He Who Drowned the World is the second book in the Radiant Emperor.

I am going to be completely honest: I really did not like She Who Became the Sun and I know most of you are wondering: “Kayla why did you read this book of you did not like the first book?!” Well, the answer is because I saw a ton of potential in She Who Became the Sun and I was curious on what would happen in this book. But the main reason is because I wanted to see if I would end up liking this series.

Obviously I did not enjoy this book and can say with certainty that this series was not for me which does bum me out since so many people love She Who Became the Sun and I felt like I was an anomaly that did not.

First of all I think Shelley has a great imagination of creating this world and these characters. I think because of those elements make a lot of people love the books.

For me the execution feels off and I spend most of my time feeling bored due to the writing feeling really dry. I found it to be more telling than showing. I felt it was hard to connect with the characters and felt their connections to have no chemistry. When I looked up my 2021 review of She Who Became the Sun I cited that I felt like the romantic relationships were forced and to lack chemistry. So I stand by this for this book two years later. I do say in that review that I was bored most of the time which is something I did say up above.

Even though this book was not for me I can definitely say this will appeal to many people with the political intrigue. I think some people will and do view these characters differently than me and that’s okay because reading is subjective and we will all enjoy or not enjoy things differently. Did I wish this book/series was for me? Yes, yes I do and I love that this is a reimagining and is queer but ultimately this was not for me.

When I posted my review of She Who Became the Sun a couple of people mentioned they were afraid to read He Who Drowned the World. Friends, you are right to be afraid. As Shelley Parker-Chan tweeted recently, “emotional books that feel like a gut punch”—hey, that’s my brand!”

Because we know that this series is a retelling of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we know that our protagonist, Zhu Yuanzhang, will defeat her enemies by the end of the book, and that her wife, Ma, also survives. And that’s it. That’s all the comfort you get. I cried. I curled up into a little ball of emotions. And yes, I recommend that you do the same. Prepare to be gutted and read it anyway. The very, very, very end of the book gave me a sense of solace that I needed desperately.

One of the things I saw in several reviews of SWBtS was people talking about Zhu not being “likable” or feeling like there was no one to root for. Zhu is no more likable here than she was at the end of SWBtS. But we aren’t rooting for her because she’s a good person, we are rooting for her because she is challenging fate and seizing the greatness that would be denied her because she was born a girl. Shelley Parker-Chan isn’t modeling good behavior for their readers, they are making us look at the hero’s journey with a girl who will do anything and sacrifice everyone as the hero. Zhu is defying heaven. Shelley Parker-Chan is upending our concept of hero.

It’s such a compelling read. Parker-Chan creates moments that make me gasp, sometimes with pain. There’s a moment when Zhu is kneeling in the snow, certain of her own failure, and even so she knows she will lead herself and her whole army to slaughter because giving up on her quest for greatness isn’t possible. In a book full of heart wrenching suffering, that moment is so calm and clear.

I’m copying Shelley Parker-Chan’s own list of content warnings:
Self harm
Suicidal ideation
Marital rape
Pregnancy loss
Drowning
Torture (not overly graphic)
Child harm and death (young teen)
Internalised homophobia
Ableist language

I would add, all the misogyny and emotional devastation.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Tor Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for the eARC/ALC. This is an honest review. The audiobook was exceptional. I would highly recommend it. Great narration.

"He Who Drowned the World" by Shelley Parker-Chan, the sequel and conclusion to "She Who Became the Sun," delves deeper into a world of imperial ambitions and incredibly ruthless desire for power.

The narrative continues to unfold around Zhu, the Radiant King, who hungers not only for victory but also for the throne in order to change the world. Yet, she's not the sole contender in this battle of power. To outmaneuver her opponents, Zhu forges an unlikely alliance with the enigmatic eunuch general Ouyang, while other contenders circle with their own places in place. I adored the interactions between these two in particular. The characters, while broken and often completely reprehensible, possess a certain allure that manage to captivate readers as strongly as in the first novel. The pacing is relentless, hurtling the narrative forward with action. The complex relationships and intricate machinations of these morally ambiguous characters create a compellingly dark atmosphere. Zhu, with her sly humor, acceptance of her true self, and love for Ma stands out amidst the cast of characters.

