This was a totally different genre than I normally read. It is set in the 1300's -
The main characters were shaped by what happened to them as children. The whole book highlights the barbarity and caste system which went on in those days. In places it was very heavy going as they just went from one war to another, but in other places you empathise with the characters and the events that have effected their lives.

This book from beginning to end is a marvel. I feel like no matter how long this series is, I am emotionally invested in these characters until the very end.

Let me tell you, this book is beautifully written, if it's the descriptions of the places in which this book takes place, for example the descriptions of the gardens in one of the cities or just the plainness of rooms in which our antagonists inhabit this book is a world building masterclass. The writer really creates and builds a wonderful and also dark setting for this book and I loved taking it in.

The characters are so real and brilliant and always so well developed. The growth of Zhu Chongba through this book is brilliant and their learning about the person they are and who they are becoming is just so good to read through every moment and this goes the same for other characters in this book - particularly Ouyang as you see their plan unfold throughout and the internal battle they're having as well as the ones happening externally.

The plot is twisting and intriguing and just when I think I know what's going to happen and where this book will stop I am wrong again, I love the unpredictability and the amount of adrenaline I got from reading this book - sometimes it made it hard to read, it left me on the edge of seat too many times to count to be honest.

Just a brilliant book and so worth the hype it is getting.

5*

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).

This book takes place in 14th century China and is a fictionalised account of the rise of Zhu, a peasant girl, adapting to the era to survive and then prosper. There are many interesting characters, generally well-developed, and the plot moves along at a reasonable pace although it does feel long in places when characters muse about their motivation. There is plenty of bloodshed, lots of betrayal and treachery as characters vie for position and power. It's entertaining and I learnt a lot about the era. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic tale that I really enjoyed. Suitable for a wide range of readers, with beautiful prose and well drawn characters. Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

4,5 stars

It's absolutely amazing to me how this book is Parker-Chan's debut. It's so wonderfully written and thought out.

Zhu isn't supposed to be destined for greatness, but she chose to be, and she won't let anyone stand in her way. She's the perfect anti-hero, she's ambitious and fierce and ruthless and cunning and ready to do anything to get what she wants. From the very beginning I loved her determination, I knew she'd be a character I'd love, and she did not disappoint. I love reading about characters like Zhu.
The book is wonderfully paced, there isn't a time when you're bored, you're always on edge, wondering what will happen next. It's so full of action and suspense, it's a real page turner.
The political intrigues was so well written, I love stories about power, loyalty and backstabbing, scheming and strategy. I loved the conflicts both between the Red Turbans and the Mongols, and inside each camp as well. All the fake loyalties, the murderous plots, but also the battles! And getting to see the conflict from both camps with the dual POV was so interesting.

This book is perfect for lovers of anti-heroes, complex characters, political intrigues, scheming, and battles.

CW: dysphoria, pre-existing non-consensual castration, misgendering, internalised homophobia, life-altering injury (amputation), ableist language, non-graphic depictions of death by torture, major character death, offscreen murder of a child, scenes depicting extreme hunger/starvation, graphic depiction of a person burning to death

A brilliant reimagining. I found the characters and the story so immersive. I think that this novel will appeal to a wide range of readers and I will definitely be getting it for the school library because I think it was a brilliant story of courage and determination, set in a period of history that isn't taught in schools.

A brilliant story, triumph over adversity, family, despair, poverty, it’s all here. Told by a seer she had nothing in her future, she takes on her brothers identity when he is killed, and hopes to live the life filled with greatness he was promised by the seer. Written so beautifully, the words just flowed and I sped through this wonderful story.

What a wonderfully powerful and beautifully written book! This is the story of a peasant girl who defies hardship to rise to greatness. The girl is overlooked and remains anonymous until she assumes her brother's identity on his death. He had been predicted a life of greatness which she now pursues.
Paralleling the girl's story is that of the eunuch, Ouyang, a general in the Yuan army. As the story alternates between their points of view, we are given an insight into the complex emotions of these two characters. Neither of them are likeable characters, they are both intense and determined. It is their pursuit of their fates that dominates them and in that they are ruthless, aggressive and cruel. There are numerous distasteful actions that bring home the single-minded drive and ambition for power underlying the story. Set in the closing years of the Yuan Dynasty, the battling of the various factions is vividly brought to life.
This book is about believing in your fate but also about becoming the person you are meant to be. I love the clever subversion of history by making one of the leading characters female and the other someone who has been castrated.
This is a well-paced story with some surprising twists to add to the suspense. I am so looking forward to reading the follow up book.

𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆. - She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Rebel. Warrior. Hero.

This is a beautiful story of a young woman who's desparete to make her mark in life. She refuses to become nothingness!

Due to circumstances out of her control she decides to take on the life which was meant for her brother who was foretold to be destined for greatness. By doing so she has to keep her identity as a woman a secret. Which is a remarkable task bearing in mind she first stops off at a Buddhist monastery and becomes a monk.

10 years later, her life takes another change in direction and finds herself being part of the Red Turban rebel army.

This to me felt like a brilliant; adult, ruthless, gritty, morally gray retelling of Mulan. You are routing for Zhu from the very beginning and can't help but cheer her on watching her as she succeeds in achieving greatness. Even if some of actions are somewhat questionable!

This has probably been my easiest 5 star rating ever given to a book, so you could only imagine my surprise when I discover it's book 1 of a series

This book covers a lifetime of stories in such a small succinct way.

The timeline does zip by at points but it feels like you ve missed nothing and caught up well at the same time.

Whilst chronicling a young girl struggling to make it in a man's world there's a back drop of war, friendship and acceptance. All important threads which keep the book marching along.

Yes I had Mulan vibes at time, but this story really does hold its own.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book about a girl in 1345 in China who pretends to be her dead brother so she can join a monastery to become a monk or she would have starved to death.
In the second part of the book I began to lose interest in the story when it became about war and politics.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting story about a starving girl who pretends to be a boy and joins a monastery. I won't say much more than that as it will spoil it for you. I really enjoyed this and found it to much more action and adventure than I was at first expecting.
Thank you to Netgalley uk and Pan Macmillan for a digital copy of this book.

Pitched as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles, this book had it’s work cut out for it to live up to the enticing stall set out. I think it mostly managed it. The premise is that a brother and sister are given a prophecy – the boy will attain greatness, the girl will become nothing. Events conspire so that the boy dies and the girl steals her brothers identity and with it his fate. Now going by the name Zhu, she rises to scholar and then military commander as the Ming Dynasty is formed. One thing which is always left out of Mulan retellings is the sense of familial duty and filial love, and honestly it’s not present here. Girl disguises herself as a boy and becomes a warrior is hardly a new trope – it wasn’t a new trope when the Ballad of Mulan was written by a Song Dynasy Poet(ess!) in the 9th-10th Century. (Women have always fought, they just don’t get the write ups their male contempories get). So in that instance, it wasn’t a mega original starting point and didn’t, in my opinion, take the most interesting aspect of the legend. However, as an alternate historical retelling of the formation of the Ming Dynasty, this was gripping and very refreshing in it’s choice of cast. Zhu is thoroughly unlikeable – headstrong, ambitious, selfish and occasionally cruel, driven entirely by her need for personal significance. The kind no one could deny. It was a delight to see a true anti heroine at work – female leads don’t always have to be good! So overall. I really enjoyed it. I am not really seeing the Song of Achilles comparison other than some queer rep and a war setting, but for me SoA was about how one person can bring out the absolute best in you, whereas SWBtS was about the desire to become something more trumped all other considerations. It also delved into the effects of war, gender identity and sacrifice too. Basically not what the marketing promised exactly, by such an excellent book that I didn’t mind. Highly recommend.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is this a story of destiny or just survival? The girl who exists at the beginning of the story has no destiny, no name and very little chance of surviving. In a time of dire famine, only three people still exist in her family, herself, her father and her brother Zhu Chongba who is destined for greatness. Zhu who was dedicated to become a monk when he was twelve, and for whom a fortune teller sees a wonderful future. And when the girl is the only one left after a bandit raid, she takes her brother′s name and future. Travelling to the monastery, she gains a place, and manages to hide her gender for many years. Inside the monastery there is food and friendship and peace, while outside a rebellion starts against the Yuan dynasty. And that rebellion starts her on a journey to greatness.

