Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

An epic and tragic journey set in a famine stricken China. One girl’s determination to disprove her fate as told by a fortune teller. Zhu’s story is built on many layers of life as she takes on different challenges, that take her away from her early life as a farmer’s daughter. A heartfelt story of loss, struggle and love.
At first, a struggling farmer’s daughter, through desperation she leads a difficult life as a novice monk and then to war.
A detailed historical account of China in this era, of battles won and lost. Accounts from different perspectives, keeps this story fascinating and dimensional and helps the reader see life from the lowest ranks upwards. The switch of point of view seemed seamless, not clunky, as some books manage to do.
Then, there is the subject of gender, which is a huge matter. It forms the basis of the story. Zhu’s identity (she is a survivor and clever too) and how she is perceived by others opens your eyes to what it meant to be a woman or a man in that era and almost placed under a magnifying glass, down the ages to present day, aspects are echoed in western society, which is what makes this story so compelling for me.
All knitted together with such research, knowledge and expertise as a storyteller; Shelley Parker-Chan is a brilliant writer.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book honestly, I dnf'd at 50%
This book contained so many elements that I should've loved, I guess it just didn't translate as well on paper.

It’s been a while since I read a fantasy novel that drew me in as thoroughly as SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN. This is the story of a fate that spans years, both a physical and a spiritual journey, and it is as enthralling as it is heartbreaking.

The premise of this story is fantastic: a young, starving girl takes her dead brother’s fate and becomes a novice monk, desperate to survive—and achieve greatness. Zhu Chongba is one of the best protagonists of 2021. I absolutely loved her development throughout the story, and I particularly enjoyed the way she engaged with other characters, especially Xu Da and Ma Xiuying.

The story takes place across multiple perspectives. Zhu Chongba certainly gets the bulk of the focus, but next is the incredible Ouyang—a eunuch general sworn to the Mongol forces. Ouyang’s storyline was compelling and I found myself really looking forward to seeing things from his perspective. I also liked how non-traditional the POV-switches were. Chapters weren’t allocated to a particular character—often a chapter might switch point of view two or three times, which kept the story flowing really well.

Parker-Chan’s writing is poetic throughout, and while I disagree with the comp title of THE SONG OF ACHILLES, I can definitely see echoes of Madeline Miller’s nostalgic, polished style and there are queer relationships (on-page and implied) that have some loose similarities to Achilles and Patroclus.

Finally, I have to say that the discussion of gender and identity in this book is phenomenal. I loved it, and I’m excited to see this subject dealt with further in the next book.

All in all, I’m really pleased to have read SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a character-driven historical fantasy novel, and I definitely thought there were aspects of this book that reminded me of THE POPPY WAR—especially in the way it handles the realities of war, for both civilians and participants. If you enjoy books that explore complex topics within a fantasy fiction framework, I think you’ll love SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me this eARC!

*3.5 stars

This really was a beautiful book, so dark and complex, and full of characters willing to do whatever it takes.

Zhu was a well crafted main character; so multifaceted, and her drive made her interesting to read about. However, I did feel a little detached from her whilst reading, which I think made it a little difficult to care about what was happening.

The plot in itself definitely intrigued me, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a character over a long period of time, but the time jumps could be extremely confusing. I found if I didn’t concentrate hard enough, a few pages later I’d have no clue what was going on.

I absolutely LOVED the way gender and sexuality were explored in the story, and it actually made me question a lot about how I view the world.

This book could be perfect for a dark fantasy reader who loves heavier plots, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for something like that, but unfortunately it wasn’t exactly to my personal tastes.

China in 1345 is under Mongol rule and a new destiny and Emperor will rise to power in the form of a woman.
This version of this history brings a girl from a famine village becoming a monk, then a warrior and more.
Gripping, epic, fast paced and great characters. So well written and thrilling I could not stop reading.

Set in 1300 China this is mainly the story of a young women who not only survived atrocity of the time, which killed her whole family but went on to become a force to be reckoned with.
Disguised as a boy she becomes a warrior and a leader of a huge area of China. Her first venture as a boy is in a monastery where although small she learns the art of staying under the radar.
She is clever, bright and resourceful.

