Full review here: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2021/08/23/arc-review-she-who-became-the-sun/\Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun is a masterful work that first builds the deep, desperate desire residing within Zhu Chongba, showcases their resilience and strategy, and critiques the systems that failed them–all in order to lead me into following Zhu and their cause, before wrenching my heart out with its still-beating-heart-wrenching turning point.

It weaves each character’s story with purpose and highlights how in war, in desperation, in love, there are no absolutes, and that more often, a compromise is necessary to survive. Yet, as brutal as the story gets, there are moments of quiet, accompanied by elegant prose that exude emotion out of its lyricism.

Overall, She Who Became the Sun is a strong debut and I look forward to the second book of The Radiant Emperor duology.

Full review here: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2021/08/23/arc-review-she-who-became-the-sun/

This story was an absolute stunning debut. I don't typically read historical fiction, but I think the way that fantasy was laced throughout was done in such a perfect amount. It suited the fantasy lover in me, but it still felt as if I was reading something based in history.

This novel had such a wealth of good things about it. First off, the character development was powerful. It felt as if I knew each character intimately, especially Zhu, Ma, Wang, and Oulyang, especially. I certainly did not agree with each of their choices, but I could empathize strongly and felt myself at different times rooting for each of them. For readers that want to read something that has strong right/wrong ideals, this may not be the book. There's a lot of decisions stuck in that morally grey zone, but that made for a fascinating read that was ever-changing.

Additionally, I loved the writing style that Parker-Chan employed. Her prose did a great job of showing versus telling, and while it was probably more "literary" in style than books I typically read, I don't think that it made it a hard read. The pacing moved pretty evenly throughout and I didn't find myself having to slow down simply because the language was challenging. This book was descriptive in its settings and characters' feelings, making me feel as if I was living within the pages, experiencing this right alongside the characters.

Lastly, I loved the themes of this book. There were SO many, but each felt well pursued: identity, desire, greatness, revenge, and war. Most importantly, this book covered the idea of gender fluidity in a way that was accessible but so pertinent throughout. It made me think really hard about the ways society has advanced in terms of acceptance, but also the ways we have yet to grow. I enjoyed reading this historical retelling that brought gender and sexuality to the forefront.

This was a powerful debut, and I already cannot wait for the next book in the duology. Parker-Chan is a force to be reckoned with as a writer. If it isn't clear, I definitely think it's worth noting that this is definitely an adult fantasy with mature topics and scenes, especially in the way it covers war quite graphically at times.

A brutal book of war and famine, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a queer reimagining of the founding of China’s Ming dynasty that has no business being as poetic as it is. (That is not a dig. The prose in this book is beautiful.)

I know this may seem ridiculous, considering I review Attack on Titan which is not exactly a fluffy story, but I’m not a huge fan of violence and bloodshed in my fictional stories. As far as She Who Became the Sun goes, I was dazzled by the pretty cover and I guess failed to realize the entire premise of the book. But even knowing now what I didn’t know then, I still would have read this book.

Also, most of the violence happens off-screen, but I have a very vivid imagination.




This is the story of a young girl who, after the deaths of her father and brother, assumes her dead brother’s identity. For Zhu Chongba has been gifted a great fate, and she was gifted nothing, and she is determined his fate will be hers. She lives as a man, seeking refuge at a Buddhist monastery (which is eventually burned down by the Mongols) before joining up with the rebel Red Turbans, who are hoping to drive the Mongols out of China.

This is also the story of General Ouyang, who chose becoming a eunuch over being murdered like the rest of his family and has spent every day since plotting his revenge against the Mongol invaders who destroyed his life.

For the most part, the book alternates between Zhu and Ouyang’s perspectives as both of them do whatever they must to achieve the destinies that are laid out before them. It emphasizes the importance of power, and freedom of choice, regardless of circumstances. Zhu’s stubborn refusal to become the nothing she was fated to be is inspirational, albeit pragmatic and not always moral. I don’t agree with a lot of her decisions, but you have to admire her resilience and craftiness.

