One of my most anticipated and hyped release of this year She Who became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan tells the story of the girl who became Zhu Chongba, the first Ming Dynasty’s Emperor: born poor in the twelfh century China, a unnamed girl steals the fate of her older brother, Zhu Chongba, after his death and tries to archive the greatness her brother was born for. By doing so, she becomes a monk first and a warrior after. Zhu is smart, ambitious, never afraid to speak her mind or sacrifice those who follow her; Zhu desires and wants grateness and wanting greatness often means pain and sorrow, doing terrible and even immoral things. As you can imagine, she is no innocent heroine.
She fights as a commander for the Red Turbants, the rebels that want to defeat the Yuang dynasty (the Mongols), and during this period she meets Ma, a quite but clever girl that will have an important role in the story. Ma has her own pov in this novel and she’s also one of my favourite characters. Her growth is amazing!
Another important character, and my absolute favourite, is General Ouyang: he serves the Prince of Henan (they fight on the Mongol side) and his family as a slave first and as a soldier after. Ouyang is a complex and interesting character: like Zhu, he also follow the path of his destiny and he’s not afraid to do everything he can to have his revenge and to achieve what he believes is his fate. He’s a morally gray and ruthelss man, but at the same time he is fascinating and beautifully written. He is the best one for me, period!

This novel is not alwasy easy to read due to violence and a lot trigger warnings: death, torture, public executions, war themes, plague, child abuse, male castration etc.
If you decide to read She who became the Sun, please be prepared.
I heard that it’s similar to The Poppy War trilogy, but I have to read it still. In spite of this, if you like books with oriental settings and Chinese/Asiatic culture this is the right one.
I simply loved the settings and the worldbuilding: while reading the book you can’t help but notice the work behind this novel. Parker-Chang has done a tremendous job and she archived her goal: write a book that is the perfect mix between History and Fantasy, classic and contemporary, tradition and innovation. Also, she has a very good writing style, the kind that perfectly convey pathos, despair, insecurity but also joy, friendship and love.

The only thing that I didn’t like so much were the chapters’ lenght: every single chapter was at leat 15 minutes long and sometimes it was way to much. This is not necessarily a bad thing – if you like long chatpter than go for it – but from time to time I felt a bit bored. All in all it has been an amazing reading (the last chapters detroyed me, goddamit!) and I really liked the political schemes and the betrayals between the main and secondary chatactes – yes, even when they broke me. Take nothing for granted while reading this book, ‘cause you never know what’s gonna happen next!

Looking forward to reading the second (and last) book and knowing how Zhu’s story will continue.

Epic and sweeping while maintaining a raw edge of intimacy, this is a stunning and memorable fantasy debut

She Who Became the Sun is a mesmerizing and lyrical queer reimagining of the story of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming dynasty. This brutal historical epic begins when a young peasant girl in a famine-stricken village learns that her brother Zhu Chongba is fated for greatness, while she is destined for nothingness. However, when bandits attack their home, her brother gives up on his fate and dies. Afterwards, the girl takes on the identity of Zhu Chongba as a means of entering a monastery and securing food to survive. But over time, Zhu’s overwhelming desire to live — regardless of what she must do to protect herself and her secret — transforms into a need to claim the greatness fate had promised. This all-consuming want propels Zhu from the halls of the monastery through the high ranks of the rebel Nanren army, all while she tries to fool Heaven into believing she is the Zhu destined to achieve the unimaginable.

Meanwhile, Ouyang is a Nanren eunuch who has risen through the ranks to become general of the ruthless Mongol army, thanks in large part to his intimate relationship with the Prince of Henan’s son. But while Ouyang fights the empire’s battles, he has his own fate driving him — a path he has secretly walked since the day the cruel prince castrated and enslaved Ouyang and murdered his entire family many years ago. But while Zhu’s belief in the inevitability of her fate gives her strength, Ouyang feels resentful of and imprisoned by his, creating a fascinating dynamic between this pair who may be on opposite sides of the war but whose fates are inextricably intertwined.