As the series concludes, "He Who Drowned the World" leaves an indelible mark with its dark complexity, unapologetically flawed characters, and an exploration of the insatiable desire for power. The series dives deep into the psychological abyss of ambition and its consequences, resulting in an ending that is both fitting and satisfying.

Oh my GOD. This was everything I wanted and more. The scheming and politicking and the criticisms on gender and sexuality and just. *chef’s kiss*

For anyone who was concerned that Shelley Parker-Chan wouldn’t be able to pull off the beautiful feat of literature that is She Who Became the Sun a second time, don’t worry — He Who Drowned the World is absolute perfection.

All I wanted from He Who Drowned the World was more — more Zhu, more Ouyang, more Ma, more Xu Da, more of everyone and everything in that incredible debut novel. This book delivers tenfold. It is poignant and heart wrenching, at times gruesome, surprisingly hopeful. It is laugh out loud funny in the way that real life is, and has such a sense of legacy and history that it will leave you breathless.

Parker-Chan is a talent for the ages, and to say I’m excited for what comes next would be the most ridiculous understatement. He Who Drowned the World is an absolute triumph, one I’ll be shoving into the hands of everyone around me for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such an amazing sequel to an amazing book! I feel like this world is so vast and unique. I feel like this is great for fans of The Cruel Prince who want more queerness, adult themes, and more intrigue.

3.5 rounded up.

A sweeping, queer retelling of the Great Khan saga that's full of romance, intrigue, betrayal and adventure as warring factions compete to rule. A solid follow up to the award-winning She who became the sun. I love the diversity of characters in this series, with excellent trans and disability rep!! This was really well done on audio narrated by my fav Natalie Naudus but I admit it was hard to follow at times with the alternating POVs and large cast of characters. Definitely a time commitment worth making and something unlike anything you've read before!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!!

Genre: historical fantasy
China, 1356

Picking up where the events of She Who Became the Sun left off at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, He Who Drowned the World witnesses Zhu Yuanzhang, styling herself the Radiant King, grappling for power and facing her obstacles with sheer determination of will. She believes in her own destiny, the Mandate of Heaven to become Emperor, and will stop at nothing, not even death.

Stunning, powerful, and impressive. Those words can be used to describe every POV character in the book or the whole of the itself. There is an underlying strength to the force of the narrative, as all of the characters grapple with fate.

Shelley Parker-Chan utilizes sex and gender as commentaries on power through their duology. Zhu, born a girl but from a young age taking over her brother’s destiny and becoming a monk and then a general and a king, lives as a man but utilizes her female body when that serves her purpose. General Ouyang is the eunuch general, rising to power in spite of popular opinion that eunuchs belong as servants in the women’s quarters. Wang Baoxiang, calling himself Prince of Henan, in search of his own power, seduces Third Prince, son of the Great Khanh. Madame Zhang, wife of the Emperor, uses her body to trade for warriors, weapons, and power. It’s war and intrigue, passion - both inflamed and detached - on the driving road to establish a new Empire.

The fantasy in this duology is a light touch: the Mandate of Heaven and the ghosts that follow the main characters are as much religion as they are magic to them. The Radiant Emperor Duology is deeply researched with rich worldbuilding, fully transporting the reader to the late Yuan Dynasty, to the end of the reign of the Khans. It’s character-driven in its intrigue, and slower moving despite the intensity of some of the battle scenes.

I first read She Who Became the Sun when it came out, and was glad to take the time to re-listen before embarking on He Who Drowned the World. (There is a short synopsis at the beginning to re-position the reader to the major threads of political and military power, but not a fully summary.)