My reading flow was spoilt by the typos which went right throughout the book, along with words cut in half along a line then carried to the next line.

The story had everything that I love in the genres. It was enjoyable sometimes the change of POV threw you for a second ( could be just due to the format of ARC )

I’m intrigued to see where it all goes & reread the first.

Would love some translations & a map in the published novel.

I really enjoyed this book, I wasn't 100% sure of what was going to happen but it was a really great book.

We follow Zhu Chongba as she takes on her brother's name, with his name his fate was told to be 'greatness' so Zhu does whatever it takes to live up to that fate.

I found it really interesting to watch Zhu grow up first in her impoverished family home and then in a monastery that she forces herself to walk to and wait for four days outside of. At the monastery, she must hide her gender from the monks so that she can stay and be fed. When the monastery is burnt down she walks away to find and fulfil the fate that she has taken for herself. She finds herself a commander of the Red Turban army where her secrets must be kept more seriously than ever.

What I really enjoyed was as she grew in command her I could see her character changing. As she got more power she wanted more power.

We also hear from Ouyang who is a commander of the Mongolian army and also best friends with the oldest Prince, Esen. Ouyang started off his life as a slave for the royal family but as time progressed and his bond with the prince grew he grew in command, however, people don't like him or trust him because when he became a slave, he also became a eunuch.

What I liked about Ouyang was that despite what everyone said about him he still became a very well respected commander and did what no one thought he would be able to do. He does, however, have a darker side and the further we get into the book the more we see of it and why it is there.

The only downside I had for this book was the paragraph jumps to other character's points of view, I found them very sudden and a little hard to follow.

Overall I thought this was a great book and can't wait to see what comes next.

Rating: 4*

Pitched as a Mulan meets the song of Achilles, there were definitely some likenesses coming through in the story, however it also felt like a whole lot more. With the dark political and war background, it also definitely felt as though it could perhaps be posed better with comparisons to the poppy war.

She who became the sun is split into three parts, and through this there is a slow unfolding of the events all leading up to the climatic final chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part with the character development of Zhu being fantastic, as you got to see everything which led to Zhu becoming who she is later in her journey, and this rounded Zhu into a really strong character. I found the second part slightly slower, and I did struggle to continue reading at some points just because the pace could drop so abruptly and my interest would be lost. However, the constant turnings and plot twists throughout the book made up for the slower periods and there is definitely some satisfaction with feeling as though nothing was rushed.

Although the book starts with only following Zhu, she who became the sun does start to eventually draw in the POVs other characters, in particular the eunuch general who also had a fascinating story arc to watch unfold. It was satisfying to see all these character arcs come together towards the end of the novel, with the explosive finale that quite simply broke me. I actually had to put the book down for a few moments just to process what exactly had just happened and give myself time to try and recover emotionally because WOW.

Overall, she who became the sun was a beautifully narrated book enveloping the intricacies of war, survival and betrayal, and I can’t wait to see what the sequel will bring.

A historical and military fantasy telling an alternative tale of the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. Part One is very much a coming-of-age tale compressed into the first section of this book, where Zhu successfully joins a monastery as her only means of survival and grows up there until she is ordained as a monk. Parts Two & Three are much more military fantasy focussed with new POVs being added into the mix. There's a lot of army moving, taking and losing of cities and power-plays in these parts.

The 'fantasy' elements are quite limited altogether however, there's only a couple of aspects one could view as fantastical, most of the book is simply an alt-history story. Personally, I would've liked more fantasy and less military movements but nevertheless I can see the value in the text as is. There are some interesting questions of sex and gender that aren't too deeply probed and are not a main feature of the storyline.

Overall, it is well written and engaging. Excellent as a character focussed story as we see how Zhu changes over time.

‘Let me tell you my name: Zhu Chongba.’
He answered coolly, ‘Should I know it?’
‘One day you will.’

