She Who Became the Sun
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- Create Date：2021-07-22 07:51:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Shelley Parker-Chan
- ISBN：1529043395
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Summary
She’ll change the world to survive her fate 。 。 。
In Mongol-occupied imperial China， a peasant girl refuses her fate of an early death。 Stealing her dead brother’s identity to survive， she rises from monk to soldier， then to rebel commander。 Zhu’s pursuing the destiny her brother somehow failed to attain: greatness。 But all the while， she feels Heaven is watching。
Can anyone fool Heaven indefinitely， escaping what’s written in the stars？ Or can Zhu claim her own future， burn all the rules and rise as high as she can dream？
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a re-imagining of the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang。 Zhu was the peasant rebel who expelled the Mongols， unified China under native rule， and became the founding Emperor of the Ming Dynasty。
In Mongol-occupied imperial China， a peasant girl refuses her fate of an early death。 Stealing her dead brother’s identity to survive， she rises from monk to soldier， then to rebel commander。 Zhu’s pursuing the destiny her brother somehow failed to attain: greatness。 But all the while， she feels Heaven is watching。
Can anyone fool Heaven indefinitely， escaping what’s written in the stars？ Or can Zhu claim her own future， burn all the rules and rise as high as she can dream？
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a re-imagining of the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang。 Zhu was the peasant rebel who expelled the Mongols， unified China under native rule， and became the founding Emperor of the Ming Dynasty。
Reviews
rina dunn
，
I'm gonna need a moment to compose myself here because I finished this book and then I hugged it！ Yep I literally hugged this book because It is just sheer perfection。 Yep I said it！ Perfection。 As soon as I heard about She Who Became The Sun I knew I needed it and I wasn't wrong。 I do get a little intimidated though when I feel that strongly about a book I've not read yet because what if it doesn't live up to those super high expectations？ Well I need not have worried with this one because Shel I'm gonna need a moment to compose myself here because I finished this book and then I hugged it！ Yep I literally hugged this book because It is just sheer perfection。 Yep I said it！ Perfection。 As soon as I heard about She Who Became The Sun I knew I needed it and I wasn't wrong。 I do get a little intimidated though when I feel that strongly about a book I've not read yet because what if it doesn't live up to those super high expectations？ Well I need not have worried with this one because Shelley Parker Chan literally smashed them all！ I find myself repeatedly asking myself how this is a debut？ Like excuse me？ A what？ Nah that's not possible but apparently so。This beautiful book is historical fantasy but I would say more historical than fantasy， you're not gonna get a super fast paced， complicated magic system kinda fantasy here but you are gonna get some of the best writing I've probably ever read。 Did I always at every second understand what was going on？ No？ Did it really matter？ Because their beautiful storytelling， the way they write so intricately about war， and history is everything！ She Who Became The Sun is complex and rich and just absolutely epic。The characters are exquisite， It's impossible not to fall in love with Zhu but Ouyang captured my heart too！ Ugh！ The inclusivity， the way Shelley explores gender and queerness just， Its a masterpiece！ You know those books that you feel change you in some way that you can't ever really explain This did that for me。 It was never gonna be less than five stars from me。 I would honestly rate it a million if I could。 。。。more
Pallavi
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WOW， this book blew me away！ It was gripping， fast-paced， and exquisitely written。 The plot was savage and painful （especially towards the end）， but I still rooted for these morally ambiguous characters all the way through。
becka
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os personagens são muito… insossos， cenas que eram pra serem tristes ficam vazias porque tu não se importa direito。 A trama política está ali， mas também não vai muito pra frente e tudo é meio… conveniente？ a personagem principal é muito robótica， toda hora ela fala uma frase de efeito ou tem um pensamento fixo sobre como “precisa fazer algo” e “se tornar algo” mas seu psicológico não é desenvolvido então fica… chato？ o romance é tao ruim que dói， toda cena delas juntas é meio chata， aumentei a os personagens são muito… insossos， cenas que eram pra serem tristes ficam vazias porque tu não se importa direito。 A trama política está ali， mas também não vai muito pra frente e tudo é meio… conveniente？ a personagem principal é muito robótica， toda hora ela fala uma frase de efeito ou tem um pensamento fixo sobre como “precisa fazer algo” e “se tornar algo” mas seu psicológico não é desenvolvido então fica… chato？ o romance é tao ruim que dói， toda cena delas juntas é meio chata， aumentei a nota de 1。5 pra 2 porque as cenas finais foram realmente boas， certas mortes e planos dão um gancho legal pro futuro e o diálogo final entre zhu e ma é。。 muito legal de se ler。 。。。more
mace
，
