Historical novel about ancient China with a fantasy element - very good on the whole.

I've said "on the whole" in my title because i have some problems with the language - of that more later. This novel continues on from the previous volume "She who became the sun". Here Chu continues to rise to fight to become Emperor. Most of the novel is about the political to-ing and fro-ing between the various characters, machinations, plots and battles.to gain control. Those characters are fully developed and the plot moves along nicely, if not slowly: this is a long book, probably longer than necessary. The story is well worth as look, engaging and intriguing. It's the language which pads it out and my only objection: overuse of the following words - pain, agony, fear, rage, pity, shame, despair (sometimes six times on the same page!). I also find the words "realer" and "to action" hard to swallow - unless it's common in Australia. Nevertheless an enjoyable experience.

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan is the sequel to the acclaimed novel She Who Became the Sun. The story picks up where the first book left off, with Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, now in possession of southern China and determined to seize the imperial throne from the Mongols. However, she is not the only one with imperial ambitions. Wang Baoxiang, a scorned scholar, has also manoeuvred his way into the capital and is determined to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history.

This was a great conclusion to Zhu’s story. I really enjoyed going back to this world.

Worldbuilding
This is primarily a military novel and it shows how the world expanded in this book. I particularly appreciated the many more intricate tense scenes where characters had to think their way out rather than charge and fight. I also enjoyed seeing more of the Mandate of Heaven and its trade-off. My one complaint there was that it felt as if people were travelling between places quickly or the passage of time wasn’t as apparent as I would have liked.

Characters
I liked that the story had more POVs than the first book. It was very intriguing to be in other people’s minds and discover how people saw themselves. I liked the interactions between Ouyang and Zhu and how they were portrayed the most. I would have appreciated a character list at the end. There were quite a few side characters that I had to shuffle back and remind myself of their role in the previous book.

Plot
What an ending! The last 20% took me by surprise - just perfect. Similar to the first book, I found the first act and the third act most interesting. It was quite easy to immerse myself in the story but as the second act kicked in, the story dragged on a little bit, as if characters were being moved in place for the conclusion. However, the third act did more than compensate for that. While the second part of the book felt quite vast with lots of opportunities for Zhu to get what she wanted, things became more claustrophobic in the end and I was there for it; I couldn't scroll fast enough on my tablet.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will probably be thinking about that ending for months to come. A solid 4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the first book in this duology, so it came as no surprise that I felt the same way about He Who Drowned the World, helped I think by my decision to re-read the first book before tackling this one. What I did not expect was that this book would make me cry before the end and I can't remember the last time that happened...

These books are basically a retelling of the founding of the Ming, with added supernatural elements (the Mandate of Heaven is the ability to create light and those who hold it can also see the spirits of the dead). This book builds on the events of the first, where we met our main characters and this time we run straight into the events of this book, as our newly-self-proclaimed Radiant King tries to take over the remaining territory of what will become his empire. He finds himself up against others with ambitions to take the throne for themselves, with quite a bit of puppet-mastering going on from both a character we've met before and one who's newly introduced here.

In the end, however, the show is stolen by Ouyang - a eunuch general serving the killers of his family, who despise him for his unmanliness but also use him for his brilliance. This time around, Ouyang and the Radiant King find themselves working together, for a while at least, until events spiral and tear them apart. A wonderful piece of writing, as was She Who Became the Sun, and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

I had to wait a few days before I wrote this review, just to get my brain over everything that had happened and the total outcome of the book.

My first comment is WOW!

My second thought is my poor little heart.

And the third was are we going to get a third book?

If you have read the first, then you know the story of Zhu, the girl who stole her brother's destiny to become King. This book picks up almost straight after the first, where Zhu is learning to rule, love and be who she was meant to be, though hiding that she is a girl (ruling as a man) with her stump which does diminish her in the eyes of everyone around her as she is incomplete. Familiar faces are central to the storyline: Ma, Xu Da, Baoxiang, Ouyang and the newer threat of Madam Zhang - all trying to get to the throne of the Great Khan first.

But who will succeed?

This tale of lgbtq+ love, revenge, ambition, power and death is one that can not be ignored. It made me smile, it made me cry and it made me grimace in anger. This is a book that simply needs to be read, a wonderful tale all wrapped up in the historical lore of the Mongol empire.

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to the fantasy and mythology genre, but, I am widening my perspectives and so far loving it. The author has done this brilliantly. The story is beautifully written, the characters come alive on the page, the settings pop and all characters have believable voices. One of the key elements of this book is world-building, the author has created an intricate and detailed world, complete with its own histories, cultures, and languages.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was lukewarm on the first one but this one really shined. I love the way Parker-Chan wrapped up the threads and I felt a real kinship with the characters by the end.

