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

Product Information

With magic elixirs, jade bows and cloud transport, Sue Lynn Tan brings to life a new fantasy realm with tight plotting, vivid detail and bright shafts of celestial charm.” — Daily Mail (UK)

Me, trying to figure out what the hell the Houyi plotline was trying to achieve outside of protagonist wish fulfilment: It’s interesting that while Liwei never has to struggle or have ambition for his throne, we see that he can’t relinquish it, and even if he did, it just wouldn’t ever fit with the world and who he is, so it’s never REALLY on the table as an option that’s believable. With Wenzhi we see a similar journey to Xingyin that is highlighted even more in HotSW in a way because both have labored with a single minded focus to just take care of their own, and yet both of them realize that that comes with it’s own consequences and is never as neat and satisfying as you might think. And ultimately, through Wenzhi’s redemption, we see that there are some things that are worth everything, worth giving all of it up for the chance at a simple life. The love triangle between Xingyin-Liwei- Wenzhi is more powerful and reasonable. At the first book, things heated a little instantly and we couldn’t feel true intimacy between characters. But thankfully the author solved this problem at second round. Wenzhi is so adamant to make his wrongdoings right by giving his full protection and working as devoted ally. Liwei already confronts with his parents to choose Xingyin over them.The Emperor is easily the most evil character in the duology. His actions are unforgivable. NOTHING happens to him at all. He faces no consequences except for the grief after his wife's death, y'know, whom he never seemed to care for much and was regularly unfaithful to? I’m just really overwhelmed with how empty this book is. I left this book feeling like the last chapter and maybe one plot point could’ve been the epilogue for DOTMG. This book was truly unnecessary. 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.

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. First of all, the writing is very stiff. The dialogue does not flow nor does it feel relatable in any way. I almost never felt any real emotions from these characters whom I had so greatly loved in the last book.This story was great! I enjoyed the read and audiobook. Love is more complicated in this book as well as family. I loved the twists at the beginning and at the end. I enjoyed the men fighting for love. There's more actions and adventures in this story I believe. The ending was good but I was hoping the new Celestial King would also get a happy ending. But second book of the duology exceeded my expectations and it’s even better than the first book. There are so many epic moments including surprising family reunions, dragons’ cameo, bloodthirsty fight against the phoenix and eerie, frightening war against the army of death. Every once in a while, you read a book that just feels so special that you struggle to put it into words. That is this series for me. I'll start out by saying that I don't actually think that this sequel was absolutely necessary - I think you can definitely read Daughter of the Moon Goddess as a standalone if you wanted to, and overall, I did still prefer it over Heart of the Sun Warrior. However, I think that if you, like me, were craving more from these characters and this world, you will absolutely find that here. We go through so many cycles in our lives. School to school. College to work. Job to job. Love to love. Life to death. There is always change, there is always a grace period, there is always learning and loving and experiencing, and it all revolves around how we choose to live our lives. 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.

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. Overall I think this is satisfying and ties everything up well enough. Is it a bit too long winded like book 1? Yes, but the writing is beautiful and in truth that detail was helpful at times in building and painting in the broad world expansion we get with all the kingdoms and the full journey and transformation Xingyin goes through. When I talk about wanting characters with depth and grit, Xingyin is a shining example. She’s powerful but not SO powerful it’s a joke she’s ever in danger. She goes through gray areas and makes choices that don’t always stand up to hindsight positively. She’s fully changed by the end of HotSW and she’s no longer the girl we first met, and that’s ok! Her peace was more than hard won and she’s finally able to be selfish with her happiness. It’s truly a full circle heroine’s transformation that took a long time and several years to get to, and I think taking that time and space to do that serves this duology well, making it an exceptional one to read and reread. R.I.P. Xingyin's character development and all the stuff in Book 1 she did to prove that anyone can be a hero despite not coming from an overpowered immortal family. R.I.P. any chance of seeing Chang'e learn to overcome her grief over his death and be her own character after twenty years of mourning.

Discussion

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? The entire plot seems based off a what if. The whole thing with Minister Wu was just another version of SO MANY OTHER CHARACTERS FROM OTHER BOOKS who was a courter but wanted more power. It completely butchered Sue Lynn Tan's usual manner of creativity. Nuh uh. 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. 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.