Shelley Parker-Chan builds a vibrantly vicious and vengeful world in She Who Became The Sun and everything about it was spectacular. She Who Became the Sun is a historical fantasy that wages a war against destiny and fate. If you loved the tale of Mulan and The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, this book is for you.

When Zhu Chongba is destined for everything and his sister is fated for nothing, fate twists when Zhu dies and leaves his sister alone. With a future of nothing, his sister is left in her grief, but his death opened a door for her: his identity. With her plan to become Zhu Chongba and swap her nothing for his everything, she sets herself on a path that she could have never dreamed of before.

I loved this book. I truly, truly did. Political intrigue, war, gender identity, self-identity and the ambition for greatness? Sign me up. Zhu’s struggle between whether greatness is just tied to her assumed identity or her own actions and ambitions is executed so well and seeing her deal with this struggle over the novel was so interesting and very well done. To know that a greatness is not destined for you but to take it and truly become it is a magnificent theme throughout and I fell in love with Zhu for her resilience and ability to keep her own identity whilst she was shrouded in another. She is unapologetically ambitious and that is one of my favourite traits in a protagonist. She knew what she wanted and she took and she took, and it was brilliant.

The struggle with internalised homophobia (see Shelley Parker-Chan’s Goodreads review of SWBTS for a comprehensive list of triggers as they is a very war-torn and adult fantasy novel) within this book really struck home and I though this was done very well. I struggled with my sexuality for a long time and to see it recognised here when it was done so well was so very good.

Zhu’s story is not the only story that we follow, but the stories of Esen, Ouyang and Ma. I came to love their POVs and Parker-Chan can create incredible, multi-dimensional characters that have differing desires and struggles and I loved them for it.

With two genderqueer protagonists, they explore this throughout and Parker-Chan navigates this through their own experience with their gender. This book is not just a ‘genderbent’ retelling of the origins of the Ming Dynasty, but it so significantly queer and brilliant in so many ways and creates its own magnificent history.

Did I cry of utter satisfaction at the end of this book? Yes, I did. I am absolutely on the edge of my seat for the sequel and cannot wait to see what else Shelley Parker-Chan releases!

I am still in awe of She Who Became the Sun. It is a masterful blend of a sweeping high fantasy narrative with an epic scope of its own, magic, and true history. This beast is also by all means brutal, violent, traumatic, and cruel. True to the bloody pages of history she seeks to re-imagine, Parker-Chan discusses ambition, desires, and what it means to achieve (or in our Zhu’s case, steal) greatness with its long running push-and-pull with Zhu’s hands throughout the book. For Zhu’s case, to acquire greatness is no easy, nor merciful feat — and for clear-eyed, iron-willed, ruthless Zhu, the path she takes require more and more moral compromises to make. Her growing ambitions and the increasingly terrible choices they compel her to make stunned me even though I knew the Zhu from our historical records had his fair share of blood in his hands. Reading the gruesome facts from the historical distance; and watching them unfold in its devastating glory from a literary lens, however, are two different experiences altogether.

Zhu is only one character from whose eyes we see whose ambitions exact their terrible costs. This book has a full cast scheming at every corner and exhibiting the most exquisite of inner conflicts. Every character in this book is complicated, messy, and flawed; driven by desire to achieve their goals no matter the cost. No matter which side of the conflict we follow, Parker-Chan manages to make readers not just root for them but adore them altogether. The relationships between each character are rife with much heart-wrenching tragedy, aching, and yearning. You will find a favourite character you would want to root for in this book no matter where you look.

Not only is this book a fantastic epic fantasy, but also one impeccably done literary fiction. The thematic and cultural elements in this book are so richly layered with one another. For one, this book is firmly grounded in the theme of fate, honor, family, and filial obligation which are some of the primary tenets in East Asian culture. There are several instances where the actions and fate of one directly affects their families, some instances extending to the need to avenge their dead and ensure their peace in afterlife. I also loved how these themes and a mandate to rule were given fantastical realness. These themes have had massive influences in shaping history, so it was a pleasure to see them given a concrete representation in epic fantasy.

The one theme I am absolutely obsessed about, however, is the idea of self-fulfilling prophecies. Throughout the book, prophecies and predictions are pivotal in what Parker-Chan’s character arcs. In Zhu’s case, her unknown name had been forecast to be “nothing,” while her brother’s name had been destined for “greatness.” I like to think that Zhu’s name had become nothing because she had cast her own aside for her brother’s, and the greatness prophesied for her brother’s name was in fact because she strived to achieve greatness using his name. Another character also accuses someone close to them to planning a betrayal, only to set it in motion themselves as their conviction end up spurring the other party’s deep-rooted bitterness and resentment to resurface. I kept marveling at the idea as I kept observing the gears of fate being set into motion with every thought, action, conversation, and turn of events in the book.

She Who Became the Sun would very much appeal to queer fantasy readers who have longed to see characters who they could identify with in sweeping, dramatic epics. I appreciated how Parker-Chan sensitively handles questions of identity, consent, and gender. She thoughtfully explores historical queerness along with gender essentialism and how characters transcend beyond it.

To suffice, She Who Became the Sun has smashed its way to its position amongst my favourite books and it is there to stay. This ferocious epic offers a dazzling and exciting re-imagination of Chinese-Mongolian history, yet it stays true to its dark, blood-soaked roots. Parker-Chan pushes the limits of literary fiction as she deftly blurs the boundary between sweeping epic fantasy and historical fiction.

Parker-Chan’s powerful writing is truly something to behold, as her prose manages to be melancholic, lyrical, and fiercely brutal at the same time. She Who Became the Sun truly has it all: gorgeous writing, epic scope, heart-rending emotions, intimate and dramatic stakes, and characters that continue to fascinate despite their disastrous decisions. Parker-Chan has weaved a harrowing, yet magnificent story where ambitions and passion run high and her characters must weigh whether their desires are worth the cost. I had a hard time putting it down, to the point of devouring it within hours. This book is just too brilliant, too sublime to miss. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of The Radiant Emperor duology, and I have every faith Parker-Chan will knock it out of the park just as she did with this book.

I maintain that action-driven historical fiction is a perfect genre to popularise China-focused fiction in the West and broaden understanding of China and Chinese heritage people; it’s still a big market, with direct parallels in the Chinese literary tradition and popular culture, and neat adjacencies with fantasy, YA and other genres to explore. Australian Shelly Parker-Chan seems to have had a similar thought, but (unlike me) has actually done something about it with She Who Became The Sun. We start in southern Henan in 1345, where a young, hungry peasant girl witnesses the awful death of her father and brother. She assumes her brother’s identity (and fate) and joins a monastery – as Zhu Chongba. History fans will know where this is going: it’s the Red Turban rebellions against the Yuan, only the future Zhu Yuanzhang / Hongwu Emperor is… a girl. This is quite the bold central conceit, and a creative and involving way of introducing queer and fantasy themes.
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There are some wonderful passages – Parker-Chan is a very gifted writer. The publicity compares it to Mulan (of course) but also Circe and the Song of Achilles, which is smart and apt, and the writing is easily in Madeline Miller’s league. It also checks most of the genre beats I expect and enjoy – exciting battles, a fascinating central protagonist, dastardly villains, even some (unexpectedly) graphic but well-handled sex. Chongba’s self-actualisation at the end of the book is spectacular, with unforgettable final images of her golden radiance in her victory in Yingtian (Nanjing), ‘transformed into a living being of fire’. I also liked how it is closely Parker-Chan blends themes of Chinese history and culture into the narrative (mandate of heaven, hungry ghosts etc), but doesn’t treat them as strange concepts that need to be explained to the reader, just simple matters of the world in which it is set. It’s better world-building, and it’s more respectful of both the reader and the subject. That said, she does use the (near-)literal translations of insults (“fuck eighteen generations of that bastard’s dog ancestors!”) – it’s a personal preference, but I find that jarring when most of the dialogue and prose is modern.

