Heart of the Sun Warrior

(The Celestial Kingdom Duology #2)

Hardcover

English language

Published Nov. 9, 2022 by HarperCollins Publishers.

ISBN:
9780008479343

View on OpenLibrary

5 stars (2 reviews)

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 …

2 editions

An exciting and emotional conclusion to the story of the daughter of the Moon Goddess

4 stars

An exciting and emotional conclusion to the story that continues some time after the conclusion of the previous book. Xingyin, the daughter of the Moon Goddess, leads an idyllic existence on the moon with her mother while being assiduously courted by the prince of the Celestial Emperor. But she is also occasionally meeting with the man who betrayed her in the previous book, leading to conflicted feelings in a three-way love triangle.

But that existence swiftly comes to an end when an antagonist moves against her and her family to gain control of an unusual form of magic on the Moon. They are forced to flee and later discover what the magic can do. Old enmities have to be put aside as they put together a desperate plan to get rid of the magic and to stop a madman who may destroy both the mortal and immortal realms.

Much of …

Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, a strong follow-up to the previous book.

5 stars

About After winning the Celestial Emperor's pardon (although not his favor), Xingyin thought she'd be returning to her quiet life on the moon with her mother. But political turmoil rages in the Celestial Kingdom, churned on by her previous actions. With her home on the moon threatened by old enemies and new magic, Xingyin must once again take up her bow and fight for the ones she loves. And maybe even the ones she thought she gave up loving.

Thoughts The first book of this series was largely an adventure punctuated with romance. This one is definitely a romance punctuated with adventure. Xingyin is already an accomplished fighter, and so we see very little by way of her development in that area, with more time spent on her growing emotionally and learning how to process different kinds of grief. There's a lot more at stake here, with several deaths, and …