[4.5 out of 5] HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD is a masterpiece of political maneuverings, all-consuming grief, and the use of sex as power. This final book in the duology follows Zhu Chongba, now Zhu Yuanzhang; Ouyang; and Baoxiang, now the Prince of Henan. It is much darker than the first installment. The effects and deep feelings of grief and revenge often taking the spotlight.

Parker-Chan powerfully showcases how grief can be all-encompassing through Ouyang and Baoxiang. Ouyang seeks to avenge his father's death, but is also grief stricken because he had to kill Esen-Temur to proceed with his plan. Baoxiang also wrangles with his newfound grief despite his complicated relationship with his brother. These feelings are further amplified by a lifetime of society treating them as "other." This sowed the seed for the birth of vengeance. Grief tunnels into their psyches and pervades them internally, slithering and crashing into the external world to spread like a disease.

Zhu is the foil to the darkness personified in Ouyang and Baoxiang. Parker-Chan consistently shows the reader how Zhu and Ouyang are alike, pulled together by their similarities. But Zhu also chooses to act and react differently. Zhu's Mandate of Heaven visually shows this difference. It is a white light compared to the mandates of others, past and present. She has not had an easy life, either. But her actions and decisions during trying moments show that it is possible to break through the grief and choose a path that leads to positive change in the world.

Her path still contains blood and death. Yet, her goal is a noble one: to make the world into a vision that changes societal norms so that no one feels ostracized. This brings to mind whether the ends justify the means. With this change, though, perhaps ultimately there will be less grief and destruction perpetuated by society's toxic masculinity.

HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD also examines the use of sex to obtain knowledge and hold power. There are many different tones of sex, such as the comfortable, trusting, and loving sex between Zhu and Ma. However, other characters use sex as a window to the soul to benefit themselves rather than create a trusting partnership. These scenes are not incredibly explicit compared to some of the fantasy romance available to read. However, they became heavier to read with each scene. Nearly every character used sex to gain influence, whether they initiated it or were the participant.

There are also many brilliant instances in which Parker-Chan employs metaphors or double entendres to allude to how sex, power, pain, and trust intertwine with each other. Additionally, sex also allows for the exploration of perceived boundaries of binary and queerness. What one knows about oneself is what defines someone, not necessarily their actions or how they dress.

Of course, Parker-Chan's writing speaks for itself. It is rich and langourous in the way a a summer day meanders, allowing the reader to soak up the events and context. This is not a book for speed reading. It is meant to be enjoyed with full dedication to details. To some HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD may feel like it has a slow start. But don't let that be a deterrence for it packs a punch that begs for release.

HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD is the perfect finish after an extended climax for fans of SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN. It's a vivid and frank portrayal of how easily one can allow grief to overwhelm and destroy to satiate one's pain for some degree of pleasure and satisfaction. Moreover, it's an ode to a goal to reshape the world into a vision that benefits all, especially those a society treats with derision. Shelley Parker-Chan delivers an exceptional retelling of the rise of the 14th century historical figure Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming dynasty.

Review will go live on my blog on August 28, 2023 at https://aliteraryescape.com/2023/08/28/he-who-drowned-the-world-by-shelley-parker-chan/.

Zhu Chongba is now Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King with the white Mandate of Heaven, and is more than ever ready to fulfill her destiny: to become the Radiant Emperor.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang is not the only candidate with a Mandate. Madam Zhang in the South has the control over salt and a candidate for the throne in her arsenal, not her idiotic husband but his brother and her lover: General Zhang. The Great Khan is still ruling the North with Wang Baoxiang as one of his ministers, who is also shooting for the throne. Zhu’s only chance to win against Madam Zhang and the Mongols is to ally herself with an old enemy, General Ouyang. Ouyang might have cut off Zhu’s hand, but he is still one of the most talented warriors in the Empire and he has the same goal as Zhu: killing the Great Khan to avenge the death of his family.

She Who Became the Sun was one of the best books I’ve read last year so let’s just say I was extremely excited to read the sequel. So much so that I broke my own rule and requested an ARC of it that I devoured. He Who Drowned the World delivered on all my expectations and surpassed them, it was great finale to the duology.

