It's difficult for me to review this book. It's one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of 2021 because of the hype and the interesting premise. In the end I didn't work so well for me, I loved some things about it but also others bothered me. It's a moving story, unforgettable and thought provoking, days after finishing it, I am still thinking about it and processing it.

I would describe this book as historical fantasy with a lot of emphasis on battles and military tactics. The fantasy element is barely there in the first half and though it gains more attention in the second half, it still felt weak and underdeveloped to me.

On the plus side, I was intrigued by the leading characters of Zhu and Ouyang. Their parallel stories worked great to highlight their similarities and differences. One the strongest elements of the story is the exploration of gender identity and stereotypes and perception by society. I liked how the issues of appearance, perception were treated with care and understanding. It was process for Zhu - discovering who she is and accepting her fate/body/desire. For Ouyang, who is her opposite in a way, but also similar - his hatred of himself, the way other have made him be - it was there from the start and didn't really change but I felt it made sense.

I liked Zhu initially. Seeing her grow into herself, her determination, will to live and tenacity was something I admired. Towards the end though, I felt her desire for greatness became all-consuming, selfish. The whole idea of achieving greatness at any cost didn't sit well with me at all. It made her harder, cynical, unsympathetic in my eyes and could no longer root for her.

Another aspect of my disappointment with her is the way she treated Ma. She claimed she needed Ma's ability to care for others, her empathy and open-heartness, to balance Zhu's more cynical nature. At the same time Zhu never did listened to Ma, never took her advice and despite loving her she kept hurting her.

The overall progression of the plot and the manner of story-telling fell off to me. The pacing was even with long stretches of nothing important happening and then sudden burst of actions (often military action or other kind of violence). There are multiple POVs which on theory would make the story richer, but they made it messy instead. They were not as well developed as Zhu or Ouyang POVs and I was often wanted to skip them to return to Zhu or Ouyang.

There is probably a lot more to be said about this book - Ouyang and Essen relationship was fascinating and tragic; Lord Wang was an interesting character and wanted to see more of him; there is a child murder (off page) that still can't over; the power (and lack of) of women was also central in the story.

Overall, this a dark historical fantasy with lots of violence and flawed characters. It was intriguing but ultimately not a hit for me.

CW: Author's note on Goodreads + violence, graphic sex

I’ll preface this review by saying that although I did get an eARC from Netgalley I did read my own purchased illumicrate copy of the book.

I truly don’t know where to begin with this, the premise of the book is just incredible. A girl determined that she will have the greatness her brother was promised, in a Shakespearean twist she takes his identity and fate as her own she joins a monastery in order to survive. The fantasy is set within 14th century China which is under Mongol rule, and depicts the struggle for power between the rebels and the Mongol rulers. The story paints a vivid picture of life within the time and the struggles faced by the poor and by women, but also introduces genderqueer characters who dance along the lines of femininity and masculinity.

I have seen people compare this to Madeliene Miller’s The Song of Achilles and while it has been a while since I read TSOA, I cannot see the comparisons. This is a heavy and brutal tale about chasing fate, betrayal and in many ways the idea of ‘a means to an end’. At times the plotting and politics involved was too dense for me to follow, around the middle of the book I really began to struggle in following the plot and became confused when things would happen later on.

However, this may not entirely be Shelley Parker-Chan’s fault as I think I was trying to push my way through a reading slump. Their writing is definitely intense and dense at times but the first 120 odd pages I read in one sitting and loved. The setting up of the story was probably my favourite part of the book, but as it went on my confusion grew and the potential reading slump worsened. Therefore, this book didn’t live up to the hype and expectations I had for it though I think that is partly down to me and the time I read it, so I am willing to try again at a later date. However, I do also feel that the middle of the book did slow down drastically in comparison to the beginning and end, though plot wise it makes sense to set things up for later, I just struggled with it.

I loved the writing though, especially the way that Parker-Chan wrote their character, especially the main characters Zhu and Ouyang. As frustrating as I found them at times, the main characters drew me in with their clear motivations and the ruthlessness used to pursue them, as well as the complexities of their feelings about doing so. I thought that Parker-Chan did an incredibly good job at making out two main characters similar but also so different, it helped mark them as individuals (though at times I did find the switching perspectives quite jarring - though again that could be me not reading it at the right time).