She Who Became the Sun is evocative exploration of gender, identity, and the cost of desire set against the back drop of war-torn 14th century China. Featuring a vast ensemble of complex characters, there are no simple heroes or villains in this book; just flawed individuals chasing their desires and getting ever closer to their fates — whether they were predestined by Heaven or forged in defiance of what the universe prescribed them to be.

Set in medieval China with a dash of the supernatural, this fascinating book brings its complex characters very much to life. There is lots of action, unexpected twists and turns, and a satisfying ending. Even so, there are enough loose ends that I suspect it is the start of a series. If so, this series is off to a very promising start.

This story is a priceless treasure. Its themes resonate with my psyche, and I thoroughly enjoy the read.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

And enter in the next highly anticipated and probably highly hyped novel of the year: a book whose blurb insists that it is a mix between Mulan and Song of Achilles.

The description is pretty dead-on.

That's some great news for people who want more and more Chinese history (or reimaginings of such) in their fiction diet. I've been blessed with reading Kim Stanley Robinson and Ken Liu, so I've actually rolled around in some lush tales lately.

This, however, is a re-imagining of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and it's very much Silk-Punk without the fantasy (despite my classifying it as such). Even so, I'm ignoring most of that. The tale is the emperor, and for Zhu, a woman who is destined to have no fate, the real story is about spitting in the eye of fate.

I'm all on board for that!

The starvation, the difficulties of being a woman in China, the gender-bending just to survive, and later, becoming a monk-warrior is all very familiar to me. From The Good Earth to numerous kung-fu movies, it's tapping all of that pathos and grand adventure and giving us an epic *fantasy* that is detailed, sprawling, and, oddly enough -- inclusive. But that *is* to be expected these days even if I'm pessimistic about the past.

For pure enjoyment's sake, however, I can easily recommend this for the big adventure and our rooting for the underdog, even if Zhu gets a little dark by the end. It *is* the founding of a dynasty, after all, and these things get rather bloody.

Definitely a good summer read!

What a fantastic story! The world is well written and really fleshed out. It was so hard to put this one down. The plot was fantastic, the characters were amazing. (Also we love queer stories).

It's so refreshing to see more of a push to have non-European fantasy stories because A) we NEED the representation of other cultures and less white people please (I'm white, and it gets tiring seeing all the stories from the same Euro/American POV and lens), and B) it's just cool, OK? It's a fun way to learn a little about someone else's culture. It's a great way to decolonize the fantasy genre.

10/10 recommend for lovers of historical fiction, fantasy, and badassery.

Wow, what a book!

This book gave me very similar vibes to The Poppy Wars, with its dark and brutal retelling of Mulan.

The story follows Zhu as she assumes her brothers identity and attempts to take his fate for herself, a fate that he is designed for greatness.

This book was originally pitched to me as 'Mulan' meets 'Song of Achilles' so I, of course, was instantly drawn in. Though I do see why these buzzwords are used to describe 'She Who Became the Sun,' it's so much more than that!

The writing is intense yet colorful and imaginative, all the characters have distinct personalities that can be both tragic and bitingly witty. Zhu Chongba is such a beautifully well-rounded character - she's not without her faults and she does some terrible things but you still can't help rooting for her and hoping beyond all hope that she'll be able to embrace her fate and identity and to finally rest for one goddamn minute. Her direct antagonist can almost be seen as the inverse of Zhu, the other side of the coin. They are so similar but so vastly different and though it's clear which side we are supposed to be rooting for, the connection you develop towards these characters make it muddled and gray instead of black and white. It's violent, it's dark and terrible, and it is absolutely delicious. I devoured it and I think everyone else should take a big bite, too, you won't regret it.

This might be my favorite book of the year so far!

