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nozycozy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Once again Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is exquisite. The way she details the immortal realm, what their wearing, the pain, the sadness, the self reflection, everything was breath taking. The Heart of the Sun Warrior increased the stakes for Xingyin’s relentless adversities. She truly is a warrior. I was very happy with the ending. This duology will stay with me forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and War
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love this duology so much! It’s just so lovely, and Natalie Naudus’s narration is perfect for it! I have loved listening to these books and being swept away to the Celestial Kingdom.
Without any spoilers, Heart of the Sun Warrior has the same charm as Daughter of the Moon Goddess. We see Xingyin continue to grow as a person and I love her character so much. She’s so easy to relate to and root for. We get to see Xingyin start to figure and decide what and who she wants in her life. I really liked the message that just because you love someone, doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your every happiness for them. The ending turned out even better than what I had hoped for! Highly recommend this duology for lovers of mythology, legends and epic fantasy worlds!
CWs: Death, grief, war, violence, child death, blood, murder, fire/fire injury, injury/injury detail, death of parent, alcohol consumption (wine).
Without any spoilers, Heart of the Sun Warrior has the same charm as Daughter of the Moon Goddess. We see Xingyin continue to grow as a person and I love her character so much. She’s so easy to relate to and root for. We get to see Xingyin start to figure and decide what and who she wants in her life. I really liked the message that just because you love someone, doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your every happiness for them. The ending turned out even better than what I had hoped for! Highly recommend this duology for lovers of mythology, legends and epic fantasy worlds!
CWs: Death, grief, war, violence, child death, blood, murder, fire/fire injury, injury/injury detail, death of parent, alcohol consumption (wine).
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Alcohol, Child death, Blood, and Death
samchase112's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An enthralling, action-packed fantasy epic! This stunning series finale certainly kept me turning the pages, and there was never a dull moment. However, I found myself skimming at times as I was wholly uninterested in the love triangle that consumed the book. If there had been no romance — or if Xingyin had simply chosen a man and stuck with him — I think I would’ve enjoyed this so, so much more because the plot and Xingyin’s story could have centered around much more interesting angles; her parents, her friends, her own maturation, etc.
I’ve seen this book described as a C-drama, and I wholeheartedly agree. It has the emotionality and cinematic scope of a well-done fantasy drama, and I love that! Maybe not my personal favorite genre, but I can certainly see how it would appeal to so many others.
All in all, I am truly glad I finished out this series — it’s helped remind me of my love for fantasy, and for that I’m grateful.
I’ve seen this book described as a C-drama, and I wholeheartedly agree. It has the emotionality and cinematic scope of a well-done fantasy drama, and I love that! Maybe not my personal favorite genre, but I can certainly see how it would appeal to so many others.
All in all, I am truly glad I finished out this series — it’s helped remind me of my love for fantasy, and for that I’m grateful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, War, Blood, and Child death
Minor: Kidnapping and Confinement
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, War, and Murder
daniellekat's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
I struggled with this. I really enjoyed Moon Goddess especially since I'm not a huge fan of high fantasy, but the lack of character development really killed this for me. If I thought Xingyin was annoying in the first book, she was unbearable in this one. The characters all lacked substance, leading me to not care about their individual outcomes. While I generally enjoyed the weird pacing (some parts were so slow while others were super quick), the writing felt much more repetitive than Moon Goddess. Overall, the plot was fine and I would still read more of Tan's work, but this left me feeling disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Death, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: War, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
adrenabereading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really don't want to give too much away about this book, especially if you haven't read the first book. There was so much going on!! We're back at it again with Xingyin trying to save her family. They won't give my girl a break. There are so many new storylines and plot twists in this book. It really keeps you engaged.
I feel like this book wasn't as predictable as the first book. Of course, the writing is just as great as the first book. However, this book is a lot sadder than the first one, so be prepared to be in your feelings.
The love triangle is back in this book. Throughout the book, we're still wondering who Xingyin is going to pick. I really enjoyed the romance, but it got a little annoying when she kept being undecisive about how she felt.
✨️Favorite Character✨️
Yall not going like this, but my favorite character was Wenzhi. He is such a dynamic character, and his story was very interesting. Also, he redeemed himself in this book.
Overall, I really love this book. The ending has me really excited for the third book!
I feel like this book wasn't as predictable as the first book. Of course, the writing is just as great as the first book. However, this book is a lot sadder than the first one, so be prepared to be in your feelings.
The love triangle is back in this book. Throughout the book, we're still wondering who Xingyin is going to pick. I really enjoyed the romance, but it got a little annoying when she kept being undecisive about how she felt.
✨️Favorite Character✨️
Yall not going like this, but my favorite character was Wenzhi. He is such a dynamic character, and his story was very interesting. Also, he redeemed himself in this book.
Overall, I really love this book. The ending has me really excited for the third book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, and War
spcandybars's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’ll be honest, the points lost are primarily in not seeing the outcome I’d hoped for. The writing is as fast and beautiful as the first book but it’s not a “happy for a happy ending” kind of story where it’s possible to put aside your wants for the story because of your love for the character. I do love these characters but this continuation is so heavily reliant on being plot driven over continuing to endear these characters you already know which means the resolution of the story will effect your experience. I should have recognized my intense love for how the first book ended as a signal to venture no further.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and War
luverbyrd's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Definitely a different tone than the first book but I still loved it and it was easy to binge read.
I don't understand why this duology isn't hyped more, this has been such a fantastic duology and I already want to reread it.
I'm now validated for my pretty cover buys.
I don't understand why this duology isn't hyped more, this has been such a fantastic duology and I already want to reread it.
I'm now validated for my pretty cover buys.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, and War
mcire's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
I wish the love triangle was less central and I wasn’t happy with Xingyin’s choice but I really liked the adventure and the main plot. One aspect that I wasn’t satisfied with as well was Houyi being revealed as alive and the side-quest about the elixir and Tao. Houyi didn’t need to be secretly alive the whole time and the story would be the same
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and War
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death of parent