The relationships were also done incredibly well, romantically and platonically. Because you were rooting for the characters slightly the relationships worked well, despite the difficulties within them. They are painful but beautifully written, which brings me on to my next point. Parker-Chan’s writing, though dense at times, is beautiful. The way that they described the complexities of gender identity faced by the characters, as well as their relationships with others and the burning passion for their goals was beautiful. It’s such a shame that I was struggling to read it as I think there are some beautiful sentences that I have probably missed out on.

My final point is probably to do with the fantasy elements, though there are fantasy elements to the book I found that they were fairly light until the end when more was explained though I was still left confused about the fantasy elements. I’ll be intrigued to see if this is something that is explained more in the sequel as throughout the book I often forgot that it was a fantasy as opposed to a historical fiction. However, again that could just be down to me reading it when I did.

Overall, I think this is one that I will definitely have to read again when I am ready for a denser book in order to fully appreciate it.

Billed as being Mulan meets the Song of Achilles, I had been anticipating this book since I first heard about it. I’d seen amazing things about it and fully expected it to be a 5 star read. Maybe my expectations were too high and that didn’t help.

The story line is certainly intriguing - a young girl born into poverty takes on her brother’s identity after he and her father die. Posing as a young boy she is able to gain admittance to a monastery and so is able to survive. Her brother was fated for greatness and she was told her fate was to be nothing so she decides that she will become him and claim his destiny. From then on, this desire for greatness affects every action and interaction. We follow several other characters who are all motivated by different things but driven in a similar single-minded fashion. What happens when these characters collide is nothing short of incendiary.

The writing is beautiful but at times very brutal with graphic depictions of violence, which I wasn’t really expecting although on reflection this was a time of war so that may be my mistake.

The exploration of gender and other people’s attitude towards it was fascinating, and the sapphic relationship was an interesting inclusion.

The pacing didn’t feel quite right to me. I found the first section of this book very engaging, but the middle sections were at times a little slow. The final section of the book wrapped up very quickly and I would have liked to have had more of a focus on this because it felt a little too rushed.

The changes between different characters’ points of view could be a little confusing and I wouldn’t always know who we were following. They could have done with being a little more distinct and with something to mark who’s point of view we were about to see.

Overall I did enjoy this book, it just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

She Who Became the Sun not only lived up to its hype but smashed my expectations – and build something so much better from the pieces.

This is an epic story about fate and identity – the fates and the identities we’re given, the ones expected of us, and the ones we take for ourselves.

Described as a reimagining of the rise of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor, She Who Became the Sun introduces us to two genderqueer main characters on opposing sides of conflict. Their stories are expertly woven together, and I am infinitely impressed by this author!

Parker-Chan’s writing is powerful and will stay with you for a long time. I can't wait for this to become a big hit and a permanent fixture of our tables!

This book is not my usual genre and a bit out of my comfort zone so I will leave it to other reviewers to give a much more detailed analysis of this historical fantasy.
She Who Became the Sun is based on the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang, the rebel leader who fought the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and subsequently founded the Ming dynasty in 14th century China. I know next to nothing about this period of China’s history, so can’t vouch for the historical accuracy but I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s exquisite writing and skilful storytelling. I was stunned to hear this is her debut novel.

Although there are several themes within this narrative, gender identity is at the core of the book, and it’s skilfully woven into the dual storyline. Together with Zhu’s single minded determination to achieve what she believes is her rightful destiny, whatever the cost, it makes for an intriguing and utterly gripping novel.

The characters are complex and powerfully defined, each with their own distinctive voice. They engendered some strong feelings in this reader, nothing bland or forgettable here!

Overall this, occasionally dark and brutal, tale of war, desire, love and duty, had me hooked from beginning to end and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

I would like to thank the publisher, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this one so much!! It was such a refreshing, unique read - the characters, the plot, the setting, were all absolutely fantastic. What really made this book was the characters; they practically jumped off the page, they felt so real and nuanced. Parker-Chan's writing just shines in this novel. Thank you to Netgalley and Parker-Chan for the chance to read this, I really enjoyed!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! A queer historical fantasy reimagining of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor. This novel is bold and beautiful. It will hook you from the start.