Billed as "Mulan meets Song of Achilles," this is a fantastical, queer reimagining of the Zhu Chongba, who rose from poor peasant to first emperor of the Ming dynasty in the 14th century. In this version, Zhu Congba is actually a peasant girl. A fortune teller portends great things for her brother Zhu Chongba and nothing for her. When her brother dies, she adopts his identity in a desperate attempt to escape her fate.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I first opened the book, and I was instantly captivated. The world-building is phenomenal— the descriptions of Zhu's hunger at a time of famine felt so real. Character motivations are organically complex. The relationships between characters are exquisite, especially those between Zho and the eunuch general Ouyang as well as Ouyang and the Mongolian prince Esen. I was worried when the POV switched to Ouyang in the second part of the novel, but it added extra depth. Highly recommended.

4.75/5

"As long as I keep moving towards my great fate and keep doing what I need to do, one day I'll have it"

Brief synopsis:
In a famine-stricken village, two children are given two fates. A boy the destiny of greatness. A girl fated for nothingness. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, it is Zhu Chongba (the boy) who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

Thoughts:
I loved this debut book by Shelley Parker-Chan. It reminded me so much of historical chinese dramas that I get obsessed with since I was a kid. It had the formula for greatness! She Who Became the Sun is a queer historical reimagining of the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368. I'm glad that I didnt know much about the historical event as reading through this first book in the duology gave me some surprises. I would highly recommend going into this book ignorant of the historical significance.

I need to also mention how well this book did in the english translations of chinese proverbs and curses, and the embodiment of the superstitions which is so true to the chinese culture. Such as the belief of doing good in this lifetime will grant a better life in the next; the not eating food offered up to the ancestors or for prayers; and the belief that each person has a pre-destined fate. All of these elements made this book so amazing and believable. Again historical chinese drama in book form!

This book delivers so much. There is a strong sense of gender and identify issues, the fates and destinies, with political back stabbings, war, enemies, desire, love, duty and betrayal. It was written so well and fast paced. I almost feel that this book could have been even longer to flesh out some more of the events.

She who became the Sun has its been promoted as a Mulan meets Achilles which may be a bit misleading. Whilst I havent read Achilles yet, the only likelihood to Mulan is that the main protagonist is a female dressed as a male and gets entangled in the war efforts. The character of Zhu Chongba is very different to Mulan.

Whilst we follow Zhu's POV through part one, part 2 and 3 followings multiple POVs including those of the Mongolian troops which added so much more depth to the storyline. My favorite character is the haunted eunuch general Ouyang, his story is gut wrenching and tragic. I had no problems transitioning from the one to multiple POV as it made so much sense.

I loved it. So much. I cant wait for the second book to see where Zhu's destiny will now take her.
Everyone needs to read this book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Tor Books / publishers for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

**Full review to be added to Goodreads, NetGalley, and Amazon upon publication!**

She Who Became the Sun is a stunning new epic fantasy inspired by Chinese history that is the start of a promising new trilogy. I was so impressed by the story that Parker-Chan was able to create and the many characters they created. I will admit that it took me a while to really get into the story and there were a few moments that I found myself feeling a bit lost, but in the end I finally found myself captivated and desperate to keep turning those pages and find out what would happen. The characters were so fascinating to explore and follow along on their unique journeys and I loved the world-building as well. I look forward to more from Shelley Parker-Chan!

A stunning, dazzling debut that reimagines the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu defies everything the world would pit against her, first defying her fate and then redefining it to be what she wants through sheer force of will. Pitted against her is the eunuch general Ouyang, who, like Zhu, has had his own destiny controlled by others. Intricately crafted, epic in scale and scope, and still with intimate meditations on identity, fate, and will.

“Nobody will ever end me. I’ll be so great that no one will be able to touch me, or come near me, for fear of becoming nothing.”