It’s hard to believe that She Who Became the Sun is Parker-Chan’s debut novel. The prose is almost lyrical, painting a well-crafted portrait of a war-torn country; the characters are complex, and the author’s skill at building tension is fantastic. This is an extremely engaging read, and the POV shifts will leave you concerned for the fate of the various characters. (If you’re like me and know absolutely nothing about this very real, very historical event.) In fact, the first change in perspective had me worried about Zhu, because the first part of the book is told entirely from Zhu’s POV and then suddenly it’s not, and I was so sure she had died.

While this is a story about war, death, and vengeance, it is also about the complexities of gender and identity, as both Zhu and Ouyang are genderqueer. (Also, I think Zhu may be asexual, which is pretty awesome.) It’s very much an exploration of how gender is not about biology, and I like how this is paralleled between the two characters, because they have very different journeys.

There are some aspects that I don’t think were developed enough, and the ending felt very abrupt… and then I discovered that this is the first book in a duology. (Why does this keep happening to me?) After Zhu decides to take her brother’s place, she begins to see ghosts, which is apparently a sign that one possesses the Mandate of Heaven, but I felt like this was an underutilized aspect of the story.

If you are someone who enjoys a lot of politics and strategy in your fantasy, or you’re into historical C-dramas, I really think you will enjoy this book.

This book has been described as Mulan meets Song of Achilles, and while usually the comp titles aren't actually that similar to the book, I think these hit the nail on the head! I was captivated by this book, the story of a poor village girl fated to be nothing, but who dreams of power and greatness. This is a fantastical, gender-bending alternate history loosely inspired by the rise of the founder of the Ming empire from peasant to emperor. I didn't really know about any of the historical context until after I read the ARC and received my physical copy with the historical note (UK edition only, for some reason...I wonder why the US edition left it out). Although I still enjoyed the story, I think someone with more historical context would have relished the book and the way Parker-Chan subverts the usual (anti)-hero's journey trope more.

One really interesting thing about this book is how it explores identity and how it is rooted (or not) in gender. Zhu is not named in the first few chapters, while she is still just a peasant girl with no hope of any other life. When she decides to take over her brother's life though, she embodies Zhu Chongba as her own identity instead of merely using it as a disguise. In order to convince the world and the heavens that she is in fact Zhu Chongba, she must believe she is her brother, and that means that she is no longer a woman. And yet, throughout her journey, she experiences flashes of empathy and kinship with women oppressed by patriarchal norms as someone who had experienced that herself. The guilt and unease she feels at being pulled out of her role as a man was really interesting, as was her inability to squash down her empathy and understanding of what it means to live as a woman.

Zhu is not the only one with a complicated relationship to gender. General Ouyang, her main adversary on the battlefield, is a eunuch general who is a little in love with a man he should hate. He believes himself to be superior to women, indoctrinated by patriarchal society as he is, and yet he feels deep shame whenever anyone reminds him that he is not a man either because of the body he inhabits. It was so interesting to see the contrast between Zhu's ruthless self-confidence and Ouyang's tortured and begrudging loyalty to the empire who killed his family, and their recognition of each other as one who is not defined by the body they inhabit. Parker-Chan takes the separation of body and self even further through a dramatic confrontation between these two characters, and the aftermath was not at all what I expected.

This is not a particularly cheerful book. There is a lot of violence and oppression inherent to the building and defending of empires, and this book pulls no punches. This also isn't a book full of endearing characters; everyone is flawed and morally gray. The feeling is much more of a historical fiction book than a fantasy one, especially since the fantastical elements of the book come into play in very precise moments rather than being suffused into the world or fictional culture at large. Despite how dark this book was, especially towards the end, I didn't find it hopeless or grim either. The ending was also really satisfying even if it was not quite a happy ending. It really makes you think about how far you will go to achieve your dreams.</p>

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a story about empires and conflicted people.

