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Heart of the Sun Warrior Book Review

We return to the Celestial Kingdom in Heart of the Sun Warrior, where even greater trials with even higher stakes are of the great archer Xingyin's concern. Not only is her family threatened, but that of the entire Immortal Realm, and it is up to her to save the kingdom—and for readers, that means we are waiting with bated breath to see how (not if) she'll pull it off. 

Sue Lynn Tan writes fantasy inspired by the myths and legends she fell in love with as a child. Born in Malaysia, she studied in London and France before settling in Hong King with her family. Her love for stories began with a gift from her father, a compilation of fairy tales from around the world, and she spent much of her childhood lost in magical realms. When not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring the hills, lakes, and temples around her home. Find her online at suelynntan.com. Find more of my reviews of her work here. 

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 her 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. 

I read and reviewed an e-ARC of this novel. Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!

Everything we love about Daughter of the Moon Goddess comes back in full force in Heart of the Sun Warrior. One of the greatest parts of this duology is how there's such a focus on family. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a story of a daughter fighting her way back to her mother; in Heart of the Sun Warrior, the same daughter is fighting her way through the world for her family, as it has greatly expanded past her mother after all of those she's encountered. Tan is able to build a world that feels wide, and also feels close-knit through the connections Xingyin builds with the other characters, crafting a story about family and the types of families people create, join, or are born into. This creates a story that is both an adventurous fantasy and a heartwarming journey of growth.

My favorite part of Heart of the Sun Warrior is the way Tan brings back the love triangle. I love how Daughter of the Moon Goddess could stand alone in this regard, how one could set the book down and not question Xingyin's, Liwei's or Wenzhi's decisions towards one another. Yet I was curious, because I felt like there was a lot unresolved between the trio, so I was glad that Heart of the Sun Warrior brings these dynamics back in full force. I am equally satisfied by the ending, because I think it is absolutely perfect for the character we have watched Xingyin to grow to be. I am sure those who also fell in love with Xingyin's character and journey will agree with her choice, and will love the bond between these three characters as much as I have.

The only thing for me that made this a four-star read instead of five is that I felt this book to be paced differently from the first one. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is paced in such a way to where it feels full of information and adventure, and yet it never overwhelms. On the flipside, I felt Heart of the Sun Warrior to be jam-packed with information and adventure, sometimes in a way that overwhelmed me with information and made it hard to keep track of everything. I felt like some parts of the plot were resolved more easily than others in order for other parts of the story to work out the way they do, sometimes to the book's success and sometimes to its detriment. It wasn't overall a bad thing, I just felt like it was odd, for two books to be paired in this way, for them to be paced differently. 

All-in-all though, the story is strong, the characters are true, and the ending is both magnificent and satisfying in ways readers adore and cherish in stories for a long time. I do hope that Sue Lynn Tan keeps writing, as I'm sure she will become a must-buy author for me! In the meantime, find her online at suelynntan.com.

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*

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