She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

📓Genre: Reimagined Historical Fantasy
Star: 🌟🌟🌟 (3.4 stars rounded to 3 stars)

🔖 This book narrates a reimagined account of how a neglected girl eventually becomes the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
🔖The core story centers around the young orphaned girl, who while assuming the identity of her dead brother, also resolves to claim his destined 'fate of greatness'.
🔖The characters are complex – specially the protagonist, Zhu, who fights her way up a tense, discriminatory sociopolitical ladder and eventually rises to power.
🔖But most characters demonstrate an emotional aloofness, which I agree, does suit their individual personal journeys, but doesn't exactly make them likable. In several circumstances – their cruelties outweigh the good, as they display an indomitable will to survive by any means possible.
🔖Having a 14th century, famine-struck and war-torn China as the backdrop – has further emphasized the mercilessness of both the landscape and the characters.
🔖Still, for a story that is primarily about war and political supremacy – I suppose – 'light' and 'compassion' are the last things to expect.
🔖The writing style was good, although at some points, I really wished, the characters showed a bit more empathy.
The narrative was however engaging enough to keep me reading.
🔖Overall, this is a book meant for readers who are comfortable reading about the despair and violence of war.

🔸Final Verdict: Comparing this book with Mulan was a bit misleading, since readers who might pick it up expecting to read a heart-warming story of courage, bravery and strong familial bond – can end up feeling truly disappointed.
🔸Book Cover: Eye-catching
🔸Writing Style: Descriptive
🔸Character Development: Most lacked compassion.

✨Many thanks to Pan Macmillan (Publisher) and Netgalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.


#SheWhoBecametheSun #NetGalley #arc #bookreview

I was really hoping I'd enjoy this one. The blurb sounds brilliant, the cover's amazing and it's getting great reviews online. I love Mulan in all its variations, and although I haven't read The Song of Achilles I know it got fantastic reviews as well.

Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. Maybe it's because I don't know much about this part of Chinese history; maybe it's all the interchangable minor characters; maybe it's that I didn't really empathise with any of the characters at any point. Maybe it's that I didn't follow all the politics going around.

The descriptions are really good, I'll give Shelley that much. She's clearly done a ton of research into everyday life in that time period, and I never felt confused about what that tool or piece of clothing was. (Did they really burn insense into monk's heads?) The buildings and gardens are lovingly described and I enjoyed that part of the novel.

Not for me, I'm afraid, but I hope it does well and that other people enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I really liked this historical fantasy debut by Shelley Parker-Chan.

Aspects I liked:
- I loved the combination of the real historical setting and characters with the military fantasy aspects. I knew very little about 1300s China prior to starting this book and found the time period so interesting to read about. I did not realise that many of the characters in this book are based on real historical figures. And I find it so interesting how Shelley Parker-Chan has created this fantasy story inspired by these real events.
-There are many themes in this that I really liked. I loved the exploration of religion and fate - with the discussion on how much is our fate predecided and how much of an impact do we have as individuals in deciding what our future holds.
- I loved the minor magical aspects - being able to see ghosts and the mandate but would have loved to have had more of this and explanation of what it all means.
- I also really liked how gender is explored. For both Zhu and Ouyang there is a fluidity to their gender and I liked how Shelley Parker-Chan looked at this in both how these characters viewed themselves as individuals but also how this related to the historical time period.

Critiques:
- I struggled a little moving in to part 2 of the book as we shift from being a 1 person perspective following only Zhu to suddenly being a multiple perspective story. It really seemed to jump from the monastery to war. Overall I think the book benefited from being multi-perspective but it felt a bit jarring with the way it was introduced.
- I struggled to have a strong connection to the characters and maybe would have appreciated some more quieter scenes with more development of their characters.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this story and looking forward to the second book in the series.

I can’t even begin to describe what kind of book She Who Became the Sun is. All I can say is it drew me into the story, kept me glued to the page for hours on end, and then gutted and devastated me by the end of it. This debut novel is going to be the book of 2021, I’m calling it now.

