an enemy they could never have imagined。 One that could mean the end of the Immortal and Mortal Realms and everyone they hold dear。 But defeating an enemy that dangerous involves risk， pain， and possibly the greatest sacrifice of all。This book was SO much better than the first！ Tan's writing has improved immeasurably from that one。 It's sharp， crisp， clear， and a pleasure to read。 There is also a great deal of really beautiful imagery here。 She does the reader the favor of keeping her main characters together for almost the entire story， something which many authors just don't seem to grasp makes it much more likely that the reader will actually care about what's going on。 The battle scenes are exciting and suspenseful， and Tan brought me to tears with the characters she chose to kill off。 Most importantly， the love triangle which anchors the story was wonderfully well-written: romantic， surprising， and genuinely moving。I will actually miss spending time in the world Tan has created。This was a Goodreads win， so thank you to them and to Harper Voyager。 。。。more
G
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This book made me chuckle。 And this book made me cry。 And， when I finally read the last line， this book made me give a satisfied sighHeart of the Sun Warrior was just as enthralling as the first book in this duology。 The characters were compelling， the plot was simply chef's kiss。。。 And the conclusion。。。 Goodness that conclusion！ This book made me chuckle。 And this book made me cry。 And， when I finally read the last line， this book made me give a satisfied sighHeart of the Sun Warrior was just as enthralling as the first book in this duology。 The characters were compelling， the plot was simply chef's kiss。。。 And the conclusion。。。 Goodness that conclusion！ 。。。more
Kristin
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Heart of the Sun Warrior was one my most anticipated sequels of the last half of the year and it lived up to the majority of my expectations。This was a very quick， action packed book。 We move from one action sequence to the next with very little down time in between， and while this does lend itself to making it a quick read， it also is a little exhausting。 This story would have benefited from fleshing out the in-betweens a little more and giving us， as the reader， time to breathe and reflect on Heart of the Sun Warrior was one my most anticipated sequels of the last half of the year and it lived up to the majority of my expectations。This was a very quick， action packed book。 We move from one action sequence to the next with very little down time in between， and while this does lend itself to making it a quick read， it also is a little exhausting。 This story would have benefited from fleshing out the in-betweens a little more and giving us， as the reader， time to breathe and reflect on the events that happened。 That isn’t something that we really get until the end。 I would have loved it if this was broken up into a longer series。However， despite the pacing issues， I still loved this story and going back to the characters that we got to know in Daughter of the Moon Goddess。 The love triangle from the first book continues in this one， but I loved how it was handled。 There are interesting conversations about redemption， trust， and perception of right and wrong to be had when reading this。 The history books are written by the victors， after all。I eagerly await what Sue Lynn Tan publishes next。Thank you to NetGalley， Avon and Harper Voyager/Harper Voyager， and Sue Lynn Tan for an e-arc 。。。more
cece
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happy （us & canada） release day！ after reading both books in this duology， I’ve come to the conclusion that they were just not for me， and it's okay！ but lest people think I consider this is a bad book （which I don’t AT ALL） I’d rather not rate it。 regardless of my strictly personal feelings which may or may not be due to the fact that I might be in a reading…funk， I still fully appreciated reading about xingyin’s journey and especially loved sue lynn tan’s lush， gorgeous writing。 the celestial happy （us & canada） release day！ after reading both books in this duology， I’ve come to the conclusion that they were just not for me， and it's okay！ but lest people think I consider this is a bad book （which I don’t AT ALL） I’d rather not rate it。 regardless of my strictly personal feelings which may or may not be due to the fact that I might be in a reading…funk， I still fully appreciated reading about xingyin’s journey and especially loved sue lynn tan’s lush， gorgeous writing。 the celestial kingdom is a solid， beautiful fantasy duology and it deserves all the praise。thank you to harper reach for the ARC！ 。。。more
Kylie
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What a series finish。 Like in the first book， A LOT happened in this one。 I almost think this series could have been broken up into at least 3 books。 At the same time， I felt like a lot of this book felt almost like filler。 I felt like there were a lot of words in parts where not a lot was happening。 At the same time， the fight scenes were so long。 I did love the characters though。 Even if I didn't love the characters， they played their roles perfectly。 Xingyin really went through a journey in t What a series finish。 Like in the first book， A LOT happened in this one。 I almost think this series could have been broken up into at least 3 books。 At the same time， I felt like a lot of this book felt almost like filler。 I felt like there were a lot of words in parts where not a lot was happening。 At the same time， the fight scenes were so long。 I did love the characters though。 Even if I didn't love the characters， they played their roles perfectly。 