This was an gripping read, and as a reader I found myself wanting to know how Zhu would overcome the difficulties of her life. Descriptions are concise but excellent, so I could imagine a peasant′s hut, a monastery and a battlefield by the way she sketched them out. It′s interesting to see how Zhu′s character changes, and what she′s prepared to do to keep her secret. It starts off with small transgressions, but as she wants more, the costs become higher. The contrast with Ma, another kinder female character, later in the book highlights that as she achieves more success and fame, she loses more of her humanity. I found that I went from wishing her success to feeling sadness at the actions she was taking. There is also a story of the eunuch Ouyang, a general in the Yuan forces, whose story interweaves with Zhu′s, and which also shows that achieving what you are striving for may not being you any happiness.

I did a little bit of research to find out the history inspiring the story, and I′m not sure if I want there to be a sequel. I really enjoyed the book and it would be good to read more by this author, but there′s a lot of sadness, treachery and slaughter to come in the life of Zhu Chongba.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

I found myself not enjoying this book and so didn't finish it. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but for some reason I found it a chore to read. I'm still not sure what it was that I had a problem with. Maybe it was the pacing, I really don't know, after several hours I just didn't connect with it.

Stunning, surprising and quite unlike anything I have ever read before. A little slow at times, and requires a great deal of focus from the reader, but very worth it

This was brilliant! I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. This is a story of defying your fate against all odds, a glorious tale of determination and perseverance. And, above all this is a story filled with political maneuverings, strategic alliances, complicated relationships, gender identity and magic.

The story is heavily inspired from history and is a re-imagining of the founding of the Ming dynasty in china. The writing style is so good and elaborative. The story spans over several years as we see our protagonist Zhu Chongba grow from a half starved peasant with a life destined for nothing into a fierce commander of the Red Turban rebellion. And honestly, what a journey it was! Zhu is such a complex character and while she makes some very questionable decisions throughout her journey, you can't feel but also appreciate her for her cleverness and single minded determination.

Apart from Zhu, there are several other characters which plays an important role in the story and every one of them goes through such an amazing character development. They are flawed and driven by their own desires, motivations and struggles, making their story all the more believable.

It's safe to say, the story is steeped in various political and war mechanism both on and off the field, there is violence and mind boggling betrayals and honestly, it does gets dark and brutal at times, especially towards the end. But, overall, such an amazing and enjoyable book! Definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to read an adult fantasy with an unique plot and an array of diverse characters.

“I Refuse To Be Nothing”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Synopsis: A drought and famine threatens the diminishing village, home to a brother and sister. When Zhu Chongba’s birthday occurs, his father takes him to have his fortune read. The brother is destined for greatness, his name bearing luck, the sister is destined to be nothing. But the fate of nothing is unacceptable, and when bandits orphan her and her brother, and her brother chooses his own fate, she will do anything to avoid the nothing that follows her. Claiming her brother’s name, Zhu will do anything to survive – but ho far can the ambition of survival take her, how many lines will she cross?

CW/TW – spoiler warning- (As listed by the author on GR): Dysphoria/Pre-existing non-consensual castration/Misgendering/Internalised homophobia/Life-altering injury (amputation)/Ableist language/Non-graphic depictions of death by torture/Major character death/Offscreen murder of a child/Scenes depicting extreme hunger/starvation.

Note: The main character of this book is Zhu, Zhu is (as identified by the author) a genderqueer character (AFAB but doesn’t identify as female), and throughout the book both she/her and he/him pronouns are used to describe them. Therefore, I will likely use both she/her and he/him pronouns when talking about the character in this review.💜

She Who Became The Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan is the first book in The Radiant Emperor duology and it is an epic read. Parker-Chan is an incredibly story-teller, who has crafted an extraordinary tale of war, fate, identity and ambition – this is a rich, brutal and captivating read that will keep you gripped right from the start.

Writing/Narrative: Parker-Chan has an extremely compelling writing style that is engaging, beautifully detailed, emotional, and stark. They perfectly capture the scenes and settings of the story, bringing them to life with expert detail – making them jump right of the page and into an image our heads. The prose is strong from start to finish well paced throughout and perfectly depicts the morally grey characters and choices of vengeance and war. Not only is the prose rich in detail, illuminating and breathing life into both the characters and the settings, there is also a rawness within it, something real and visceral that connects you to this story in one way or another. Parker-Chan captures everything they set out to in their prose, carefully capturing the subtleties of being human, of having ambition, of wanting to be something, to be someone.

A rarity in fantasy, but one of my favourite types of narrative, Parker-Chan uses the third person omniscient narrative to tell this story. While the main parts of the story are told through Zhu and Ouyang’s perspectives, Parker-Chan also weaves in the insights of other character’s such as Ma’s. The omniscient narration was incredibly effective for this particularly story because it gave us insight into both/multiple sides of the actual war, as well as allowing us to see the finer intricacies of the inner conflicts of the individual sides and of the characters. This is a difficult perspective to use, and to use well, and Parker-Chan does so perfectly. Somehow they balance giving us multiple sides of the conflict, revealing aa lot of information and plots, without spoiling anything. She expertly manages to maintain the element of surprise, despite the incredible amount of insight we get, and still manages to keep us on our toes and shock us. The narrative perfectly complimented the prose and supported the pace of the story incredibly well.

The Story/Plot: As I said, this book is very well paced, we do get a bit of time jumping at the start but it doesn’t become confusing or disorienting, I actually liked that it aged up the cast a little bit – it matched the tone and adult nature of the book well. The plot/story of this book is phenomenal. There are two main character’s whose stories we follow. The first, and the one at the core of the story, is Zhu’s. Zhu was born female, and so was neglected and ignored in favour of her brother. On her brother’s birthday he is told he will have a fate of greatness. Zhu begs for her own fortune and is told her fate is to be nothing. Unsurprised but unwilling to accept such a fate, circumstances lead to Zhu assuming her brother’s identity and becoming a monk. We then follow Zhu as he attempts to trick the Gods into believing the great fate is meant for her, and we watch as Zhu does anything to ensure nothing is not her fate. The second plot follows Ouyang, the beautiful Eunuch, as he aids the Prince in his attempt to quash the rebellion. But, Ouyang has a plot of his own brewing, and it only takes one event to set him on his own fated path.

Honestly, I can only say good things about this story. Zhu is a brilliantly morally grey character, who increasingly takes risks to secure his fate as one of greatness. Zhu’s ambition to survive is what drives her, greatness is Zhu’s survival so the risks are necessary and we watch as she makes increasingly cruel and manipulative decisions to get what he wants. The scope of this story is significant as Zhu travels from village, to monastery, to a city in the midst of war. Zhu’s story is complex and thrilling, I loved every single twist and turn that she took us on. Everything Zhu does is calculated and it keeps you captivated, on your toes, waiting to see where her plan will lead her. Even as Zhu grows more brutal, taking on more risks, you cannot help but root for him and his plan for greatness because Zhu is such an easy to like character. I loved watching Zhu strive for his newfound fate, and the enemies and friends he made along the way made the story even better. I have to say, I have never been so stressed in my life though – Zhu is incredibly clever but her plans consistently place her in danger – the brutality of the book and the story makes you worry for the characters, even Zhu, because consequences are real in this book. Every time Zhu had a plan my heart started hammering in my chest. But, it made the story all the more enjoyable and added a necessary dynamic that kept you in suspense.

Ouyang’s story/plot was equally emotional. Ouyang has also suffered a lot, forced to become a Eunuch and serve the Prince (though he has genuine concern for Esen, the Prince, and the pining will hurt you), he is now a General. Ouyang’s fate is thrown at him at an unexpected time and we watch as he crafts plot after plot in order to meet it. Ouyang’s story is heart-wrenching, but you can’t help but read on and watch it play out, hoping it will end differently. His primary job is, however, to help Esen defeat the rebel forces and this leads to Ouyang becoming a sort of rival with Zhu – another thread of the story that was simply delightful and painful all in one. Parker-Chan does not hold back with this book and, as Alix E Harrow claimed perfectly “This book wrecked me and it will wreck you too”.

If the personal stories of fate and ambition weren’t enough, we have the intense political games going on behind the war, family feuds, fights for power and the throne, and clever plots manipulating the brutal fights that occur. The physical and mental warring bounce off of each other, and combine to create a rich and in-depth story. Not only that, we have the addition of the God’s and their fates, the presence of ghosts – which are a mystery, and the mandate which graces those who should be ruling. This is a story of war, yes, but it goes much deeper than that and has subtle complexities that play out beneath and through the bigger story. With numerous plots, secrets and betrayals running through this book, it can only be described as epic. The ending manages to be happy, heart-breaking and ominous all in one, with a pervasive feeling that Hubris may come into play – perfectly setting up for the second book.

