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Wednesday, 2 November 2022

The Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

Pages: 480 

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Released: 10th of November 2022 

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.

After winning her mother’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor, Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon, and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power.

While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation. Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would.

As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation – to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

The epic conclusion to her sweeping Celestial Kingdom series, Sue Lynn Tan’s tale of Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, delves deeper into beloved Chinese myths, weaving them into a wholly new and magical story. 

What I Have to Say 

These books are everything to me. Chinese mythology, political intrigue, a strong female main character, what more would you want? These books are beautiful and an absolute joy to read. 

While the mythology is probably my favourite part and have made me want to learn more about the myths that inspired the story, I want to talk most here about the writing. To me the writing is perfect. It describes things in such a richly detailed and invocative way so that you can picture the scene so clearly. I had to stop several times just to reread stuff and appreciate the beauty of the text. 

I also loved the political intrigue, how there were so many different factors and Xingyin had to navigate all the loyalties and conflicts between the different nations while working to save the world. 

I will be an avid reader of whatever Sue Lynn Tan writes next and I will definitely be rereading these books over and over again. 


My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this copy for review. 







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