She Who Became the Sun is a literary fantasy reimagining of the rise to power of the first emperor in the Ming dynasty. This one was absolutely brilliant, and completely surprised me from the first chapters, where a girl takes over her brothers identity and becomes determined to fulfill his destiny of greatness.

I’m not typically a huge fan of fantasy novels with a more military bent, but this one swept me away. Parker-Chan mixes court intrigue, battle strategies, and interpersonal relationships in such an incredibly compelling manner, it’s hard to put this one down. But still, She Who Became the Sun is 100% a character driven book. And these characters were so fantastically written. Plus, since the story follows multiple characters, you see both how characters intend actions and how they’re perceived by others (some of the scenes are just brilliant). I always love stories with morally gray characters and this novel completely delivers.

In this quietly compelling tale, Parker-Chan explores family, destiny, love, and identity. I cannot wait to read the sequel and am honestly shocked that this is a debut novel.

A reimagining of the rise of the Ming dynasty in the mid-1300s, SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN captivated me with its fiercely compelling genderqueer main characters and the emotional weight they each carry.

A young girl is overlooked and undervalued in favor of her brother Zhu Chongba, who a fortune teller foresees is destined for greatness—but when she becomes their family’s sole survivor, she claims his name and fate for herself. Step by step, the daring and bold Zhu schemes her way into power with a resolute belief in the fate that is owed her, rejecting the identity she is given and empowered by forging her own. The book’s tagline “destiny comes to those who dare…” is truly quite fitting.

On the opposing side, Ouyang is a eunuch and the trusted general of a Mongol prince, and he offers a stark contrast to Zhu Chongba. The heaviness of his emotions permeates every page of his story, and I felt his shame, self-loathing, yearning, and the tragedy of being the last of his bloodline. While Zhu seeks to transcend her gender identity, Ouyang is trapped by his.

Amidst political intrigue and war, the most memorable scenes aren’t the battle victories or schemes coming to fruition, but the understated confrontations between characters and the *feelings* that Parker-Chan conveys so elegantly, whether it’s the feeling of being stripped bare in front of the person you care about the most, or the feeling of recognizing a piece of yourself in your enemy. This is one of my favorite books of 2021 and I can't wait for the sequel!

The author lays a great foundation for a new fantasy series. With elements of desire, revenge, love - and characters deep enough to experience the complexity of all three - this story soars.

I was captivated the whole time, I truly loved this book. Really enjoyed the interwoven storylines and everything the book has to say about revenge, love, and gender. It's a heavy book and there's a lot going on so it took me a while to get through but that just made me enjoy it even more. Cannot wait for the sequel.

BOOK REVIEW: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (4.5 stars)

READ IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR…
➱ Asian-inspired alternate history with some fantasy elements
➱ an extremely driven and badass female protagonist who becomes a boy — first a monk and then a warrior — in an attempt to fool fate
➱ an exploration of destiny, vengeance, gender, and love
➱ an atmospheric setting in 1300s China

FROM THE BLURB: Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

MY TAKE:
What an epic! What a clever premise! And what a well-drawn, nuanced protagonist!

The book was much more historical fiction and much less fantasy than I was expecting — which, while slightly disappointing to me, means it has broader appeal for people who tend to avoid fantasy.

I loved the beginning and loved the end, but the middle was a little bogged down with political machinations and battle tactics, which is not my favorite thing.

That said, the writing was beautiful and some parts of the story were just captivating. I’m so excited for the next book — this first installment definitely ended with a bang!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @torbooks for a free review copy.

She Who Became the Sun is the utterly bold, breathtaking queer fantasy that filled the Chinese drama-shaped hole in my heart.

She Who Became The Sun is the debut novel by author Shelly Parker Chan, and the start of a new series - The Radiant Emperor trilogy. This intense and vividly written fantasy novel draws from ancient Chinese storytelling traditions. But it is also a thoroughly modern reimagining of Chinese history and historical figures. 

