A review by ariellesbookreviews
Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

4.25

Tan focuses on deep family ties, loyal friendships, and complex romantic relationships in Heart of the Sun Warrior. This book focuses on Xingyin dealing with the fallout of saving her mother, her relationship with Liwei and Wenzhi, and freeing the celestial kingdom from a new threat. The Emperor and Emperess feel threatened by Xingyin's power and loyal friends, allowing an insider to threaten the balance of the Celestial Kingdom. A portion of this book does feel redundant, and Daughter of the Sun Goddes could have been a stand-alone novel, but by the end of the novel, Tan leaves the reader satisfied with the duology. 

The romance in this book is slow. Liwei and Xingyin's relationship is boring and feels immature, but Tan's acknowledgment of changing romantic feelings and the deep-seated love brings the reader to a satisfying conclusion with Xingyin's relationship. Xingyin experiences a lot of growth in this book, both emotionally and mentally, and continues to learn from past mistakes. Tan created an action-packed duology with fun characters and a world worth exploring in future books.