This has been one of the most hyped fantasy releases of this year so I was so excited to get an ARC of it. However, I ultimately found this novel to be disappointing. I think my main issue with this book is that the character dynamics just aren't there. I didn't feel much for these characters because I felt like I didn't know them, but only knew things *about* them. Their motives and motivations were clear, and their decision-making was also clear, but I think that was precisely my problem: everything was too straightforward. and explicit without there being much for the reader to deduce or try to figure out for themselves. Also I thought that a lot of the times character guessed or knew things that they shouldn't have been able to figure out. And there were also too many POVs, with many of the POV characters being too poorly developed to care for. Overall I don't think this was a bad book per se, I just think it would've benefitted from stronger character work and maybe some more editing.

Based on the story of the rise of the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty this book starts with a young girl (Zhu) surviving against the odds during a long famine in a remote chinese village.
Her selfish brother is told by a fortune teller that it is his fate to be a great leader. Even without this encouragement, his father treats him like a king. As a girl Zhu is less lucky and is told her life will amount to nothing; her father and brother treat her as if she already is.

Zhu’s absolute determination to take her brothers fate and make it her own draws us on a tumultuous journey with her.

Zhu is ruthless and her chosen path entirely selfish. Her desire to rise up and become somebody truly great risks the lives of those around her but somehow the author has skillfully woven her character to make her likeable and I felt that despite everything she did I wanted to root for her-whilst almost feeling guilty for it! As the story twists and turns and we get to know each of the characters the author slowly reveals to us this barbaric and treacherous world of warriors and how each of them manages to survive in their own way.

The relationship of Ma and Zhu is the perfect antidote to the regular deceits and battles ensuing through the book and my one small criticism is that I felt that their relationship, Ma’s character and the effects of their unique situation could perhaps have been explored further…Maybe it will in the next instalment?!

I found the story gripping and the characters engaging and can’t wait for part 2!

#SheWhoBecametheSun #NetGalley

Final Rating: 4.5 Stars.

You know when you’re most anticipated book delivers?? Ahhhh, it’s a good feeling.

She Who Became the Sun is an intricate weaving of two different stories; two people whose fates are destined to collide.

It follows the story of a girl, who takes on her brother’s destiny and will do whatever it takes to reach it, and a man who sets on a tumultuous path to avenge his family.

If you like books that have complex characters, contain deep explorations of gender, and go through the complex workings of war, dashed with a fragment of magic, romance + sacrifice, then I would highly recommend you put this book on your tbr. This is an invigorating book that will transport you back to a different time, and will make you want to learn more about the characters and the world. The author has done an amazing job with the world building. I know this because at times I had to take a break from reading just to try to understand the multitude of it all. I’ll definitely be doing more research on this era because it sounds super interesting and complex I really enjoyed reading the different points of views of all the characters, and my favourite was definitely Ma. I found her compassion really lovely, which it seems most of the other characters lacked. At times some of the characters actions did annoy me, but I think it’s a great way to show how people act differently based on their circumstances.

The author deals with shame + anger at oneself incredibly well. I loved the exploration of self hatred in this book.

I really hope we get to see more of Yunchun in the next book! He was my favourite side character + kept me laughing in what is a book that deals with a lot of serious issues. I’d also love to see a POV from Wang. His character was so interesting to me!

The ending of the book definitely has me excited for the second one!

I hope in the second book there is more of an exploration of the mandate and where it comes from, as I personally don’t understand it properly from the story yet. Maybe I’m just dumb?? Lol.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Also, I think I kind of ship Ouyang and Wang?? They’re hatred of each other is amazing looool

I got goosebumps when Ouyang said "We march to Dadu to kill the Emperor." Yikes. Excited to see where this story goes next!

4-4.5 stars

recommended for fans of the poppy war and the song of achilles, this deeply heart wrenching asian-inspired fantasy will leave you a sobbing mess.

The book follows Zhu Chong after the death of her family, disguising as a boy to join a monastery and get her brother's fated greatness. There we see her journey growing up and exploring her gender identity, ambition, and desire for brilliance and being known. We also follow Ouyang, the eunuch general, as he struggles with his duty to his ancestors, his terrible fate that's coming soon and love for a prince who's supposed to be someone he despises.

