Heart of the Sun Warrior: The SUNDAY TIMES bestselling sequel to the epic DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS: Book 2 (The Celestial Kingdom Duology)

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One of the things I loved the most about Daughter of the Moon Goddess was the way I could not predict what was going to happen. It was a high action fantasy which enthralled me. And the sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior was the same way. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts. Summary I told myself not to go again, for it was a cruel torment - one I could not resist. To feel both relief and disappointment on the days I did not see you, elated and desolate whenever I did.” Excellent, excellent book but I’m pretty sure my blood pressure has been through the roof the past 3 days 😂 At the same time, I loved how Heart of the Sun Warrior deeply explores Xingyin and what she wants. The fact that the court still won’t accept her and her mother wounds her deeply, but can they ever get through it to be with the one she loves? As someone who has often felt on the outside, it is such a vulnerable and isolating position to be in. Throughout this theme, Heart of the Sun Warrior examines the nature of stories. Not only who gets to be the victor in the end, but also who gets to tell the story.

Heart of the Sun Warrior: The SUNDAY TIMES bestselling sequel Heart of the Sun Warrior: The SUNDAY TIMES bestselling sequel

Why is the worldbuilding still so shoddy? Why does the immortal realm feel so tiny? How do the powers even work? Why is everyone able to just summon a cloud and travel wherever they want? Why do they conveniently forget this fact whenever it could be useful? What is the mortal realm? Is it only ancient China? Just as, "A life without love was a night without stars" a world without books is a dream without words.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 hope, that you might find some joy in them again.” thank you to netgalley and avon and harper voyager for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Xingyin feels like a different character. She faces many battles in her quest to save the Celestial Kingdom. However I never really felt she was in any danger. Everything wraps up very conveniently and you just know nothing bad is really going to happen to her. Even when there is a death it never really seems to affect anyone and its more just a plot device to move to the next location. The writing in this book is just as lyrical and beautiful as the first, but it’s definitely more fluff than plot in this book. However, some of the dialogue didn’t flow and felt very unrealistic/unrelatable. There were numerous duplicate/repetitive moments and sentences where it made you feel like you were re-reading by accident. There were huge chunks from DOTMG repeated throughout this book. As a result, I felt absolutely no emotions from the characters, and everything felt like it didn’t have any actual weight to the story. My biggest disappointment with the writing is how such dynamic characters as Liwei (Emperor of the Celestial Kingdom), Wenzhi (King of the Mind Magic Kingdom), and her father (Infamous Slayers of the 9 Sun Birds) are depicted as useless, dumb man-children who exist solely for Xingyin’s protection and bidding. Though a beautiful, heartfelt story on the whole, be prepared because you will definitely find yourself crying at many points. Poor Xingyin goes through heartache again and again, and I’d happily read a book where she simply gets to be happy after these two! If anyone deserves a lovely little family life, it’s definitely her.

REVIEW: Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. 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. Review 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?Can’t wait for the next Celestial Kingdom novel! Even though the characters are new, I HOPE Xingyin, Wenzhi, and Liwei will make appearances! On a positive note, I did really enjoy a step into a more grey, ambiguous morality from the noblebright foundation that the first book laid out. The world building and Sue Lynn Tan’s ability to make Chinese mythology real and tangible is very much admired. To say I am surprised by the depth of my feelings for this story would be a lie. I could feel the under currents of talent in every word Sue Lynn Tan wrote in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. To still be sitting in awe over what I experienced, that's what I am surprised by.