This was very different from She Who Became the Sun. I’ve seen a few reviews referring to the change as a “step up” from what the first book was but I’m not sure I’d describe it that way – I just did not like it as much, though I am sure I will be in the minority.

She Who Became the Sun got a lot of attention for being sapphic, gay, and bringing up matters of gender identity. While the topics are part of why I liked the first book (gender identity mostly, it was an interesting read), I was way more into the military strategy and the whole ‘how to win a battle before it starts.’ He Who Drowned the World was... different. Rather than known goals, it felt like watching Zhu going from point A to point B assembling a group of allies while Wang Baoxiang did his whole thing, and the changes in POV felt a bit drastic. The chapters were very sex heavy in Baoxiang’s parts and Zhu’s felt very anticlimactic, her chapters were divided into very character-driven pieces until the ‘climax’ where suddenly it would be just action. And then, bam, Wang Baoxiang is sucking dick.

Now, you may be wondering, “woman, weren’t you screaming about how good the first book was and how you kissed the floor Wang Baoxiang stepped on?” yup. And I feel weird complaining about his chapters because, inherently, they were not just sex. It was all his political strategy and complex plans to make all the puppets do their thing, but it didn’t feel right to me. I also struggled with his sexuality a lot. At times he’d say he didn’t get pleasure from sex at all and never had, then he’d talk about his desires with men, then sometimes women... I know I’m probably the only one who thought he was asexual from the first book, but I just got a weird bag of confusion in this one. But, anyways, it was just very sex heavy in every way shape, or form. I am personally asexual and seeing so much sex, especially in the first 60% of the book, put me off picking it up. It was just too much and too yuck, and we didn’t need Xu Da’s comments about semen, we really didn’t. I feel all of it quickly made my two favorite characters – Wang Baoxiang and Xu Da – into my least favorite characters because having them on the page would just be a warning that I’d feel nauseous in two paragraphs.

Overall, this book is complex. This book is thick, and Parker-Chan is a mastermind for making all the puzzle pieces fit together, I will be forever in awe at how good the strategies and battles are. The writing is also so interesting – I don’t want to say beautiful because it isn’t per se, but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I love it. It sometimes takes me out of the book because Parker-Chan just uses a voice I’m very much not used to. Characters and their relationships are explored all throughout. The exploration between Zhu and Ouyang’s similarities and how their fates are so intrinsically intertwined was beautiful, I have highlighted so much of it. Seeing Zhu and Xu Da’s ‘brotherhood’ evolve the way it does and, well, that was just... beautiful. I have no words for a lot of this. Many of these pages felt like someone was stabbing me in the heart, which is strange considering how I was struggling with the book up until the sex ‘stopped.’

So, anyways, I will just keep it short. I feel I can talk about this book for hours, it was a lot, but most of it felt like a character study of the ghosts we carry (and by ‘we’ I mean the characters but, really, Wang Baoxiang needs a therapist) (they all do, really) (I’m only paying for Baoxiang’s one though). It’s just complex and there are so many layers that I adore, and some that I just couldn’t like. But I’ll just say that if you liked the characters in the first book, you may want to pick this up. It’s a trip and a hard one at that, but it’s one that you may want to see the end of. (I suggest checking trigger warnings and just avoiding the book if you don’t want to read about sex because this book packs a lot of everything).

With thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

That was quite the end to the duology. From She Who Became The Sun to He Who Drowned The World (you work out who He is along the way), She is thinking of herself as a she (while points of view that are unaware describe Zhu as a he which was a nice touch).

We follow the power struggle through various points of view (not always those holding the Mandate) and Shelley Parker-Chan invites or challenges both characters and readers to reevaluate their vision of people and actions.

Anyone with any real strength in this novel is either not gender conforming or using presentation as a mask, which is incredible to see in such an awful world - the empire is a self-destructive mess even without the rebel power struggles. And a surprising number of people get what they want!

As with She Who Became The Sun, the description is so physical and the episodes so distinct it can feel like you are watching things unfold - example: they need salt, have to perform a heist; if they succeed they’ll avoid one enemy to go up against a bigger enemy, enemies become temporary bedfellows and allies turn traitor in a series of dominoes that are both inevitable and could have been different of the people involved were different. The struggles feel huge even when they are minor in the grand scheme.