4 stars, an exciting conclusion

He Who Drowned the World picks up right after Zhu claimed the mantle of Radiant King. While her rule has solidified in her home city, she still has several rivals left she must defeat if she wants to become the emperor. Much of the novel is devoted to her fervent plotting to become the ruler of the known world as her scheming endangers friends and backfires occasionally. The political machinations of this story are where Parker-Chan truly shines as a writer. Their knack for weaving complicated characters into the story in ways that provide great plot twists but don't obscure the main thrust of the plot is quite incredible. Truly every character in this book gets a moment to shine and feels like a fully fleshed out person whether they appear for a hundred pages or a paragraph.

My big complaint about this book is that it feels a bit rushed. Especially in terms of pacing, the story just races ahead at speeds that kind of undersell the danger Zhu faces in her rise to be emperor. She has about 5 big rivals left with some version of the Mandate to potentially win the throne but every 60-80 pages she defeats another rival after a single pitched confrontation. Eventually her foes stop feeling menacing or like substantial threats with how easily and quickly they keep falling in terms of page count. I think I would rather there have been fewer rivals but they all be built up as true menaces rather than have so many who feel like insubstantial obstacles.

HWDTW is still well worth a read despite that issue. I look forward to seeing what Parker-Chan attempts next and I have a feeling that they will have quite an influence on future political fantasy books.

"Nobody would lift a finger to change the world for us. To make a place for us. What choice did we ever have, but to do it ourselves?"

He Who Drowned the World was one of my MOST anticipated reads of 2023 and it completely blew me away. I have been so eager to return to this world and when I was ecstatic to get an ARC. Not a single word in these 500+ pages is unneeded and I cried multiple times throughout as we learned more and more about the fates of my favorites (including my toxic fav Ouyang).

We pick up with Zhu - on her life's journey to become the next emperor. There are many obstacles in her path - others who want the throne, others who want revenge and those who do not see her as worthy because she's not a man and her loss of limb. Even with all this in her way - she knows that this is her destiny and refuses to let anything get in her way.

There are so many moving pieces in this book - which is why I'm glad that we get so many different POV's. It really adds to the depth of this story to see the character's internal thoughts and dialog through all the key moments. Shelley writes incredible characters - and they're all individually broken but full of single minded goals and ambitions but together create a beautiful, action packed story. There's a lot of military strategy and court politics in here too that I very much enjoyed.

All in all, He Who Drowned the World is the perfect delivery of a duology that both raises the stakes and expands on the characters. no notes. go read this one ASAP!

rep// Chinese & Mongolian cast, nonbinary lesbian mc, gay mc, amputee rep

cw// Self harm, Rape, Torture, Miscarriage

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wowza, what a ride. It’s hard to talk about all the things I loved about He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan because it’s the second book in a duology and it’s hard to say anything without risking potentially spoilery details about the first book, but if you haven’t read this series yet, you’ll want to add it to your tbr asap.

I reviewed She Who Became the Sun back in June so check my grid if you want an intro to the first book, but this duology tells the story of Zhu Chongba, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty who overthrew Mongol rule in 1368. Except in this telling, the Hongwu Emperor started life as a peasant girl who disguises herself as a boy and finds shelter in a monastery after she’s left orphaned. Parker-Chan’s Zhu Chongba survives on her wits and cunning and goes on to become the leader of the Red Turban rebellion and claim the Mandate of Heaven as one of a number of potential successors to the throne.

He Who Drowned the World picks up where She Who Became the Sun leaves off, in a state of disarray as alliances shift and those contending for the throne continue to make hard choices about how far they’re willing to go and what they’re willing to sacrifice. Things get pretty dark, and Parker-Chan provides a list of content warnings that can be found on the book’s Goodreads page. But the violence never feels gratuitous, and the characters are written with incredible consistency from beginning to end. And even though the ending leaves you wanting more, it feels like a satisfying conclusion for each of the journeys we witness throughout the two books.

A gloriously perfect conclusion to a glorious duology. I was shocked to discover that She Who Became the Sun was a debut - it's effortlessly strong, wholly absorbing, and He Who Drowned the World more than lives up to the promise of the first book. It's dialed up to eleven, a raw, visceral, muscular piece of writing, whether sinking to the depths of grief, gleefully dissecting what it is to be possessed of a body in a corporeal world, or shuffling the pieces of a grand political and imperial game.

