Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Heart of the Sun Warrior

Hmmm. I think the first book in the duology is stronger, as many have said in their reviews. I do agree with the critiques of pacing for scenes of heightened action, of course; I felt this too while reading the first book, and have likened this to be Sue Lynn Tan’s writing style.

I feel conflicted about the last 50 pages, though I think I maybe agree with the decisions made, even if I had ‘hoped’ for something else.

My qualms aside, I deeply loved the universe and characters created in this story. Will absolutely be getting Tales of the Celestial Kingdom upon release, to finally lay this series to rest. I loved starting my reading year with this storyline :)

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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-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

3.0

Unfortunately, this did not live up to the hype of the first book for me. The first half of the book was caught in the loop of problem-solution, problem-solution, which made the pacing of the story dissatisfying. At the halfway mark, I had no clue as to how the book was going to end, or even the direction it was going. The third quarter of the book was much better in regards to the pacing, but I felt that the resolution to the main conflict happened too quickly.

The death of Prince Yanming DESTROYED me. I could not stop crying. The death of Wenzhi, however, left me disappointed. I was very glad that it turned out that his character wasn’t gone for good. I wanted him and Xingyin to end up together after all. Also, for the first half of the book, the inclusion on Houyi being alive came out of nowhere, and though I’m happy he and Chang’e are reunited, I’m not sure the inclusion added enough interest for me.

The last 50 pages were fantastic. Overall, it was entertaining (I was constantly stressed and wanting to know what happened next), but the pacing left something to be desired and the chemistry between characters wasn’t as strong as in the first book. I will admit, I usually hate fighting scenes (I usually find them boring), but this duology has nailed every single one! I’m always interested and hanging on every word! I’m a bit disappointed with this book, but I’m also happy in some ways.

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tired_cicada's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The love triangle went on WAY TOO LONG when the choice was so obvious.

Also, the timeline of this series doesn't make a bit of sense and it confusing and inconsistent.

Continuing... This book kinda wrapped up nicely. Like, it's open ended but in a resolved kinda way so WHAT is the third book going to be about? This was planned as a duology as far as I knew, so I worry this third book is going to fall very flat.

Luckily, I have the FairyLoot editions so even if it is at least it will look STUNNING on my shelves.

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midnightrose_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.75

I enjoyed Heart of the Sun Warrior, the second book in the Celestial Kingdoms series. But it was not a 5 star read, unfortunately, like the first book Daughter of the Moon Goddess was. There were moments that dragged (despite this book being less pages than the first), and at times didn’t feel nearly as compelling as its predecessor. Perhaps this could have been a hundred pages shorter and would have retained the energy the first one had. All in all I would still recommend this duology if you’re looking for descriptive writing and lush world-building.

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awkwardimagination's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring 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? Yes

4.75

This book was so much more emotional than the first. It felt faster, probably due to it's shorter time frame than the plot of the first book, stretching years. And it actually made me cry, like actual tears wear shed during the last 100 pages. This was not where I thought the romantic plot would go, but I am not upset about it. The ending, filled with grief and pain, was amazing, but I do feel slightly unsatisfied with how it finished. I know there may be another book coming, so hopefully, what I would've liked from this ending is there. Xingyin continues to be my favourite protagonist ever, I honestly love her, and I highly doubt I will respect and love another character as much as her.

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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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).

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daniellekat's review against another edition

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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.

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matcha_pages's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

2.5

A sequel I didn't need. Harsh, I know, but this story just dragged on and diluted everything great about the series. I'm disappointed because this sequel had potential to be just as strong as the first book.

There were parts I enjoyed, the gorgeous descriptions, consequences from the first book playing out, and exploration of morally grey choices. The story starts off strong, we face a new villain playing the long game and uncover imperial schemes. We learn the backstory of several characters adding to the richness and complexity of the Celestial Kingdom.

Unfortunately as the book continued, the plot started to meander and break apart. There were too many side plots each with it's own bad guy, the magic system lost it's logic, and the ending was doubly disappointing. This is the most undecisive love triangle I've ever read. There's no romantic tension or engaging rivalry (like the first book). The hottest immortal bachelors throw themselves at Xingyin, but she can't accept her "true" feelings or make up her mind until the last few pages, literally.

I still love the Celestial Kingdom, just not this one

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