DNF at 28%. I was really enjoying the premise but then I lost interest and got frustrated with Zhu's behavior.

YES! I was so intrigued by this. I cannot tell you enough how good this was. I now own three copies of this book because I loved it so much.

This book was utter perfection. This Mulan retelling was everything I wanted and more! I cannot wait for the next book, I Just know it’s going to be amazing. I’m absolutely loving these Asian retellings. The writing is so beautiful and I could not put the book down.

Before I get into the review please do make sure to check the content warnings before reading, this does deal with some heavy topics.

I enjoyed the story, it in itself was very interesting. It is is a multiple POV book, which is one of my favourite things in a book. This focuses on two gender queer protagonists. One who takes on their identity of their brother and the other is a eunuch. The general, the eunuch, is to me the most interesting character out of all of them in this book. However, both protagonists are very much two sides of the same coin. They will stop at nothing to get what they want and it shows. It is so interesting to read the story play out in their POVs.

I really wanted to love this book. I really, really wanted to love this story but the pacing of this was painful in places and I struggled. I don't like slow books and this was snail paced. So for that reason I give this 3 stars.

DNF @ 27%

I tried reading this last year but couldn't get into it. I heard that it was a good book so wanted to give it another go. I really liked part 1 but then I couldn't follow what was happening in part 2 - it started to feel like a slow read. Unfortunately I think this book just wasn't for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I was really enjoying this book to begin with, but then everything changed and there were a bunch of new characters and I had no idea what was going on. I haven't picked the book up again since so it's time to admit to myself that unfortunately it's not for me and I'll have to DNF. Maybe I'll give it a try again in the future, and if I do I'll come back and edit this review. But for now, I'm completely lost with the events of the book.

It is really unlike me to DNF a book but I feel like I just couldn’t gel with this one which was ar real shame as I’ve also heard so many brilliant things about it! It was also a suggested poll pick and my first unsuccessful one. It’s definitely a book I may return to in the future as I think I simply wasn’t in the mood for this book at the time!

Set in 1345, a girl uses her deceased brothers identity in order to achieve his date of ‘greatness’ after his death.

I read this as part of the @tandemcollectiveuk readalong and I enjoyed the book. It gave me Mulan vibes as Zhu assumes her brothers identity and becomes an unlikely warrior to try to achieve greatness, but a grown up and more representative Mulan.

I loved the character of Zhu and thought that she and her motivations were complexly and interestingly written. I enjoyed the other characters too and also got some Don Quixote vibes at parts of the book as there is a subtle humour to the writing style.

Where the book fell down for me was that there was a lot happening for a single book and it felt that the plot was just Zhu rushing from one battle to the next. I would have liked more exploration of her characters and her relationships with others.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will continue with the series. I really want to see what happens next in the story!

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

She Who Became The Sun reimagines the rise of the Hongwu Emperor, but there’s so much more to it than that.

From the first page you’re pulled right into 14th century China and historical details are woven throughout. Shelley has made the story her own though and it’s inventive and original in a way that makes it stand out.

This story is told from multiple points of view, all of them well developed with interesting motivations. The main character, Zhu, has such a desire to survive and while that leads them to make some questionable choices you still want to root for them! There’s something about General Ouyang that just made me like him as a character as well. He’s a formidable opponent for Zhu and has an intriguing background which I’d love to learn more about.

While I loved the beginning and the end of this book, I did struggle for a few chapters in the middle. There’s quite a change in tone and more characters are introduced so I had to reorient myself. However, Shelley’s writing is beautiful throughout.

I can’t wait for the second book and only wished I’d read this one sooner!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to finish - I really enjoyed it!

Though I sometimes got a bit confused keeping track of the secondary characters (we have two storylines going on each with their own complex webs of political intrigue), I otherwise found pretty much every character very compelling, especially our main character, Zhu. It took me a bit longer to warm to Ouyang's storyline as he's less likeable/charismatic (in a good way, but it was still a shift in tone) and I missed Zhu when we weren't in her POV, but he definitely grew on me and is probably the most complex character in the book.