I absolutely cannot praise this duology too highly. She Who Became the Sun was one of my favorite books of 2021, and He Who Drowned the World is easily one of, if not my absolute, favorites for 2023. Stunning, dramatic, expansive and yet intimate, and truly radiant.

Thank you to Tor Books for the advance review copy.

I’m so glad I read this right after reading She Who Became the Sun. This book picks up right where the first one left off and continues the epic story of Zhu Yuanzhang, now the Radiant King, and General Ouyang, who now both seek to overthrow the Emperor. This book is so full of depth and richness, emotion and drama, flawed and complex characters, that it feels impossible to do it justice. A truly epic story which leaves you thinking about it for days to come!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
He Who Drowned the World brings Shelley Parker-Chan’s Radiant Emperor duology to its conclusion, and to say this book fulfilled my expectations would be an understatement. It builds perfectly on the first book, advancing the narratives of returning characters, Zhu, Ouyang, and Baoxiang, in an impeccable manner, and interweaving new characters whose purpose and connection to the others are slowly revealed.
Tonally, this installment feels much darker, challenging the characters in deeper and more intense ways than seemed possible, even considering that things weren’t necessarily sunshine and roses in book one. Many of the central characters is reckoning with pain, and the narrative sees them make some morally questionable decisions as a result. Zhu and Ouyang’s stories continue to parallel and contrast each other, with Zhu going down a path toward villainy, and Ouyang on a path of revenge and redemption.
While there’s a lot of depravity and intensity, making it a lot to take in at times, I nonetheless ate it up. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, almost unable to pull myself away. There’s not a single word wasted here, and it’s truly worth its length.
This is a truly epic duology, and I can’t wait to read whatever Shelley Parker-Chan writes next! I enthusiastically recommend these books if you’re into any of the following: historical fantasy, especially about imperial China, or darker fantasy (Parker-Chan doesn’t define their work as “grimdark”).

Those who’ve followed me since 2021 will know that She Who Became the Sun, Shelley Parker-Chan’s debut novel, was hands down my favorite book of 2021 and has easily made my favorite books of all time list. I’ve been waiting for its sequel and conclusion, He Who Drowned the World, with much anticipation. And I am thrilled to report back and say this sequel is a masterclass in prose and characterwork, one hell of a conclusion to this duology, and one of the best books I’ve read all year.

He Who Drowned the World begins several months after the ending of She Who Became the Sun, where our three POV characters, Zhu, Wang Baoxiang, and Ouyang are forced to face the consequence of their actions. For Zhu, it’s managing the logistics for her new-found army in the face of multiple bigger threats. Amusingly, for Ouyang, and Baoxiang both, it’s reconciling the action of killing Esen for the sake of furthering their own agendas with the emotional recoil of holy shit Esen’s actually dead. (ShirouEmiyaMeme.jpg here) We also get another player in this power struggle, Madam Zhang, wife to Rice Bucket Zhang, with designations of power of her own and has been pulling strings in the background this whole time.

The pacing of this book is interesting. If this were a typical epic fantasy story, about a power struggle and the fight for a throne, I would be criticizing it for rushing through important events and not spending enough time on the ‘big’ fights. However, this is a historical retelling. The outcome has been predetermined by history. We know that Zhu wins. So instead, Parker-Chan frames this story as a character study, set against the backdrop of the fall of the Yuan Dynasty. And that perspective, the pacing of this book is perfect. We ride each character’s emotional highs and lows and follow them on their, frankly, extremely self-destructive journies.

When I say the characterwork in this book is a masterclass, I truly mean it. It’s so rare in fantasy to get this level of depth and complexity in an ensemble cast. What’s interesting is that as the sequel, most of these characters are near the end of their character journey, and yet so much can still be explored. Zhu faces a tug-of-war between the slow shedding of her humanity in pursuit of greatness and Ma’s tempering presence. Ouyang starts the book practically a husk of a man, tunnel-visioned on a path of suicidal revenge. It’s Baoxiang, who spent most of book one being derided for keeping the empire together through paperwork, who finally embarks on his own character arc in the pursuit of greatness.