She Who Became The Sun takes place in 14th century China, at the end of the Mongolian-controlled Yuan dynasty. The history and research that went into the worldbuilding for this novel is painstakingly accurate, with a few notable exceptions that transform this from a historical novel into a fantasy novel. Perhaps the most obvious (and potentially controversial) change is the gender-bending of the main character - Zhu Chongba. Even a cursory internet search for the name will show that this character is based on the Emperor that founded the Ming dynasty in China.

In She Who Became The Sun, Parker Chan explores the impoverished origins of the character and their rise to power. But they imagine that Zhu was once a young girl, whose fate is decreed to be 'nothing.' She claims her dead brother's destiny of greatness along with his identity. She travels to a monastery to seek refuge. There she becomes a monk, and begins a lifetime of hiding her gender in order to fully become the man known as Zhu Chongba.

Zhu becomes a monk, and then later a warrior fighting on the side of the rebel Red Turbans who seek to reclaim China from the Yuan. Few know the secrets that Zhu is keeping. Not only about her gender identity, but also about the power she holds. Because Zhu can also see ghosts. This ability came to her in the moment when she claimed her dead brother's identity. This is one of the few truly fantastical aspects of the story. Unfortunately it is not one that is explored in-depth in the text. Hopefully future books will delve more deeply into this gift/curse that Zhu lives with. 

Unlike another historical gender-bending fantasy novel that imagined a young woman living as a man to become a knight in The Story of Silence, there is no historical implications that Zhu Chongba was a woman. However, this gender-bending reimagining of a major historical figure adds depth and complexity to the Parker Chan's tale. It is a story of identity of course. But it is also a story about everything that humans desire: love, respect, and power. 

Zhu Chongba is not the only character in the book who lives in the gray area between male and female. On the other side of the struggle is the eunuch general Ouyang. The two are linked by pain and death, along with their unique interstitial identities. Ouyang is the last son of a family murdered by the Yuan dynasty. He was made a eunuch and a slave, before rising to the station of general in the same army that tried to wipe out his people. Ouyang has spent his whole life plotting his revenge. His scheme is complicated by his intense feelings for Esen  - the son of the man who murdered Ouyang's family. 


She Who Became The Sun is a story rife with morally grey characters. Zhu Chongba is the protagonist of the tale, but she is not always the hero.  Ouyang is initially set up as a villain, and the antagonist to Zhu. However, as the story unfolds he becomes more and more sympathetic. And we see that he is not only driven by revenge, but also by duty and honor. Neither of them are truly heroes or villains. They are humans grasping for power, motivated by deep emotions. They are both struggling to find a place in the world. While also carving their names into the history books. 

In the end, the two characters are more alike than even they know. They are both driven by what they perceive as their fate. Zhu has claimed her fate and moves toward it relentlessly. Whereas Ouyang has always known his fate and dreads its approach as it will change everything he has ever known. The two act as catalysts for the fates that drive them, as Ouyang sparks Zhu's rise to power. And Zhu sets off the chain of events that will lead to Ouyang betraying the only person he seems to love and hate in equal measure.

She Who Became The Sun is an astonishing debut novel from author Shelley Parker Chan. It is rich with Chinese history and culture, which is always refreshing in a sea of Eurocentric epic fantasy novels. The author clearly did her research on this era of history and it shows. But not only that, she is writing about her own culture and that informs the writing strongly. Parker Chan is an Asian-Australian author who "spent nearly a decade working on human rights, gender equality and LGBT rights in Southeast Asia," according to her website bio. Parker Chan is also gender-queer (preferred pronouns are she/they). And has written about how this story explores genderqueer identities that reflect her own journey. 

The gender politics of 14th century China are undeniably restrictive. But in reimagining the history of her own culture to be more complex and nuanced in regards to genderqueer individuals, Parker Chan is following in the footsteps of her own characters. Carving a name for herself in history, and telling a story that might change the worlds of those who read it.

There are so many glorious things about this book and some things that disconnected me as a reader as well.

