I definitely seem to be in the minority with this. Everyone I know and who I trust in book-sphere love this grimdark historical fantasy, re-imagining of the rise to power of the Hongwu Emperor in the 14th century. And yet, it didn't work for me.

Don't get me wrong. There were many aspects of this that I loved and are the main reasons why I am very, very tempted to read the upcoming sequel (I believe this is a duology, but might be wrong): how the story looks at gender, sexuality, politics, how far a person will go to survive, a look at Asian and queer masculinity. And the writing - ok, the writing might be a bit flowery and purple prose for some people, but the writing is one of this book's strongest assists.

But - now, here is my biggest problem - this book is very character driven, and because of this, it takes time for the plot to come forward, which slows the book down at the start. The middle suffers the most as things get really bogged down, and it takes a long while before the book picks up the pace. I was listening to the audiobook and I had to up the speed on it to nearly double (I never up it to 2x as I can barely keep up). I get why - character driven story with ever-changing politics and this is where the book really looks into gender and sexual identity, which means the pace has to be slower, but I wish the book could do this while keeping the pace and the tension.

Saying that, though, I do like how this book does tackle the issues of gender politics, sexuality, gender identity. Like I said earlier, this is one aspect of the book I really liked and made this fantasy feel different (to me as a cis gay white male. I would be very intrigued to see how trans and non binary reviewers read this book and their thoughts and feelings to this).

While I see why so many of you guys love this, I fear I have to admit that this isn't completely for me. Though, like I said earlier, I am tempted to read the sequel as the end of the book and the direction this is going intrigues me...

TW: If you've lost someone to COVID, I would provide caution to this book. It has several mentions of plagues, with detailed descriptions of losing someone to it and following grief.

She Who Became The Sun is an epic fantasy that asks: how far will you go to reach your fate? It is filled with lush storytelling; explorations of gender, identity, sexuality and societal expectations of all; grief; silent and enduring rage; perseverance; and strategy. This is not a novel for the fainthearted as it does not skimp on the horrors of war and how it affects people from peasant to noble.

This was a thoroughly impressive debut and I cannot wait to see what else Shelley Parker-Chan puts out.

Actual rating: 3.5 / 5


This was such an interesting look at gender and the importance and not-importance of it. The study of desire and striving for such a thing in a body that "shouldn't" be allowed to want a great fate was such a fascinating perspective to read from. There was a slight feeling of what I understood to be body dysmorphia as Zhu had to hide her body from Heaven's gaze and fully became who she wanted to be, but ultimately, I feel like it wasn't a detrimental conversation.

I did expect more magic, but I was quite content with the amount we did get for this story and despite not knowing anything about Chinese dynasties, I really appreciated the rich historical context behind this tale.

I thought it was such a striking point for us to not be able to acknowledge Zhu's name in childhood and only ever be able to refer to her as her new (brother's) identity. It made quite an efficient point of reminding us how unimportant girls of this era was and how her name was only worth knowing when she took on the identity of a male with a great destiny foretold and made it her own.

I enjoyed how well done the time jumps were handled. I didn't find myself super confused or irritated by it, as I usually would, because I found that I didn't feel like I was missing information or any crucial parts of the story were being skimmed over.
The writing style was pretty easy going despite my lack of knowledge on this era, which was a suprising treat because I think, had that not been the case, I would have suffered heavily in my own ignorance.

I thought we would mainly get the perspective from from Zhu but there was quite a wide cast of characters, which was quite beneficial in seeing what was going on within both the Mongol army and the Rebel Nanren army and the intermingling deceptions and betrayals within them, respectively. I loved reading about Ouyang and his reasons behind his actions and I also loved reading Zhu's interactions with Xhu Da and, later on, with Ma.

This was such a fascinating story, with Emmeline storytelling, fully fleshed out characters and a rich cultural history. I still hope that there will feature a bit more magic in sequential books, but regardless of the lack of that in this book, She Who Became The Sun was an intoxicating read.

This lives up to the well-earned hype - it's a masterpiece of feminist, character-driven action, set in a fantasy historical Ming Dynasty. I'm so glad I saved this one for after my book slump, because it deserved to be appreciated for the stunner it is.

This was a divisive read for me as I really enjoyed all of the characters more than anything. I wish there had been a little more action, and a little more buildup to the sapphic romance. I felt the angst for ouyang and his general far more than anything else! Very solid and very excited for the sequel.