Upon first getting this ARC, my plan was to binge it in one sitting. I’m not usually one to be affected by darker stories, but even I had to read this book in chunks. These characters are in some dark places mentally and the emotional roller coaster Parker-Chan forces them through is, well, exactly as you’d expect given book one but that doesn’t mean it hurts any less. And the prose! The prose in book one was good, but the sheer beauty and emotionality of the writing makes every line hit that much harder. What I loved about the story is that each character arc really embraces the ‘author of your own destruction’ philosophy. Maybe Ouyang excepted, each POV character could just stop, and they’d live a perfectly good life exactly where they are. But either in the pursuit of greatness, or filial revenge, stopping is not an option. And so their paths are filled with tragedy and some really heinous war crimes.

I can’t write a review for this book and not talk about the incredible exploration of gender and gender roles that goes on throughout this book. Zhu and Ouyang have already been established as foils for each other for their perceived masculinity and lack thereof, like sees like (derogatory), and their team-up (and later fallout) is extraordinary. The two new POVs in Baoxiang and Madam Zhang, introduce a new dynamic in perceived and weaponized femininity. Both navigate politics in a ‘feminine manner’ through nudges and suggestions and the occasional sexual act, one forced due to his lack of ‘masculine’ martial skill, and one due to her own culturally-perceived confines. I love that Parker-Chan depicts this conflict between gender roles and constraints specifically with respect to the cultures each character is raised in. They touch on that nebulous intermediary space between a strict gender binary with a complexity and nuance that is rarely seen.

As an Ouyang fan, I want to quickly say that my man got exactly what he deserved in this book, even if I simultaneously wanted to hug him and swaddle him in blankets. He’s already lived a shit life and Parker-Chan twists the knife just a little bit more. There’s a line near the end that’s sheer perfection and might have made me cry a little.

Overall, I rate this book a 5/5. He Who Drowned the World is easily one of my favorite books of 2023. Shelley Parker-Chan delivers a roller-coaster sequel and ending to their debut series, depicting a masterclass of characterwork and prose and an incredibly nuanced exploration into gender roles and how each character is shaped by their perception of gender.

The final bloody and epic conclusion to the duology! War is here and the political games and betrayal are only just starting. Zhu needs to secure the dangerous general Ouzang in order to face off against the great khan and claim the throne but the price she'll have to pay for the throne will have her risking everything. Ouyang is still reeling from his betrayal of killing his lover and master. Ouyang is on a war path and is determined to finally get his revenge. Biaxong has returned to the palace and must now scheme his way to the throne while dealing with the hostilities of the empress and the kings consort who would kill him. All three of them are after the throne and each desire their own revenge... but the throne is a bloody path and the people they will lose, the sacrifices they will have to make, and the pain they'll endure will be unimaginable as they scheme their way against one another for the last person standing to take the throne. This book was a dark and brutal time, it truly drained me of my energy because of just how much was going on. It was great and it has you reeling and clenching your hands as you see what turn the story takes and how much depravity and lost these characters will have. This was a brilliant way to end the series but my god was it so much. Like I truly think this was a fantastic read but be warned it will be so emotionally taxing and brutal. Seriously the political chess game that was going on was so much fun to watch. I would highly recommend this series for fans of high political/war themed books cuz the action is non stop and will have you guessing at every turn.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thanks to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I had been eagerly waiting for the sequel to She Who became The sun, one of my favorite books of recent years. I was glad to have the ability to read an early copy of each. Initially I was surprised to discover that He Who Drowned the World slowed down the pace considerably. While the first book moved quickly throughout, this now approached the pacing of The Unbroken.

Thankfully the characters are engaging as the book focuses on palace intrigue and interpersonal relationships. There are few large scale battles but they are replaced with fierce one-on-one clashes that still have much emotional weight. The finale is just as devastating as a clash of armies could be. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers.