First, this felt so much more historical than fantasy. And Shelley Parker-Chan did a phenomenal job overlaying the fantasy aspect with the cultural belief around the Mandate of Heaven. I do feel like Ouyang’s character development was fleshed out more than that of Zhu Chongba. The book repeatedly hits the reader over the head with the prospect of greatness vs nothingness and at times it was a little much, especially in the beginning, and it disconnected me from Zhu. Also, besides Zhu’s desperation around becoming her brother, we don’t really get to know her at all, we receive only small glimpses and most of them are centred around her relationship with Ma. Ironically enough, when Zhu actually desired greatness for herself and snatched that fate by any means necessary that was the most “Zhu” thing I had seen the entire book because it wasn’t her running from her fate of nothingness or pretending to be her brother to steal his fate, that was wholly her and she did it for her despite the possibility of losing her closest allies.

Ouyang however, had a very well-done character arc and learning about him and his motivations around what drove him felt like peeling away layers of an onion. He was the character I latched on to and what kept me connected to the story until I came around to Zhu.

The way the plot pivots towards the conclusion of the book was a good payoff in my book and I am looking forward to the release of the sequel.

If possible, I highly recommend you do a quick Google search or maybe watch a YouTube video on the Mongol Empire and their ruling era in China. I really think that will heighten your enjoyment and appreciation for what Shelley has crafted here!

This book struggled a lot with pacing – there were pages and pages of military strategy (that didn’t feel wholly necessary), but many of the ensuing battles were over in a matter of paragraphs. A lot of the characters felt bland – including the lead! – and I wasn’t particularly invested in what was going on. The writing was beautiful, however, and there were moments of touching reflections on gender/gender politics/genderqueer identities.

It’s possible that I just was in the wrong headspace or went in with unfair and/or too-high expectations, because mine seems to be the minority opinion, but this book just did not work for me.

Review my my Novel Notions co-blogger, Petrik Leo.

ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

She Who Became the Sun has the bravery to pitch itself as The Song of Achilles meets Mulan and actually live up to it.

If you’re active on bookish social media, you should know that She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is one of the two most hyped books published by Tor Books this year; the other one being The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. Both of these books have been received praises from many people for the past few months, and with these kinds of huge praises and buzz, there’s the tendency for them to disappoint. Now, I haven’t read The Blacktongue Thief yet, but the hype for She Who Became the Sun is real and well-deserved. With such a striking cover art illustrated by JungShan Ink—the artist who illustrated the cover art to The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang—this historical fiction/fantasy debut managed to live up to all the praises.

“Becoming nothing was the most terrifying thing she could think of—worse even than the fear of hunger, or pain, or any other suffering that could possibly arise from life.”

She Who Became the Sun is the first book in Radiant Emperor duology, and it’s a reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The year is 1345, in a famine-stricken village, two children are given two fates; the boy—Zhu Chongba—is destined for greatness, and the girl is fated to become nothing. However, when a bandit attacks this village and orphans the two children, Zhu Chongba succumbs to despair and dies. The girl, with a burning desire to survive no matter what it takes, decides to take Zhu Chongba’s name and steal her brother’s fated greatness. I loved this book, and I’m genuinely impressed by how well-written this book was, especially remembering that this is a debut novel. The themes of destiny, war, gender, identity, desire, love, and duty were delivered efficiently with much impact; the importance and freedom in our power as an individual to choose, regardless of our circumstances, were spectacularly elaborated. Seriously, I would be lying if I say that I didn’t feel invigorated by Zhu’s resilience.

“Monks were supposed to strive for non-attachment, but that had always been impossible for Zhu: she was more attached to life than any of them could have understood.”

Yes, the main character, Zhu Chongba was undoubtedly the main highlight of the book for me. Her resilience, her cunning, and her desire to live were nothing short of inspiring to me. I’m not saying that I agree with all of her decision, but Parker-Chan’s way of crystallizing Zhu’s motivation to the readers was so superbly-written that I can’t help but felt that I understood Zhu. Zhu is overall a pragmatic character, and she’s willing to do everything in her power to defy fate, fight, live, and most importantly, she refuses to become nothing. I loved her character’s arc; her moral is colored in grey rather than black and white, and her storyline just felt so believable to me.