2.5 stars

A boy and girl live with their father in a village in China in 1345. They barely have enough food to survive, but the boy is destined to become great despite his circumstances.
Then one day bandits arrive in the village and the girl finds herself the only living member of her family. Taking up her brother's name of Zhu Chongba, the girl is determined to claim her brother's fate of greatness for herself. As Zhu Chongba, she becomes a novice at a monastery where she is educated and has a home as well as friends, but must hide who and what she really is.
Will Zhu Chongba become great?
How far is she willing to go in order to get what she wants?

Going into this book I was excited to read it, having heard only overwhelmingly positive things about it. However, I was also hesitant to read it as I tend to have unpopular opinions when it comes to hyped books. Unfortunately, this was one of the books that I didn't enjoy as much as everyone else.
From the blurb, I thought that Zhu Chongba would be the only protagonist, and while I would say she was definitely the main character, there were four points of view - Zhu Chongba, General Ouyang, Esen and Ma. Of the four, Ma was probably the character that I felt for the most and liked the most. While Zhu Chongba was a likeable protagonist overall, apart from her ambition I didn't feel that there was much personality to her, but I did find it interesting to read how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted. I liked that we never found out her real name, but I also found it a little sad.
For me, General Ouyang was the most interesting character. A eunuch, Ouyang was best friends with Esen, the son of the man who murdered his family. Ouyang served Esen and his family as a general in their army, but he had originally been Esen's slave. Ouyang's mixed and conflicted feelings for Esen were intriguing.
My favourite aspect of the book was the way it questioned gender identity. Zhu Chongba was a girl pretending to be a boy, and General Ouyang was a man who was also considered not to be a man, who people said was as pretty as a woman. They both struggled with who they were, which I found interesting. However, the duo also had a special connection because of this, which I found to be a bit random and would have liked it to be elaborated on.
The plot was mixed, but it was the pacing what ruined the book for me - I found it to be all over the place, leading to me flip-flopping from enjoying what I was reading to becoming bored. Because of this I didn't feel invested in the characters and the events that happened which should have shocked me didn't. Despite there being several battles in the book there wasn't much action and the battles felt like they were mostly skipped over.
Unfortunately, this ended up being a disappointing read for me. I wish I'd enjoyed it as much everyone else seems to.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

Oh my lord, this book was amazing!!!!

The characters were amazing and I loved them all so much. Zhu was incredible and I think that she is so cool in everything that she did in this book. Her desire to follow destiny drives her to incredible lengths and I think that the fact that even after everything she goes through she doesn't give up is what makes Zhu, Zhu. Plus, her character development was incredible! Xu Da and Ma were also amazing characters and my favorite thing was the relationships they had with Zhu and how those played to their individual strengths and linked to the times that they spent together over the course of the book. Especially with Ma! And of course, I have to mention Zhu's counterpart Ouyang who was also incredibly driven in his desire to achieve his fate. I hope we get to see more of them facing off in the future.

The plot was also exceptional and I thought that it was incredibly well written and paced for it enabled the twists at the end to really pack a punch when they happened. Plus, following Zhu from her childhood enabled us to learn more about her and so all of her achievements meant more when they happened. And of course the romace that we got was so amazing. All the politics too of the diffrent groups was wonderuflly constructed and I loved how it all culminated in those final chapters, whihc were insanely good and action packed.

The writing was exqusiite. Shelley Parker-Chan truky has a gift for she created such a vibrant world and life-like characters and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. A genderqueer reimagining of the founding of the Ming dynasty ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫.

Zhu begins life as a peasant girl in a famine-stricken Chinese town, left with just her father and one brother after the test of her family succumb to disease and starvation. Smart and determined she is used to her needs coming coming last is a society that undervalues women. When her father and brother are killed her only hope is the local monastery and she takes on her brother's name and identity to gain entry. But a great destiny was once predicted for the original Zhu Chongba, can she live up to this expectation and convince Heaven that she is worthy of this greatness?

Ouyang is a Hanren General commanding the forces of a Mongol prince. Deep within he harbours the need for vengeance for his family, all killed or enslaved by the very man he serves. The man who made him a eunuch. But Ouyang had come to love the Prince's soon with great devotion. He will eventually meet Zhu on opposing sides of the battle for Imperial China. Which path will be chose?