Xingyin really went through a journey in this book。 She has the relief of saving her mother， but then we get a new villain and she has to be the hero again。 I think my favorite part about Xingyin is that she doesn't do things because she wants to be a hero。 She is scared of the things she needs to do， but she puts the safety of her loved ones above anything she is feeling。 The relationships she has with so many of the characters is so real and so deep。 She has such an inner struggle over who she loves。 She loves both Liwei and Wenzhi。 I honestly am not a fan of love triangles and this one got a little annoying。 I did like both Liwiei and Wenzhi， but when it came to Xingyin they both were a little much。 This book was packed full of things。 There were a lot of little things that added up to the big thing。 Most of the things were helpful and added to the overall plot。 There were a few pieces that I felt were kind of unnecessary。 It did flow together well as a whole， and the ending really wrapped things up perfectly for the characters and who they are。 We get the big climax， but there is still story left to finish off the series perfectly。 This is a really well done duology。 It feels like a complete story with extremely likeable characters and a full plot。 Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Barb Lie
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Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan is the 2nd book in her Celestial Kingdom Duology。 Heart of the Sun Warrior starts a year later from where it left off in the first book。 Xingyin has recovered from her injuries， and is happy to have returned home with her mother （now free） on the Moon。 The love triangle between Xingyin-Liwei- Wenzhi continues to escalate， especially when Liwei visits her on the Moon often， and Wenzhi is determined to prove that he loves her， and learned from his previous Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan is the 2nd book in her Celestial Kingdom Duology。 Heart of the Sun Warrior starts a year later from where it left off in the first book。 Xingyin has recovered from her injuries， and is happy to have returned home with her mother （now free） on the Moon。 The love triangle between Xingyin-Liwei- Wenzhi continues to escalate， especially when Liwei visits her on the Moon often， and Wenzhi is determined to prove that he loves her， and learned from his previous wrongdoings。 To Xingyin’s shock， she learns that her father is still alive， though in the mortal realm; but he returns to the Moon to see C’hang and Xingyin。 Her peaceful time is shortened， as a new threat to the realm has been discovered， threatening all of immortal and mortal realms。 Xingyin is forced to leave her home again， when her mother was sent to prison， and Xingyin must find a way to save her。 The Celestial Emperor has been overcome by evil， and the throne is now been usurped by the terrible Wugang， who is now in charge。 Xingyin and her companions， which include， Liwei， Wenzhi， her father， and others to convince other realms to join the fight and save the world。 What follows is an exciting， tense， emotional， action filled attempt to stop an evil being and his army of death。 There is so much going on in the last third of the book， as I held my breath as to who will survive， against the devastation of terror that threatens the realms。 To say too much more would be spoilers and you really need to read this without me spoiling it for you。 I did enjoy Xingyin’s feelings toward both Liwei and Wenzhi， but the love triangle was somewhat bittersweet。 Heart of the Sun Warrior was a fantastic duology with an amazing conclusion。 The Celestial Kingdom was a excellent high fantasy that was set in Asian mythology， with a wonderful heroine， and great secondary characters， villains， excellent world building and action-packed adventures。 Sue Lynn Tan wrote a magnificent， intriguing， captivating story， which was so very well written。BarbThe Reading Cafe 。。。more
wob
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Honestly， in the first book， both the love interests were boring。 I didn't understand why Xingyin had feelings for either love interest， especially Wenzhi。In this book， the romance heated up。 I love that Wenzhi didn't just become some sidelined character， but instead， he got to really， really shine in this book。 He proved that was worthy of redemption and love。"But I have looked in the mirror since， and not liked what I saw。 I have changed， if you would only see that。"He stepped closer， his slee Honestly， in the first book， both the love interests were boring。 I didn't understand why Xingyin had feelings for either love interest， especially Wenzhi。In this book， the romance heated up。 I love that Wenzhi didn't just become some sidelined character， but instead， he got to really， really shine in this book。 He proved that was worthy of redemption and love。"But I have looked in the mirror since， and not liked what I saw。 I have changed， if you would only see that。"He stepped closer， his sleeve grazing mine， his voice deepening with intensity。 "Believe this， then—for I swear it upon my family， my kingdom， and my honor。 When I won the crown and lost you， it was a hollow victory。 I regretted all that was lost between us， all I had destroyed—for nothing was worth losing you。"The light in his eyes rivaled that of the moon。 "I would give it all up for you， if you would only ask。"This is one of the few books where the main character ends up with the original antagonist。 As we know， Wenzhi betrayed Xingyin for his own goals at the expense of her chance to save her mother， ultimately making him the antagonist of the first book。 