Heart of the Sun Warrior: A Novel (Celestial Kingdom, 2)

WHAT AN ENDING! Sue Lynn Tan don't owe me NOTHING!I'm struggling to put my feelings into words right now, just moments after finishing the tumultuous events of the last 100 or so pages of this one. I cried so many times due to pain, loss, remembrance, joy, hope, love - it was an emotional roller coaster that practically gave me whiplash.Xingyin has returned to her home on the moon, at peace again now that she has earned her mother her freedom. A startling discovery one evening unveils a great mystery surrounding the laurel grove - one that has attracted some very power hungry immortals. After an attack on their home on the moon, Xingyin and her mother flee to the Immortal Realm, hoping to find someone who will shelter them. Xingyin is forced into court politics in exchange for safe harbor, which also means alliances with those she would prefer to shoot with her bow.Then a danger emerges that threatens both the Immortal AND Mortal realms: magic that has been perverted to create unholy terrors....terrors that are nigh impossible to overcome. Xingyin and her allies must find a way to destroy this evil before it wipes out everyone and everything she loves.The last third of this book is what saved it and had it squeak into the 4 star range. (I respect that star ratings mean different things to different readers, but 4 stars for me means that while I loved it, it had a thing or two I think could have been done better or done without. That's my subjective opinion, other readers might find those things to be their favorite parts.)A large chunk of the book had me thinking to myself that DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS should have been a standalone. Then Sue Lynn Tan worked her magic and changed my mind with the beauty of how she concluded this Chinese mythological tale. Until it clicked with me and changed my mind, I frankly was reading it only because I love the writing style of the author. There was a large focus on the love triangle aspect that I did not enjoy...at least, not at first. Upon reflection after finishing the book, the three people involved in the triangle didn't enjoy it either: it was filled with pain and tragedy. When I realized this, I began dialing in on what these characters were going through, their thoughts and emotions - actions they took for each other, while also at times giving in to their own selfishness. It was so human - love isn't perfect, it's messy and full of ups and downs.I had hoped to find this one as action packed as the first, but that was not the case. This story felt more to me like I was sitting at the feet of Xingyin, as she recounted the story of her past, for this one was more of a tell instead of show. I don't typically care for stories told in that fashion, but again, Sue Lynn Tan held me entranced with her lyrical prose. I think character driven readers will enjoy the focus on the characters and their relationships to one another.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a beautiful sequel to the first and transported you to another world. While there are great battles and big villains, the heart of this story is in the relationships both with others and with the main character herself. The story is really about her and her journey to understand herself while saving the world. I found it really moving and love that the author didn’t shy away from hard moments, which is why I can really only describe it as beautiful. Would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy but wants something more than your standard love triangle.

I cannot rave about this book enough. It is beautifully written, the world is wonderfully described, the characters are completely fleshed out and understood, and the story is absolutely enticing. I was enchanted from cover to cover and devoured this book in three days. I recommend this series to everyone who asks me for book recommendations.

I cried when it was over...I didn't want the sweeping feeling that this adventure took me on. Seriously, best SciFi I've read in a while...

This is second part of the duology, and it is as entrancing as the first, perhaps even better. While the first has a series of tasks, this unites the heroes against a common implacable foe and the trials and tribulations are well written and entertaining. There is still a conflict between rival lovers and the choice is surprising and to me a bit disappointing but well done and consistent with the strong characters

This book and “Daughter of the Moon Goddess” are some of the BEST books I’ve read in a long time! I was blown away. Fantastic read!

How do I find the words to convey the beauty and magnificence of this series? This series completely touched my heart and fully surprised me. I haven't read anything like it before! The pacing is fast and tense, the characters have incredible growth throughout, and the writing is perfection in every way.Heart of the Sun Warrior did not disappoint. It is a worthy sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess, taking the story to new heights. There are greater consequences and plot twists that create lots of tension. The love triangle is so expertly explored in this book as well; I didn't know which way I was leaning for most of the book. But I think my favorite part was the character growth. Each character had their own things to learn: forgiveness, strength, respect, bravery, overcoming grief, unconditional love. I marked so many passages of life lessons to learn from this book.Without a doubt, this is my favorite fantasy series and one I will return to again. PLEASE read this series! Especially if you love Chinese folklore, dragons, hidden identity, well-done love triangles, enchantments, strong family bonds, monster battles, and exquisite writing.Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5Plot/Movement: 5Character Development: 5Overall: 5Thank you, Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for the ARC.Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, death, kidnapping, kisses

A wonderful sequel to Daughters of the Moon Goddess. While not quite at the same level as the first book I still absolutely loved it. It explores much darker themes of loss and forgiveness. I have to give huge credit to Tan, I had no idea how she was going to resolve the love triangle in a way that felt satisfying and natural but she did! This book brought me to tears and towards the end I was quite unhappy about some of the choices and not sure how they could be resolved, but once again Tan surprised me and the ending was absolutely perfect.

Heart of The Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan.I loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and was excited to begin reading this. I was also sad knowing The Celestial Kingdom was only a duology. Did it wrap up the books in a satisfactory way?I felt it really did. Xingyin was again a powerhouse of a character from the opening pages to the last.Of course we also have the uncertainty of how Xingyin resolves the Wenzhi, Liwei dilemma. I personally loved it, as it felt right for Xingyin's character, especially after all the growth she has gone through. Of course, there will be others who would prefer a different outcome, but I think overall Sue Lynn Tan has done it in such a way, even if this wasn't your preference it wouldn't jar too much.Heart of The Sun Warrior once again brought us love, sacrifice, angst, old foes, and a new villain to bring in a freshness to the storyline, and a whole lot more.Again, the writing is expansive and really immersed me into all spects of the story. The political intrigue was detailed enough to be relevant, but wasn't bogged down on it. The action sequences felt vibrant and well done. Xingyin has to do a l9t of self reflection throughout the book, that also was well paced and nicely balanced.If I had one complaint I felt Chang'e didn't quite evolve as I'd hoped, but that's a personal preference and no reflection on the writing.The ending was fantastic. Again it felt right not just for the book, but the duology as a whole.A book I will undoubtedly read more than once.An easy 5/5 stars from me. If you love Daughter of the Moon Goddess, you'll undoubtedly love Heart of The Sun Warrior.If you haven't read either, I'd highly recommend both.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow , what can I say? This second installment did not disappoint at all. I read it in one sitting , I couldn't put it down. I re read the moon godess yesterday ( 12/11/22 ) just to refresh myself as read a while ago. With out giving anything away I would love to know what happens after the end. Maybe just a small novella? The twists and turns kept me gripped all the way through. Power struggles , faults on all sides , love and loss. Again beautiful detail and world building. Thank you so much for a totally spell binding story.

This was a great book adding to the sequel! However at times I felt scenes were rushed, especially the ending. In that case, the first novel to the duology was more detailed and thorough. The deaths of certain main characters came sudden and without much feeling written into them almost (maybe just my interpretation?. It is nice though that it ended somewhat on a cliffhanger and you can hope for another sequel.

Another great book by this author

I loved the first book, daughter of the moon Goddess.But sadly the second book was a big disappointment for me.Xingyin the main Charakter has like no character development and the forced love story / love triangle is annoying me a lot.I am really sad that the second books plot is like that.It feels rushed and I sometimes doubt that Xingyin even uses her "smart brain" .So many people die and it's sad cause she is so ignorant and behaves like she didn't learn anything in the time before.It's extremely frustrating to read such a bad character development.