“So I always knew you had a strong will. But what’s unusual about you is that most strong-willed people never understand that will alone isn’t enough to guarantee their survival. They don’t realize that even more so than will, survival depends upon an understanding of people and power.”

Honestly speaking, Parker-Chan did such an excellent job on Zhu’s characterizations, and it made the beginning of Part II worrying for a while. Here’s the thing, Part 1 of the novel centers entirely on Zhu’s coming-of-age story, and she was the only POV character during this section; the sudden shifts to a multi-POV narrative in Part 2 of the novel took a bit of time for me to get used to, and for a while, I was terrified that this storytelling decision would end up diminishing the quality of the narrative. Fortunately, my worry was unfounded; the novel only became better because of the change to the multi-POV structure. Ma, Ouyang, and Esen are the other three main characters that, in my opinion, significantly improved the depth and emotions of the novel. Similar to Zhu, these characters have character development and characterizations that felt so organic and well-realized. The character’s respective motivations, agendas, and backgrounds that complex their emotions, relationships, and sense of duty further were so incredible that I couldn’t even imagine how the novel would be like if it was told solely from Zhu’s perspective.

“Desire is the cause of all suffering. The greater the desire, the greater the suffering, and now she desired greatness itself. With all her will, she directed the thought to Heaven and the watching statues: Whatever suffering it takes, I can bear it.”

I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the characters and story in this novel won’t be a happy-go-lucky one. As I said at the beginning of this review, She Who Became the Sun is a reimagining of the rise of the emperor of the Ming Dynasty; if you’re familiar with the history of The Red Turban Rebellion and Zhu Yuanzhang, I’m sure you’ll recognize some—not all—characters involved in Zhu’s story. I personally think it’s more accurate to call She Who Became the Sun a historical fiction—or maybe historical fantasy—than a straight-up fantasy novel; rather than having me barraged you with essays and paragraphs of information regarding the inspirations, I think it would be better for me to give you the link to the author’s website—I advise you to check these only after you finished reading the novel—on the subject of the historical figures instead: https://shelleyparkerchan.com/histori...

But regardless of genre classification, there’s one thing for sure about She Who Became the Sun; it is written lyrically and wonderfully.

“Learn to want something for yourself, Ma Xiuying. Not what someone says you should want. Not what you think you should want. Don’t go through life thinking only of duty. When all we have are these brief spans between our non-existences, why not make the most of the life you’re living now? The price is worth it.”

Parker-Chan has an immensely desirable writing style that displays her proficiency for storytelling in practically every scene of the book. Tensions, dialogues, atmosphere, and emotions were conveyed efficaciously, and the pacing of the narrative flowed naturally without hindrance. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a novel destined for greatness, and greatness will be achieved when the publication date has been reached. Although this is the first book in a duology, rest assured that there’s no cliffhanger, and the book worked well as a standalone. There are still 5 months before this wonderful debut comes out, and I’m already so looking forward to seeing how this duology will be concluded. Claim greatness for yourself. Claim She Who Became the Sun.

Official release date: 22th July 2021 (UK) and 20th July 2021 (US)

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | Bookshop (Support Local Bookstores!)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

Rainbows and Sunshine
August 9, 2021

She Who Became the Sun is the first book in the Radiant Emperor duology and it was absolutely mind blowing. It's one of my most anticipated reads and was way beyond my expectations.

The writing drew me in from the beginning and then I was so engrossed by Zhu and her determination to not be nothing and strength to make her own fate. Zhu is a very complex character, her ambitions, drive and shrewness makes her one of the highlights of the book. Ma Xiuying is so different compared Zhu but I liked her a lot.

“Becoming nothing was the most terrifying thing she could think of—worse even than the fear of hunger, or pain, or any other suffering that could possibly arise from life.”