The novel, inspired by the life of the founder of the Ming dynasty, follows a nameless girl, growing up in a tiny, famine-stricken village that has already claimed the lives of her mother and grandparents. She lives there with her father and older brother, Zhu Chongba — a brother whose future is read and said to hold a great destiny, while hers is to become nothing. But then, her father dies in a bandit attack and her brother not long after him, destroying any hope of a so-called destiny. Left alone, the girl almost succumbs but finds within her the strength to continue living as she travels to a nearby monastery and begs to become a student. There, she becomes Zhu Chongba, stealing her brother’s identity. Zhu does whatever it takes to survive in the monastery, and does so for many years, but when it’s burned down for not supporting Mongol rule, Zhu uses the chance she has been given to steal her brother’s destiny as well.

How do I explain the experience that is Zhu Chongba? She is so ambitious and purposeful, but so cheeky and sweet as well. As we read her time in the monastery, you can’t help but adore her: from her fear of being discovered as a woman at any moment, to her quick thinking skills to trick her teachers, to the friendships that she makes. And when she becomes a travelling monk, you start to love her even more. This is where she becomes consumed with the idea of becoming great and wanting to ensure that, centuries from now, they remember her name. Her ambition is intense and paralleled perfectly to the other main character of this novel.

If you, like me, love villainous characters who stop at nothing to achieve their goals, then you’re going to love Ouyang, the general of the Mongolian army. Ouyang was once the eldest son of a predominant noble family, but when the Mongolian army moved in, his entire family was massacred, and Ouyang was kidnapped by the royal family, castrated and then forced into slavery. Prince Esen, the heir to the Mongol throne, becomes close with Ouyang, training together as boys and then naming Ouyang his general. Ouyang already has a devastating reputation as Esen’s feared eunuch general and when he and Zhu meet, Zhu can’t help but feel like she is connected to him somehow.

Zhu and Ouyang have many similarities between them although they are on opposite sides of the brewing war: they both have great destinies, they both feel they need to prove themselves, and they both present their genders in non-typical ways. Even though they become enemies, you can’t help but root for both of them. When Zhu is attempting to climb in social status, I was fully supporting her. And when Ouyang is attempting to get revenge on the people who destroyed his life, I was also on his side! Parker-Chan is a phenomenal writer to put the reader in such a position where they’re rooting for both sides, even though you know the outcome will end in tragedy. Both Zhu and Ouyang are working towards their own individual goals, their destinies are somehow linked and I can’t wait to find out more in the sequel.

While the novel’s plot focuses on Zhu’s physical journey from a girl with nothing to greatness, the book also focuses on Zhu’s journey to understanding her gender identity. Zhu doesn’t just pretend to be her brother to ensure she survives: she becomes him, as she doesn’t want Heaven to strike her down for lying and stealing. So the way she ensures her safety is by living her life as a man, although she uses she/her pronouns for herself (which is why I’m using them too) while everyone else uses he/him. Zhu acknowledges many times that she doesn’t feel comfortable as a woman, and I felt so connected to her slowly coming to understand herself as genderqueer (although she doesn’t use that exact word). I was able to resonate strongly with this as a genderqueer person myself, and I believe Parker-Chan also identifies as genderqueer. So you can be sure you’re going to find amazing gender representation in She Who Became the Sun!

She Who Became the Sun is a book you’re not going to be forgetting for a long, long time. You’ve probably heard this book labeled as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles so for those who are wondering, yes, I can definitely see that comparison. But when they say The Song of Achilles, they mean it. Don’t go into this book feeling connected to any characters. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Exceeded my already high expectations! I'd say it filled the hole THE POPPY WAR left in my heart, but it may have only made that hole wider still (in the best way!!). Easily one of the best books of the year for me and a newfound all time favourite!

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange of honest review.

I am sure no one will be surprised when I say that I have been dying to read this book. And this book has been well received by almost all of my trustworthy friends and reviewers.

‘She who became the Sun’ by Shelley Parker-Chan is a glorious and epic first book to ‘The Radiant Emperor’ duology.

It is a historical epic set in 14th century China that reimagines the fall of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the Ming Dynasty with a genderqueer reimagination.

The story follows two captivating and prominent characters on opposite sides of the spectrum. On one side we have Zhu Yuanzhang, a girl living the life meant for her dead brother Zhu Chongba, who was destined to the fate to greatness; and on the other side we have General Ouyang, the eunuch general of the army of the kingdom of Great Yuan.


Zhu Chongba and General Ouyang’s story start at the very opposite end but the way their fate colliding was so very fascinating to watch.

Apart from these two main characters, we also get to see side characters such as Esen, Ma xiuying, Xu Da and Baoxing. All the characters are praiseworthy but my favorites definitely were Ma xiuying and Baoxing. Ma xiuying’s tenderness and Baoxing’s love for books really made me have a soft spot for them.

Parker Chan’s ability to create complex characters and their relations with each other was really commendable. Xu da and Zhu’s friendship, Yuchun’s undeniable loyalty to Zhu, Baoxing and Esen’s complex brotherhood, ouyang and zhu’s rivalry and the yearning between them all !

And one of my favorite themes of the book undoubtfully was the exploration of gender. It was so heartwarming and realistic to watch our characters continuous push and pull towards their identity


‘She who became the Sun’ overall is a very well-crafted and praiseworthy debut that is devastatingly beautiful and boldly queer. And I am definitely looking forward to the sequel.

REVIEW REPOSTED FROM OTHER EDITION OF THE BOOK.

I have a history of not getting on with fantasy or science fiction that has a military lean, and so I tend to avoid it unless I'm explicitly told by those I trust that this will be one for me. But 2021 is a year for getting out of our comfort zones and so I thought I would take a chance on She Who Became the Sun and it turns out taking chances is great because some times you get to read utterly fantastic fiction.

I loved the flow of this book, I think part of the problem I have had in the past with books focussed on war is that it all starts to feel quite samey. However in this case we not only have multiple perspectives on the same conflict but also an exploration of different facets of war, from life in camp to life far behind the lines, from in the moment battles to long term strategy. It all comes together in a really fascinating and complete way to make for a fantastic read.

China in 1345 is a piece of world history about which I hold very little knowledge so I can't speak to how much has been preserved or re-imagined in this story, but I did find myself wanting to go and do some more research into this period which is always a sign of a good book for me.

Zhu is a fantastic main character and I found their journey throughout the book to be incredibly interesting. One of my favourite ideas to be explored in fantasy is that of fate and predestination and I thought that this book did a great job of tackling those ideas, particularly in the way that we can make one conclusion as a child and then see how that idea would shift and change as we grow older.

Having finished this book about a month ago now I find myself quite desperate to re-read it, to see which aspects I missed and to relive some of the more impactful moments. This, to me, is the sign of a truly remarkable story told impeccably well.

I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

She Who Became the Sun is the kind of book that just stuns you with its brilliance. This is an epic tale that weaves historical and fantastical elements together and combines them with themes of identity, fate and above all else, ambition.

I revelled in the fascinatingly complex narrative voices and how their characters developed over the course of the book. They’re morally gray people who are determined to only survive, but thrive as well as they can in a brutal landscape. I actually loved how ruthless they were in chasing their goals. They will do anything in order to be able to carve their own fate and forge their own path. For both of our protagonists, the past is a force that shapes them and their actions heavily. Their identity also informs every fibre of their being, having often been marginalised and overlooked because of the way that they are. This makes them far more complex and interesting to follow along as a reader, as you can love and loathe them within the space of a singular page. Ethically, there is no clear-cut hero and villain to an extent, instead it is a matter of perspective. It’s a messy, murky fight for survival and to control their own destinies.