After the events of the first book, Parker-Chan explored the consequences on the different characters masterfully, making this story darker and more tense than in She Who Became the Sun.

Ouyang’s grief after loosing the one he loved more than a brother was heart wrenching and painful to read about. I don’t think I’ve ever read a character who hated himself more than Ouyang. So much so that at times, I had to put down the book just to take a breather from the tension.

Another character whose emotional journey was hard to read about was Wang Baoxiang. He’s probably my favorite character from the duology and his character arc from the beginning of the duology was fascinating to read about. Since he was looked upon from birth because of his academic abilities (seen as unmanly from the Mongols who only cared about military abilities without realizing that they couldn’t run their armies without administrators behind them), he decides to harness his talent to take his enemies down from the inside. He makes more than a few decisions that have horrific consequences yet, he can’t stop himself.

This is a recurring theme in the duology and even more so in this finale. What are you willing to give up in order to reach your fate and at which point should you stop, when you have already sacrificed everything that you cared about? At several points, the characters realize that they have gone too far but they just use those moments as justifications to continue hurting themselves, and others. The road to the throne is always bloody after all.

As previously mentioned, this book was darker than She Who Became the Sun. This book probably has all the trigger warnings you could think off: sexual violence, rape, death of a child, forced abortion, death, torture, suicidal ideation, internalized homophobia and self-harm. It’s not an easy read and they are a lot of explicit scenes. While I tend to disliked unwarranted non-consensual explicit scenes, I think they had purpose in the story and moved the story forward, they didn’t feel added for the shock value. However, if you can’t read such scenes, I don’t think this book will be a right fit for you.

If you’re a regular watcher of historical Asian drama, you’ll find a lot of similarities between them and this duology, right to the pacing. Some chapters are slow because of how emotionally important they are for the characters while other chapters are fast-paced and filled with twists and turns. As an avid watcher of K-dramas, it was not surprising that I couldn’t put the book down (except when I had to take angst breaks!). However, also like in historical dramas, Parker-Chan manages to create small moments of hope and lightness for the reader to process all the grief and trauma. While those moments were rare, they were very much appreciated

To say that I recommend this duology would be an understatement, I absolutely loved the characters, the story and how this book pushed all my historical dramas buttons and turned some tropes on its head. It’s also very queer which is very much appreciated because representation matters. If this series sounds like something you would enjoy then please pick it up!

Highly, highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts opinions are my own. My thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for the ARC.

MY REVIEW: 2 Stars
Triggers: rape, self-harm, violence, torture, etc

I just didn’t love this one like the first book. It didn’t grab me and there were too many triggers for me.

There are plenty of great reviews so try the book on for yourself

*Thank you to Tor for the offer of this book and Netgalley for the digital.

- I'm not sure how to review HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD beyond simply some incoherent screaming. It's somehow better than the first book? It left me completely shattered? I could have kept reading it forever?
- I won't go into too much plot detail because 1) so much happens and 2) a lot of it would constitute huge spoilers. But know that I was gripped from beginning to end, gasped out loud at several points, and once my spouse asked if I was okay and the answer was a wailing, "Noooo!"
- Simply put, this duology is a masterpiece. I can't wait to see what Parker-Chan does next.

I enjoyed the first book and was glad to have received a copy to read this one. This story was very well written just like the first one. It was a bit slow in the beginning but the ending was just a masterpiece. This is more of a dark-tone read and I enjoyed the dark feel of this book. We get to explore more in the world and learn more about the characters which this book is written in multiple povs. I do have to say that the multiple povs and many characters made the book confusing to read as I would forget who is who. There are new side characters from what I can remember of the first book and I liked most of them. There are quite a few sex scenes with of course romance but some are very dark and would recommend checking out trigger warnings. The ending was good but not enough for me. I’m told this is a duology but the way the story ended, I feel as though there is more. Parker-Chan is a fantastic writer and I have loved their work. I will be reading more of their books in the future, especially after this duology.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

