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Filled with magic and mythology, friendship and love, these stories intertwine through the past, present, and future of the two novels, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, including Chang’e, Shuxiao, Liwei, and Wenzhi. Her father says, "Only the truly brave proceed regardless" and I believe that is more than true. So maybe I'm brave, too. Maybe I found myself in Xingyin so I could recognize that I have kept going, no matter how much I believed I couldn't. I enjoyed the character dynamics, even though I didn't really like a certain prince being "Damsel in Distress" at one point instead of doing something heroic for his lover. But as I finished the book, I LOVED each one of the main characters. The sacrifices they had to make gave me all kinds of emotions. The last 10% was hurting me SO MUCH I couldn’t stop sobbing until hours after I finished reading it. Everything was beautiful. Wouldn’t ask for anything to be done differently. No criticism from me. Absolutely epic. But I’d like to have an extended epilogue please… I didn’t want the story to end:( 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. Xingyin has spent a year recovering from her many hardships and adventures in book one. Having secured a bit of peace for her mother, Chang’e, Xingyin is happily bidding her time on the moon and indulging in short visits with Liwei. Yet, even the moon is not far enough from the machinations of the Celestial Kingdom’s court. A new plot pulls Xingyin and all those she loves into harm’s way, and she can no longer hide away in her peaceful home. Xingyin must confront a malicious enemy that will stop at nothing to destroy the immortal and mortal realms.
The Celestial Kingdom Duology - Heart of the Sun Warrior (The
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. Born in Malaysia, Sue Lynn studied in London and France, before moving to Hong Kong with her family. Her love for stories began with a gift from her father, her first compilation of fairytales from around the world. After devouring every fable she could find in the library, she discovered fantasy books, spending much of her childhood lost in magical worlds.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! 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.” I loved the ending a lot, dabbing my eyes, giggling softly. Mythology, folklore, fantasy and romance couldn’t be combined so much better! The chivalrous mortal who risked his life to save the world from flaming sunbirds. Chang'e's love and Xingyin's father who they left behind in the mortal realm while they ascended to immortality.
Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan Book Review | Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan
Xingyin and her companions venture across the Immortal Realm, encountering cunning monarchs, legendary creatures, beloved friends and bitter foes on their travels. As an unspeakable terror sweeps the realm – Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and all she has grown to love…I think Xingyin's character was dumbed down to excuse her forgiveness of Wenzhi. Now I'm not against second chance romances but this was too far. Wenzhi didn't make a silly mistake, his betrayal was calculated up to the right moment. His actions were beyond abhorrent and all for his own means. 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. Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing the elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind. 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. 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 - Sue Lynn Tan Book Review Heart of the Sun Warrior - Sue Lynn Tan Book Review
With beautiful illustrations from Kelly Chong throughout, these wondrous tales make the perfect complement to Sue Lynn Tan’s breathtaking series. (Out Feb 6, 2024) 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. Tan is a fantastic storyteller. She introduces a new threat and amps up the dread with every chapter. It seemed as if Xingyin was up against impossible odds, and every choice was a bad one. I thought book one tested Xingyin but nothing can compare to what she must go through now to protect the realm. She did everything in her power to avoid political games, but Xingyin’s entire journey makes her confront the situations she tried so hard to avoid. Xingyin is brought low in this book and it hurts. A lot. Yet, so many new facets of her character are revealed and I loved every new part of her. Tan constantly puts Xingyin in difficult situations and her questionable decision-making had me on edge throughout the entire book. Wugang convinced my husband to grant him full control over the Celestial Army. I always believed that was the pinnacle of that upstart’s plans. It is now clear he intends to usurp my son’s rightful position as heir—to taint the throne with his mortal blood, and rule after my husband.” 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.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?
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