Characters: Representation: LGBTQIA+ Main and side characters, Chinese and Mongolian characters – while I cannot claim how accurate any of the portrayals are, the author is an ownvoice author and it is, as far as I am capable of telling, done well. The characters truly make this book shine. The plot is epic, the prose is beautiful, but the characters truly bring life to the story. Each of the characters have distinct voice, are realistic and flawed, they are incredibly raw and human. The cast is pretty decent so I’ll only focus on a few characters specifically, but they are all wonderfully written.

Zhu. No I haven’t spoken about Zhu enough yet (shh). As I said, Zhu is incredibly clever, ambitious and determined. But, also very very alluring. Zhu is witty and sarcastic in a very dry, nonchalant way and it will have you chuckling. But not only that Zhu is self-assured because belief is everything to her. He has to be Zhu Chongba to survive, and this need to survive translates into ambition for greatness, nuanced and cleverly done. Zhu is a morally grey character whose decisions can be questionable at times, but Zhu wll not be beat down and chooses herself time and time again, she chooses to be who she wants to be, chooses to claim a fate that is not her own and make it hers. The desire, the drive, the intellect, the wit, everything about Zhu draws you to them. Despite the self-assured air, there is still a vulnerability to Zhu, Zhu is human, has doubts and uncertainties, and questions her own identity. Zhu goes through a significant arc, not only of survival, but of self-recognition. Learning who she truly is, who she want’s to be, is a significant part of her story and it is messy and difficult but it is a journey of identity and an important one. I loved Zhu’s character, from the false naivety, to the wicked sharpness and intelligence, to the vulnerabilities. The character draws you in because they are so raw and human.

Zhu’s relationship with a female character (trying to avoid spoilers!!) also adds well to the story, and to Zhu’s own journey. The relationship is sweet, and will pull on your heart, but it is also complex and difficult when Zhu’s ambition rears its head.

Ouyang. Another complex character who has his own struggles throughout the story. Ouyang is also incredibly clever, with an eye for strategy and a clear cut way of dealing with things. But Ouyang is also vulnerable, hiding his hurt at the ignorance of those around him. He has a difficult past, and an equally tragic fate, his internal struggle in heart-wrenching to watch and the subtle relationship between him and the Esen is very well crafted. Despite being on the opposite side of the war to Zhu, and working his own dark plots, it is hard to hate Ouyang because his struggles are so real and cut so deeply. Ouyang is a difficult character to describe, which speaks to his human complexity, and he is so well written that you can’t help but be attached and feel for him. but he is also flawed and can be cruel and exact in his revenge and justice, he too is clever and witty, and he too must follow his fate to wherever it may lead.

Ma. Ma is the SWEETEST. But don’t let that fool you, she is quick and clever, despite wearing her heart on her sleeve. Ma is intelligent, she knows what should and should not be said, can see the bigger picture, and, most importantly, she is empathetic. Her strength is her empathy, her heart, which allows her to see what the logical and strategic characters cannot. She is strong-willed and her beliefs are clear, but she too has flaws and feels so deeply that she runs the risk of being used, of being taken advantage of. Ma is sweet, but she also has a fire in her.

Xu Da. Xu Da is another character who is simply the sweetest. He is funny and mischievous, but also loyal. his friendship with Zhu throughout the book was a highlight, the brotherly bond and banter was hilarious and amusing and their support for each other is undeniable. Xu Da is an excellent character, skilled in his own way.

Esen.The Prince is a carefree character, determine in the war but not one to dwell on things. He is, however, blind to the subtle feelings of others at times, but does his best to protect Ouyang as his General. The prince, however, as the story goes on becomes a little more erratic and jaded, as he navigates the war and deadly plots around it. Another well written character with good development and a story that tugs on the heartstrings.

Overall, this is an epic story, with a clever and beautiful prose, complex and rich plots, and flawed characters who bring the story to life. It is a story of war, identity, ambition and fate, set against political and subtle plots and secrets. This is a story that should not be missed, and one I highly recommend.

If you enjoyed The Poppy War, by RF Kuang, The Unbroken, by C.L. Clark or The Untamed (Mo Dao Zu Shi, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu), then you will likely enjoy this epic historical fantasy. If you generally enjoy fantasy/historical fantasy then I highly recommend this to you!

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you #PanMacmillan #Mantle)

There has been huge hype for this book amongst the Bookish community but I am thrilled to say it was very well deserved. An extremely powerful and escapist read!