I’m so full of feelings right now! This book just blew me away and I barely have the words to capture its beauty but I’m going to do my best.

She Who Became the Sun is a historical epic set in 14th century China that reimagines the fall of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the Ming Dynasty with a fantastical and genderqueer twist. Based on the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, we follow a young village child who takes on her dead brother’s identity and becomes Zhu Chongba, determined to rise above her preordained fate and make her own path towards greatness, all while in the midst of a rebellion that could change the face of the empire.

What this novel truly excels at is the character work as well as the worldbuilding, both of which are exquisitely done. Parker-Chan has a beautifully visual writing style that does a great job in setting the atmosphere and world of the story – and it never once felt too much. The vivid descriptions are balanced out well with dialogue and action and also help to create a mood and tone that complements the story perfectly. The worldbuilding itself is so well done – I love how the world slowly but surely unfolds in front of us and as Chongba grows up from a peasant child to a monk to a rebel, we see more of the world, its complexities, politics and struggles right alongside her. Despite the scope and complexity of the story, it never once felt overwhelming to me – everything gets introduced at the right time. The military strategies and political machinations were also amazingly done!

The real spotlight though goes to the fantastically written characters – their development, their arcs, their personalities – it was all so brilliantly done, I’m in awe. The way the fates of our main protagonists Zhu Chongba and General Ouyang are intertwined was fascinating to see. I love how their characters are so disparate – they start off on opposite sides and have completely different motivations, which made them brilliant foils for each other. While Chongba is desperate to grasp her fate, Ouyang reluctantly succumbs to his and I loved how this theme of fate meshed so beautifully with their journeys.

The theme of gender and identity is another one that is incorporated in the protagonists’ storylines and I loved how it was explored with such nuance. Ouyang is such a complicated tragic figure, at odds with the world and himself – being a eunuch general with a gender nonconforming appearance in a traditional society that prizes masculinity, his very existence is a contradiction to many. And the way this affects his character is so compelling to see! Chongba and her struggle with her body and identity felt so personal to read – you can really tell the author wrote their heart and soul into this.

The romance/relationship dynamics were really engaging as well – they made for some of my favorite scenes! Ouyang and Esen – the unrequited love, the unresolved tension, the sheer ANGST and YEARNING – stunning! As for Chongba and Ma Xiuying, they made my heart so happy – I just love that trope where the two characters are the only ones to see each other’s true selves. Esen and Xiuying are great, complex characters on their own too! In fact all the side characters, no matter how little page time they get, have a depth to them that makes them come alive. Also, shoutout to my favorite side character Wang Baoxiang – I love him so much!!!

Overall, if you like slow burn character-driven historical military epics with a fantastical twist, I highly recommend this novel! I’m still reeling from those last couple of chapters, genuinely cannot wait for the sequel.

Thank you to Tor-Macmillan and Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review

This was such a fascinating read about what it means to grasp or escape the destiny handed down to you. All the characters—and I mean ALL of them, had such realistic traits that they very much felt like people you knew. Zhu was hands down my favourite character. She’s such a great exploration of gender non-conformity, societal expectations, and what it really means to have power. She was fun but also cut-throat when she needed to be.

She Who Became The Sun is the stunning debut novel and the first of the The Radiant Emperor duology by Shelley Parker-Chan, and what a way to start. With such an interesting premise and pitch - Song of Achilles x Mulan, this easily became my most anticipated read of 2021 and it did not disappoint.

Set in the 1350s Ancient China, SWBTS is a genderqueer reimagining of the life of Zhu YuanZhang, the rebel leader who helped bring an end to the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty, and later on established the Ming Dynasty. Shelley Parker-Chan does a brilliant job of adding her many creative touches to the story while also weaving in accurate details of the period and culture. Some of the creative liberties taken even provided really stunning visuals that c-drama viewers might recognise and appreciate.

