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

Product Information

Because power has the ability to corrupt and favors transform into something else. So who is telling the story becomes even more important. Heart of the Sun Warrior tells a story about the cost of revenge and price of forgiveness. Additionally, I adored the love triangle in Heart of the Sun Warrior. How these characters represent futures and possibilities to Xingyin. Not only that, but it also delves into the kind of person she would be, could become, with these characters. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*** There was a love triangle in this book which I don't mind but it felt like that was the only story it was trying to tell - everything else felt like an after thought. It almost felt like the author decided on a whim to expand this series. Liwei and Wenzhi lose their individual personalities to become shadows of their previous selves. In Book 1, Liwei was the joyful, boyish golden retriever whilst Wenzhi was the mature knowledgeable one. Now, they are interchangeable in every way. Their dialogue, actions and stupidity are exactly the same.

The fakeout at the end was such a cop-out. The way death is portrayed in this series makes me mad to no end. Xingyin and Chang'e both experience terrible personal losses but instead of learning to get over their grief they yearn and sob until they discover that those who died are conveniently alive for no well explained reason and now they are happy again! While on the topic of love, I was hoping for more from Xingyin’s parents. Their return to one another felt like filler where it could’ve been used as a very strong guide for Xingyin to decide on a love. Her mother felt even more weak and more unnecessary in this book which is a huge disappointment. I was really hoping to see a stronger bond between mother and daughter. I also really wanted to see Xingyin’s relationship with her father, his connection to the dragons, and their connections with the jade bow develop into a strong story. With all the beauty and heartbreak of a Chinese fantasy drama, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an enchanting joy from start to finish.” This book is about so much more than a girls choice between two boys. If you're looking for a love triangle done the right way, it's right here. To see Xingyin work through her feelings for Liwei and Wenzhi while also suffering all different kinds of heart break is powerful beyond measure. She believes she can't forgive and trust, she believes she will never be enough, she recognizes that at some point her choice shouldn't be based on words, but action. 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?I also found the pacing really difficult I can see why people have decided to put this book down, it doesn't flow nicely from chapter to chapter it seems to bounce around and never really settle. There were some repetitive moments/sentences too. Heart of the Sun Warrior – set my heart ablaze . . . The Celestial Kingdom duology is phenomenal. It has unique characters, intricate storytelling, strong worldbuilding, and a beautiful romance to boot. I am sad to close the book on Xingyin’s story, but I will look to the future and be ready to read anything Sue Lynn Tan writes.” — The Quill to Live That said, there were some things that I didn’t love about this. Some of which I will put in spoilers.

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.

Review

I think that Sue Lynn Tan's writing is absolutely stunning - it's lyrical and descriptive, but if there's one thing that she truly excels at, it's an action scene, which I feel like isn't a combination that you see very often. The pacing of this book is, in my opinion, much faster than the first book - I think a common complaint that I've seen of DOTMG is that the first half the book is too slow, and I think if you were one of those people, you'll be much happier with this book. The pacing is very similar to the second half of DOTMG, and it's just non-stop, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but it works really well here. Xingyin loses what little braincells she had and makes some of the most ridiculous decisions for the sake of plot. She does not develop as a character in the slightest as everything falls into place for her. Also, could she not shut her mouth in dangerous situations for TWO SECONDS??? Xingyin may be amongst the worst protagonists I've encountered in the genre AND THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING. This book is not for the light-hearted, nor the hopeful. It's a book testing your ability to withstand anything the world throws at you. Every time my heart felt like it had a break, every time I relaxed, I lost someone new. Someone I didn't think I could ever lose. Tan plays with every emotion, and she doesn't try to heal it. She doesn't make it better. 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. Xingyin asks herself, "Was my heart strong enough to shatter again?" and I found myself thinking that she was. After finishing, I wondered why that was my first instinct. I wondered why I didn't hesitate to believe she would get up, that she would continue moving forward. If she reflects a part of me, why would I say she would continue to move forward when if someone asked the same about me, I would never have so much belief in myself?

What in the Disney? What about the original tale of Chang'e, where Houyi took his own life in despair? Who is this grouchy old man too cowardly to approach his wife and cold to his daughter?Liwei was done so wrong in this book! The love triangle felt like what would have happened if Bella chose Jacob instead of Edward. I hated this triangle, the romance between Wenzhi and Xingyin. It felt gross, wrong, and not real at all. I did not feel anything for these two except disappointment. The emotions I had for Xingyin and Liwei went deep and seeing them reunite in DOTMG was so rewarding. Now seeing all of that turn on its head juts makes me sad. There is an actual scene in the middle of the book where Xingyin fights with Liwei, putting his engagement to Fengmei on the same level as Wenzhi's betrayal. What. The. Hell?

This epic fantasy series based on Chinese mythology is one of the year's best fantasies.” — Buzzfeed Xingyin needs to stop this evil raising in expanse of sacrificing her life as Liwei and Wenzhi fight beside her!

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. There were times when a group of characters were together, then Shuxiao would say something and I had to remind myself who she was. Her friendship with Xingyin in Book 1 was terribly developed and the result was glaring.