HEART OF THE SUN WARRIOR is a betrayal-filled tale of resistance and deciding what you are going to do in the face of loss.

There is plenty of loss in this book, both through death and letting go of things that had been close to you before. (While it was sad there were a lot of deaths, it was also nice to have a real cost to the actions and danger facing them!) The villain is also acting out of grief twisted into hatred, which was a great mirror to how Xingyin deals with grief, a warning for what she could be if she lets it fester.

It is another gorgeously written book, focusing this time on the tensions between realms and the machinations of the book's villain. Where DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS was a series of small challenges (fights against various foes, like in a video game), this book was one continual enemy and all the attempts to defeat them.

The ending did not go where I expected, which was interesting and also lead to a long denouement. It fits Xingyin's arc over the book, the decisions she makes and the things she discovers for herself, but it was still interesting not to get the ending I'd been expecting since about 200 pages into the first book. (It was only in about the last five pages that I went "OK, we're not getting that then!")

While HEART OF THE SUN WARRIOR is technically a duology finale, it feels very much like a standalone. Other than the continuation of romantic arcs, the plot is entirely contained within this book, just like in DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS. It's very satisfying to read nicely wrapped up book while staying with the same characters as before, just new threats.

Another book set in this world has been announced, a standalone with a new narrator. I am looking forward to it.

A solid 4.5!

“For we were complex creatures of shades of gray, capable of wonderful and terrible things … of change, because our natures were not fixed like the stars in the sky but flowing as the river toward an unknown horizon."

Sue Lynn Tan is now part of the very select club of author I would die only to read the grocery list. I am a really hard reader when it comes to sequel because I don't like the feeling some books gave me: to be a bit shallow. Heart of the sun warrior was everything BUT shallow. It's actionned-packed, heart-warming, and addictive.

Here too we find some mythology element which I found very interesting. This sequel was almost as equally enticing as Daughter of the moon goddess! Choices were made, vengence was planned, sacrifices were the only options. I haven't been into a duology like this for a long time! I highly recommand it to you if you like mythology, especially chinese mythology, plot, supernatural, and just fantady! The writing is so good it will keep you entertained until the very last letter.

Thank you Sue Lynn Tan, you even made me love love triangle (and suffer from it, but you're forgiven)

I read the daughter of the moon goddess at the start of the year and I was obsessed.
I couldn't wait to continue the story. I was intrigued to see how the story could continue as DOTMG could have been a stand alone.
I was not disappointed at all! I really love how the characters continued to grow and develop.
The ending! Oh that has my heart!

I would definitely recommend this duology to everyone.

These books are everything to me. Chinese mythology, political intrigue, a strong female main character, what more would you want? These books are beautiful and an absolute joy to read.

While the mythology is probably my favourite part and have made me want to learn more about the myths that inspired the story, I want to talk most here about the writing. To me the writing is perfect. It describes things in such a richly detailed and invocative way so that you can picture the scene so clearly. I had to stop several times just to reread stuff and appreciate the beauty of the text.

I also loved the political intrigue, how there were so many different factors and Xingyin had to navigate all the loyalties and conflicts between the different nations while working to save the world.

I will be an avid reader of whatever Sue Lynn Tan writes next and I will definitely be rereading these books over and over again.

Not a fan of love triangles. I loved the first book but this one just fell a bit short on being as good for me (that will be the love triangle) still this is an amazingly written book. The Chinese Mthology in this Duology is beautifully written and I would highly recommend.

When I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess as an ARC last year, I knew I had found a new auto-buy author in Sue Lynn Tan. So when Heart of the Sun Warrior was announced, I preordered it and requested the arc. After reading the book, I can say I adore this duology. Tan created a wonderful world in the Celestial Kingdom and her stunning description of the places made me want to visit them. I enjoyed being back with Xingyin and everyone else. For me personally, this book feels more impactful because of Xingyin's character arc and her development in the course of this book.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is a beautiful tale and I'll treasure it forever.

An exciting read, full of magic, battles and the importance and impact of relationships. I enjoyed this book and seeing how the main character developed from the first book. I did find the chapters a bit long and some parts a bit slow but other than that a good book!

Had read the prequel and was exhilarated after going throt chapters after chapters. This one too does not feel short of the exhilaration! Loved reading the book!

The stunning conclusion to the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. This book did not disappoint. I was hooked once more from the beginning! I didn't expect the twists that came! The ending, whilst it wasn't what I hoped it to be, was amazing and perfect! I can't wait to read more books in this world!

I really enjoyed the first book of this duology so went into this one thinking it would be just as good as the first one. Whilst I enjoyed the sequel I felt like it was lacking something that I couldn't put my finger on.

The author does a really good job of setting the scene and writing.

I gave the story 3 out of 5 stars, it was very well written and I liked that it wasn’t clear which of the male leads held more sway with Xingyin but this was also the reason why I wasn’t satisfied – confusing right? Sometimes emotions aren’t so easily put in one box, this is one of the lessons that this story teaches.

This is a gorgeous sequel by Sue Lynn Tan which just has you feeling every emotion. It is such an enchanting story, it reads like a fairytale but with the badass female main character we aspire to be. The fights are intense, the heist had me feeling like I was holding my breath and the love triangle was just executed perfectly. Let’s not forget how many tears I shed reading this!

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review. I also have the Waterstones exclusive edition which is stunning.

So grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me access to the eARC of this.