In this book， Wenzhi took responsibility over his selfish betrayal in the first book， put himself on the line again and again to regain Xingyin's trust， all while respecting Xingyin's feelings even though she was leaning toward Liwei for most of the book。 He fought alongside her and supported her， but he also challenged her beliefs and decisions when necessary。 I love that he's not another Rhysand。"You would lie to her but not steal？" Wenzhi's eyes blazed。 "Xingyin， what is honor to your life？"I also really loved the natural progression of Xingyin's feelings of resentment toward Wenzhi slowly transforming into trust， then finally， at the last minute， love。 The time it took for her to forgive him matched the gravity of his betrayal， and each time they interacted， the dialogue was intentional and straight to the point。I would highly recommend this to someone who wants to see a redemption arc within a story that's not centered around redemption。 Or anyone that wanted Zutara to be a thing。 。。。more
Dana
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Last year’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year。 I really loved Xingyin’s journey to free her mother the Moon Goddess。 The sequel give us more of this amazing heroine as she battles to save her family， their home and even the fate of the empire。 If you like a story with lots of perilous quests， twisting adventure and fabulous battle scenes… this story is for you。 We get much more of the intricate character driven story of these Chinese based mythological Last year’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year。 I really loved Xingyin’s journey to free her mother the Moon Goddess。 The sequel give us more of this amazing heroine as she battles to save her family， their home and even the fate of the empire。 If you like a story with lots of perilous quests， twisting adventure and fabulous battle scenes… this story is for you。 We get much more of the intricate character driven story of these Chinese based mythological characters in book two。 The battle scenes definitely rival those of Kuang’s Poppy War series。 I would not consider these books spicy in any way， but the love triangle between Xingyin， Liwei and Wenzhi gets even more complicated。I really enjoyed this extension of the Chang’e story and getting to know more about Xingyin’s history。 The magical elements and creatures of this one are just as unique and interesting as the previous story。 Boy， did I not predict how Xingyin’s love life would go either… she finds herself more of a pawn than ever as she tries to save the realm from a very dangerous usurper。 The emotions as Xingyin navigates her foes and her two suitors are heavy。 The ending was definitely not what I expected but I really loved the storytelling。Thanks to Harper Voyager via Netgalley for access to this novel。 All opinions above are my own。 。。。more
lilan ♥ | Ever After Bookshelf
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🌟 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐💫 3。5/5▪️ A bit disappointed with this book honestly because the characterization is too much of a teenage romance one。。。 I felt characterization was stronger/more mature in the first book。 The conflict， mythology and worldbuilding still shines though， so if you like that then this book is just up your alley！💭 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔☀️ The worldbuilding and description of magic artifacts are as lush and fantastic as ever。 The description is very vivid and very much reminiscent of Chinese period d 🌟 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐💫 3。5/5▪️ A bit disappointed with this book honestly because the characterization is too much of a teenage romance one。。。 I felt characterization was stronger/more mature in the first book。 The conflict， mythology and worldbuilding still shines though， so if you like that then this book is just up your alley！💭 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔☀️ The worldbuilding and description of magic artifacts are as lush and fantastic as ever。 The description is very vivid and very much reminiscent of Chinese period drama！ Conflict while more straightforward is still good with some twist and turn along the way。☀️ While I really like Xingyin's characterization in the first book， in the second book her characterization felt a bit like a petulant and fickle teenager。 She's also very prickly （tsundere） towards Wenzhi， which makes me roll my eyes a bit☀️ I also lost some respect of how Wenzhi is characterized here。 In the first book he was a mastermind and has strong ambition to help his homeland， but here essentially he's willing to throw that away？ Only for Xingyin？ Also didn't help that I felt their relationship unfolds mostly off screen in the 1st book， so I can't really buy his infatuation towards Xingyin☀️ Liwei is the best character but unfortunately a bit sidelined to make way for Wenzhi's redemption arc。 I can't understand the dilemma Xingyin has towards being together with Liwei honestly， since both Liwei and Wenzhi are crown princes of their respective kingdom。 The ending， while not as I hoped， does feel complete and satisfactory in a way。✨lilan ♥ | 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒇 | Bookstagram | Goodreads 。。。more
Lila
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RTC
rosie
，
Heart of the Sun Warrior’ is a beautiful and fulfilling sequel to ‘Daughter of the Moon Goddess’ a book which I adored upon reading。 This book is a perfect ending to the duology and was just as good as the first which is always something you hope for with a sequel but never quite expect - if you loved the first book you will definitely love this！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Heart of the Sun Warrior
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Heart of the Sun Warrior&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft