She Who Became the Sun is a sweeping historical fantasy that reimagines the rise of the Ming dynasty through a queer, gender-defying lens. Set in 14th century China under Mongol rule, the novel follows a nameless peasant girl who, after her brother's death, assumes his identity, Zhu Chongba, to escape a fate of nothingness and pursue greatness. Her journey from a monastery to the battlefield is marked by ambition, resilience, and a relentless challenge to societal norms.

Parker-Chan masterfully blends political intrigue, war, and personal transformation, crafting a narrative that is both epic and intimate. The prose is lyrical, the characters complex, and the world-building immersive.

Themes of destiny, identity, and power are explored with nuance, offering a fresh perspective on historical events. This debut novel not only entertains but also provokes thought, making it a standout addition to the fantasy genre.

I really wanted to love this but ultimately struggled with it a lot. I’m used to epic fantasies but the pacing felt way off here and the characters weren’t compelling enough to make me forget about it. I loved the representation of gender fluidity but struggled with the actual personalities on the page. Also… were the battles in the room with us? Overall, not for me.

A really well-written, epic, fantasy book that I couldn't put down. I loved it, and can't wait to read the next one.

Really, really good sex scenes, almost as good worldbuilding and sweeping epic plot. The gender stuff is thrilling on multiple levels. Recommended!

five stars. how is it humanly possible to write such perfection? I can't believe I sat on this one for so long utterly obsessed. Fantastic , highly recommend.

I am grateful to Shelley Parker-Chan, Pan Macmillan, Mantle, and Netgalley for the Digital Reader Copy. Here follows my short review of the book.

Ooof, this book was a tough read for me. I enjoyed the start. It was fast paced, brutal, and made for great tone-setting for the rest of the story. Discrimination, tragedy, death, stolen identity, and stolen prophecy – it was a lot to take in and should have been interesting to watch unfold. And it was…at first. However, as the story progressed, it really started to drag and turning the pages became burdensome for me. I would have loved to have seen how the grains of truth in this story unfolded. I would have loved to have enjoyed the history lesson, but shortly after the 50% mark, having not made much progress very fast, I had to make the decision to step away.

I personally love historical fiction, but this had the pace and tone of non-fiction. It wasn’t fast enough for me. I found it was too detailed - think The Hobbit, where every last item in the scene is described but with less excitement and awe.

Such a unique story full of glorious descriptions that paint the image into your mind. I feel like i was transported into the story and loved every second of it!

Very cool, great fantasy well-written and compelling, well set up for a sequel I'm looking forward to reading too.

This was a stunning epic fantasy which was pitched as Mulan meets Song of Achilles, and it absolute fits the bill. It was such an impressive debut and I cannot wait to read book 2!

A highly impactful historical fantasy with a gritty atmosphere I couldn’t escape from. This is unlike anything I’ve read before and proves to be an addictive read for those who love the intensity of battles with the nostalgia of stories retold.

A really interesting novel, it took me a long time to read it as the pacing is really slow for me, but this allowed it to have really well crafted world building, I just needed to be in the mood for it. The dual POV was interesting, though I didn't care for one of them until close to the end of the book, which slowed me down a bit.

Parker-Chan's writing is intricate, weaving a world around compelling characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and I particularly enjoyed delving into gender identity and gender fluidity. I think the subject can be taboo and it can also be done very poorly. However, Parker-Chan does an incredibly sensitive job of exploring this theme. I did think there was a little Disney influence in there with Mulan but that might just be me. All in all, this was a great read and I would definitely recommend it.

Dark and brutal and utterly breath taking, this novel is a masterpiece. Whilst the writing is gorgeous, it's the characters that are the true gem in at the heart of this story. Parker-Chan manages to make you root for them no matter the questionable and wretched things they do, and I was completely swept away in this incredible novel.

I think this was an interesting premise and idea, with a lot of love and care put into it. But it isn't my thing.

I didn't think that the emotions portrayed here where anywhere near deep enough for me. It verged too close to a military fantasy, which decidedly isn't my preferred genre. I suspect this is probably a misalignment of expectations than anything. While I thought there were some interesting ideas here, primarily focused around power ("greatness") and gender, I just didn't feel like this was a cohesive whole. The pacing was so STRANGE. The character work wasn't there, for me. I felt like there was a lot of telling and not enough showing. I don't agree that Zhu seemed that clever or ruthless! It felt reported more than anything.