So I finished it asking myself why I was impressed but didn’t enjoy the book more. I found the narrative quite bumpy, and some of the secondary characters underdeveloped. The shifting of narrative focus around some key characters loses some momentum (it’s interesting to read in an interview that there were originally even more perspectives) , and while the writing is very strong, particularly in the detailed evocations of places, sights and smells, there are times when I wanted a bit less. Some of the action scenes and the more emotional two-handers are a bit stodgy, for instance. It looks like there is more to come – this ends in 1356 and there’s a lot more story to tell – and I’m certainly signed up for more.

"Remember how I said I wanted my fate? I want my fate because I know it. I feel it out there, and all I have to do is reach it. I’m going to be great. And not a minor greatness, but the kind of greatness that people remember for a hundred generations.”
My rating: 5+ / 5

Ending of this book completely blew my mind...

Have I been waiting this book for all my bookish life? I still can’t get over the fact that it was so good! Who would’ve thought...? I need this book in all possible editions now! Oh, and bare it will be series of books, not sure how many.

On a serious note... It’s so well written, I could not put it down and savored every page of this story. First of all, everything that is new is just very well forgotten. What author did here, she wrote her fantasy interpretation on events that were happening in Mongol ruled China around 13th-14th century. She even used well known characters from the rebellion, historically known as Red Turbans. Peeeeerfect right?

It starts with a family living in very poor conditions. Boy Zhu was destined for greatness, but his sister was just an ordinary girl. When her brother dies, she takes upon his identity, but can you borrow someone's fate? Can she become great instead of her brother? She ends up growing up in a Buddhist monastery, there she learns that in order to survive you must do all sorts of things, no matter how good or bad they are. After the monastery gets destroyed, she has to take up another fate, she gets involved in political rebellion and war.

Was there anything I didn’t like about this book? Erm, no, this book was absolutely faultless!

Would I recommend this book to others? Absolutely!

Epic journey - the rise of a monk warrior leader in 1300 China. War, brutality, ambition, identity, the power of desire. Excellent debut novel, really looking forward to book 2!

As a new year begins the Fantasy book community quickly build their lists and start their shouting on whatever platforms they use to hype up their most anticipated books to come out over the next year, the excitement ripples out through the community as we hear about books we might not have existed, we are reminded of releases we weren’t expecting and series we had forgotten about from years before that are finally getting their long-awaited continuation. 2021 is an exceptional year for Fantasy and has a lot of books the community and myself, are really excited for. However, a few books really stood out and I’ve been lucky enough to read them already and get the opportunity to write my own jumbled viewpoints down for you to read. Todays book is She Who Became the Sun, easily one of the top 5 books of 2021 and one that appeared on nearly every list I saw, and having been spun as Mulan meets the Song of Achilles, why wouldn’t it?

Was the hype all it lived up to be?

Absolutely.

She Who Became the Sun is a reimagining of the Rise of the Ming Dynasty which took place during the 14th century, the Ming Dynasty followed the collapse of the Mongol led Yuan Dynasty which in turn followed the collapse of the great Mongol Empire roughly 100 years before that. I would like to quickly point out that even though I’ve seen people describe this as “epic fantasy” this is very much historical fiction, Parker-Chan even taking the time to write an article (you can find on her website) showing the historical figures she based her own characters on. The year is 1345, the land and its people struggle daily under famine, drought, and illness. In a small village named Zhongli, two children are given their fates, the first son of this small family, Zhu Chongba is named for great things, the second, a second daughter of zero worth is destined for nothing. However, when bandits strike and the children are suddenly orphaned, Zho Chongba doesn’t survive the following days and succumbs to a different fate, to become nothing. The girl, grasping to life with every little bit of strength decides his fate will be hers, she will be Zhu Chongba and take his greatness for himself, the story we follow is Zhu Chongba on the path to taking that greatness.