There is so much beauty and wonder in this book. Parker-Chan effortlessly weaves fact and fantasy together. Her world truly leaps from the page. I was enraptured from the start by the characters so real you could touch them. This is a book that'll grab your heartstrings and pull at them as you read. You'll find yourself at the edge of your seat at times.

My only issue with this was the representation of gender. With our MC specifically saying they didn't feel like a girl, it feels a little strange that the book continues to say 'she'. I would have liked to see this either explained more clearly or rephrased. They/them pronouns could have been used, similarly a transition to he/him pronouns to show how 'she' fully became Zhu Chongba.

I wanted to live in this world. I was not ready to leave it and I'm excited to see where it will take us next! I definitely recommend this book - it has something in it for everyone.

This story was a reimagining of the rise of a young girl from a famine-stricken village in Fourteenth Century China; described as a cross between Mulan and the Song Of Achilles, it certainly lives up to this high praise. It is a truly epic tale, filled with love, loss, and betrayal and I absolutely loved it. We see Zhu rise from almost certain death as she decides to take on the fate ascribed to her brother and escapes her village to a nearby monastery by hiding the gender assigned to her at birth and training to become a monk. The story follows her life as she moves from monk to warrior, using her keen intelligence to rise to prominence. The world building is intricate and beautifully done, the characters are flawed and real and the story itself is utterly absorbing. It manages to combine tender moments with brutal ones and weaves themes of war, love, duty and identity throughout. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel. Highly recommended.

Transporting 14th century China to a magical realist setting, combining elements of 'Mulan' and 'The Song of Achilles' is no doubt an ambitious project. Well, Shelley Parker-Chan has done it splendidly. It is not flawless and I would have preferred a much more conclusive ending, but that doesn't affect the immersive pleasure we are promised.
What I loved the most about the book is the narration. The first part is told entirely from the point of view of the girl who later poses as her brother Zhu Chongba. Her name is never revealed and remains a part of the desolated life she switched with her brother: unknown and unrecognised. Her perseverance and keen intelligence which even forces destiny to give her a helping hand glows brightly throughout finally taking into a physical form.
Once the other characters, especially Ouyang, start taking important roles, the narrative switches to multiple POVs. I thought this could be confusing in the beginning, but it did present the political situation rather well. Ouyang's side of the story was something to look forward to all the time.
Basic knowledge of Chinese history might give you a better understanding of the story (after all this is a reimagining of the life of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty with genderqueer characters), though it is not necessary. My grasp of ancient Chinese history is akin to zero and so some random search on Red Turbans helped a great deal. But as I have said, this is not needed if you don't want to bother too much about the history behind it. As always, this is a universal story. If you are a believer of predestined fates, Zhu Chongba's story may convince you otherwise.

i am not the biggest fantasy reader but i thought i was going to thoroughly enjoy this book. i found it was so intriguing in the monastery and i liked how the author didn’t shy away from the aspects of puberty that would impact her ability to pass as a man but i dnfed the book. after she got to the rebels city i thought the book slowed down and i lost interest in it. i would consider reading it again in future but it wasn’t the most engaging read

4/5 stars. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

She Who Became the Sun was a hugely ambitious book, but all the same it did not fall short of being incredible. I've seen it compared to Mulan, The Song of Achilles and The Poppy War, and it's true, She Who Became the Sun combines elements of all three, creating an extraordinarily powerful and heart-wrenching debut.

The plot and world building of She Who Became the Sun manages to be both intricate and immense. There's a close to perfect balance of action and character development, though I did find the second half to be a little bit too heavy on politics and detail at times (that said, I adored the first half, which was far more focused on the characters). Shelley Parker Chan truly manages to pack so much into this book, including but not limited to an extraordinarily detailed and well-developed setting; characters who I adored and will forever be thinking about (*coughs* Ouyang please I love you); vivid descriptions and explorations of desire, longing and yearning; complex and compelling relationships between characters; all while exploring the experiences of queer characters (both main and side) and those dealing with gender dysphoria. All in all, an astounding book.