This was arguably my most anticipated release of the year and boy did it deliver！ I have some minor nitpicks， but ultimately I'm so impressed with the massive tale that Parker-Chan condensed into this novel。 The novel's exploration of queerness， and especially genderqueerness， rings so incredibly true。 This book is a Chinese historical re-imagining with a hint of fantasy， but it also combines the scale of epic fantasy with the intimate， emotional character exploration that typically belongs to f This was arguably my most anticipated release of the year and boy did it deliver！ I have some minor nitpicks， but ultimately I'm so impressed with the massive tale that Parker-Chan condensed into this novel。 The novel's exploration of queerness， and especially genderqueerness， rings so incredibly true。 This book is a Chinese historical re-imagining with a hint of fantasy， but it also combines the scale of epic fantasy with the intimate， emotional character exploration that typically belongs to fanfiction （which the author has written their fair share of， I loved listening to them talk about it in this interview。 。。。more
Libby Brennan
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**3。5 starsI want to start off by saying that I am not the target audience for this book therefore my criticisms of this book are probably my own fault rather than the book itself。 The start of the book was great and so was the end of the book but it was the middle of the book that knocked a couple of stars off for me。 Because of the slow pace in the middle， the book just started to feel like a chore to read and that is something I never want in a book。 I think it was mainly down to my intense c **3。5 starsI want to start off by saying that I am not the target audience for this book therefore my criticisms of this book are probably my own fault rather than the book itself。 The start of the book was great and so was the end of the book but it was the middle of the book that knocked a couple of stars off for me。 Because of the slow pace in the middle， the book just started to feel like a chore to read and that is something I never want in a book。 I think it was mainly down to my intense confusion and lack of knowledge about the history of the book that I got a bit lost。 It all got a bit too political for my small brain。 However， once I trudged through the densest of the politics， I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 I would have liked to have more established side characters and more of a warning when the POV changes as I began to get slightly confused when it wasn't just Zhu's POV anymore。 I will be continuing this series as I think with a re-read I will better appreciate this book。 Thankyou to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for gifting me this ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Iza
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arc and finished copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。I hardly know where to start with this review。 I already had high expectations， but SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN absolutely blew me away！ This epic reimagining of the rise of the Ming dynasty's founding emperor follows the genderqueer monk Zhu Chongba， who was not born with that name or destiny for greatness; she stole both from her brother after a bandit attack left her the sole surviving member of her family。 Refusing arc and finished copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。I hardly know where to start with this review。 I already had high expectations， but SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN absolutely blew me away！ This epic reimagining of the rise of the Ming dynasty's founding emperor follows the genderqueer monk Zhu Chongba， who was not born with that name or destiny for greatness; she stole both from her brother after a bandit attack left her the sole surviving member of her family。 Refusing to accept her foretold destiny of nothingness， Zhu Chongba finds herself capable of anything if it means escaping fate。However， this story is much bigger than Zhu's！ Opposite her， the eunuch general Ouyang has his own struggles and fate to contend with。 Several points of view weave between theirs and reveal more about the world and characters in a way that made it nearly impossible to put this book down。 Despite the slow pace that perfectly matches other epic fantasies I've adored， such as The Poppy War and The Fifth Season， I feel like this book flew by and now I don't know what to do with myself！ And don't let the words slow-paced fool you into thinking this book is itself slow。 While there were moments to savor intense desire， details about the rich world， and deep internal conflict， Zhu took "0 to 100" as a motto to live by and I frequently found myself standing up in my seat， aghast at something I'd just read。 The betrayal！ The murder！ The raw desire！ Don't let the "Mulan" comparison fool you into thinking this is anything like Disney。It's so hard not to write an entire essay on each character。 Each one was so richly written， and I treasured so many of them。 Ouyang's conflict was so complex and devastating， Esen's pure heart and arc had me tearing up， and I can't truly get into my burning love for Ma Xiuying and Xu Da without most likely spilling a ton of spoilers about their journeys。 I'm amazed at the number of moving pieces and the way so many conflicting plans and desires came together to craft this truly great story， and I can tell a lot of care and genius went into it。 I can only dream of one day having the talent to properly put my feelings about books like these into words， but every page of Parker-Chan's debut shines with pure ability。 Dialogue， emotions， action， and the world came together in an efficacious writing style I can only describe with my limited vocabulary and aptitude as *chef's kiss。* I love stories based on classics and history that preserve the feel of ancient epics but without making my eyes cross the same way classics do， and Shelley Parker-Chan nailed this perfectly。 