This was an excellent follow up to 'Daughter of the Moon Goddess' and closed out the duology well, in my opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading, though it absolutely broke my heart in places! I was so attached to practically all of the recurring characters, that any loss or harm to them felt incredibly real. But by the end, at least, everyone had some closure, and I loved the direction that Sue Lynn Tan decided to go with in terms of finishing this novel. It was unexpected, but nonetheless enjoyable, and I was pleased with the decisions that were made ultimately.

From the first book, I was really enveloped and interested in the journeys of the characters and the stories that were being told. Anything mythology/fable based is right up my street, and I loved how excellent the author is at bringing the stories to life in a way that many others can't. The writing is beautiful but also accessible; definitely a good place to start for young adult readers who want to dip their toes into fantasy.

I gave it a 4/5 stars because I did prefer the first book, and I did feel that the length of this one was unnecessary in places - some chapters/pages tended to add little but beautiful writing with no real necessity for what was being written or said, and I admittedly did find myself skimming a bit due to this! I have no issues with lengthy books, but sometimes, a book feels long for the sake of it. Parts of this felt like that to me.

Another beautifully written book by the wonderful sue Lynn tan, her books are always an absolute joy to read, and never fail to make it into my top ten books the year, I would highly recommend this wonderful book, I look forward to the next book .

I loved Heart of the Sun Warrior! So glad I could dive back into this world, the Celestial Kindgom sounds so magical and Xingyin is one of my favourite characters in a mythical fantasy book.

HoTSW picks up quickly after Daughter of the Moon Goddess and it was easy to slip back into the story. My heart broke and soared in equal measure reading Xingyins tale, I'm content with the conclusion but I wouldn't say no to a third book!

I particularly loved Xingyins maturity and approach to all her adversities, she's just so damn cool although we definitely saw a slip in that calm composure as she approached the final showdown. I also want to say how much I loved her relationship with her mother, it was so sweet and the things they did for each other was so beautiful.

This was a very fast paced, exciting read. It was great to be back in this world. Tan is able to create an engaging, whimsical world that is full to the brim with characters, lore, culture, twists and turns.

On the flip side, because of the speed of the whole book, I felt there was a lack of character development and I couldn’t fully understand a few decisions that were being made. My frustrations were mostly with our main girl- some lingering questions should have been answered sooner to help further the plot.

I enjoyed the ending- it left a lot to the imagination, but was able to leave us a sweet spot with questions having been answered. Overall, this didn’t quite live up to the first book for me, however it was a satisfying conclusion and I would recommend this duology to fantasy readers.

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! WOW! WOW! This is hands down my favourite series ever and potentially my two favourite books this year!

Firstly thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

For a debut series, Sue Lynn Tan has hit this out of the park!! It is amazingly fantastic. The Chinese mythology, the depth of the characters, the happiness, the love, the turmoil, the creativeness of the writing. I was desperate to read this and I am so so so pleased I had the chance.

I was heartbroken at the end but what an ending! Amazing!! I can't praise this enough.

This authors writing is so beautiful and lyrically descriptive, I love it! This books pacing and plot did feel a bit off at times but overall a good conclusion to this duology.

As always I want to start by saying that I was given an ARC copy of this to review via Netgalley. My review is honest and left voluntarily. #NetGalley #Gifted #HarperCollins #HeartofTheSunWarrior #SueLynnTan

Heart of the Sun Warrior is the brilliant conclusion to the Celestial Kingdom Duology and while I am not sure it fully lives up to the first installment Daughter of the Moon Goddess it was still a brilliant conclusion. The Celestial Kingdom Duology is a deeply enchanting fantasy tale with a heart-warming undertone and beautifully entwined with Chinese mythology.

The way Sue Lynn Tan writes is beautiful and fits the fantasy theme so well. I enjoyed further following Xingyin’s journey and how she overcomes twists and turns along the way. One thing I did enjoy in this novel was the focus on the characters. We see a lot more of their relationships with each other and how events affect this. I was not fully sold on the romantic parts but I think that is more my own preference than anything else.

Heart of the Sun Warrior continues more than just the tradition of beautiful, flowing writing, with twists and turns within the novel and the occasional easter egg here and there which was also enjoyable. The pacing I found suited the kind of story it is as well and didn’t make me lose interest.

All in all this was a wonderful conclusion to the duology and I cannot wait to see what Tan brings us next.

Heart of the Sun Warrior is the sequel to Sue Lynn Tan’s stunning debut Daughter of the Moon Goddess. After succeeding in her task of freeing her mother, HOTSW follows Xingyin as she attempts to save her home from a devastating new threat.
This sequel certainly lives up to it’s former in terms of writing style and prose. The writing is striking and descriptive and the book as a whole felt magical. It is a testament to Tan’s writing that you really feel for these characters and I teared up at several moments whilst reading. I sympathised with Xingyin and truly began to hate the villain (I won’t say for spoilers). The plot twist with the reveal was breath-taking and I was truly shocked. The character growth was good and I found Xingyin continued to mature, as she did in DOTMG. I also loved that we got to see more of this stunning world, especially the visit under the sea. I would like this to be explored further in the next book.
However, I still didn’t enjoy the love triangle. It felt very forced and Xingyin seemed to change her mind depending on who she was talking to at that exact moment. I personally would have preferred she stay with Liwei. I also feel DOTMG should have stayed a standalone with the sequel(s) following other characters, like Shuxiao. I was surprised at how little Xingyin’s mother appeared in the book; I would have expected her to have a more pivotal role. Furthermore, this book is quite long, as was the first, but I felt the conclusion was dragged out over too many chapters to be a completely satisfying ending.
Overall, I loved the writing style and the world building, but the romance and also to an extent the plot just didn’t do it for me. I think I prefer DOTMG as a standalone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the digital review copy.