Content warnings (provided by the author): Dysphoria, pre-existing non-consensual castration, misgendering, internalised homophobia, life-altering injury (amputation), ableist language, non-graphic depictions of death by torture, major character death, offscreen murder of a child, scenes depicting extreme hunger/starvation, graphic depiction of a person burning to death.

Really enjoyed this historically based fictional novel. Great atmosphere from village to monastery to warfare etc, A really compelling story.

A fictional fantasy story set in 14th century China, I found this story slow but gripping. I loved the Mulan aspects and found the darker tones of the story compelling. It felt like an adult fantasy even though I believe it’s ya . It felt like an epic fantasy which I just love! Would definitely read from this author again

I'm liking this style of historical fantasy. Really well-written and enjoyable and for once, I loved the romance aspect! Never thought I'd write that.

She Who Became the Sun is beautifully and carefully written, however, I found it slow-going in parts - particularly in the novel's first half. I was much more invested when the focus was on Zhu and Ma, and sometimes found myself willing the narrative to move quickly back to them. That said, the decision for which characters would provide the multiple POVs was definitely a clever one - it made for a more complete world-building, and a more well-rounded view.
I have a complicated relationship with fantasy, particularly fantasy with a more historical, warcraft heavy, focus, at the best of times - but I can certainly see why this was an immediate favourite for some people, it's a very elegantly crafted work. The pacing and plot are exemplary. I would like to go forth and read more about the real-world history which inspired the story.
I might not have loved She Who Became the Sun, but I do respect it, and I will probably continue to think about it for a while - I'll also most likely read the next installment in the trilogy.

This book left me speechless and wanting more and more and MORE.

Every now and then I had to stop reading, just so I could BREATHE.

It is a heavy book. But oh so beautiful. It's tragic and brutal.

I loved how real the characters were. How imperfect. But I felt for them.

Absolutely amazing!

I wanted to like this one more than I ended up doing. It's an interesting concept, but I felt like things happened too quickly for me to really absorb them. The amount of stuff squeezed into this book could honestly have filled a trilogy.

I did enjoy the ruthlessness of Zhu, the main character, as well as the exploration of gender and gender identity. Unsure about whether or not I'm going to read the next one - maybe a reread after a bit of distance will help me iron out some of the difficulties I had with this, because there's definitely a lot to appreciate about it.

Set in the 1300's in China controlled by Mongols, this is an epic narrative with complex characters who make difficult (and sometimes cruel) choices. When her brother died, the 'nothing' girl took on his identity and became Zhu Chongba with a fierce desire to survive -- no matter what. The monastery scenes are evocative, and I preferred them to battle scenes and dark moments later in the book -- though I did enjoy Ma Xiuying as a character and the relationship she develops with Zhu.

This was… not what I expected.

I went into She Who Became the Sun with high expectations and I think I set myself up for disappointment from that moment.

This was not what I imagined at all. I found it to be very, very slow and requiring a lot of focus for me to truly appreciate the world the author came up with.

The world is very rich and interesting, but I could not connect with any of the characters at all, and to be honest, I didn’t really care about any of them. I think this is the man reason why I found it so slow as the story is mainly character-driven.
I did like a couple of aspects of the world but they were background elements to the story, although it does seem they might be more important in the next book.

I can understand why so many people like it, but it simply wasn’t for me.

She Who Came the Sun is a historical/fantasy novel that sets up an epic narrative of war, fate and a sort of belonging (in your body, family, society, ancestors). I think The Song of Achilles/Mulan likeness was true, but there was so much more to this novel, it had layers and layers. It was a vivid, troubling, exciting, dramatic, and more.

I didn't see where the book was going from how it's set up, but it was fantastic to read something that felt so outside my expectations and imagination. That said, I really don't enjoy reading about war and personally I thought it lacked a likeable character (As opposed to the Song of Achilles that has Patroclus for example). I know it's not about liking characters and such, but I don't know if I would keep reading the next one since I don't feel like I care where these specific characters go. There's more a curiosity than an interest.

I did like the portrayal of the genderqueer characters. It was written so naturally and the way they tied their self-identity with fate was interesting. Especially so the mirroring and differences of the two characters, who sit at opposite sides and yet not so much.

I would definitely recommend it, but there is a warning of brutal violence.