While I found the comparisons to The Song of Achilles less applicable plotwise— it mostly focuses on the "enemy，" which is far too simple a word for them， and in the immortal words of Rebecca Roanhorse， "Patroclus could never"— the gorgeous writing style felt perfect for the time period in the same way TSOA's writing felt perfect for a story set in Ancient Greece， while still being easy for modern eyes （like mine， regrettably。。。 one day I'll actually read a classic。。。 one day）。 I realize I'm making a lot of comparisons here， and I by no means want to diminish the originality and brilliance of She Who Became the Sun。 I'm simply floored that this book has so many elements of some of my favorite books of all time and joined their ranks so quickly， and if you loved anything I've mentioned or the comp titles， you're sure to love it as well。 I am desperately awaiting the continuation and truly can't recommend this enough。 Forget whatever destiny your TBR has for you and seize greatness （aka SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN） for yourself！ 。。。more
Zara
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this was my most anticipated release of the year and it did NOT disappoint。// full review to come :^]
Colleen Corgel
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This is more a 3。75 Stars。 This is a complex book with some complex characters that have pretty simple motivations。 It is also a slow and methodical historical fantasy that often times just crawls。 There's a character that might shape up to be the moral center of the series， but may just be beaten down by all the ruthless machinations of holding political power in China during Mongol rule。I think one of the things that fascinates me about the book is that， aside from one or two of the characters This is more a 3。75 Stars。 This is a complex book with some complex characters that have pretty simple motivations。 It is also a slow and methodical historical fantasy that often times just crawls。 There's a character that might shape up to be the moral center of the series， but may just be beaten down by all the ruthless machinations of holding political power in China during Mongol rule。I think one of the things that fascinates me about the book is that， aside from one or two of the characters， everyone has very clear wants， especially to rule this little pocket of China near the northern boarder of the Mongol lands。 Our lead is a nameless woman who takes the name of her brother， Zhu when he dies after an attack on their village。 The nameless woman wasn't deemed special， but Zhu was prophesied to become great， so when she takes her brother's name， Zhu is driven to be 'great'。 The people she meets on her journey are varying degrees of horrible， with the exception of her best friend and her love interest。 I love that her friend， Xu Da， is a complex guy who is just， well nice， and a bit of a Casanova。 He's sweet， makes mistakes and is guilty for them， and is just super down to earth。 He， along with the general's daughter Ma Xiuying， are the two characters that ground the book。 Ma Xiuying is an interesting character， because I believe she's going to be something more than just Zhu's conscience in human form （there are some supernatural things going on with Zhu as well）。 She is the center of kindness and empathy in this book。 I think without her pushing back as much as she can against the people in her orbit， this would just be a bleak exercise of Machiavellian politics。 I'm interested to see if Zhu will actually listen to Ma， and what Ma will do。 She's not naïve， but demands better of Zhu， because she knows there are other ways to gain power than blood and backstabbing。 I loved the characters， the setting and the time period of this book。 It's just that sometimes it just felt so slow at times。 There's also not alot of hope or lightness in the story。 It is violent， but not gratuitously so， but still disturbing none the less。 Zhu is a strong lead， but I don't know if I like her all that much。 Which is fine！ I love that I have a queer lead who is morally gray。 She's interesting and I can't wait to keep reading about what she is going to do， with Ma at her side。 For a debut author， this is an amazing feat。 I am here for these characters， I just hope the pacing gets picked up a bit as the story moves forward。 * I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Reading_ Tam_ Ishly
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Need this book because the dragon can burn my fingertips when I'm holding the book。 Aren't you too beautiful？ Need this book because the dragon can burn my fingertips when I'm holding the book。 Aren't you too beautiful？ 。。。more
Gabriele | QueerBookdom
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DRC provided by Pan Macmillan via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Representation: genderqueer Chinese protagonist， Chinese secondary and tertiary characters， Mongolian secondary and tertiary characters， queer Chinese secondary characters， queer Mongolian secondary character。Content Warning: death， violence， mention of massacres， homophobia， misogyny， sexism， war， colonisation。She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is the phenomenal beginning of the “The Radiant Emperor” series DRC provided by Pan Macmillan via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Representation: genderqueer Chinese protagonist， Chinese secondary and tertiary characters， Mongolian secondary and tertiary characters， queer Chinese secondary characters， queer Mongolian secondary character。Content Warning: death， violence， mention of massacres， homophobia， misogyny， sexism， war， colonisation。