The writing is filled with beautiful, vibrant imagery that paints each scene effortlessly, while also being concise enough to maintain a really fast moving story. The events that happen in this book go by really quickly, often fading to black when it comes to actual battle scenes. Instead, it focuses on the build up, the aftermath and the characters’ justifications. More lyrical but never over written, the writing style was one of things that I noticed and latched onto early into the book. There are a couple of phrases that were practically translated from Chinese idioms/phrases which I found really fun to read and spot, (especially the cursing lol). I appreciate the seamless inclusion of them, I know a lot of authors of colors used to (still do) get criticisms for incorporating ‘strange’ phrases taken from their mother tongue, instead of using more popular/common ones in the English language. Nothing against that as well, as seen with the way characters are referred to - usually by their one syllable last name for convenience, many aoc had to compromise in the process of publishing. It’s just a nice touch to the writing that I personally really enjoyed, and the naming didn’t really deter my reading experience anyways.

The beautiful writing style aside, the novel really lay its claim to greatness in its expert command of characters and their psychology. We follow several characters in this book but mainly Zhu Chongba, a girl who takes on her brother’s foretold fate of greatness after his passing and lives as him, and her foil Ouyang, an eunuch general who serves the royal family who he shares a complicated past with. Both of these characters present such beautiful parallels despite starting out on opposite sides, with one struggling towards and the other struggling against their accepted fates (a theme that shines throughout the book), each with their own well crafted backstory and motivations that make you question who’s side you should really be on. Watching Zhu Chongba start with humble beginnings as a peasant to a monk and progressing to a need for power was such a journey, she has one goal set in her fate and she will chase it till the very end.

“As long as I keep moving towards my great fate, and keep doing what I need to do, one day I’ll have it.” // “He had no doubt that fate would respond. Fate made the pattern of the world, and Ouyang was nothing more than a thread joining a beginning and an end.”

The way this novel manages to discuss themes surrounding identity and gender, showcasing the joy and triumph that comes with discovery, as well as the shame of being denied it. [I can’t stress enough how much I love how Ouyang & Chongba act as foils in so many ways] There was a chapter that genuinely made me tear up cause I felt so seen, it was powerful and cathartic, just chills. The story also heavily focuses on the theme of one’s fate (or 命/命运) in the book. Seriously, take a shot every time you read/ hear the word fate. I wish I could go on further on how convoluted the concept of fate can be in Chinese culture but I’m no expert, I just really loved that it was a theme in this book.

The romance was also a highlight of this book, the other two prominent characters (Esen and Yingzi) have such intense chemistry with our two leads. Zhu and Ma really gave us such tender, precious scenes, same with Ouyang and Esen, nothing beats the “you and me against the world” trope. Even if it brings me to Tears™ :D Both Yingzi and Esen also felt properly developed and were complex in their own right despite not having the same amount of pages focused on them.

As a Chinese reader who’s heard bits of information about history and tales growing up, it was so much fun spotting not just the language but also the prominent historical figures that pop up in the story. (I had a whole discussion with my Dad about it since he’s a huge Chinese history/mythology fanatic) The fantastical elements of the book also serve more as a companion to the plot, which wasn’t a problem for me (this is for readers expecting a The Poppy War type of fantasy). It lurks in the background and is a lot more subtle, similar to the action. It focuses more on the politics and strategies instead.

Anyways, I’m so excited for the sequel, SWBTS really laid the foundation needed for the next book. Okay, I think I’ve gushed enough. Go read it when it comes out!

Thank you to Tor-Macmillan and Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

cw: violent depiction of death, amputation, ableist language, misgendering, dysphoria, homophobia

It’s so hard to put my thoughts on this amazing book into words. Every scene, every character and every sentence absolutely shone and the level of research the author has put in is commendable: I felt as if I was immersed in the setting. What I loved as well was how no character was clear cut. I had mixed emotions about all the main characters (except Baoxiang my man) but despite how much I disliked them, I still loved reading about them. That is the sign of a character well written for me. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

She Who Became the Sun is a slow burning fantasy. It manages to balance intense and nuanced characterization with action and political intrigue. The characters were, hand down, my favorite element of She Who Became the Sun. Mostly because I felt like I didn't have enough brain cells for all the masterful political maneuvers. Seriously! So many war tactics, alliances gone wrong, and betrayals in broad daylight. The world of She Who Became the Sun is rich and detailed. It unfurls like a banner and Parker-Chan allows us to sink into the tensions, fragility, and conflict.