She Who Became the Sun is one of the most highly anticipated fantasy releases in 2021, so I was incredibly excited when I received an e-arc of this book. This book has received mostly glowing praises and is being marketed as: “Mulan meets The Song of Achilles”, which sounds fantastic! So does this book live up to the hype? Let’s talk about it.

She Who Became the Sun is the first book in the Radiant Emperor duology and is inspired by the Ming Dynasty. This story starts in 1345, in a village struck by severe famine, where a father and two siblings struggle to survive. According to a foretelling, the brother, Zhu Chongba, has a great future ahead of him, while the sister has no future. However, when the village is attacked by bandits, the brother, Zhu Chongba, dies of despair, leaving the sister all alone. The girl’s determination to survive and overcome her destiny decides to steal her brother name, Zhu Chongba, in an attempt to steal her brother’s fate.

The main character, Zhu Chongba, is a fascinating character with an immense determination to survive. The introduction to Zhu Chongba is fantastic, making readers invested in her storyline from the first chapter. Zhu Congba resilience and spirit will inspire readers, as she repeatedly faces impossible odds. This book also follows three other characters, Ma, Esen, and Ouyang, all with complex motivations and backgrounds. Although I enjoyed following Zhu the most, all the other characters are incredibly fascinating.

One of the best aspects of this book are the themes. Shelley Parker-Chan masterfully challenges the notion of gender, gender roles and sexuality through the character Zhu, demonstrating the complexity of human nature. Who would have thought that you could have a thought-provoking discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation in a fantasy book set in 1345, China? Moreover, the themes of defying fate, survival and power are handled incredibly well.

I was surprised by the lack of ‘fantastical elements’. She Who Became the Sun reads like historical fiction, with very minor supernatural elements. Yes, this is a historical fantasy, but I wonder if marketing this book as ‘fantasy’ might disappoint readers. Since this is marketed as a historical fantasy, I was hoping to see some kind of magic system or supernatural beings being more prevalent in this book. However, not having any of these elements did disappoint me a bit.

Moreover, I thought the transition between part 1 and 2 could have been handled better. Part 1 is very much focused on Zhu, while Part 2 suddenly switches POVs and location. While the overall story improved by having a wider cast, this sudden change confused me a bit. Moreover, there were a bit too many ‘information dumps’ in part 2. However, the plot does pick up in part 3, so I will encourage readers to keep going!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I have no doubt that this book will be successful!

4 / 5 stars

Thanks to Tor Books and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

» 4.5 stars

Zhu Chongba was left alone by her father after the bandits attacked her village, but she was the only one who survived the attack, taking this as a signal from the heaven she took on the identity of a person who she never was, but from on will be. Zhu Chongba destined for greatness. General Ouyang had seen his family get killed and erased out of existence, he lived and breathed for a single purpose, revenge. These two are my favourite characters out of the story, they have so much complex emotions, so many layers in their characters, the moment you think you've figured them out, you get to see another layer of them, it was unpredictable and kept me on the edge for the entirety of the story. There is magic too but not like the whole world governing, it plays a small yet very important part in the story. Rather than magic I should say it's fate that plays a very important role in the story.

Zhu is not your pure, happy, righteous protagonist that you're used to in every book. She is not a saint, she will not save the world on the cost of risking her life. She will use her connections and people to achieve her goal, no matter what the stakes are. She is cunning, ambitious, and a fighter against her predestined fate. She will keep working for the top until she reaches a position where only heaven is above her. She is not scared of betraying people, all that matters to her is she does not wants to end as nothing. She is working so that even after ten thousand years, people remember her name. I repeat she is a grey character, neither white nor black, believable and real.

The book is brutal and blood soaked, there is no kind covering of words or sugar coating, it's raw and real. This book is not a young adult fantasy/fiction, it's an adult book and that means, there are adult themes like gore, blood, war, violence, war. It kept me screaming inside until the edge and I'm definitely going into a book hangover, y'all I'm not going to get over this book soon. She Who Became The Sun will definitely going to stay with you for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and to Macmillan-TOR/Forge for the e-arc.