Ouyang quickly became one of my favorite literary characters and I absolutely love him okay *cries in gay*

"How could her body be a woman’s body, if it didn’t house a woman?"

I love the nuanced exploration of gender and gender identity, how the author never shies from addressing both misogyny and the fluidity of gender. Zhu's internal struggle with her gender resonates with me so much and I'm so glad we're seeing that more in fantasy. I also like how we see that queer men aren't exempt from misogyny and how it isn't brushed off.

"I loved you! You were even closer to me than my own brother. I would have given you anything!" I'm not crying, you're crying.
At the core of this book is gay yearning, queerness, delicious unresolved tension and pure agony. Highly recommend!!


My only criticism would be how by the last 10%, Zhu's motivations fail to engage me, the happiness of her best friend and wife are less important to her than her desire to be "great" and "finding her fate". She asks people to constantly sacrifice a lot for her and make hard choices and goes to terrible lengths to get what she wants. She doesn't appear to be a good or effective ruler either, her actions are fundamentally self serving and her loyalty lies firstly to her fate which becomes tedious and hard to empathize with.

rep: chinese/mongolian cast, genderqueer lesbian mc, sapphic li, genderqueer gay mc, bi mlm li

content warnings: consensual on page sex, violence, dysphoria, misgendering, pre-existing non-consensual castration, amputation, abelist, murder of a child, internalized homophobia, non-graphic depictions of death by torture

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

All quotes are from an advanced copy and may differ in final publication

This book is brutal in that my heart feels vaguely beaten up and I wanna go lie down. Shelley Parker-Chan did not hold back at any point and delivers a story with grounded violence, political intrigue and authentic discussions about gender, identity and gender expectations regarding multiple characters in the book, all packed into a tightly woven main plot about ambition and what becomes of you when you sacrifice everything to get what you want.

Set against the backdrop of a rebellion in the Mongol Empire's occupied China, we primarily follow Zhu Chongba, who as a child joined a monastery posing as her dead brother, and Ouyang, known as the Eunuch General, and their entwined stories about revenge and the fine line it treads with ambition. Every character in this is as messy as they come and the twists and turns in the plot are mimicked in these characters arcs; every character is involved in solid political intrigue but also are battling internal struggles about gender, expectations and what they believe are their pre-ordained fates. Ouyang was by far my favourite and is a masterfully written morally grey character, but just one of many. Every character in this book is chasing greatness and is dragged down by what greatness demands of them. Esen, a Mongolian prince and Ouyang's closest friend, Ma Yingzi, a woman haplessly dragged into rebellion politics and Baoxiang, Esen's brother who has shameful little interest in war, round out the brilliant, compelling cast of characters and with each of them comes complexity and fantastic dialogue. It was a joy to read a book where there's not a single character who is doing things without an ulterior motive; it keeps you guessing and I love all these horrible little people.

There is an epic scope to the plot - it deals with one of the largest Empire's rule, a rebellion and therefore war - but character stakes feel meticulous and intimate so even when plot was rapid and violent, I was deeply concerned with the decisions characters were making as well as their developing relationships. This book is not only very good at shaping grey morality, but the yearning in this book.... I'll be returning to that drunk Esen scene multiple times just to cry I think. In general the emotional dialogue in this book is gut-wrenching. The plot was interesting - if you know me, you know I love political fantasy and so I ate this right up - and the characters back it up so well that by the end I was crying in disbelief even when events came to their natural. inevitable conclusion. I think the pacing at the beginning was a little off in that it's a lot of set up with time jumps, but it's absolutely forgivable because the plot unfolding for the following 75% was brilliant and I sped through it just to be beaten up by a powerful, brutal ending.

Anyway I want book two and Shelley I'll be emailing you my therapy bills.

When her brother is fated for a life of greatness and passes away before realising that fate, she decides to take on his identity, and ultimately, his fate. Zhu Chongba's journey from near starvation to greatness is beautifully written, with unforgettable characters and wonderful descriptions of the scenery.

I really couldn't put this down. I was so enchanted by Zhu's voice, and their journey. The characters really made this story for me. Written in Zhu's voice, we are given an insight into her desires for greatness, and how she comes to terms with acknowledging these desires, and how far she is willing to go to achieve her fate.