The book DEMANDS your attention. It’s really good. I’m fairly sure another early reviewer said it’s the little moments? It really is. Some parts are overwhelming but there are always little character moments or conversations that bring it back to the micro and sometimes even light moments in the darkness. Read it to see what I mean. It’s a great follow-up conclusion but I did need to be in the right mood to pick it up. Who wins the throne is all to play for…

This book was gory, gritty and absolutely brutal, definitely a step up from the first book! Please check trigger/content warnings before picking this one up. It was overall a good conclusion to the duology, but I did find that the plot stalled in a few places, all we did sometimes was follow characters from point A to B without much cross over between the POVS and little conflict. I also think the authors discussion of gender and sexuality through the 2 books were well done. 3.5 stars.

This was great, it was better in terms of pacing than book one and the new perspectives added were great. The worldbuilding was also really intriguing and so complex but still understandable. The twists and turns were fun and definitely kept you hooked until the end.

An amazing second instalment to this impactful story. Shelley Parker Chan writes like a dream, sprinkles historical fiction like beautiful confetti across the page and carefully handles her diversely represented characters.

What a book. I had very high hopes for this book after loving 'She Who Became The Sun' so much and it did not disappoint! It is breathtaking in its pace and its ability to tear at your heart from the very first page as we drop right back in to the battle for the title of Great Khan.

We have characters we love (hate? love to hate?) returning and some new perspectives too. I loved how we got to see Zhu and Ouyang together in this one – their complex and charged connection is everything I wanted it to be. Other character highlights were Ma (oh Ma) and Madam Zhang. I loved how, despite these women not being ‘allowed’ to have power like the men, they wielded what they did have in clever ways.

I also knew that Ouyang would break my heart but I did not expect how it happened. I am not one to cry at books at all, but I definitely felt my eyes prickle!
And Wang Baoxiang… goodness me. If you think someone is nasty, put him next to them and they’ll probably look like an angel.
The thing about all these characters and the way Shelley has written them though, is that even though you know they are all terrible people, you cannot help but be sucked in to their machinations. You need to keep reading, to follow them on their journeys because they are so compelling.

Shelley Parker-Chan’s prose is, as it was in the first book, outstanding. It’s brutal, lush and textured and I drank it all up.
As with the first book we have the exploration of gender and the breaking of gender norms at the heart of the tale. In a world where being other than male or female can bring shame and even death, it was fantastic to witness characters blazing their own paths while defying these rules.

This story is dark and heavy all of the time, the pain and sufferings of the characters unrelenting as we move through the pages. They all strive to be great, and all have to face the consequences of that quest. There is so much plotting, more betrayal and many twists and turns all bringing these character threads to a truly epic conclusion.

The Radiant Emperor Duology is nothing short of a masterpiece, and it will sit on my favourites shelf forever.

Content warnings galore for this one – please check them!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an e-arc of this book in exchange for review.

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan is the kind of book that when you finish it, you have a book hangover for three days, because you can't stop thinking about it.

I can't even begin to say how insanely good this duology is. Dark and complicated people messing with dangerous political powers for the sake of revenge, hate, pride or greatness. It's a difficult series to categorise, so I put it somewhere between historical fantasy and grimdark because there is certainly a lot of violence, trauma, and brutality, but the context is so important, and it is inspired by real history, (though I know Parker-Chan has taken Some liberties.)

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is headed for the throne. She wants to be emperor. But she isn't alone in her ambitions, and she is under threat from all sides. There are players in this lethal game that she doesn't even know about, and the ones that she does are coming closer. Her alliances are going to be risky, and her choices unsafe. But what will she do to win the world? Where would you draw the line? What will it take for Zhu to achieve the greatness that she aches for?

This is a breathtaking followup to She Who Became the Sun. A world rich in descriptions of trade, fashion, society and politics right up alongside the savagery of war. And all throughout a tenderness for faith, an enquiry into identity, and a recognition of self through others. Sometimes in the worst ways!

Shelley Parker-Chan is back with a sequel that defies the scope and quality of their first book in the duology, She Who Became the Sun.

He Who Drowned the World is a much darker book in tone, that follows not only Zhu on her rising journey to greatness, but also Ouyang, a rival turned potential ally, and Baoxiang, an unlikely contender to the throne. The characters are all hurting and use their hurt to drive the spurs of their ambition, while revelling in that agony. This makes the shards of humanity that brokenly splinter onto the paper all the more precious. That Shelley Parker-Chan can write with such texture about pain, dissociation, and gender subversion is a testament to the stunning quality of their writing.

Filled with political intrigue, battles, and the shadow of mortality looming over the narrative, it draws together a masterful web of subplots that converge and march towards a breathless finale. Unputdownable.