All of the characters are allowed, even celebrated, for their mistakes and flaws. They felt relatable, even as you're internally screaming. Even within the first book, we can witness the evolution of their histories, desires, and ambitions. How we are trying to chase greatness and the tenuous positions, and security, it can grant us. Talk about a gender queer character whose whole future is changed within the course of the book. Driven by a desire for safety, we can see the seeds of her ambition burning. How, when she steps into a new role, she allows the fire to burn.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Wow – where to start? She Who Became the Sun is about the Red Turban Rebellion: uprisings against the Yuan dynasty that end up establishing Ming dynasty rule in China. A fortune teller tells our “main” main character that her brother’s destiny is greatness, but hers is nothingness. Once he dies, she takes on his identity, determined to take on his fate as well and achieve greatness. This book devastated and wrecked me in every possible way, and I need everyone to read it ASAP. I need to talk about it. It made me want to cry and also write analytical essays, which is a rare combination. Shelley Parker-Chan is one of the best authors I’ve ever read.

The amount of research it must have taken to write this book so thoroughly and so beautifully is astounding. Everything felt alive and tangible and vibrant. The setting, the characters, the plot were all so masterfully executed; I was in there with them. I felt the characters’ fear, their pain, their joy, their desire, their grit, their desperation. The elements of fabulism woven throughout the story put this book on a whole other level. The parallels between characters were subtle, and so many realizations hit me like a truck at the end. I finished the book immediately feeling like I needed to reread it to delve further into the themes and metaphors.

This book is about desire. Wanting. Fate. Morality. Are we all just pushed along by fate? Do we have any agency over our destinies? Can we desire our way out of a destiny we do not want or to one we do? If we want something enough, can we overcome fate? What happens when we don’t question our relationship to fate? Where do morality and ethics come into play? Is it worth sacrificing what is right for what we want? What IS right and wrong? When does ambition go too far? One of my favorite aspects of the book was the subtle and nuanced exploration of the spectrum of gender, gender identity, and sexuality was wonderfully queer and incredibly powerful. Each character we follow is complex and grapples with these questions in different ways, some with better results than others.

She Who Became the Sun is one of my new favorites. It is stunning, powerful, devastating, beautiful, lyrical, philosophical, and gritty. I’ve never read anything like it, and I need more. I can’t wait to see what Shelley Parker-Chan does next!

This was such an interesting book. I found the prose to be quite stoic and straightforward, which was excellent as it really made the more poetic moments shine. In terms of plot, it's not really straightforward, but at the same time it is. It definitely has a plot, but it feels plotless. The book takes you on a journey, one of fate. It's almost as if it teases the reader: "If you want there to be a plot, you have to *want* there to be a plot." It feels both character driven and not. It's...well...in my eyes, not an easy book to classify. And you know what? It really works. There's a political/militaristic edge to the story while also having a more contemplative side. The book addresses the questions of what it means to be a man, a woman, neither man nor woman, a leader, a lover.... The list goes on. Zhu is one of the most ruthless and cunning characters I've ever read. From the get-go, she doesn't accept things the way they are. She takes charge; she makes change. The other characters are also pretty good, though ones such as Zhang and Altan felt a bit one-dimensional to me. I also wasn't too sure on the friendship/relationship between Esen and Ouyang; it didn't feel natural. But at the same time, I'm not sure if it was supposed to?

