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Simply, it isn't hard to see who the author was rooting for, and apparently so hard that she didn't care about leaving plot holes along the way.
Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan Book Review: Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan
Every once in a while, you read a book that just feels so special that you struggle to put it into words. That is this series for me. I'll start out by saying that I don't actually think that this sequel was absolutely necessary - I think you can definitely read Daughter of the Moon Goddess as a standalone if you wanted to, and overall, I did still prefer it over Heart of the Sun Warrior. However, I think that if you, like me, were craving more from these characters and this world, you will absolutely find that here. Zhiyi. Zhiyi is Liwei's half sister who is the girl from the painting in the first book. She was interesting and I was glad to meet her after the foreshadowing from book 1. Still, she could've easily been squeezed in book 1.True happiness springs from within, a contentment with oneself. And while it may be humbler and quieter, there is nothing more precious and lasting.” The love triangle between Xingyin-Liwei- Wenzhi is more powerful and reasonable. At the first book, things heated a little instantly and we couldn’t feel true intimacy between characters. But thankfully the author solved this problem at second round. Wenzhi is so adamant to make his wrongdoings right by giving his full protection and working as devoted ally. Liwei already confronts with his parents to choose Xingyin over them. Xingyin asks herself, "Was my heart strong enough to shatter again?" and I found myself thinking that she was. After finishing, I wondered why that was my first instinct. I wondered why I didn't hesitate to believe she would get up, that she would continue moving forward. If she reflects a part of me, why would I say she would continue to move forward when if someone asked the same about me, I would never have so much belief in myself? I think that Sue Lynn Tan's writing is absolutely stunning - it's lyrical and descriptive, but if there's one thing that she truly excels at, it's an action scene, which I feel like isn't a combination that you see very often. The pacing of this book is, in my opinion, much faster than the first book - I think a common complaint that I've seen of DOTMG is that the first half the book is too slow, and I think if you were one of those people, you'll be much happier with this book. The pacing is very similar to the second half of DOTMG, and it's just non-stop, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but it works really well here.
Heart of the Sun Warrior - Sue Lynn Tan Book Review Heart of the Sun Warrior - Sue Lynn Tan Book Review
Liwei and Wenzhi lose their individual personalities to become shadows of their previous selves. In Book 1, Liwei was the joyful, boyish golden retriever whilst Wenzhi was the mature knowledgeable one. Now, they are interchangeable in every way. Their dialogue, actions and stupidity are exactly the same. Heart of the Sun Warrior follows the events of the first book, but we have a little break of a year in between the two where Xingyin has just been enjoying her time being reunited with her mother, whilst receiving the adorable Liwei as they’ve tried to build upon their relationship following the events of Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I also found the pacing really difficult I can see why people have decided to put this book down, it doesn't flow nicely from chapter to chapter it seems to bounce around and never really settle. There were some repetitive moments/sentences too.Hate me then, for I would rather have your hatred than indifference.” His eyes were the shade of wintry rivers, glints of light traveling in their depths. “The past can’t be undone, but my hope lies in our future. Trust me with your heart again and you will find the truth of mine. For you are the reason I rise each day, for you I live and breathe.” The author should've let him actually die in Book 1 if his character was going to be nerfed this hard in the name of a ship - and this is coming from someone who was rooting for Wenzhi!
BOOKS | Sue Lynn Tan BOOKS | Sue Lynn Tan
This book is not for the light-hearted, nor the hopeful. It's a book testing your ability to withstand anything the world throws at you. Every time my heart felt like it had a break, every time I relaxed, I lost someone new. Someone I didn't think I could ever lose. Tan plays with every emotion, and she doesn't try to heal it. She doesn't make it better. This series started out as a retelling of the Legend of Chang'e and ended as a terrible fanfiction of the Legend of Chang'e. In fact, I might actually have to rate the previous book an extra star for wasted potential. With beautiful illustrations from Kelly Chong throughout, these wondrous tales make the perfect complement to Sue Lynn Tan’s breathtaking series. (Out Feb 6, 2024) DOTMG had some instances where Xingyin was aggravating, but it was in stride with her character development for the most part. In HOTSW, Xingyin was down-right disgustingly aggravating, selfish, self-involved, immature, arrogant, and stupid. She pushed me to the point of not caring about this story on multiple parts. Throughout the book, every character, including Xingyin, points this out, but she arrogantly ignores them all. She’s always placing herself in the middle of every situation because she’s selfish and only cares about the one problem that’s in front of her. Problems arise because she doesn’t care about anyone or anything else during that time, and she has no foresight to see how this decision may impact quite literally anything else. Book one had her learn how to work with a team and depending on someone doesn’t make her weak. In book two, she forgot all of that. The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin—the daughter of Chang’e and the mortal archer, Houyi—as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.The writing in this book is just as lyrical and beautiful as the first, but it’s definitely more fluff than plot in this book. However, some of the dialogue didn’t flow and felt very unrealistic/unrelatable. There were numerous duplicate/repetitive moments and sentences where it made you feel like you were re-reading by accident. There were huge chunks from DOTMG repeated throughout this book. As a result, I felt absolutely no emotions from the characters, and everything felt like it didn’t have any actual weight to the story. My biggest disappointment with the writing is how such dynamic characters as Liwei (Emperor of the Celestial Kingdom), Wenzhi (King of the Mind Magic Kingdom), and her father (Infamous Slayers of the 9 Sun Birds) are depicted as useless, dumb man-children who exist solely for Xingyin’s protection and bidding.
Heart of the Sun Warrior: A Novel (Celestial Kingdom Book 2)
To say I am surprised by the depth of my feelings for this story would be a lie. I could feel the under currents of talent in every word Sue Lynn Tan wrote in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. To still be sitting in awe over what I experienced, that's what I am surprised by. and although the world of the celestial kingdom is still explored, much of the narrative is focused on the characters and their relationships to one another. their development is amazing. working together, forgiving each other, and finding comfort are all the driving forces and focuses of this novel. and i found it to provide a really great balance for everything else that is going on.
Inspired by the legend of Chang’e the Moon Goddess, this is the sequel to Sue Lynn Tan’s captivating debut, DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS. The Celestial Kingdom duology is phenomenal. It has unique characters, intricate storytelling, strong worldbuilding, and a beautiful romance to boot. I am sad to close the book on Xingyin’s story, but I will look to the future and be ready to read anything Sue Lynn Tan writes.
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