One of the most powerful reads I’ve had for 2021. It was a fascinating journey that mirror’s China’s history under the Mongolian rule. The constant plotting and scheming to advance into the political ladder and gain more power was prevalent throughout. It depicts the wickedness and greediness of a human heart and the lengths to which a person is willing to go in order to fulfill or change his/her destiny. Also, this book significantly highlights gender flexibility and women's empowerment. Zhu Chongba, the primary character, is the epitome of a strong-willed and gender-fluid figure. From being an orphan, she rose to being a learned monk, to a level headed commander and to the influential person she currently is. She empowers not only marginalized women but also men. She had rouse people’s longings and enabled them to take actions towards it. Ultimately, she had moved heaven and earth to pursue her goals and was favored to see her heart’s desires materialized.

TL;DR: Super compelling historical-fantasy about two complicated AF genderqueer military commanders fated to play important roles on opposite sides of the peasant uprising that toppled the Yuan dynasty and Mongol rule of China. My rating: 5 of 5 stars

She Who Became the Sun has been at the tippy top of my most anticipated list since I heard about it. A child of the 90s, I loved the Disney adaptation of Mulan, and combined with a love of history, queer and POC authors, and fantasy, the description of this book just simply spoke to me. And I was not disappointed.

The story is told largely told through alternating POV of two genderqueer characters: Zhu, an assigned female at birth (AFAB) peasant-turned-monk-turned-military commander who largely identifies as male and Ouyang, an assigned male at birth (AMAB) general in the Yuan dynasty army who was made a eunuch as a child in punishment for his executed family’s traitorous deeds against the royal family he now serves. While they fight on opposite political and military sides, these protagonists have much in common. Both transcend the gender binary, Zhu by choice and Ouyang through trauma, and grapple with the restrictions that gender nonconformity and femininity imply in the historical-fantastical moment of this setting. Fair warning, the pronouns for Zhu can get a tad confusing as some characters use he/him and others she/her, but honestly, I kinda loved it even when I was briefly confused.

The character development in this book is superb. Zhu is a complicated hero. They are ambitious, perhaps to a flaw. They are calculating and occasionally callous. They prioritize power over love.

Alternating POV narratives can sometimes give short shrift to supporting characters, but Parker-Chan avoids this by weaving shorter sections from the POV of other characters in Zhu and Ouyang’s lives into their respective chapters. Love interests and political rivals have just as much depth and character development as the two protagonists. In particular, I thought the romance between Zhu and Ma was exceptionally well done. When they first meet Ma is engaged to one of Zhu’s rivals and captures Zhu’s attention through her kindness and compassion. Their relationship is unrushed and never feels inevitable. There is also a very sexy sex scene that I enjoyed both for the prose and the inclusion of fisting. Popular media is awash in depictions of heterosexual PIV sex, so I was glad of the representation of non-normative sexual expression (and admittedly the opportunity to grapple with some of my own squeemishness about it).

Thematically, this book is all about fate. Zhu is supposed to die of starvation during a famine that claims her family’s lives. She is supposed to die so that her brother can live and claim his fate--greatness. But Zhu’s will proves stronger and she claims her brother’s name and his foretold fate. Zhu is careful, even in their most private thoughts, to conceal their true identity from fate, lest it be stripped away. At every turn, Zhu looks for opportunities to plot and maneuver not just to ensure their survival, but to inch ever closer to greatness. Zhu and Ouyang’s stories raise many questions about fate--is it inevitable or do you have to actively pursue it? Is it innate to an individual or can it be stolen or transferred? Why pursue a fate certain to end in harm or disaster? Get ready to feel challenged by these questions and these characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is simply a masterpiece.

Tragedy came in the form of Bandits. The girl (the only name she goes by at this point) was soon completely alone after the murder of her father and the death of her brother. Soon after burying their bodies she learns that she can see ghosts. Taking on her brothers name, Zhu Chongba, she travels to a monastery and begs admittance. This is her final hope for survival and it is also where her true story begins.