In the end, this was a great debut, and I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

This was beautifully written, the type of book where you just want to highlight perfectly constructed sentences. There is so much going on under the surface; I knew less than halfway through that I would need to reread (and take notes this time!) to fully appreciate the smaller movements and machinations going on behind the scenes. This was bloody and exquisite and heartbreaking, and I absolutely can’t wait for the next book.

Perfect for readers who love antiheroes, queer fantasy, gorgeous prose; a great next read after The Poppy War.

I was fortunate to receive an early ARC of <i>She Who Became the Sun</i>, right when I needed something good to read. I devoured it in about one day, and then spent another hour or so just sitting there, stunned at all of the ways in which it made me think.

The novel starts with a poor, starving peasant girl in China. We are never told her name, because no one around her believes that her name matters. Instead, we learn the name of her older brother, Zhu Chongba, who is divined to have a great destiny. When Zhu Chongba dies, however, the girl decides that she will steal his great destiny by pretending to be him.

From here on out, the main character dresses as a boy and takes on the name Zhu Chongba. Because I, the reader, knew that she was not really Zhu Chongba, I tended to think of her as "Zhu." Since the novel is in third-person limited narrator and tends to use the pronoun "she" when written from Zhu's perspective, I'm going to refer to her as "she" from here on out, though there is a very good argument to be made that Zhu is either trans male or else non-binary, even when you strip away the semi-forced nature of her disguise.

<i>She Who Became the Sun</i> drew me in initially with a few truly beautiful lines of prose and with the deeply unjust situation of its main character. Zhu's endless stubbornness and drive to survive endears her immediately to the reader and sets us up to cheer her on as she somehow achieves the impossible, over and over. Zhu's primary character trait is her sheer drive to keep going, no matter the danger; and yet, it's this exact trait that leads her to do questionable things in pursuit of her stolen destiny. Zhu's arc is one of self-actualization--but in a way, the moment that she self-actualizes is also the moment that she becomes more like the villains she's been fighting. Once Zhu's survival is secured, all that's left is her desire for greatness for its own sake. Even this more questionable motivation still feels sympathetic in the moment, though, because of how long the reader has spent cheering her on already.

It was only at the very end of the book that I had to question my attachment to Zhu's success. There is a large battle and a moment when several political schemes all come to fruition at once--but I actually consider one of the following scenes, far more quiet, to be the real climax of the novel. Zhu is faced with a decision between morality and practicality... and the choice that she ultimately makes is both sensible and horrifying. After the fact, I had to rethink many of the ways in which I had excused Zhu's previous decisions, because I wanted to believe that her reasons were more pure than those of her enemies. The end of the novel forced me to think for a very long time, which I consider to be the hallmark of a truly good book.

On a structural level, I greatly appreciate that there are rarely any bloody, in-depth battles on-screen; Parker-Chan often skips over battles entirely and picks up from the moment of their conclusion. I don't have an aversion to violence in books where it's merited, but I find the political and emotional impact of battles to be far more interesting than reading about itemized moments where people swing swords at one another. There are still one or two scenes where fighting and violence happen on-screen, primarily because there's some crucial moment that <i>needs</i> to be on-screen in order for the story to make sense. But overall, this is a book about crucial moral decisions and about the <i>consequences</i> of violence, rather than about glorious battles themselves.

My only real nitpick is one that I have with many epic fantasy novels--I would have preferred for point-of-view changes to be more clearly marked with the POV character's name. Occasionally, I had to read a few paragraphs into a chapter before I realized I was riding along with a different character again, which meant I felt the need to reread everything I had just read with the addition of that context. POV also sometimes shifted in the middle of a chapter, after a scene break, which caught me even more off guard without a marker. This isn't a huge problem, but it would have made the read a bit smoother.

Overall, <i>She Who Became the Sun</i> was fantastically compelling and hard to put down. Until I read this book, my knowledge of the Ming Dynasty was limited to a few dry dates and names--but by the end of the book, I felt like the history was more personal and more interesting, and I wanted to learn more about it. All else aside, I consider that to be the ultimate mark of a good historical novel.

