Reviews with content warning for Grief - Heart of the Sun Warrior

This is my 14th book read for the reading challenge in 2024!

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan continues the story of Xingyin, the daughter of the Moon Goddess Chang'e and her mortal husband Houyi. She is again forced to flee her moonlit world along with her mother and joins forces with former Captain Wenzhi of the Celestial Army and Prince Liwei, heir of the Celestial Emperor, two men who she loves for very different reasons.

By the end of the story, one is believed dead, following an intense battle which involves all of the Immortal World, and one is restored to his rightful place...however, that is not the end of the story!

This novel, of 3 parts, is another great story which takes you on a breathtaking journey from the Moon to the Eastern Sea, and the majesty of the Celestial Kingdom to mists of the Demon Realm.

I borrowed a copy of this novel from my local library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 24, a cover without people on it, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024. This novel is the other half of the prompt 15, part of a duology.

Content Warnings

ctara2123's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

kaywhiteley's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is such a good book. Truly the perfect fantasy story that seamlessly weaves Chinese folklore and Tan's own ideas into beautiful, rich narratives. I'm so obsessed. I also really enjoyed the romance and the honesty of the mistakes made, the complex feelings, and the compassion given to each character. Both novels in the duology were interesting and gripping, but there was also so much hope and love ingrained in the stories and the characters that made reading it all the more engrossing and emotional.

Content Warnings

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Content Warnings

astralfeline's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad 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? No

5.0

Did not expect to cry when I finished this book but I did. This duology was so good, far exceeding my expectations. I love the mix of magic/fantasy with classic mythology and legend. This book in particular there was such a mix of emotions felt throughout the book, from excitement and shock, to sorrow and grief. The last 4-5 chapters definitely caught me by surprise, but I think it makes sense. I also can see why Sue Lynn Tan decided to release a novella with other short stories, because I already miss the characters and I just finished the book 😭 Highly recommend for anyone who likes fantasy that includes romance. Such a lovely, well-written story, with amazing and admirable characters and I'll be thinking about these books forever.

Content Warnings