Throughout her life, Zhu takes on a great number of different roles, and the transition between these and the way each role is approached is fascinating to see. This is the first part of the Radiant Emperor duology, and I am so excited to see the second part!

Wow, what a story!!

What I liked about this book:
- I loved the detail and depth of every character.
- The world-building and descriptions were phenomenal.
- The plotline was intense and engaging.
- The story held so much history, politics and magic that I found myself learning as I read.

This book is a must-read this year!

Shelley Parker-Chan simply did not hesitate and went all in with this debut. Every page is dripping with mythologies, languages, traditions and beliefs that took me for a ride in a fantasy that is ever so rich in culture. Zhu is a main character that I deeply admire, and everything she went through in her journey are all important in the makings of her arc, and it did not disappoint with its gradual beautiful result. Her crippling struggles with her own identity in a world suffocated by patriarchy was done so well and for sure, successfully reaches out to women and to the queer community out there who suffered the same. I simply love everything that makes her as a fleshed out person: her determination, her will, her ambitions and her development.

On that note, we also follow another main, Ouyang, who owns my heart. He does and I can't do anything about it. His point of view, and perspective in how he views himself is tragic and heartbreaking. His feelings of yearning, loss and grief was transferred to me and it was a glorious experience for a reader.

These two people are complex, flawed, broken, but strong. It has been an absolute delight reading their story.

However, as much as I enjoyed this, I have one mild negative that I need to address. In the first half of the book, there were a lot of telling instead of showing in the author's writing style that ended up as a coalition of dragging fade to black scenes that can be immensely underwhelming, especially with all the expended build up before these supposedly exciting parts that we fail to experience first hand. This forces the reader to be very dependent on the narrator regarding what has happened that we did not see at all, which in this case, wasn't really effective for me. A few scenes were written very literal too for a book that was said to be lyrical, if one was skinned alive, it was simply described as "Character X was skinned alive" and nothing else. It was a hindrance in picturing these events because of the mechanical descriptions, and it can be quite disconcerting because what was currently happening is an important factor or pivotal point of the plotline and therefore, I should feel emotions over it but I find that I didn't as much as I think I should.

BUT THEN, everything went smoothly and beautifully starting in the 70% marker. The pacing increased, the relationships and dynamics evolved into something I never have expected. I felt triumph and pain and fear all at the same time. So despite the drags or the setbacks, this deserve everything including the full 5 stars.

The author has so much more to offer, and I can't wait for the sequel!

4.5 stars. WOW.

"You may have ended this, but you haven't ended me...Nobody will ever end me. I'll be so great that no one will be able to touch me, or come near me, for fear of becoming nothing."

I was so happy when Netgallery approved this ARC and god damn it won me over immediately. This was an amazing way to start my 2021 of! It was beautifully written and filled with complex, interesting characters. If you want something gripping, exciting, heartbreaking and filled with battles, politics and stunning writing add this to your 2021 anticipated reads.

Parker-Chan's writing style is the perfect balance of emotion, description and heartfelt growth. I really couldn't put this book down, it was fantastic.

4.75 stars

She Who Became the Sun is a stunning debut filled with charming characters, a fantastic and visceral historical setting with a fantastical twist and complex nuanced politics. We follow 4 main characters:

Zhu – Zhu is such a delightful character to follow, she strikes the perfect balance of cheeky, driven and resourceful. She is also very interesting study on gender, I believe she is non-binary, the author uses she/her pronouns when narrating but Zhu often refers to herself as he and has several dysphoric experiences regarding her female body. I think this book could mean a lot to people who are gender non-conforming, Zhu slow discovery of her true form is so beautiful to watch. Zhu is also posing as her brother for most of the book after at the start raiders kill her father and brother so she joins a monastery in order to survive but in order to get in she pretends to be her brother, she is also trying to become her brothers fate, as he was said to be a bringer of greatness whereas Zhu was told she would be nothing. Her drive to avoid being nothing is something I think is very reflective of the human experience. I also like the almost trickster elements of her character, there is something about those kind of characters that are always so charming to me. She has so much ambition and drive and I loved exploring the theme of creating your fate, even when the odds are stacked against you. I also really liked the idea of how you have to be an active force for change in your own life, rather than just a passive observer.