I'd categorize this as Game of Thrones meets Achilles, in China. It combines complex, brutal, political maneuvering with a classic, fantasy, coming-of-age story arc, and brings in queer main characters in a way that manages to feel both authentic to the story and setting and also relevant to modern life. The balance of a large cast of characters, with some you'll love and others you'll love to hate was well done. And, while there is always so much going on (fate vs chance, ambition vs love vs revenge, traditional vs subversive gender roles) it never feels forced or overly dramatic. I flew through this and can't wait to read more from Parker-Chan.

That was the perfect Chinese historical fantasy right there. It doesn't get better than this. Comparing to the Poppy War trilogy (a series I also love) which took inspiration from Chinese history for its own World - She Who Became the Sun is a complete reframing of the actual history of the founding emperor of Ming and her rise to power.

Most characters in this book are actual historical figures, Zhu Chongba (eventually Zhu Yuanzhang) Ma Xiuying, Guo Zixing (Minister Guo), Guo Tianxu (Little Guo) and almost every character that made an appearance in this story are all historical figures we learn in Chinese history growing up. As a Chinese person who read this, it's almost like I'm seeing through a natural spoilery lenses to what will end up happening to each and every one of them. It's probably even more special considering how many times FATE was emphasized throughout the story. We already know everyone's fate, just like how sure Zhou thought her fate was going to be. It's really interesting.

Besides that, this book has some amazing queer LGBT+ representations. This is one of those NO ONE HERE IS CISHET situation and I'm so living for it. I love the two main characters and their retrospective love interest. One is more tender and one is filled with angst. Still both have amazing development and underlining complexity. The author is non-binary and uses she/they pronouns. It really shows in her writing in Zhu's exploration of her gender identify and body disphoria.

The story was slow at first but when it gets going, it just never stops. This book definitely reads like a well crafted War genre C drama, as the phrases used are relatively all direct translations from Chinese idioms (might be confusing for ppl who don't speak Chinese as a language at first, but I don't think it's a bad thing). Also totally R rating in terms of blood and gore and politics brutality, ancient China has some serious way of executing people. So trigger warning for that.

The characters are all so very complex and the journeys they went on are all very satisfying to watch. No one's necessarily good, especially Zhu as a character, but she has a calmness in her willingness to pursue her desire and you just can't help and root for her. All the side characters are also very nuanced and complex. My favorite is probably Wang Baoxiang, can't wait to see more of him next book.

Anyway, guys, read this. You won't regret it! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. It's been a pleasure and honor.

As I turned the final page of this book, I wondered to myself how I was possibly going to put into words my love for this novel. She Who Became the Sun is a politically driven alternate history about the rise of the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. It features some of the most morally gray characters I have ever read in literature, of which their actions and relationships had me constantly turning the page. It is a bold voice for the LGBTQ+ community. Absolute perfection.

Muy curioso lo de este libro. Lo reseñaré con detalle en Neo Nostromo.

El libro es una reinterpretación del emperador chino Zhu Yuanzhang, en este caso Zhu es una niña que adopta la identidad de su hermano. Lo cierto es que me ha recordado a aquella obra japonesa donde dos hermanos (hermano y hermana) cortesanos se intercambian los papeles y se explora la identidad de género. Por otro lado Zhu tiene un romance bastante interesante, junto a todo el tema sobrenatural del libro. Dicho de otro modo, el planteamiento y la primera mita del libro están bien, son interesantes y me ha llamado mucho la atención. En cambio la segunda parte se vuelve un libro bélico lleno de política, intriga y estrategia militar que, quizá por contraste o quizá porque ya había entrado en la novela con los otros temas, me ha aburrido un poco. El estilo pega un bajón y el ritmo adolece mucho de esto.

En general, un libro donde me ha llamado la atención lo que, por regla general, suele pasarme desapercibido. En cambio, lo que suelo disfrutar (la aventura, la épica, las intrigas) se me ha hecho algo pesado.