Wow. This was stunning. It is crammed full of action and intrigue and full of twisting paths that lead the characters towards their fates. Parker-Chan breathes extraordinary life into this period at the end of Mongol rule in Imperial China, as the armies of the Great Khan are pitted against the rebels.

The protagonists, Zhu and Ouyang are fantastically complex characters, both determined to reach certain goals, regardless of the consequences or the sacrifices. The ruthless streak in both makes them (at best) morally ambiguous but they are utterly compelling and I found myself routing for both even when their actions were terrible. Around them is an equally winning cast of supporting characters, Ma Xiuying, a young woman betrothed to a young, hot-headed rebel commander and wishing that womanhood didn't so constrain her life. Xu Da a fellow monk from Zhu's monastery, unflinchingly loyal to his "little brother".

By making her two protagonists genderqueer in ways that are never defined with precision , Parker-Chan cleverly illustrates the real complexity of gender on a personal and a societal level. By never labelling them but presenting both with gender-nonconforming traits she avoids putting them into boxes or pressing modern definitions onto them, allowing their gender identities to be just one of their important characteristics.

I loved that she didn't overly pander to readers with little knowledge of Chinese history or culture (I'm one of them!), it was a delight to discovery it by putting pieces together from the excellent writing. In the end an intricately plotted, action-packed, character-driven bombshell of a novel that is also full of insightful meditations on choice, agency and identity

This novel reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor.

A young girl is left with her brother when their father is killed by bandits. The brother is destined for greatness; however, he gives in and dies. The girl assumes her brother's identity and embarks on an extraordinary journey, driven by her overwhelming belief that she will become great.

Ordained as a monk, Zhu Chongba finds herself involved in a power struggle, and faces her deadliest foe in General Ouyang. She also manages to fall in love. There is a ruthless streak to her that grows as the story progresses, and yet Zhu remains a compelling character despite making choices that at times have little to do with morality.

Ouyang is another complex individual, a eunuch torn between loyalty and rage, yet who also recognises the inexorable march of fate. He has been treated badly by his employers and cannot be blamed for feeling bitter and vengeful, yet this goes unrecognised by many until it is too late.

I enjoyed this story, in particular the way that the girl (whose name we never learn) finds a way to survive, using her intelligence and courage. There is humour too, especially in how she outwits the stern Prefect Fang at the monastery.

There are also relationships - with Xu Da, who Zhu befriends as they both train as monks, and then Ma who is sweetness itself. Both realise the truth of Zhu's femininity but neither betrays it, even though Zhu's behaviour tests both.

The novel explores complex themes - sexuality and gender, masculinity, desire, and how far someone will go to become the person they believe they are destined to be.

There will surely be a sequel to this novel and I look forward to reading it.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Pan Macmillan, in return for an honest appraisal.

This is absolutely one of the best books I've read in 2021. The writing was sublime, the characters were intriguing and the vast, complex (but elegant) nature of the world-building made this a completely captivating book.

From the first chapter, there's a boldness about this story that immediately grabs the reader's attention. Perhaps it's the fact that Zhu senses their own destiny or the fact that the world is outlined so exquisitely that we're immediately dropped into 14th century China, but either way, I knew from chapter one that this was going to be a five star read.

Shelley Parker-Chan takes us through Zhu's life, from childhood to adulthood, with perfect pacing and just the right amount of drama, tension, and action at every turn. The political landscape of the novel is balanced brilliantly with the ebb and flow of character relationships.

I loved Zhu's determination and tenacity, but it was also interesting to see a darker more ruthless streak in them that develops as the novel progresses. General Ouyang is also a really intriguing character because, fundamentally, we shouldn't like him. He's Zhu's enemy and a murderer, but his backstory, internal struggles, and the unnecessary hatred he receives from other characters made me sympathise with him and at times I even started to root for him.

Overall, this book is nothing short of outstanding. One of the best fantasies I've read in a long time and I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Absolutely thrilling and dazzling. A fantasy tale unlike anything I have ever read. Such nuanced and fantastic characters. Vivid imagery and such amazing writing and gripping story, I can’t wait for the next one.

It took me a while to adapt to the writing style of this book, but once I got into it I loved it.

It’s popular for a reason, the plot is intricate yet easy to follow. The characters are diverse and exciting and I found myself at around 50% dying to know what happened next.