Ouyang, the eunuch general and our other main POV character is on the opposite side of the battle and is another brilliant character. I loved him so much. One second he'd make you angry and frustrated and in the next he'd break your heart into a million pieces.

He had done what he had to do, and in doing so he had destroyed the world.

A queer epic fantasy that is hard to forget, with elements of revenge, fate, destiny, gender and identity against the backdrop of Ming Dynasty and a retelling of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's ascension. Highly recommend and I cannot wait for the sequel!!!!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

She Who Became the Sun gripped a part of me that I didn't really understand, much less even know it existed. Overall, there's this nuanced sense of identity and symbolism that avoids a lot of the pitfalls that could occur, When we first meet Zhu, she's trying to come to terms with her fate, and the resentment towards her brother simply for how they're both perceived in the world.

As much as I loved the relationship between Zhu and Ouyang throughout the resolution of the novel, the lead up took quite a bit of energy (but I'm glad I stuck with it!). I agree with the exposure to the characters and how it was done, but I think I wasn't in the right mindset for the intricacies of the political relationships.

Overall, the relationship that Zhu builds first with herself as a child, herself as Zhu Chongba, and herself has HERSELF, as well as who she becomes in tandem with Ouyang, is stunning. Not to mention Ouyang's own self-hatred and the layers of shame that they both face, but both of whom somehow personify their shame and become more of the person they are.

I finished this book with mixed feelings, though I do recommend it, and it’s getting well-deserved rave reviews. I love a novel that tells a historical story in a new way, especially a history I know little about. In this debut novel, Shelley Parker-Chan tells the story of the beginnings of the Ming Dynasty, after their revolt against the Mongols in 1345. Parker-Chan tells the story of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but turns her into a woman. This book is described as “Mulan meets The Song of Achilles“. I loved the rich detail of this story, which is vividly told with interesting characters.

The story begins with Zhu Chongba, a peasant girl who is starving with her father and brother. The village seer prophesies greatness for Zhu’s brother, but sees nothing for Zhu’s fate. When Zhu’s father and brother are killed by bandits, Zhu decides to take not only her brother’s identity, but his fate of greatness as well.

For me, the only downside of this book was that I didn’t sympathize with Zhu as I did with some of the other characters because she puts greatness above all else. I don’t need to agree or like a main character, but I do need to understand what drives them. Parker-Chan repeatedly presents Zhu’s fate as a choice between greatness and nothingness — nothing in between. Zhu says she must pursue greatness at all costs, even if it hurts those she loves. But while her drive is inspiring, it’s also selfish, and because of that, it wasn’t always clear why she inspired loyalty and love. I felt most engaged with her story when she was living in the monastery, struggling just to survive and learn.

It was refreshing to see a female character who’s ambitious and seeks power. And I appreciated that Zhu is aware that she has trouble feeling empathy. I appreciated her insecurities about her identity — because if she’s living out the destiny of her brother, then who is she?

There’s an interesting interview with Parker-Chan in The Mary Sue, where she talks about how many books try too neatly to tie a character’s motivations to a defining incident in their past. I agree that life is rarely that simple and we are motivated by many different experiences throughout our lives. She says that “the great mythic figures of our storytelling all have a hole at their core” and for readers, it’s this hole that “thrills and unsettles.” She wanted to write a character who has a drive for power because “that’s the way she is.”

For me, the character of Ouyang made this book really shine. General Ouyang is a eunuch who serves Esen, a Mongol prince. Esen’s father killed Ouyang’s entire family, then mutilated Ouyang and forced him into servitude. Only Esen sees him as a human being and has allowed him to rise to the position of General based on his strength and skill in battle. Over time, they’ve developed a friendship that – almost – transcends the difference in their positions. Ouyang is tormented by his feelings for Esen, his shame, and his need for revenge.