Es un libro muy similar a The Poppy War, pero diría que bastante mejor escrito y planteado, con una trama bastante sólida (aunque inspirada punto por punto en la historia real del emperador chino).

What a stunning historical fantasy debut!

Set in China under Mongol rule, She Who Became the Sun follows a young girl who claims her dead brother's fate which eventually leads her to join a rebel group rising up against the Mongols.

This story was beautifully written and a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. It was the perfect blend of historical fiction infused with just the right amount of wonder.

The part of this book that stood out to me most was definitely the atmosphere and setting. Any book that mentions the Mongol Empire and/or monasteries instantly piques my interest and the way Parker-Chan executed it absolutely did not disappoint. Another thing I enjoyed the nuanced way Parker-Chan plays with gender in this book, especially given the historical setting, and how that ties into the theme of fate that plays a central role in the story. The characters were also incredibly compelling and I loved how well-developed and complex their relationships were. From page one, you can't help but fall in love with Zhu, and seeing her journey from a young girl in a famine-stricken village to becoming a monk and then a rebellion leader was beautiful.

The only thing that prevented me from giving this book five stars was just that, despite loving the atmosphere and the characters and enjoying the writing, while reading I just felt a certain distance from the story and couldn't get fully in the story

Regardless, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical fantasy. This book was really really good, especially being a debut, and, after that incredible ending, I can't wait to read more from Parker-Chan, both with this world and anything else she writes!

A book that I already heard so much about and everything is well deserve!! A really good piece of fantasy with a different background or culture that we often, if not always, see. I like the diversity in culture and mythology we recently see in the fantasy literature world. Another good one!

While I don't have the same enthusiasm for this as I've seen others (not quite five stars in my opinion, as I felt the main characters a bit hard to root for), this is a fantastic slow-burn historical fantasy that those who enjoyed The Poppy War might also like (not just because of the same geographical setting but similar vibes and themes).

She Who Became the Sun is a beautiful story of Zhu's highly ambitious drive to first survive and then to conquer. It treats the themes of fluid gender identity and sexuality with great respect; the author's background in human rights, gender equality, and LGBT rights in Southeast Asia definitely serves them well here. There's a good balance of conflict (in battle and between characters) as well as moments of growth and personal development. The characters are fleshed out well, have satisfying journeys, and I enjoyed the shifts in perspective between narrators. Overall, would highly recommend!

Will be writing a full-length review on this soon because holy crap, this book knocked my socks off. The sheer happiness that I feel right now at one of my 2021 most-anticipated releases meeting my expectations and then some is UNPARALLELED.

In the meantime, my favorite things about this book are:
➽ Genderqueer protagonists with incredibly nuanced explorations of their identity
➽ A cold-as-ice general yearning for the prince he serves
➽ War tactics aplenty
➽ Protagonist who starts out genuinely wanting to be a good person but becomes self-serving and disloyal out of a desire above all else to avoid slipping into ignoble nothingness
➽ Every single one of these characters is breathtakingly compelling but also HIGH-KEY MESSY
➽ Well-researched, cerebral in the best way, really made me think and also revisit history lessons from my school days

Honest to God, there's not a single thing about this book that I disliked. If you haven't preordered yet, DO IT NOW.

DNF.

This is an objectively awesome book. HOWEVER. I think marketing it as fantasy is a mistake. For those of us familiar with epic fantasy, this is a let-down, simply because there's no fantastical element. (At least, not in the first third if the book, which is as far as I got before giving up.) If I'd gone into this expecting historical fiction/alternate history, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. And that's not a fault of the book itself, but its marketing, which is why I'm still rating this so highly.

What a phenomenal first book! The main characters are engaging and complex, the prose is elegant, and the examination of fate, destiny, and the pursuit of it is exceptional. There is a maturity in the tale that left me constantly aching for characters, understanding their motives and lamenting them all the same. It is a brutal world, dominated by flawed characters, and a story of love, romantic and filial, and a ghost story, and a political thriller....