Parker-Chan drops you straight into an intriguing and epic opening that perfectly sets the tone for the tale that will unfold. It’s a brutal battle for survival against all odds, commenting on societal expectations and norms as well. Fate is there to be moulded into whatever shape the protagonist wants, but this will come at a heavy price. From there, the intrigue never stops. There’s plenty of political manouevuring, with shadowy morals and betrayals everywhere you look. Nothing is really as it seems in many places. Alliances are ever-shifting, with hidden motives behind every calculated move. The entire book feels like an immersive game of chess between two stellar players, where everything seems pre-planned and carefully manipulated. As a reader, you are privy to far more information, but you still get the sense that the protagonists are just one step ahead of you.
I cannot finish this review without mentioning the exquisite writing. Parker-Chan has such a sense of style and punch to their narratives. It is just amazing to see how descriptive, realistic and enticing every page is. This whole world is richly sketched out, with plenty of moments to flesh out the historical and political landscape our characters are inhabiting. There’s a sense of weight behind every word, a delicate preciseness that cuts like a knife. For me, time felt meaningless outside of these pages. This is a grand tale that encompasses your entire imagination, but at the same time, the pages just fly by. It is so riveting that I read the vast majority in just one sitting.

She Who Became the Sun is a bombastic tale with fascinatingly complex characters and a real edge of ruthlessness underpinning every page. It asks what depths the protagonists will go to in order to escape the path they were given and forge their own fate instead.

Mulan retelling inspired by the song of achilles
I don't usually go for historical fantasy but oh my, I could not put this book down.
It's dark, gritty and terribly cruel in a way that disturbs yet entrances you
The characters are strong willed and all so fascinating

"She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor." - I guess I completely missed this part of the blurb, because it came as a complete shock to me about halfway through the book when I realised what was going on. Whoops.

This is a book about war, and the terrible things people are willing to do to get what they want. Zhu and Ouyang, our protagonists in this tale, have a lot in common. They both suffer gender dysphoria and have complicated relationships with the people around them. They're both ruthless and lacking in empathy. They each seek power not for power's sake, but because they believe it is their destiny.

Zhu is easily the most interesting element of this book. Her story is a deconstruction of the traditional chosen one narrative. Her brother was the chosen one. But he gave up his fate when he gave up on living, and she took it upon herself to become him and take his destiny. There is nothing she won't do to achieve this goal. She's not a good person, but tries to make up for it by surrounding herself with good people. Xu Da and Ma act both moral compass and morality pets, reminders that Zhu is capable of kindness when she can bring herself to care about someone.

Ouyang is a harder sell. His motivations are kept from the reader for the bulk of the novel, with his POV for most of Part 2 focussing on politics and tactical planning. If was stories are your thing, then these chapters are exquisite. Unfortunately, they're not mine, so I struggled a bit, but still enjoyed what I was reading. Ouyang's story picks up towards the end of Part 2, and by Part 3 is just as good as Zhu's.

Esen is a major weak link in the novel. His POV is intended to support Ouyang's, but I found his chapters difficult to follow. So many minor characters were introduced that I found myself googling to see which ones were real historical figures so that I could keep track of them all better. I desperately wished for a dramatis personae during these chapters. While Zhu and Ma's chapters had lots of characters, they were distinct enough that keeping track of them was no problem. Esen's supporting cast became a blur of same-y men with an air of backstabbery. I feel like these sections could have been dropped without much of a loss.

I'm reluctant to call this book a fantasy novel. It has supernatural elements, and there are hints that they may be more important in the next book, but that's about it.

At just over 400 pages long, there's no room for dawdling. The pacing is snappy, the characters never lingering long, always thinking of their next move. The ending is satisfying on its own, while also promising more and leaving you longing for the next book.

It's not even funny how much I love this book. As the third part of 2021's holy sapphic trifecta, it was absolutely fab. I don't have words for it. So. Damn. Good.