I absolutely fell in love with the first The Radiant Emperor book, She Who Became the Sun, in 2021 and have been eagerly awaiting and dreading the release of the final book in the duology, He Who Drowned the World. But I conquered myself and submerged myself back into 15th century China and came out with my world rocked. Thanks to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not to be trite, but with great power comes great responsibility. Zhu has stepped into the role of leader, and not just any leader. She is divinely sanctioned, inspiring those around her with fervent faith in her abilities. But the world is not hers yet and competitors are at every corner, each with their own measure of power. The emerging conflict is bloody and He Who Drowned the World as a result is a lot darker than its predecessor. Parker-Chan spares no one in this book and there is so much pain and anger shouting from the pages that is sometimes almost overwhelmed me. This is no book for the faint of heart. There is violence here, at every level, from the physical to the emotional and everything in between. What these characters are willing to do in the name of their destiny is horrendous at times, and as a reader you go through all of it with them. At times I worried this darkness would overwhelm the story, but Parker-Chan does have a plan for it, which becomes clear in the last third of the book. It's not just darkness, though. He Who Drowned the World expands the world of the story enormously, introducing new territories, characters, and powers. Through these new players, Parker-Chan continues their exploration of gender and power, taking it to new heights.

In He Who Drowned the World we continue the story of Zhu, chasing after her great destiny. Now that she has the Mandate of Heaven, she is surer than ever that greatness will be hers. But she is not the only one with a plan, or the only one with greatness in their future. As Zhu battles her way through China, she encounters friends and foes old and new, making alliances with some and breaking forever with others. As she comes closer to the throne, Zhu becomes confronted with the cost of greatness, with the sacrifice required for the ultimate victory. How much is she willing to sacrifice? How much control does she really have? I was totally gripped by He Who Drowned the World from the beginning. While She Who Became the Sun mostly focused on her, it also gave us the perspective of Ouyang and Ma. This continues in He Who Drowned the World, but we also get an insight into some other characters, like Baoxiang and Madame Zhang. This really expands the world of the books and gives the reader a sense of how many different things are at play. Zhu remains the beating heart of the book, although Ma comes out as a strong contender for a place in my heart as well. I missed Ma quite a bit in the first half of the book and was very glad (and scared for her) once she came back into focus.

Shelley Parker-Chan has really created something riveting and new with the Radiant Emperor duology. There is such a vibrancy to these books that you can't help but be keep going back to it. He Who Drowned the World definitely expands upon the first book and there is a lot happening. The pace is pretty quick, but it doesn't necessarily rush the plot. Rather, it moves steadily from one event to another, almost like a well-paced chess match. Baoxiang really came into his own as a character in this book, although I wasn't always entirely onboard with him. In the first half I also felt like I was losing Zhu a little, only to then realise that this was a part of the story. While her drive towards greatness was her entire raison d'etre in the first book, she now has a lot more in her life which she may not be willing to risk. Witnessing her having to confront this, being forced to make impossible choices, was rough but was also what made the book for me. The closer we got to the end, the more I worried about where she was heading and this really kept me stuck to the edge of my seat. This book deals with pain in a way I'd never read before and it wasn't always comfortable. I enjoy being challenged by books and He Who Drowned the World definitely did so. I have gained something from the experience, however, and have come out of it feeling a little lighter, somehow. I'm now heartbroken, however, that the duology is over and await Parker-Chan's next venture with bated breath.

He Who Drowned the World is an epic, dark, and almost mythological conclusion to the Radiant Emperor duology. Shelley Parker-Chan will take you to the very edge of what you can take, dangling salvation and greatness in front of you. I will definitely be rereading this duology in the years to come as I'm sure I'll keep discovering new things about it.

I don’t even know how to start, where to start, or feel that I’m even qualified to start, other than just to say yes! Yes to the intricately plotted story. Yes to the wonderfully queer characters. Yes to a layered epic historical fantasy that is so easy to follow. Don’t let the concept of historical political/war fiction turn you off from this duology. It is so much more than a war epic. It is a story following individuals surviving in a world where kindness has never existed. The world consists of different levels of despair fed by a game of politics throughout every echelon of society. It is harsh and it is brutal, and some are happy with the status quo. One individual leads a group attempting to gain authority to challenge this notion. The harshness of their reality is not without its brutality, often quite violently depicted, and gives rise to a desperate and urgent plot. The last 40% of the book is frankly anxiety inducing but as a reader Parker-Chan has given you no choice but to stick it out.