Idk. This wasn't a hit for me and I'm sad about it. Clearly, a lot of other people got what they wanted from this -- I can see that some people did think this was emotional and effective but it wasn't for me. The beginning was good, I will say: it has a great hook, an interesting premise, and I did think there was a strong sense of place and time. It just fell flat.

She Who Became the Sun hooked me right from the start. Though it got a bit slow in the beginning, later on I couldn't put it down. It's got everything I love in a story: fascinating characters, epic battles, and a plot that kept me guessing till the very end.

So, picture this: Zhu, a peasant girl with a destiny as forgettable as yesterday's news. But then, fate throws her a curveball when her brother dies. Suddenly, she sees a chance to change her fate. She decides to take on her brother's identity and his supposed destiny of greatness. And let me tell you, it's a wild ride from there.

What I really loved about this book is how it tackles some big themes – like destiny, identity, and gender – in a way that felt real to me. Zhu isn't just some cardboard cutout hero; she's flawed, she's complex, and she's totally relatable. And the way the author blends history with fantasy? It's seriously impressive.

But what really got me was the ending. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say it left me feeling some things. It's the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished it. And I can't wait to read the sequel.

I requested this book at a time I was high into my fantasy era and sadly I’ve kind of slumped out of this. The book has incredible reviews though.

I thought this was a very interesting, and not broached enough, time period to focus on, and Parker-Chan deftly navigates broad histories in an approachable manner.

She Who Became the Sun is an impressively well-written story. Wonderful progression of plot and character throughout, with multiple peaks and a shocking, satisfying conclusion to each storyline. On top of that, this is a unique story of the historical fantasy genre that appears to be gaining popularity rapidly.

“Destroying what someone else cherished never brought back what you yourself had lost. All it did was spread grief like a contagion.”

It appeared to me that the focus in this story is the characters, and how they are treated ultimately shapes their driving motivations and goals. We have two concurrent perspectives, both of which battle with the idea of reputation, the desire to be recognised, identity and power, all in a heavy political situation where our characters must commit previous acts in order to rise up, or most likely die or lose sight of all their ambitions in attempt to do the 'right thing'.

We are thrust into the historical setting of China, during the latter period of Mongolian rule. This is essentially a historical story. with a few low-fantasy elements thrust in to the mix to change the game slightly. Shelley Parker-Chan crafts a great balance between the historical detail and progression of events, alongside the characterisation which you would expect she has a lot more freedom over. In the foreword, it is said that the story follows a series of historical events, but adds characters and fills in gaps for the purposes of the story. Whilst this then does deviate from the authentic unravelling of this period, it has still strongly piqued my interest, and I now look forward to researching this time period at my own leisure.

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

I am not sure if this series will evolve into a duopoly or a trilogy, but whichever one it becomes I look forward to carrying on with the series as soon as the next instalment is released. I think this is one of those reads that most people would enjoy, and that everyone should try.

"She Who Became the Sun" by Shelley Parker-Chan is a captivating historical fantasy that reimagines the rise of the Ming Dynasty in 14th-century China. The novel weaves a gender-defying narrative around the ambitious and determined Zhu, who takes on the identity of her deceased brother to claim a destiny traditionally reserved for men. Parker-Chan's prose is evocative, and the story seamlessly blends history with elements of magic, exploring themes of power, identity, and destiny. This is a tale of resilience and transformation that challenges societal norms and creates a vivid, immersive world.

I have the opportunity to take part at the She who became the sun book tour. I am so happy I have been chosen to read this book because the cover gives The Priory of the Orange Tree vibes, just the cover because the story is incomparable. I haven't read The Song of Achilles so I can't compare them, but I think everybody knows Mulan story and I can tell you that She who became the sun is harsher.

The main character is the a strong girl who knows she has to do anything to survive. In a place where she is the only girl alive, she refuse to be nothingness. So she becomes a boy. Her adventures are full with dangerous situations, blood, fights, even death, but her motivation is bigger than any obstacle and you can't stop a girl who has just one wish: to live!