Ma – When we first meet Ma she is engaged to General Guo, one of the Red Turban rebellion leaders, although this is clearly an unwanted arrangement. Ma is such a sweet character and her kindness and resilience really shine through, especially in a world not particularly friendly to women. I also love how she subtly defies gender roles imposed on her at the time, this is much more understated than Zhu but done so well. At one point she is described as having fierce compassion, which I think summaries her character perfectly. She is caught up in the tides of war and power, very much against her will but shows beautifully the toll it takes on the people supporting those in power, especially those with soft hearts and the choices and sacrifices she makes for those she loves.

Esen – Esen is the son of the prince of Henan, an important figure in the Yuan empire. At the start of the book he is very optimistic and pure-hearted, but certain events lead to him becoming a bit more jaded. His family has a very complex dynamic, he has an adopted brother who is a scholar who has been looked down on, by their father and Esen for being more of a scholar than a fighter and not conforming to traditional masculine roles. Esen and his brother have a lot of resentment and distrust but you can lso see the love, which I think makes for a complex and nuanced relationship.

Ouyang – I don’t think I’ve ever flipped between liking a character and hating them so much as I did Ouyang. Known as the Eunuch general, he is Esen’s battlefield commander and very renowned. He is a very haunted character, and you can feel his simmering fear and resentment for the situation he is in, as well as his reluctant acceptance of his pre-ordinated fate (or at least what he thinks his fate is). He is also very emotionally repressed, and you can tell he is in love with Esen but he refuses to act on it. He also comes across as slightly misogynistic, he is very woman hating and I think part of that stems from his resentment of being a eunuch, but seriously if a character ever need therapy it’s him lol.

I really liked how at the beginning of the novel we follow Zhu growing up, both with a scene at the beginning which is pretty harrowing but then also Zhu growing up in the monastery. I loved the monastery scenes (I’m a sucker for that setting), Zhu’s friendship with another character called Xu Da was SO PRECIOUS and you can see the elements of Zhu’s personality that will continue to blossom whilst also seeing her be basically an insecure teenager doubting whilst also trying to desperately prove their place in the world.

The setting of the novel is also fantastic and I think a testament to the authors writing. You can really see the historical influences (from my limited research I believe it is set around the time of the fall of the Mongol Yuan dynasty) and it seems incredibly well researched. The atmospheric feels so vivid, you can feel the despair of this worn torn land whilst also having little glimmers of hope. Her writing is also stunning, it’s very beautiful and evocative whilst also being simplistic in the best way, and some of the emotional dialogue is GOD TIER and will rip out your heart. I also loved the inclusion of ghosts in the book, both literally and metaphorical ghosts. I always love ghost elements in books so this was a nice surprise, and some nice foreshadowing for certain events.

The relationships between the characters are so well written and nuanced, and the romantic relationship (between Zhu and Ma) was so well done and so sweet, although I did think it happened quite abruptly but it fit the tone of the book. Also there was a steamy scene I was not expecting but was so here for hehe. The other relationships were very well written as well, especially the family relationship with Esen and Zhu and Xu Da friendship (as previously mentioned).

Another element of the book I loved was the politics. There was a lot going on, and I don’t think this is the best book for fantasy beginners but for an avid fantasy reader like me it was SO JUICY. There is also quite a bit of military strategy which is not something I always love, but I thought there was the perfect amount in this book to keep me engaged but not too overwhelmed. There were betrayals left and right and you really didn’t know who to trust or what people’s true goals and motivations were. Also the subtle political set up of the ending was woven in beautifully throughout the novel, so you really felt the impact when certain shocking events took place. On that note the ending was rough T_T but also made me so excited for the next book!!!

One con I had was at one point in the book, about 25% there was a slight jar in pacing and characters, as we go from following Zhu growing up in the monastery to suddenly being thrust into the middle of a war and a complex political situation with new characters. So at this point I felt a little lost but soon I got back into the story again.

In conclusion this is a fantastic debut, I can’t wait for everyone to read it when it comes out in July and hopefully it will get all the hype it deserves!!