This one was a challenging but satisfying read but I’m now seeking to cleanse my palate with something a little fluffier in content.

Thank you to Tor for providing an advanced reading copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

(3.5, rounded to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: violence, death, misogyny, rape, sexual assault, child abuse, homophobia, transphobia, torture, self harm.

Zhu Yuanzhang is so close to being on top of the world. After her shocking victory with her peasant uprising, Zhu has implemented herself as the Radiant King, and doesn't plan to stop there. Her old enemies, however, have not forgotten her -- and after her rise to power, she's created many new ones in the process, too. One of them is Madame Zhang, the former courtesan who is just as willing to claw her way up the ladder as Zhu is, and she's quickly becoming Zhu's most daunting opponent. In the hopes of overcoming Madame Zhang and making her way to Dadu, where she can seize the throne for herself, Zhu is forced to ally herself with General Ouyang, the very man who was once her fiercest competitor. But unbeknownst to any of these contenders, Wang Baoxiang -- Esen-Temur's scorned and ridiculed scholar brother -- has made his way back to the capital and, with his calculating maneuvers, may just bring the entire empire to its knees.

There are no words in the English language that could accurately describe how excited I have been for the sequel to She Who Became the Sun. It easily became one of my top books of the year, and it will forever remain inscribed in my mind and heart. Parker-Chan has created a world populated with characters who are truly morally gray, and they're never afraid to allow those characters to venture onto the path of darkness and destruction, which is explored much more in depth this time around. Although Zhu remains our protagonist, there's a much heavier focus on Baoxiang, the new Prince of Henan, who is -- much like my beloved General Ouyang -- exclusively fixated on vengeance.

Let's start by talking about the arc of my two favorite characters, Zhu and Ouyang. Zhu remains her usual indomitable self, following her ambitions selfishly and ruthlessly. Ouyang has, obviously, taken quite a few knocks, and it's evident in his character, even more so than before. However, I had the sinking feeling as I read this novel that, somehow, Zhu has taken more of backseat than before. That isn't to say that she doesn't get plenty of chapters, or that her arc is not completed, but to me, it seemed as if Parker-Chan was so enjoying Baoxiang's character and his chapters that they sort of put everyone else on the backburner. While I like Baoxiang well enough, and he's very interesting, the nucleus of everything being on him was a bit disappointing for me. Some of my problems with him arise later in the book, and truthfully, I can't discuss those issues without spoiling the ending of He Who Drowned the World. But, I think it'll have to do to say that while the novel seems intent on having us sympathize with him, I found that extremely difficult to do as the plot progressed.

Zhu is and always will be the shining star of the duology, and I greatly enjoyed seeing her growth -- this time around, she actually begins to experience emotions that she hasn't quite encountered before -- and it's just easy to root for her. Her decisions are, more often than not, painful in their mercenariness, and although she makes some choices towards the conclusion that were a bit hard for me to understand (or agree with), she is never not interesting, never the kind of character you wish was off the page. In fact, once again I must applaud Parker-Chan's fearlessness in making Zhu greedy, ruthless, and yet still somehow tender with those she loves. Zhu and Ouyang are posited as mirror images and, while this is undeniably true, He Who Drowned the World makes it more apparent than ever that Ouyang is an example of the path that Zhu could one day find herself on. Ma Xiuying, one of my other favorites, has an extremely complicated arc this time around, and one that I'm still not sure how to feel about.

One of the few flaws in She Who Became the Sun (if you can call it a flaw; it really is just my opinion) is how it underutilizes Ma during much of the book. She gleams constantly with potential, and while Ouyang, Baoxiang, and Zhu are, in many ways, twisted versions of one another, she stands out as being singular. In comparison to all of our main players, she retains a compassion and gentleness that serves to make her simultaneously stronger and more vulnerable to the game. Yet she has a very tiny bit part in this novel, up until the last act, and I can't help but feeling slightly -- I'm not even sure what the correct word would be. Put off, maybe. Maybe one day I'll be able to fully put into words how I feel about Ma's arc, but today isn't that day. All I can say for now is that it was not what I expected nor hoped to see for such an interesting character.