Really enjoyed this, felt I really connected with the main character, who has to hide her gender to stay alive. A highly emotive read, would recommend, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Well, I'm finding it difficult to review this book as I have mixed feelings about it. I generally like historical fiction, but I found this to have difficulties with pace for me as some of the storyline was really slow and some of the action phases zoomed through very quickly. I also felt that the gender thing with the lead character being forced into being a boy and then man, wasn't a choice but more of a necessity to stay alive. Some of the characters I liked and others were not very deeply drawn. Anyway, still digesting and wondering if I should go for the second book in the series or not.........

She Who Became The Sun is an intense, Asian fantasy with amazing representation and a cast of extremely interesting characters. Every person is well fleshed out, their motivations thoroughly explored and their actions, while often dark and brutal, are believable, especially considering the turmoil many are in.

This is not a light, easy read. It is cruel and merciless at times, with many characters so driven to achieve their aims that they leave pure carnage in their wake. The discussions on gender are unlike any I have ever read before and the emphasis on the power of fate is an overriding theme throughout the novel.

I admit that I got slightly lost in all the strategy and military conversations, but that is purely me, and not the book. I will definitely be picking up the next book as I have to know what happens to these characters next.

If you like deep, political fantasies with morally-grey characters and intense warfare, this is a debut that you don't want to miss.

3.5 Stars 🌟

I found this book a bit of a long haul, I enjoyed the start but found it quite heavy going - this definitely is a heavy read! The comparisons to Mulan aren’t necessarily true so I would take that with a pinch of salt, this is definitely not a Disney story. I also don’t completely agree with the comparisons to The Song of Achilles, I think the protagonists are at complete opposite ends of the scale there and although war is central to both plots these are two very different takes on it.

The writing and storytelling is just so complex in this book, which is both brilliant and jarring. I found myself struggling to keep up with so many different characters, places and dates. But compelled to read by the unfolding story and characters. I was thrown off a little by the historical setting and the small bits of fantasy thrown in at first, just as I wasn’t expecting it but I think it works well.

I didn’t particularly like Zhu as a protagonist either, especially as the story progressed I found myself leaning further and further away from her. I did however love the character of Ma. Such a strong, powerful and passionate woman, she is so crucial to this story and empowering.

The discourse on gender and identity was really powerful and interesting to read, particularly as Zhu and Ouyang are at opposing ends and have such different mindsets.

Overall I would say definitely give this book a try but go in with an open mind and lots of patience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for review.

I went into this book with the complete wrong expectations which unfortunately ended up hindering my enjoyment. I requested this mostly because of the hype, everyone was talking about a brand new sapphic fantasy and it is marketed as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles. It all sounded very exciting and something that I would eat up but the first issue that I had was that it was barely a fantasy! I do believe that in sequels the fantasy aspects will be explored but it is a historical fiction with fantasy elements. Issue number two with this description is the sapphic story. Yes, there is a sapphic relationship, but it is not even close to the forefront of the story and there was no chemistry, they barely even spoke. The first part of the story started off very strong. I liked seeing this young girl take her destiny into her own hands and seeing the working of the monastery and Zhu finding friendship but then part two came and it was such a sudden shift between perspectives and world that completely threw me off.
Now that’s enough of the negatives, let’s talk about the positives. I enjoyed the characters; they are revenge driven and/or driven by their need to change their destiny. This made for some very complicated characters. I do think that most of the other perspectives weren’t quite as developed as Zhu, and I did find her perspective most interesting. I feel like Zhu is the only one to get true character growth, but I really enjoyed the journey they went through. The other big win in this story is the politics. There is so much scheming and backstabbing and I was constantly trying to think ahead to what everyone could be planning. This is made better by having perspectives from both sides of this war, so while I didn’t enjoy the switching perspectives at first, there is some brilliant mirroring of what is happening in Zhu and Ouyang’s lives.
Overall, this is a book that a lot of people will love but I was let down because of my own expectations. I will definitely be interested in seeing what this author will write in the future but I’m unsure whether I’ll continue this series.

DNF at 50%

She Who Became the Sun is my most anticipated new release of 2021 -- and here I am.