She Who Became the Sun has all the classic needs of a good fantasy book, a beautiful and interesting world, a well thought out and written plot, but this is 100% a character driven book and the reason you can’t stop turning pages is all down to Parker-Chan’s incredible writing of Zhu. In Zhu we have a deeply complex character that you as a reader, can’t help but be completely enthralled in, and not even in the way you expect. Zhu is a survivor through and through, she clings to life with a passion that burns like the sun and will do anything to achieve her goals, everything she is sings to the reader and I would find it hard to believe that every person that reads this book doesn’t in some way relate to Zhu. You understand her because nearly every one of us has at some point felt that need to cling to life, has fought to keep going in some way, however small or large that may be. Parker-Chan’s writing of Zhu is absolutely stunning because she feels so incredibly realistically human. She is smart, cunning and her need to survive makes her fall in this very morally grey area allowing for a believable story with much more interesting plotlines than if we just had this classic black and white character, I fully believe this to be one of the best Female protagonists I’ve had the joy of reading when it comes to Fantasy.

“Becoming nothing was the most terrifying thing she could think of—worse even than the fear of hunger, or pain, or any other suffering that could possibly arise from life.”

The story starts of as a single POV plot where we follow just Zhu, however, after the first part of the book we move into a multi-POV story, allowing glimpses of the characters that surround Zhu’s life. This is normally something I would hate in a story, I’ve made it clear in the past I love single POV books, especially when you have a character as beautifully written as Zhu, and to be honest the change in story telling can be jarring in other experiences I’ve had. However, Parker-Chan does a phenomenal job of transferring her skills into what is the perfect supporting cast for Zhu’s story. Each of the three other characters we see perfectly balances Zhu’s story, Ma adding the much-needed realism and metaphorical and literal slap to the face Zhu sometimes needs to help draw proper clarity, Ouyang is a rival that really drives Zhu to heights that maybe she would never achieve without his intervention and Esen shows us the other side of this beautifully crafted world we don’t learn about under Zhu’s POV. All books need some kind of supporting cast to help drive it along but sometimes those characters don’t always feel fully part of the story or like they are needed to help achieve the main protagonists goals, She Who Became the Sun wouldn’t be the book it is without these essential additions, written any differently and it wouldn’t be the beautiful book we have.

“Desire is the cause of all suffering. The greater the desire, the greater the suffering, and now she desired greatness itself. With all her will, she directed the thought to Heaven and the watching statues: Whatever suffering it takes, I can bear it.”

I can’t believe I’m going to write this sentence, for me this is blasphemy and if you’ve read any other post of mine, you will understand why this is so, but I loved the lack of action in this book. I loved that we didn’t spend pages going over the battles of the Red Turban Rebellion, this book wasn’t meant to be an action oriented epic and I’m glad Parker-Chan didn’t try to make it that way, instead spending that extras space expanding on what was important to her story which is Zhu and her story. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t able to write action, we got small glimpses later on in the book, Zhu’s desperate retreat and a wonderfully written duel that showcased the authors ability to portray tense and gripping action scenes and I think the path the book takes means we might get to see some of those big set pieces later in the story.

If I haven’t made it clear already, Shelly Parker-Chan is an exceptionally good writer. In case you didn’t realise that the final thing I would like to discuss is how much of an exceptionally good writer Shelly Parker-Chan is. The worst thing is that because I was so bloody captivated by this book, I barely took notes, I didn’t highlight passages, I hurried to turn each page so I could be witness to another gorgeous prose, every page being enthralling and truly captivating. There wasn’t a chapter of this book that felt drawn out, a conversation that felt cold or unhuman, a sentence that didn’t have the exact number of words needed.

“Learn to want something for yourself, Ma Xiuying. Not what someone says you should want. Not what you think you should want. Don’t go through life thinking only of duty. When all we have are these brief spans between our non-existences, why not make the most of the life you’re living now? The price is worth it”.

These beautiful sentences pop out in Zhu’s moments of seriousness, her humour and sarcasm deflecting from her inner feelings at time, but sometimes disappearing long enough to let us see these breath-taking moments. The fact this is a debut novel is just insanity, it happens more than I realise but brand-new authors releasing books this good will forever amaze me, with so many authors you can feel their talents progress as they write more and more books, Mark Lawrence being a prime example of this for me, his writing continues to get better and better and it excites me to think what Shelly Parker Chan will be writing in five, ten years from now, if she follows the trend.