Parker-Chan's writing is gorgeous. This has stayed consistent throughout their books, and most likely will always be a feature of whatever they choose to write. The way they use language is with true craftmanship, and honestly, I'm quite envious of the absolutely stunning sentences they come up with. Just beautiful, and makes the reading fun and flow so well, regardless of the difficult topics being addressed.

And with the mention of difficult topics, there is something else I'd like to touch on. He Who Drowned the World very heavily features rape, sexual assault, and misogyny. Now, these elements are, of course, present within the first book as well, but here they've certainly been dialed up a few notches. We actually get a few on-page rape scenes, and while I don't have any qualms with reading or writing about dark, hard things (and I understand why some authors choose to include such scenes), at some point these things started to feel almost... gratuitous. I hate saying that, as I know that is not Parker-Chan's intention whatsoever, but there were some I particularly took issue with. This time around, it feels almost as if every single female character is being "brought down" or "degraded" by a depiction of rape or sexual assault. Again, I really can't get into it in detail without spoiling many of the big plot points, but it's something I felt remiss not to mention at all, especially since it was something weighing heavily on my mind as I read. The scenes themselves are not extremely graphic, and obviously they're not written to be titillating, but some of them verged on the border of being just too much. Despite Parker-Chan saying that they don't write "grimdark fantasy," this sometimes felt like just that. For me, it's simply an issue of wondering why we have to see all of them on-page. I think some of them could have taken course in the beginning or aftermath without taking anything away from what's going on.

In conclusion, I liked but did not love this book. This ended up being a slightly disappointing end to the duology for me, and while it contained many things I did love, in the end the issues I grappled with throughout my reading kept me from adoring it as a whole. With that being said, I do want to say I love Parker-Chan's writing and characters, and I really can't wait to see what else they come up with. I'll definitely be reading whatever they write next.

If you like:
- historic fantasy
- complicated gender identity
- strategy and emotional pain
- she who became the sun of course

Pick up the sequel, He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker Chan!

Nothing could have emotionally prepared me for this sequel. I adored the first book and this conclusion to the duology lived up to it. Parker-Chan is a beyond talented author and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what they do next. Might I suggest less emotional pain tho...

I have read several second-book-in-a-series books this year, and this one is one of the best so far. I care about the characters, which meant I was heavily invested in the plot and what happens to them. I appreciated the queer representation as well. Parker-Chan writes fight and romance scenes with equal intensity and I was impressed with the levels of investment that she inspired in me as I was reading.

This book is BLEAK. Oh my goodness everyone is traumatized and traumatizing and goodness gracious everyone is just AWFUL to each other in this book. Trigger warnings abound for this one: violence, assault, torture, self-harm, murder, sexual assault, etc. - just overall a bleak, passionate story that you'll still enjoy, just come prepared to be hurt along with everyone you're reading about. I appreciate books that don't always show people as "good." This story is an exceptional picture of the darker, dare I say realer, side of who people really are.

This book will hurt you and you will say thank you sir, may I have another. I am thankful to have had the chance to read it.

In my review of She Who Became the Sun, I characterized the book as “intense.” After reading its sequel, I have a new definition of the word. This book is gripping, challenging, and monumental in its portrayal of characters determined to win by whatever means necessary.

At the end of She Who Became the Sun, I was intrigued by the morally grey nature of Zhu and couldn’t pin down whether I liked complex Ouyang, or just wanted him to have a shred of happiness. I again applaud Shelley Parker-Chan for her ability to make characters so complex and layered that they feel authentic in a way that’s absolutely unsettling.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Baoxiang take more of a main character role, as he felt more like a backseat character in the first book. It only took a few pages for me to realize how intriguing his character is - deeply hurt, deeply distrusting, and dare I say deeply messed up. It felt like his character in book one was wearing a mask, even from the reader, and this was a masterful change.

I still have some reservations about the length. I like flowery writing, but sometimes the exposition and political worldbuilding felt long, and I just wanted to get back to the plot. Parker-Chan is an amazing writer overall, so this is more a personal preference.

Overall title could not be more fitting for this book. If She Who Became the Sun feels like a rising tide, then He Who Drowned the World is a tsunami here to destroy all our emotions.