This is a great fantasy for new readers but also fans of the epic fantasies that keep the genre alive - highly recommend

Ghosts, epic wars, political scheming and overcoming misogynistic societal standards. What's not to love in Shelley Parker-Chan's enthralling fantasy debut? Set in 14th century China, with the country under oppressive Mongol rule, Zhu is told that her destiny is Nothing - something expected for a second-born daughter, as the famine ravaged lands lead families to save their sons and allow their daughters to die of starvation. Zhu is made of sterner stuff, however, and when a bandit attack leads to tragedy, she takes her brother's name and determines to escape her fate.

We follow her as she attempts to live out her brother's foretold destiny, and to find out if she succeeds, you would have to read the book! I was so excited for this book when I first saw it on Twitter, and it didn't disappoint. Even more exciting? This has become the first book in a series, so we can look forward to much more from Parker-Chan in this world!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. A mere 400 pages it felt like 4,000. It was like wading through a treacle of uninspired characters and turgid narrative. I could not understand what the author was trying to achieve in this book that pitted one unlikeable set of people against another equally un likeable set. It certainly was not a book to lift the spirits in any way shape or form.

Set in 14th century China, the story revolves around an impossible tale. The Mongol hordes raid the village and kill Zhu's father. Her brother gives up on life, but Zhu is made of sterner stuff and decides to take on his identity and as a boy, to enter the local monastery to have, as she sees it, the best possible life. However, the eunuch who was part of that raid has a much bigger part to play in her life, and this leads her to a path far removed from her first dreams. Eventually she will meet the one who has the 'Mandate of Heaven' and discover her true destiny.

The story is told very well, and Zhu's efforts to survive, to be a man and remain undiscovered, and to eventually lead her people against the oppressors is fascinating, all set against the backdrop of China in these turbulent times.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Mantle for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An epic and tragic tale set in 12th century northern China, reimagining the life of Zhu Yuanzhang, a peasant born in 1328 who led the rebels who brought the end of Mongolian rule in China. This is Historical fiction, fantasy and something else entirely, really unlike anything I’ve read before. Described as Mulan meets the song of Achilles and I can see why!

I admittedly don’t know enough about Chinese history, especially for someone who has a history degree, it was never part of my learning but this book has really inspired me to dive into it.

Some of the things I really loved was the focus on ghost and spirituality, the beautiful descriptions juxtaposed with extreme action (wasn’t so keen on the extreme violence though), the theme of destiny and exploration of gender.

I didn’t love so much that there was LOTS of dialogue, at times it became a bit tedious and made it feel a long read that started to drag on a bit in areas.

I will definitely pick up the next instalment of Parker-Chan’s writing!

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She Who Became the Sun is a fascinating historical fantasy, the likes of which I have rarely (if ever) encountered before.

I was completely gripped by this book and its many, highly complex and morally grey characters. They were definitely my favourite part, even though most of them are extremely unlikeable! The settings are also gorgeously rich, and I loved the fact that some of the plot is based on actual historical facts. I didn't go on a research (read: google) spree like I normally would because I desperately want to avoid spoilers for the next book, but I certainly will catch up on that afterwards!

The only thing I struggled with was the pace, which in certain parts of the book seemed to drag a little, and the multitude of characters, which I sometimes struggled to keep straight in my head. The were also some rather explicit violent scenes which I personally wasn't a fan of, but were well inserted in the narrative and I could certainly see why they have been included.

Other than that, this was a fantastic read and I am definitely looking to the next one!

A slow burn of a book, it builds and builds in spectacular fashion. I loved every second of this and am so excited to see what will happen in the sequel when that comes out!

Oh my god I have absolutely slept on this release. Pitched as Mulan meets Song of Achilles, I can't say quite how accurate it is, considering I haven't read the latter yet. But what it definitely is, is the start of a series (I believe it's a duology) that deals with topics of fate, greatness, gender and identity but also colonialist themes and the idea of being the maker of your own destiny. It is a retelling of the founding of the Ming dynasty in China, and honestly I loved it!

In a small village in the middle of a famine, the son of one family is told that he will have greatness, whereas the competent daughter (whose name doesn't even matter) is told that she will only ever be nothing. But when bandits orphan the children, it is the son Zhu Chongba who gives up on life and his sister who decides that she will use her brother's identity to enter a monastery and survive. There, she learns that there are great lengths that she will go to in order to preserve her identity. But after the monastery is destroyed for supporting rebels opposed to Mongolian rule, she realises that perhaps she should aim higher and claim her brother's greatness instead.