I was a big fan of the beginning! The main character is fierce and strong, and the stakes were so high. But then the tension decreased exponentially until everything seemed to come to a directionless stand-still at 30% of the way through. I forced myself to read this a day after day and hardly made any progress at all. We got perspective changes and I didn't know why??? I started to feel detached from the characters that I previously cared about, and then the entire book started to seem an aimless search for the biggest heist to take on (here it bears to point out that I tend to really dislike heist plotlines). For like 4 separate times, I came to Goodreads to read others opinions, frantically searching for what makes others fall in love with this book when I cannot seem to be able to get on that hype train. Every time I forced myself to continue for a bit longer, only to feel a bit worse than before. Needless to say, I didn't make it with this book.

I believe that this right here is a seriously big unpopular opinion. In fact, my experience of the first half of the book indicates that the comparison to Mulan and The Song of Achilles isn't doing this book any justice. The beginning reflects Mulan - but I didn't see The Song of Achilles anywhere. Instead, I strongly believe that this book should be blurbed as a combination of Mulan and The Poppy War. She Who Became the Sun has a lot of war, cruelty, gore, violence and pain. It has a strong main character who is here to break the gender binary. And most of all, our main character is very morally gray.

I think this book will be perfect for anyone who enjoyed the Poppy War. Unfortunately, it didn't really work for me. I found it too triggering, depressing and slightly plot-less - similar to the things I struggled to here. I think this book will be a huge roaring success, it is written well and the story will become important for many. Unfortunately, all books don't work for everyone and this just turned out to flop in my eyes.

'She Who Became The Sun’ is a reimagining of the life story of Zhu Yuanzhang, the peasant rebel who drove the Mongols from China and became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It has a few epic fantasy elements, but at its core is historical fiction. It provides a fascinating look at Chinese history and culture, along with intriguing explorations of gender identity and gender roles. This is the author’s debut, and it has a few weaknesses, but overall its a worthwhile and enjoyable read.

In Mongol-occupied China, a young peasant girl is foretold of an early death, while her brother is destined for greatness. However, when her brother unexpectedly dies instead, she decides to steal his identity and claim his fate for her own. The new Zhu joins a monastery, going from monk to soldier to commander in the rebellion against the Mongols. However, her life depends on her continuing to fool Heaven that she is truly her brother. Can anyone truly claim someone else’s destiny?

Zhu – known as Zhu Chongba for the majority of the book – is a brilliant morally-grey protagonist. Her sheer determination and will to live is inspiring and keeps her alive through the hardest of challenges. Zhu is intelligent, observant, and willing to obliterate all the rules to get what she wants – the greatness her brother was always destined for. However, that comes at a cost. Zhu must always think and act like Zhu Chongba – not Zhu Chongba’s sister. Anyone who comes close to discovering her secret must be silenced. And greatness, even destined greatness, is not an easy path – a path filled with far more enemies than friends.

Identity is a major theme throughout the book. The complexity of Zhu’s identity grows as the novel goes on – while she uses female pronouns in her internal thoughts, she mostly thinks of herself as somewhere in between male and female. Shelley Parker-Chan has stated that Zhu is genderqueer – this language didn’t exist in 14th century China, but she manages to make it clear regardless. Zhu isn’t the only character with a complex gender identity – her greatest enemy, General Ouyang, has a similar struggle, and the two have a strange kinship alongside their hatred. Ouyang was born male and strongly identifies as male, but is a eunuch. His appearance is feminine and those around him treat him as something other – not truly a man or a woman. Again, his difficulty with his outward gender identity and not being treated as a man is beautifully written, and its interesting seeing how Zhu and Ouyang’s battles with identity differ.