If it wasn't for the connection built in the first book, I might have had a hard time rooting for any of the characters. Each one is willing to do anything to grab their chance at power. It explores the things people sacrifice on their rise to power. Thanks to the satisfying ending, He Who Drowned the World manages to live up to the high expectations and ends the duology on a high note. Though satisfying, it leaves me wanting more of the Ming dynasty.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is once again light on the fantasy elements. With a little magic and a lot of gender bending, He Who Drowned the World has just enough to keep it from being non-fiction. Though the pacing is for fans of epic fantasy, I never lost interest.

5/5 ⭐️

Watch me destroy the world.



ARC provided by the publisher TOR Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A heart wrenching sequel that challenges the concept of gender expectations. A queer story that champions identity, unbending will, and delicious painful yearning. He Who Drowned the World is the ending of all endings that makes every page worth relishing.

When the new year rolled in there was only one book that I am anticipating in 2023 and that book is He Who Drowned the World. It is the sequel to one of the three in the Sapphic Trifecta that grabbed the attention of the fantasy enjoyers, She Who Became the Sun. A debut that challenged the strict gender roles implemented within the historical background of China under Mongol rule. Following the extraordinary journey of the rise of a nameless peasant girl that took on the fate and name of Zhu Chongba, her brother, carving their path of greatness challenging the fates.

Since the initial release of She Who Became the Sun in 2021 the book has been recognized and highly acclaimed amongst readers. Shelley Parker Chan has won multiple awards and the debut book achieved the #1 spot on the Sunday Times best sellers list and translated into 15 languages. When He Who Drowned the World was announced during the end of 2022 many readers, including myself, were excited to read the conclusion of The Radiant Emperor duology.

Personally, the first novel blew me away and left me awestruck as one of the best books I've ever read in my lifetime. When I received a digital ARC from TOR through NetGalley I had to prepare myself mentally before diving into the book. I tried starting the book in March but decided to delay it until now. From the stars that are included in this review it is safe to say that He Who Drowned the World is an absolute masterpiece.

He’d found his fate and his end, and with it he’d made all his suffering—his pain, and betrayals, and sacrifices—worth it.


Before diving into the review I would like to appreciate the cover artists that contributed for the US and UK covers of the book. For the US cover it is done by Jung Shan, the same artist that has done the cover for She Who Became the Sun and other books such as: The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang and The Avatar book series, The Rise of Kyoshi and The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee. For the UK cover it is done by Lucy Scholes, a senior illustrator and designer at Pan Macmillan UK. Readers are treated with these two beautiful covers to decide which to include into their collection or maybe just get both (like what I did). If you have preordered He Who Drowned the World there is a preorder incentive of an exclusive adult short story featuring Wang Baoxiang and General Ouyang. Though this short story is fan fiction and isn't canon. Submit the preorder receipt here.

For readers that have not read She Who Became the Sun and are interested in starting because of this review please check out my review here. Also this will be the point when I will tell you to not read any further to avoid being spoiled because I will be mentioning events that happened in the first book. For readers who are continuing the series I would like to happily inform you that the first two chapters of He Who Drowned the World includes a bit of recap of what happened and all relevant to the players that are involved. A trigger warning is due as well as He Who Drowned the World contains some graphic descriptions and scenes of rape, self harm, torture, death, etc. For a full detailed list of the trigger warnings please click this link.

It was a single pulled thread snarling other threads; a whole structure, beginning to distort. It was all as it should be.


Chan's writing is still as beautiful as it was in She Who Became the Sun. There is no decline in the quality of prose in this sequel compared to its predecessor. Passages upon passages I highlighted because of how masterful Chan's writing is in narrating this epic tale. Chan's ability to write such emotionally charged inner monologues for the characters added layers to the characterization that made them more fleshed out. There isn't a moment that these monologues felt as though it was dragging the book, it is full of intent and purpose in giving shape to the characters journey towards their end. Things unfolded satisfyingly from start to end as the stakes became gradually more tense and stressful with each turn of the page. Even with the long chapters Chan's writing never fails to pull me back into the world and characters. As vile as the characters are in this series I was entertained by them as each of them are fleshed out masterfully and they each get a conclusion that is worthy of their journey.

