Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Love triangle dominates exciting battle for mortal realm.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE DRAGON AND THE SUN LOTUS, Àn'yīng is back in her village with her mother and sister and ready to marry Hào'yáng. She's sure Hào'yáng is the best hope for the mortal Kingdom of Rivers, even if the river doesn't accept him as heir and won't until the rival heir, Yù'chén is no more. But before they can marry, the hell beasts attack the village, Hào'yáng is lost to the sea, and Àn'yīng is kidnapped and taken to the Kingdom of Night. In this most dangerous of lions' dens, she must bargain for the lives of mortals and face her strong feelings for Yù'chén, despite his betrayal.
Is It Any Good?
This duology finale full of the coolest and scariest creatures from Chinese mythology goes heavy on the love triangle romance, for better or worse. Fantasy readers will be split as they often are on whether they want more tortured-soul romance or more blood-sucking demons, and here the romance wins out. Poor Yù'chén never wanted a vindictive Demon Queen for a meddling mother. His bargain with Sansiran to save his love seems incredibly shortsighted and doomed to failure and heartbreak; he was a much more capable strategist in the first book. Then there's Hào'yáng, the obvious, dutiful choice for the good of the kingdom, the one who was always there for Àn'yīng at a young age… but didn't he die in Chapter 8? Hmm…
That's enough of the relationship drama. On to those blood-sucking demons. Author Amélie Wen Zhao's Kingdom of Night is marvelously creepy, and it's not the only realm readers get to visit. As the title implies, thar be dragons. It's fascinating to see dragons as the most benevolent of beings instead of treasure-obsessed monsters. Each realm we're privileged to visit in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus offers a new mythical surprise and unique magic to fight for the future of mortals in a final battle royale. Still, it's hard not to feel cheated that no one invited us mortals to the land of the nine-tailed spirit foxes. Maybe in another duology? Please?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the love triangle in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus. Many popular fantasy-romances include love triangles, like the Twilight Saga and Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series. What other love triangle stories can you think of? How often is it two men vying for one woman? How often does the woman choose the "bad boy" and how often does she choose the prince charming-like character? Why do you think love triangle stories are so popular?
Many characters in this story have healing powers. Does that make the violence easier, knowing that even if a character is stabbed and bitten and tortured that they can recover? Or does the blood-soaked violence still feel intense?
What do you think of Àn'yīng's choices in the Kingdom of Night? How does her compassion drive her decisions?
Dragons of Chinese myth are quite different from Western dragons. Have you read other stories featuring Asian dragons? Which are cooler in your opinion and why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Adoptees and Foster Kids , Moms , Siblings ) , Fantasy ( Dragons , Magic , Monsters ) , Royalty ( Kings , Princes , Queens )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Delacorte Press
- Publication date : March 3, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : February 24, 2026
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