Incredible!
If you loved she who became the sun you'll love this next installment in the story!
Definitely recommend picking this one up and binging!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a digital ARC of this book for reviewing purposes.

I remember when She Who Became The Sun came out and I was so incredibly hyped for it and I was impressed beyond expectations. Reliving that same anticipation with He Who Drowned The World, and feeling the same investment in the plot and love for the characters gives me so much joy. I cried, I cheered, I gasped, there is so much emotion and exhilaration in these pages. You really find yourself routing for Zhu, even when you’re shouting at her. Her interactions and relationships with the character around her felt so complex in this book.

I feel so tempted to go and pick up my copy of book one and start over again. An absolute thrill to read and massive congratulations and praise for Shelley Parker-Chan for telling this story so beautifully.

This is such a unique and wonderful story. It feels real and raw and it is written wonderfully.
I loved She who Became the Sun, and I liked He Who Drowned the World just as much!

Reading He Who Drowned the World made it apparent to me that the Radiant Emperor duology is meant to be a mirror reflecting each other: the masculine and that which it boisterously promises humanity; and the feminine with what humanity endures. He Who Drowned the World flips the board from all the grandeur and excitement of the race for greatness in the first book, to wading neck-deep in humanity's darkest amidst many Machiavellian schemes, bloodshed, and twisted relationships. The gears of fate start to spiral into a darker, twisted painting of imperial China during a time of bigotry and hate.

Parker-Chan's powerful writing remains at full force; retaining that melancholic, lyrical, and fiercely brutal quality that balances their characters' tragic arcs with a single, precious stroke of hope that belies the human heart. Their characters’ plights, desires, and choices are taken into its brutal, yet natural and fateful conclusion this sweeping, epic game of thrones come to a close with a haunting, poetic stroke. He Who Drowned the World will rapt you in its epic scope just as much as She Who Became the Sun had while still tearing your heart out the same way.... if not even more brutally.

By reimagining Zhu Yuanzhang's ascent and integrating historical queerness into the narrative, Parker-Chan successfully transcends the first Ming emperor's ascent to power into a symbol of hope for gender identity and expression beyond the constraints of gender essentialism. This is a supremely ambitious feat, and am I glad to have witnessed such a powerful debut.

He Who Drowned the World is available for pre-order, set for official release on 22nd August 2023 (US) and 24th August 2023 (UK).

Thank you, Tor UK and Mantle Books, for giving me an advance review copy of He Who Drowned the World! I am grateful to have been provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: Self Harm (a lot, notes at the bottom), Homophobic Slurs, internalised homophobia, misogyny, on-page rape and assault, physical abuse, suicidal thoughts, murder, blood, needles, domestic abuse, child death, severe depersonalisation, miscarriage, severe self-hatred, gore

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Right so this won’t be a long review just because I really can’t talk much about it without just spoiling everything. Shit hits the fan almost instantly and if you liked the first one you’ll most certainly love this one.

It’s queer as all fuck, ruthless, insanely creative and just all around fantastic. It’s heartbreaking though, it’s incredibly emotional, it WILL make you cry. There are a lot of heavy topics explored in this book, but in my honest opinion they’re all handled with grace and tact. Just please take note of the content warnings and look after yourself!

If you’re browsing through reviews to see if it’s anything like the first one, just go read this when it releases. You won’t regret it.

Note about the self harm in the book. This is the bottom of the review so please only scroll down to read the note if you wish to. There are no spoilers, but it gives more details on that specific content warning:



Self harm is constant and frequent throughout the majority of the book and has explicit details with on-page harming. Additionally the inner monologue of the addiction is explicit and powerful.

It doesn’t make a mockery of a self-harm addition, it doesn’t make light of it. It’s actually an incredibly honest and accurate depiction of a real self-harm addiction. It’s very descriptive and really gets into the mind of someone with an addiction like this. This can be both very good for potentially viewing a mirror of yourself or similar, but due to the depth this topic goes into it could potentially be a lot more triggering than standard self-harming in books. Please look after yourself ♥️

Parker-Chan has such an amazing way with both words and character-building that I remember pushing through what I thought of as vaguely boring details in the first part of SWBTS, so I could get better acquainted with her striking characters and their scheming. Now this is the end of it all and I'm incredibly saddened to leave her reimagining of 14th century-China and its most notable personalities. Without spoiling you can easily imagine that not everyone can get an happy ending, but this was nonetheless a very satisfying end to this duology, on par with the first book in terms of quality. Writing, plot, politics, characters, more world-building, more feels: He Who Drowned the World has got everything.