He Who Drowned the World is fantastic followup to She Who Became the Sun. Very few works have ever captivated me in political atmosphere and cultural richness the way this duology has. There are many memories burned into my brain over the way the work handles ghosts, both as entities and metaphorical stand-ins.

That being said, He Who Drowned the World felt like a bit of a step back but I don't think this makes the work lesser by any means. Sometimes it's good to wind down from a climax and in this case I feel the action was sustained and worked well. I loved following Wang Baoxiang, but I deeply missed Zhu's POV chapters being so in-depth. It's really my only true complaint - I wanted less of Zhu in battle and more of that wicked wit and the wonderful interactions with others.

What I can say, and what I've said about She Who Became the Sun, is that the exploration of themes of gender and sexuality are so interesting and oftentimes gripping in a way I can't put to words. The intersectionality of religion and culture and sex and gender make for such a complicated but nuanced and important discussion. I also feel this book handles its dark content with brutal efficiency and yet incredible care. For that reason I think the gut punching by the end of the book hits harder.

By the end I felt so torn over these characters. I was angry. I was cheering. I was disgusted. I wanted to throw the book (I didn’t, physically, at least).

I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for this author. I think Parker-Chan has the potential to sweep the fantasy world buy pure storm.

He Who Drowned the World is part 2 of Shelley Parker Chan's Radiant Emperor Duology. Like it's predecessor, She Who Became the Sun, it is a shrewd exploration of gender coupled with a compelling portrayal of court and politics and military strategy set a the end of Mongol empire in 14th century China, leading up to the beginning of the Ming dynasty in 1368. This alternate history imagines Zhu Yaunzhang as assigned female at birth and assuming the identity of her brother to survive. The first installment Chronicles Zhu's rise to greatness. He Who Drowned the World continues to follow her as a The Radiant Emperor destined to rule all of China, exploring the cost of such a single-minded focus-not just to Zhu, but to those she cares for most.

As counterpoint to Zhu's story, we also follow General Ouyang and Lord Wang Boaxiang on their own journey's to power and revenge. Like Zhu, each is also outside the norm of masculinity (one a Eunuch the other unabashedly effeminate) and each are utterly consumed with their very personal missions. For all three, Parker-Chan explores the psyche of those who are willing to do anything to get what they want. When is the cost worth it? To what extent is it ever worth it? It's an amazing deep dive into the ugly side of winning and what it means to do what is necessary to win.

Though I do highly recommend this series, I also caution readers to check out content warning (violence, sexual assault and self harm among the them). These are deeply flawed characters acting in horrific ways towards others and themselves. And yet, Parker-Chan never allows us to lose sight of their humanity and the things outside their control that bring them to the place we find them. It's a glorious complicated mess that will make you think, but without any easy answers to placate the impact.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor for access to an eARC of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This was a good sequel for She Who Become The Sun. I like the new conflict that was added in this book but I feel it did not pack the same intensity as the first book. The character development in this book was phenomenal and the book felt more character driven than plot driven.

This was an interesting follow up to "She Who Became the Sun," but it just didn't hold my interest as well as the first book did.
I enjoyed learning more about Wang Baoxiang, but missed Zhu Yuanzhang's perspectives. It seemed that most of her scenes involved her going from one battle to the next, with little of the charecter development I enjoyed so much in the first book.

Thank you to Net galley for an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Mandate of Heaven, an otherworldly flame, comes to individuals who have the potential to control the empire. The Mandate of Heaven has appeared in several individuals:

Zhu Yuanzhang, the young monk turned Radiant King, assembling her ragtag army to reclaim the South now has her sights set on the capitol. She knows that the best way to succeed would be to join forces with her former enemy, the eunuch general Ouyang. As Zhu climbs higher on the ladder of success, what won’t she do to achieve her goals?

Though former courtesan now queen Madam Zhang does not possess the Mandate of Heaven herself, her lover, the noble General Zhang does. But can she use her wiles to convince him to depose her idiotic husband Rice Bucket Zhang before Zhu Yuanzhang besieges her city?

And most surprisingly of all, the conniving scholar Wang Baoxiang, now Prince of Henan, has positioned himself closer to the throne than anyone. He does not use his Mandate of Heaven to succeed, no, he uses his own cunning to sow discord in the heart of the capitol itself. Baoxiang ingrates himself with the lonely Third Prince, the son of the Third Khan and becomes Vice Minister of Revenue. He finally starts to see his plans unfold, but does he have the heart to betray those who have helped him on his way?