Another major theme is destiny. This is a very common theme in Chinese history and folklore, with everyone living a foretold fate based on their actions in past lives and their choices inevitably leading them there. Reading about how the characters view destiny, and how this affects different characters in different ways, is fascinating – reconciling a predestined fate withautonomy is easier for some than others. However, personally I found it made certain sections unsatisying. One of my favourite aspects about epic fantasy is the crafting of magic systems. ‘She Who Became The Sun’ doesn’t have a true magic system, but it has a couple of elements derived from destiny – the mandate of Heaven – and this is never explained beyond that it marks those chosen for greatness. I would have liked a little more information on this mandate and how it works, and why it gives its particular set of abilities.

One of the book’s highlights is how well Shelley Parker-Chan writes relationships. Growing up in the monastery, Zhu has a best friend – an older trainee monk named Xu Da – and their friendship is beautifully written, going from a tentative connection to a relationship more akin to brotherhood. Later, Zhu becomes friends and later more with Ma, one of the rebel’s daughters, and again the change from a light friendship characterised by teasing banter to a strong romantic relationship is beautifully done. On the flipside, Ouyang has an intensely complicated relationship with Esen, the eldest son of the Prince of Hesan and commander of his army. Esen is the height of masculinity and trusts Ouyang implicitly, and its never quite clear to what extent Ouyang wants him or wants to be him – even to Ouyang himself. Esen’s adopted younger brother, Wang Baoxiang, is another outsider, seeing himself and Ouyang as very similar – but Ouyang despises him, and the evolving relationships between Ouyang, Esen, and Wang Baoxiang are expertly written.

The main downside is the lack of connection between the reader and the characters. Each individual character is well-written, complex, and intriguing, but also seems to be kept at a distance. Each character forms wonderful relationships with other characters, but to an extent is shrouded from the reader. This is on the shorter side for an epic fantasy novel, lending it pace and easy readability, but it means the reader doesn’t have time to connect to all the characters given a perspective. Even Zhu, the overall protagonist who gets the vast majority of page time, never commands as much emotional investment from the reader as they should.

Overall, ‘She Who Became the Sun’ is a strong historical fantasy debut, heavy on the history and light on the fantasy, with an intriguing cast of characters that give a fascinating insight into Chinese history and culture. It also explores identity in a very nuanced way, taking a different approach to a common fantasy trope. The minor niggles only detract a little from an otherwise strong story. Recommended for fans of historical fantasy, Chinese history and folklore, LGBTQIAP+ fiction, and morally grey characters

It took me a lot longer to read this than it "should" have - many reasons why including having a bad focus month, my workload increasing, being more social, being able to go to the cinema/gym, the format of the e-arc being awful, and a load of bad audiobooks that just put me in a mood to not want to read...

ANYWAY - this was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it did not disappoint. Even on days when I felt I could only read for 5-10 minutes I was swept up in the world of She Who Became the Sun. The main character, Zhu Chongba, was my favourite part of the book. A wonderful character with a brilliant arc and believable storyline. Her motivation and willingness to live and become great jumped off the page. The additional POV character, Ouyang, had similar character motivation but less growth (due to not spending as much time with him, part I is focussed on Zhu Chongba's coming-of-age). The side characters and those closest to our main characters were also well developed and greatly added to the experience of reading the book and becoming immersed in this world. Even knowing that it is a retelling, and being somewhat familiar with the historical setting I found myself forgetting this fact and believing in the characters and atmosphere.

If you are more of a prose person than a character person, have no fear - the prose is beautiful! Parker-Chan's writing shines throughout the book (poorly formatted book be damned!).

I was anxious in how the book would end as I knew this was book one in a duology, however the ending was satisfactory that a second book is not completely necessary. That said, I'm already looking forward to the conclusion of this duology, and seeing how all the characters in this wonderful book end their journeys.

Wow, what an incredible story, I cannot recommend this book enough.

She Who Became The Sun was one of my most anticipated books of the year, described as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles, it had all the markings of an instant favourite of mine and I was not disappointed.

Set in 14th Century China She Who Became The Sun is a reimagining of the tale of a girl who takes on her brothers identity as a way to survive and claim her destiny.

The characters are interesting and complex, the writing engaging and fast paced with a complex storyline.

Highly Recommend.