In He Who Drowned the World there are more aspects of magic compared to She Who Became the Sun. The form of magic incorporated in the series is the glowing proof of the fates called the Mandate of Heaven. As mentioned in the first book, people who are deemed worthy by the fates to become Emperor are people who possess the mandate. The magic of this mandate wasn't explored much aside from the ability of seeing ghosts and spirits. For this sequel Chan shows the mandate being used by the characters for certain things and it also takes on different shades in colour depending who is blessed with it.

This was what he had now. It was exactly what he wanted, and when the rest of it was finished: it would feel just as good as this. It would make everything worth it.


The main theme in He Who Drowned the World centres more on the characters' psyche after the things that happened in the first book and preparing for more mental toll to come. Each character experiences a form of mental trauma from what they did, directly and indirectly, to be a step closer towards their goal. As readers we get to see each of them go through more pain and trauma as they come to the result in their painstaking work to achieve their goal, even though the result isn't always what they expect.

He Who Drowned the World also included some entertaining battle scenes that are interesting and explosive in delivering the climax of the book. The essence of this series at its core is the military machinations and strategies that became the background for the broken characters. Zhu is still as creative and eccentric as ever in inventing solutions during a pinch. The scene that makes this book is a certain nautical battle that feels like a throwback to the river battle in She Who Became the Sun. But this battle is much more brutal and emotionally palpable on page that left me gasping for air because of how tense Chan writes the scene unfolding.

In my review of She Who Became the Sun I praised Chan for writing a story that is a love letter to the queer community regarding gender. It is no different now because if She Who Became the Sun is a direct challenge towards the ideas of gender roles and expectation, in He Who Drowned the World it is the weaponization of gender expectations by the characters and a direct attack towards the idealisation of the very concept gender. To simplify it is a big f-you and the most punk form of storytelling that takes characters who are historically cisgender and straight yassifying them to become their most queer form. Aside from that Chan also highlights both body and gender dysphoria associated with being gender fluid, non binary, and gender queer from traumatic experiences of the characters for presenting a certain way.

He could feel the blackness leaching out of him as he lost control. It was drowning the world, and himself along with it.


At the end of She Who Became the Sun, Zhu Yuanzhang a.k.a Zhu Chongba proclaimed herself as The Radiant King to the world promising to lay waste to the empire of the Great Yuan and is on her way to expel the Mongols from the land. Now Zhu is planning her next move to achieve her goal whether through alliances or force. The key players that are a threat to her goal is Madam Zhang and Rice Bucket Zhang, Chen Youliang, and a few other new characters within the Great Yuan and an unexpected character that is moving behind the scene, a personal favorite of mine, Wang Baoxiang (the younger brother of Esen Temur and the new Prince of Henan).
There are multiple POVs in He Who Drowned the World compared to She Who Became the Sun that mainly focuses on Zhu and Ouyang with a scattering of POVs from other characters. In this sequel two other POVs will take center stage, joining Zhu and Ouyang, is Wang Baoxiang. As Chan has mentioned Wang Baoxiang is the reason why they titled the sequel He Who Drowned the World. The introduction of Wang Baoxiang into this sequel as a main character gives the story a whole new colour. In the first book Wang Baoxiang's presence was minor but had a huge impact in the plot. It was clear that Chan setup Wang Baoxiang as a character to be reckoned with and oh boy.. he delivered until the end.

Wang Baoxiang's characterization took a turn for the unhinged, wretched, and full blown insanity. In a way Wang Baoxiang's manifestation of pain, grief, and trauma propelled him to embrace his identity to its fullest, though it leans more towards the twisted side. What led Baoxiang on his path of destruction is the countless times he was shunned for being different and ridiculed by his closest family for not being the man they expected him to be. In the first book he was beaten, insulted, tormented, and pushed to his limits which made him completely snap at the end. Everything in the first book led Baoxiang to become who he is in He Who Drowned the World, a person who is hungry for destruction and is out to defile what the world deems as a worthy image of a man.
Baoxiang's motivation crackled with a darker form of ambition and drive that is fueled by the rawest form of pain and suffering. He used everything about him (by everything I mean EVERYTHING); from his skills in governing, his flamboyant attitude, his not so masculine body, people's perception of him, and so many more, to his advantage. And Baoxiang is willing to do anything, even if it's against his true nature as a person if it means achieving his goal.

