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passionatereader78's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
Xingyen has freed her mother, however, the celestial emperor despises them which sends them fleeing from their home once again. Xingyen finds her father and we are on another family quest. I love the family drama and the adventures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Classism
Moderate: Death and Injury/Injury detail
k_fry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and War
liamliayaum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, and War
Moderate: Child death and Death
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
The sequel to DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, continuing and concluding the story of Xingyin and her loved ones.
I enjoyed DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, but I loved this one even more. It was so emotional, and hooked me into the drama and action right away—it felt like the plot never stopped moving, and I was engaged pretty much the whole time. I’m not always a fan of love triangles, but this one was done so well, and while I wanted to throw the book at one point, it ultimately ended up with an outcome I absolutely loved.
I also felt like the world building was more thorough this time, and I came away with a decent understanding of the world, the mythology, and the magic here. All of the characters really grew on me, and I felt all the emotional gut punches I should have felt and all the joy when things went well. I’m really glad I read this duology, and excited to wrap it all up with TALES OF THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM soon!
CW: Blood/injury/death/violence/war, including child death; infidelity; grief
The sequel to DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, continuing and concluding the story of Xingyin and her loved ones.
I enjoyed DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, but I loved this one even more. It was so emotional, and hooked me into the drama and action right away—it felt like the plot never stopped moving, and I was engaged pretty much the whole time. I’m not always a fan of love triangles, but this one was done so well, and while I wanted to throw the book at one point, it ultimately ended up with an outcome I absolutely loved.
I also felt like the world building was more thorough this time, and I came away with a decent understanding of the world, the mythology, and the magic here. All of the characters really grew on me, and I felt all the emotional gut punches I should have felt and all the joy when things went well. I’m really glad I read this duology, and excited to wrap it all up with TALES OF THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM soon!
CW: Blood/injury/death/violence/war, including child death; infidelity; grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
zinn24's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
I have loved both books in this series- transporting fantasy and the second book was better for me than the first! If you love fantasy or mythology retellings, this series is a worthy addition to your to-read list, especially if you have yet to venture into the beautiful world of Chinese myth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence
madamenovelist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Alcohol
kenny_2288's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lucyatoz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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.
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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cookiemonstaly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Got my heart broken over and over, and yet somehow it managed to piece itself back together at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and War
kaywhiteley's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Grief and War