Parker-Chan sets up a number of interesting parallels between Ouyang and Zhu. Both are living with a gender identity that is not quite male, not quite female. Both are driven by their fate. Ouyang sees his fate as avenging his family, even if that means destroying the life he’s built and the person he loves. Zhu sees herself as fated to rule, and whatever she does needs to further that goal. Both characters at times question the power of fate in their life – what must they do to achieve their fate, and does it matter if their fates are already set?

The relationships between Ma and Zhu and Ouyang and Esen are beautifully told, with each character struggling in different ways with their sexuality and vulnerability.

This is a fascinating, epic story that’s both a retelling and a reimagining of China’s history from a female and queer perspective. Elements of fantasy throughout gave the story added dimension. I was only troubled by what I felt was Zhu’s single-minded ambition, and I wanted more of an understanding of her character as the story went on. But maybe it’s not possible to be a great person and a good person at the same time, and that question is what made this story so thoughtful.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan-Tor Books. This book was published July 20, 2021.

This is a epic historical Asian fantasy with a Sapphic romance. A nameless 12 year old girl and daughter of farmers starves in the poor village of Zhongli. The fortune teller has marked her brother, Zhu Chongba for greatness while her future would amounted to notthing. Bandits came to their home one night and killed their father and her brother wasted away. Taking on her brother's identity, she goes to the monastery he was promised to and becomes a monk in training, always having to hide the fact the she is a woman.

Our protagonist is lead into greatness by misfortune that forces her to leave the monastery and travel to a rebel village. The village who supports The Prince of Radiance; a rising monarch who possesses The Mandate Of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven is a blessing all rulers must have in order to be seen as worthy of becoming an emperor.

We see so many aspects of where Zuh started, how she progressed and where her journey took her. There was so much substantial character growth for our protagonist with many noticable differences and an evolution to her morals and well as her political standing. This book progressed so smoothly.

Zhu's love interest, Ma Xiuying is the tenderest of characters. She is framed in such a way to be love incarnate, but she is also the epitome of how women are owned and oppressed in this world. Women of this world are not valued and are looked more to their forced responsibilities of being a wife and mother to heirs for the men they marry. Ma is no different for this weight she must bear, but she takes her duty seriously and approaches it with love. Ma is a character that is meant to be delivered straight to the heart and tare down any walls might have had.

Ouyang is a euinch general that works for The Prince of Henan, whose under the current mongol power, The Great Khan. Ouyang had everything taken from him by The Prince of Henan, his whole family slaughtered when he was a child and forced into becoming a euinch so he could not continue his family line. He has risen from slave to general and fights to protect The Great Khan.

Ouyang is regarded as a powerful general with feminine beauty at its highest. Ouyang is very attractive and seen as someone the solders would fight to protect based on his beauty alone. I feel Ouyang is Zhu's antagonistic rival and her match in rising to power.

This book was a whirlwind of political intrigue and power. This book was smooth in its story progression, as well as character development. I really loved this and can't wait to read next book when it is available.

This book definitely takes you on a riiiiide! We follow our main character after her brother dies and she decides that she wants his fate of greatness instead of her fate of nothingness.

I think my favourite aspect of this novel was all of the talk around gender and what it meant for Zhu. There were a lot of instances where I could relate to her and her struggles with it. It really made me love her character despite all of the terrible things Zhu ends up capable of doing.

The book wasn’t too action heavy but leaned more towards political scheming and more of the waiting for war versus actual war which I found that I enjoyed. It gave us more time to learn the characters and their paths leading up to where they ended up now. The actions scenes when they appeared were great though! I hope we get more of them in the next book for sure.

If you’re looking for a book with a lush historical setting, war and death and the struggles for power and what it truly means to accomplish greatness— look no further, this is the book for you!

4/5⭐️

TW: death, death of a child, death of a parent, murder, blood, gore.

I loved the first half of this book - very compelling. But in the second half I lost hold of it, and lost interest. Once the view widens from the monastery to prime ministers and power jockeying the characters are not as vivid. After joylessly speed reading for a few chapters I gave up at about 80%.