This story is so meaningful for various reasons: gender dysphoria, feelings of not belonging, complex characters, and dark and brutal themes of war.

I highly recommend this read and I don't think I'll ever forget these characters or this harrowing tale.

When I read “Mulan meets The Song of Achilles,” I thought that was an intriguing way to sell a book, combining two works I devastatingly adore. However, the comparison feels a little too overstated for me, especially on The Song of Achilles front, because the romance in She Who Became the Sun doesn’t have the power either the same impact.

I think the prime aspect I need to mention is how much I thought of The Poppy War while reading this book. From the early pages, it popped into my mind, and at first, I thought I should try to let it go and just absorb the story, but it only got worse and worse. There were characters with the same name, and from 70% on there were certain events that were way too similar to The Poppy War. This bothered me immensely, and alongside so many aspects that were bothering me about the book they made what could’ve been maybe a passable 3-star rating book became a 2-star.

We follow the journey of Zhu, who despite not being destined for greatness, strives for it all costs. I found her characterization to be weak. I feel like I don’t actually know her, and that she becomes repetitive after a certain point. Also, I don’t really feel that her ambition or personality is that shaped up and strong, she just feels like…. A less impressive version of Rin (The Poppy War’s protagonist). We keep hearing how great she is and how power-hungry she is but I just don’t see her acting that way, I don’t see her doing impressive things, or having satisfactory growth and development. She seems like a shell. So many of her problems are solved quickly and in a too easy manner and that got wearisome after a while. As a reader, it is frustrating to read a statement over and over on the page but not actually see the character to be and act like it.

This book is a historical fantasy, but both aspects for me felt underdeveloped. I note that the author has done good research on the historical aspects to write the book, but she just hasn’t been able to convey all the necessary information understandably. I found myself confused multiple times, to the point that I went to google to search for a few pieces of information about the Ming dynasty, which made me realize that Zhu is inspired by Zhu Yuanzhang (and that’s cool!). The overall aesthetic of the period of time is beautiful, but if the setting isn’t thoroughly explained then what’s the point. The fantasy is just a little pinch in the book, and honestly, I think it would have done better without it. If you’re not gonna bother to shape up the fantasy in the world you’re creating why add that at all? Also again inevitable comparisons to The Poppy War.

The point of view switches between multiple characters but I feel like that also worked against the novel. The first part, my favorite one, was entirely narrated by Zhu, and from the second part, other POV’s were added. I couldn’t connect with any character or care deeply about any of them. There was excessive use of “telling” instead of “showing” and that annoyed me a lot. Also, these transitions between POV’s felt too abrupt, and the novel had a seem of being too chopped up. I think that if the novel had been narrated only by Zhu (and perhaps Ma) it would’ve worked so much better in creating more solid characters. In addition, Ouyang’s chapters were tiresome for me.

The gender and sexuality aspects discussed in the book, however, was probably my favorite point about it and the one that was done best.

The pacing was terrible, whole chapters seemed to drag where nothing happened and the battles or action parts were too scattered and poorly described to the point I caught myself trying too hard to picture something reading it over and over again. The writing in this book just really wasn’t for me. You rarely see the battles, you’re just told of their outcomes afterward. There are a lot of elements of the worldbuilding and plot that were taken for granted and not explained.

I kept expecting it to be either a lyrical overjoy (again The Song of Achilles comparison) or an incredible dive in deep into the character’s minds and feels but I felt nothing. It was fairly easy to read, even though the story deserved writing that could convey all the greatness, grandioseness, and radiance this book was supposed to have. A disappointment.

A book about female empowerment not typically found in China at this time. A coming of age and into power for the main character. While I enjoy the story, I struggled with unfamiliar names of people and locales due to my being of a different culture. As such it was hard to remember who is who and where was where.. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.