This little summary doesn't even begin to cover the whole Mongolian side of the story and Ouyang, who is just one of those characters that burrows under your skin and stays there, like a thorn that you can't get rid of, or Baoxiang, who for such a minor character absolutely steals every scene that he is. I also haven't spoken about Ma, who is an absolute cinnamon roll and who deserves nothing but amazing things to happen to her. Parker-Chan has the ability to make you care about each of her characters for different reasons, whether it's fascination, disgust or just a burning desire to make sure nothing bad happens to them. She is able to weave this tale that feels imbued with the thread of epicness throughout and one where I found myself annoyed at how much work was preventing me from being able to read more.

Those topics of gender and identity absolutely stand out. Because not only is Zhu Chongba trying to convince Heaven itself that she deserves the fate of greatness, but Ouyang also wrestles with his own demons. It's such a fascinating dichotomy when one lives in fear of being exposed for her true gender, who feels the need to believe so deeply in her manliness, her masculinity, to ensure that Heaven doesn't see her for who she truly is and punish her; while the other, a eunuch and slave, is derided to that which has been taken from him. When he finds himself allowed into space no man would enter (except under penalty of death), you see the disgust that Ouyang feels for himself, the way he feels about his body and his identity, the way he yearns to prove himself when he knows that his castration is the defining feature of his life. Again, this is without even touching on Baoxiang, who is judges as "soft" for being a scholar, not a warrior, or Ma, who knows she is not allowed to want anything, that desire is outside her role as a woman.

I enjoyed the topics of fate and how much a mandate from the gods matters under the weight of sheer human desire. The best bit about these characters is that they are complex and nuanced and Parker-Chan doesn't waste any time in showing us their writing chops by having them make choices that are so repugnant and yet so understandable. I was immediately carried away and rooting for them to succeed, even when it meant that they would make some pretty awful decisions and betray people who in some cases had been nothing but innocent. There are some really interesting parallels between ideas of fate and greatness, masculine at their core, and nothingness, pegged as feminine and undesirable. Does one push back against what is seen as their Heaven-desired path? And at what point does Heaven turn its face from one of its own followers and doom them?

I am honestly so excited to read the next installment and with this, Parker-Chan may well have propelled themselves straight onto my instabuy list!

The synopsis for this book mentions how it is based on Zhu Yuanzhang, a peasant born in 1328 who led the rebels who brought the end of Mongolian rule in China. This story is a reimagining or alternative version of Zhu and the rise to power.

So how is this reimagining? A young peasant girl decides she wants to live, she doesn't want to be nothing, she wants to be something. In fact, she wants greatness and for all to know her name. The only way this can happen is she takes on the identity of her dead brother Zhu.

Set in the 1300s this is a story that I absolutely loved. I really like the idea of a woman having the nerve to rise to power especially in a time when women have no power or status, are possession and should bear the next generation of sons. Having a character that has the temerity and the nerve to make her own way in this male-dominated world was great.

As this is a reimagining of a historical period, it means the book falls into a category of historical fantasy, and to a point yes it is fantasy but it is also fabulous reading for those who love historical fiction. AS soon as I started this book and read the first couple of sentences I knew I was going to enjoy reading it. Those opening lines were ideal for drawing me in.

As this is set in the 1300s there is a lot of turmoil in the Mongolian/ Chinese areas, under the Khanate, Mongolia wanted to extend its reach and the size of the kingdom. China was a country that has had a lot of turbulent times, Mongolian rule is just one of those times.

The author created a fabulous set of characters who all have their own desires, some more honest than others but very few I would call trustworthy. The middle ages are about power, land, resources, armies, feuds and dominance. Sides and allegiances can be swapped in a blink of an eye. Families are even worse.

I did like that the author decided to choose a female to be the main protagonist, especially when women hold such a low status in this era. I really enjoyed following the journey from peasant girl to a monk and then the story that followed.

I adored everything about this book, it was also incredibly difficult to put down once I had started it. As this is the first book in The Radiant Emporer, I will be looking forward to continuing the story of Zhu in the next book.

I liked this a huge amount and it is one I would definitely recommend.