She Who Became the Sun is as radiant as its namesake, Shelly Parker-Chan has written a book that sings with the grace and beauty that is so often attached to the culture she has written about, this book will leave you aching for more and lucky for us all, this is a duology. Zhu Chongba will return to seize the rest of her fate in book two of The Radiant Emperor.

‘Her desire that was so strong it overspilled the limits of her physical form and became entangled in the pulse and vibration of everything that surrounded her: the human world and the spirit world, both.’
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She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor, and is a vibrant and engrossing tale of power, desire, and what it means to be great. With each turn of the plot, Zhu Yuanzhang becomes a terrifying and powerful leader. I found the supporting characters very much bolstered and supported that rise, giving even more depth to the novel with often surprising outcomes.
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I particularly loved the character of Ma Xiuying - in all honesty, I felt like she was the true sun of this book with her view of the world and events happening around her, and she provided an incredibly positive side to the novel.

She Who Became The Sun is a beautifully written historical-fantasy imagining of the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.

The lead characters are complicated, compelling and a joy to read. The start of the Zhu’s fight to remain and be something, someone, the her world makes a captivating opening to the book.

The middle for me is where the plot lost me slightly: war and military heavy, with a lot of characters with little introduction, I struggled to follow what exactly what happening. The last third recaptured my attention and I found the conclusion to the book exciting and satisfying.

I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical or war/ military fiction with a twist of the fantastical. I truly appreciated the casually queer characters and strong female characters.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Shelley Parker-Chan for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Spoilers ahead and as always check trigger warnings.

So bare with me whilst I spew my thoughts but I have a lot on this book.

There is a lot of hype surrounding this book and for me personally, I think in some ways it really lives up to it and in some ways it doesn’t. For example I know I don’t like multiple point of views with a heavy character focussed plot, which is exactly what this book had, so for me it felt short in that regard but everything else made up for it.

I really struggled with the first half of this book, because, like I said, it’s very character focussed and it felt like we spent so long on minor plot points. I think by the middle of the book there was maybe two major events. This made it feel like it dragged a bit and I wasn’t hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters, Shelley Parker-Chan has put so much effort into these characters and that is so clear from the start. I love Zhu and Ouyang. I’ve saw another reviewer say they are two sides of the same coin and I couldn’t agree more. I love the parallels between them and if you like morally grey characters, this book is packed full of them. Ma has a special place in my heart and deserves better. That’s all I’m going to say.

Towards the end, I couldn’t put it down. I flew through the last hundred pages. We have a secure grasp of the world-building (which is beautiful and extensive- Parker-Chan is clearly very knowledgeable about Ancient China), and we know the characters now. We know their motives, their histories, their desires and now we’re getting to the main plot points. There is a lot of military strategies and discussions around war which I didn’t expect but again you can see Parker-Chan has put so much effort into this understanding.

There are some SURPRISES throughout this whole book, and I’ll say this: have some tissues near by because you’ll need them.

I won’t talk about the discussion on gender too much, because, as a CIA woman who hasn’t explored their gender much, I don’t feel it’s my place. But own voice reviewers have said this was amazingly portrayed. We need more gender diversity and I believe this delivered!

In terms of sexuality: if you want flirty banter with some nsfw moments, coupled with severe angst and wanting, then this is for you. I haven’t read Song of Achilles but I believe the angst and longing part of this story is similar to SoA and will satisfy your need.

I will also say, the name “She Who Became the Sun” is so clever. I can’t wait to explore the magical elements of this world more.

Overall, I’m so excited for book 2. I think now that we’ve set everything up and we know the characters, the second book might be more plot driven and if it’s anything like the second half of book 1 I’m going to love it.

If you’re a fan of historical fantasy, with a character focussed plot, Chinese representation, queer representation and just fantastic writing in general, then I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc! An amazing fantasy world, elegantly written, I can’t wait to receive a physical copy!