I think it's good to know going in that the fantasy element of this book is really minimal - it reads more like (alternative) historical fiction for the most part, with a huge focus on political intrigue and war. In fact I'd say it's 95% alternate history, 5% fantasy. I didn't actually mind this at all, but it won't be for everyone for that reason.

Overall I had a great time with this book, and look forward to reading the rest of the sapphic trifecta, continuing with The Unbroken by C.L. Clark next month!

Unfortunately did not finish; I’m just having a hard time getting into it and feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the different characters and back stories. I’d like to think I’ll come back to it one day, because I’m sure it’s a brilliant book, but it’s just not working for me right now.

My only regret is that I have to wait for the second book to come out

This was fantastic. The two main characters were some of my two favourites I've read about it in a long time. Both characters occupy that morally grey middle ground, admittedly straying more often into evil than good, it's so refreshing to read a story about characters who don't really care about that one way or the other. They care purely about their own goals and what they are willing to do to achieve them. And despite their more unpleasant attributes, I couldn't help but root for them, especially Zhu.

Zhu is ambitious to the point of being ruthless, determined to seize the fate wasted by her brother. I love that this subverts the common prophecy tropes and that Zhu has to rely on her smarts, charisma and a little bit of luck to get by. Her journey throughout the book and her yearning to have her great destiny, her fierce desire to live and her growth to be someone beyond the shell of her brother she has been wearing was fascinating to watch unfold.

Ouyang is fierce and brittle and uncompromising. He's somewhat difficult to like but at his heart a tragic figure. He's disgusted by his own body and desires and his feelings about other people. It's impossible not to view him with some pity even whilst he is being completely awful.

The story centres strongly on desires and fate and how the two can be opposed or united and in either case can cause heartache along the way. The other main theme was about gender identity and dysphoria as both characters are gender non conforming and the two entirely different ways this effects their character arcs.

Beyond all that it's just an excellently written fantasy with an expansive world and cast of characters. There's political intrigue set against a backdrop of war and battles. Friendships, brotherhood, love and betrayal. Great victories and great tragedy and so many moving pieces that it was sometimes a little hard to keep track! It's clearly a world that Parker-Chan knows intimately and I can't wait to see where else they take us in this series.

I definitely want to read this one again physically before I read the second one but the audiobook was fantastically narrated and enjoyed every minute.

I struggled to put into words how I felt about this.
Don't get me wrong I did enjoy this. I'm left wanting more.
The first half intrigued/interested me more than the second. Even if the last 25% did pick up.
But I enjoyed reading about the monastery part of Zhu story. I would have been happy if more time was spent there. Seeing Zhu master taking her brothers identity.
There was a moment just after half way where I lost interest slightly but that didn't last too long.
The discussions around gender identity and gender roles added another layer to this intriguing story.

DNF at around 60%.

I didn't not like the book but something wasn't clicking for me. I felt like things were happening too easily and coincidently. I will probably go back and finish the book but I didn't have a lot of time due to projects and there were other releases I really wanted to read too.

A beautiful debut by an author I will be on the lookout for!
I absolutely loved "She Who Became the Sun" and will definitely be recommending in the future!

This book hooked me in immediately, and from Part One I was completely sold on the story Parker-Chan was trying to tell. With amazing character work, and interesting plot work, this story is a must read.

Beautiful, clever, incredible, wonderful... I could just wax lyrical about this book. My only critique would be that at times it was very intense, but that was to be expected. If you pick up this book, don't expect to do anything else for a while after!

This book is described as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles but it’s so much more than that!

Parker-Chan tells this story incredibly well, using Tensions, atmosphere, and emotions. She Who Became the Sun is, simply a masterpiece of a debut. It’s such a powerful book and a ,just read, I am so excited for the next book!

While I thought the premise of this book really intriguing, it didn't live up to my expectations. I love military-focused fantasy, yet this one didn't hit the mark for me. I struggled to get a sense of the characters and to care for them, so the story always kept me at a distance, unfortunately. I understand why so many readers loved it, but it sadly wasn't for me.

A tale of a girl in a man's world who stole her brothers name to survive. From becoming a monk to leading armies and treading delicately through the political mine field of ancient China, Zhu is powered by the old fortune tellers prediction that she was born to greatness