He Who Drowned the World is a captivating sequel to She Who Became the Sun, showing just what lengths individuals will go to to attain power and to keep it.

This book was absolutely gripping! While the first book of this duology varied in its pacing, this book started off strong and never let up. At this point in the story, our main characters have fully embraced the idea that there's nothing they won't do (or hurt) for power and revenge, and they've gone absolutely unhinged. Watching these characters spiral out of control as their desires led to more and more suffering was SO entertaining and fascinating.

I honestly can't say that I love any of these characters at the end of the story, but I can say that I found most of them compelling and incredibly unique. We live in a society that is exploring the ideas of gender, identity, and sexuality, but placing these conversations in a setting such as ancient China really sheds new light on these important themes. I found myself rooting for Zhu and Ouyang to achieve their goals, because they really did overcome so many obstacles just by existing. However, their choices definitely made their lives a lot more difficult!

I honestly couldn't put this book down and flew through it so much more quickly than the first book. The writing is superb, the characters are so flawed and complex, and the story builds up to a huge climax! Thank you to Tor/Forge for the Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a very dark book with terrible (as in bad people) characters doing terrible things to each other. But that is really the underlying message- is striving for your fate/destiny truly worth the cost? Or does there come a time when the costs are truly too high? I really appreciated Zhu’s growth as a character throughout this book. I think the relationships (or the lack thereof) also really builds the story. I would recommend this book, and obviously book 1, but just be prepared for a dark and thought provoking read.

I was absolutely riveted by Shelley Parker-Chan’s first novel, SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN–by the fierce strength of Zhu Chongba’s desire and how that propelled her to survive and then climb to the heights of power, by the insightful and fascinating gender interpretations, and by the incredibly compelling plot. So, I was excited to pick up this sequel, HE WHO DROWNED THE WORLD.

Unfortunately, I didn’t remember all the characters from the first novel, and the author’s opening summary (combined with the Wikipedia plot summary) didn’t sufficiently reorient me, so I spent the first part of the novel tangled in a nest of characters whose relationships and motivations I couldn’t quite parse. Zhu, my favorite character, didn’t have much page space until the very end of Part 1. (If you’re picking this up without rereading the first novel, I recommend reading this review to reacquaint yourself with the characters: http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/she-who-became-the-sun-by-shelley-parker-chan/.

As the novel progressed, however, I settled back into the relationships. The same queering look at gender that made the first novel so original and refreshing continues. Questions of gender roles–including what would today be defined as queer relationships and trans identities–are convincingly rendered inside the setting of late Yuan dynasty China.

Other aspects are slightly different: this novel goes further into the psyches of other contenders for the throne, such as Ouyang, Baoxiang, and Madame Zhang. There is a deep investigation of pain, self-hatred, and the desire for revenge–sometimes to such an extent that these dynamics threaten to overtake the novel. Zhu is present, but her intense will to power often takes the form of clever subterfuges and military campaigns. Some of those scenes, though, are breathtaking in the way they illustrate the pure strength of her will.

Although I was less interested in Ouyang and Baoxiang and wished for more of Zhu, I was still drawn into this world and kept turning the pages, appreciating the insightful interpretations of gender and the suspense of political machinations in Yuan dynasty China. I look forward to more from Shelley Parker-Chan.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing, worthy conclusion to Shelley Parker-Chan's debut duology. I was captivated from the very first word untilt the very last, extremely fitting sentence that came out of Zhu's mouth.

Parker-Chan is an absolute master at characterization. This book picks up where the first left off; Zhu has the mandate of heaven, and now has to defeat her rivals to become the true Emperor of China and begin a new dynasty. This book follows her defeating each man who stands in her way. My favorite part of the book was the last quarter. Ma, Zhu's wife, really gets her time to shine in this novel, and it was incredibly moving to see how much Zhu and the ones who trust and love her are willing to sacrifice in order to allow her to achieve her destiny of greatness. I would truly read anything Parker-Chan puts out after this masterpiece.