“Our suffering wasn’t a payment. It was a gift. We gave it to you so you can achieve your fate. And your fate isn’t just the throne, or greatness. It’s greatness enough to change the world.”


The two main characters that run parallel with each other, Zhu and Ouyang, as foreshadowed by Chan in the previous book, in He Who Drowned the World their fates finally collided. The collision, though I expected it, is presented through an in depth lense. Chan peels back each layer of their characterization showing aspects of themselves that are vulnerable and presenting them through their POVs as they come to realisation of each other. Their euphoria in finding part of themselves in each other was a glorious display of Chan's masterful lyrical prose and writing. Their characterization achieved a new level of realness compared to She Who Became the Sun, before they seemed mythical in their grandiose will, but now they show a more human side underneath their veneer.

A character which POV is a breath of fresh air to step into is Ma Xiuying. Even though compared to She Who Became the Sun her presence is much less stronger than before but her role is still crucial in achieving the throne for Zhu. Ma's characterization from the start is consistent from the first book as the character that carries more empathy amongst the anger and cruelty of the other characters. Personally, I adored Ma Xiuying in the first book and it is no different in He Who Drowned the World. Ma is the only character that retains her sanity and humanity throughout the story. She delivered some lines that sets the mood and ties in the fates of every character in the story to convey hope of a new reign.

Those losses and sacrifices now formed the soil from which her new world would sprout.


Final thoughts, He Who Drowned the World is the gloriously painful ending to an unapologetically queer historical fantasy reimagining that solidifies Shelley Parker-chan's status as one of the best modern fantasy writers. There are so many memorable moments in The Radiant Emperor that left me feeling all kinds of emotions. I highly recommend this series to anyone that wants to read a historical fantasy that is hardcore queer, intense and high stakes, beautifully written, and is just screaming with yearning so painful that it will make you feel like you ran a marathon.

Reading the conclusion of The Radiant Emperor series is a bittersweet moment that I will remember for a long time. This series has formed an attachment with me since I read the ARC of the first book and now that the second book will be released.. I am sad yet excited for other readers to experience the same brain rot. For readers that have read She Who Became the Sun, if you think that book was like a stab in the heart this book will pulverise every aspect of your mental and emotional being.

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

I hope Shelley Parker-Chan is happy that I finished this book in such an emotional state that I wanted to wake up my partner to console me with cuddles. I resisted doing so because I did not want to explain it later as "This book I just read was like Legend of the Galactic Heroes and those danmei books I read were chopped up, used as dumpling filling, and it came out absolutely delicious." My reading brain is so well-fed right now. Parker-Chan wrote a lot of characters in such a way that I truly wished for their happiness and success. There were also characters written in a way that made me feel no guilt whatsoever as they met ends (both good and bad) that would make George R. R. Martin wish he could finish writing a book series like this. I admit I struggled to stay awake through some middle chapters either from lack of caffeine, the tedium of character building, or how empires simply cannot be built in a day, but it all felt like an appropriate build-up to the finale. (I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Books for the chance to read an advance copy of He who drowned the world by Shelley Parker-Chan. I loved the first book, She who became the sun, and eagerly requested the sequel. While this is just as good the first book, which I read in 2021, I found it a bit difficult to get back into the story. Once I picked it back up, and started reading I became immersed in the story. This is definitely not a standalone type of book. Read She who became the sun first.

Written by the author: In terms of violence, I think of both She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World as roughly equivalent to the Asian historical dramas on Netflix: you'll see some splatter during fight scenes, but rarely full-on gore. Torture is mostly implied. However, Drowned is substantially darker in tone than She Who Became the Sun and contains one moderately detailed depiction of sexual violence. I have to stress that it is not a young adult book!