She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is the phenomenal beginning of the “The Radiant Emperor” series， a queer retelling of the ascent of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty。After losing her remaining family， Zhu decides to take her brother’s name and thanks to sheer determination she manages to join a nearby monastery as a male novice。 The years pass and the monastery， showing no allegiance neither to the Mongol invaders nor the rebels， prosper until the fearsome eunuch general Ouyang burns it to the ground。 Zhu， then， begins her journey towards the greatness promised for the name Zhu Chongba。I love starting a book with the highest expectations and it still managing to reduce them to ashes because of how great it is！ And She Who Became the Sun did exactly that。 I loved it so much and even though I knew I would have loved it before starting it， I was not sure about how much。 I am in awe of it。 I have literally no negative feedback about it。 I loved the pace， the characters and their own complexities， the fact that the comparison titles completely and perfectly encapsulate the book and the writing style。This book is perfection to me （also， look at both the UK and US covers！ I will put money aside to buy the US edition as well because I need them both） and I will never stop recommending it to everyone。 。。。more
Angela
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Spoiler Free Video Review: https://youtu。be/FwPu6ocAJ0kOne of the darker military fantasy books I have read in awhile。 The first chapter wastes no time setting the theme and situation our main character is born into。 Speaking of Zhu， they are fascinating legend in the making character to follow， probably my favorite ever and I am excited to continue this series just to see that character's journey。 I was also happily surprised when we got more point of views in the second part of the book。 It Spoiler Free Video Review: https://youtu。be/FwPu6ocAJ0kOne of the darker military fantasy books I have read in awhile。 The first chapter wastes no time setting the theme and situation our main character is born into。 Speaking of Zhu， they are fascinating legend in the making character to follow， probably my favorite ever and I am excited to continue this series just to see that character's journey。 I was also happily surprised when we got more point of views in the second part of the book。 It really add more layers to the world and political tensions。 All in all I really enjoyed reading this one， the reasons why I didn't love it， or that it didn't become a new favorite for me was that I felt a bit distant from the characters and had some pacing issues in the middle but I am excited to pick up the sequel when it comes out！ 。。。more
Jo Ladzinski
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Read a NetGalley eARC from the publisherContent warning: Famine， poverty， flaying， plague， war， queerphobia， misogyny， immolation， dismembermentA girl’s family dies in a famine-stricken village at the hands of despair and bandits。 Instead of succumbing to her nothing fate， so takes on her brother’s name， Zhu Chongba， and takes on his destiny of greatness。 She joins a monastery， gets enlisted in the army， and seeks greatness at every turn。 On the opposite side of war， there is Ouyang， the eunuch Read a NetGalley eARC from the publisherContent warning: Famine， poverty， flaying， plague， war， queerphobia， misogyny， immolation， dismembermentA girl’s family dies in a famine-stricken village at the hands of despair and bandits。 Instead of succumbing to her nothing fate， so takes on her brother’s name， Zhu Chongba， and takes on his destiny of greatness。 She joins a monastery， gets enlisted in the army， and seeks greatness at every turn。 On the opposite side of war， there is Ouyang， the eunuch general， whose everything was taken from him by the family he serves。My official review is one long joyous screech of hype。 This book has so many things I love， such as character archetypes and depictions of betrayal。 The balance between political intrigue and epic battles is masterful， as are the parallels between Ouyang and Zhu。If you heard a high-pitched screech at around midnight on 7/20/2021， that was me finishing the book。 I’m not sorry。 This book has so many things I loved that I fell into a blissful haze upon finishing。Both Ouyang and Zhu are genderqueer。 Both have their assigned genders and their assigned roles， but their identity and presentation don’t quite fit 。 The world-building isn’t explicitly queerphobic， but there are moments where it’s clear that the world is not queer-norm。 The introspection here is top-notch。 One of my favorite character journeys is taking on a role for a purpose that isn’t just “become boy to do boy thing even though I’m totally a girl。” Zhu becomes a monk because she won’t achieve greatness if she starves to death。 Ouyang makes the decisions he does as a general for reasons that get into deep spoiler territory。 These two are on mirrored paths， both inadvertently running towards destinies of their own making。 It’s effective and evocative。The way Parker-Chan weaves together political intrigue and epic battles gives this book phenomenal pacing。 There’s a sense of “oh， I can’t wait to see what the consequences are here” after each character interaction。 The writing is also cinematic in a way worthy of an epic。 There is no room for misinterpretation， which works incredibly well for a reveal at the very end of the book。 It’s gorgeous， it made me squeal。 The prose also has a folkloric quality to it that beautifully works with the scale of the story itself。I’ll find myself curled up in a corner， glowing， and eagerly awaiting what comes next for both Zhu and Ouyang。 。。。more
sam w
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I pretty much enjoyed most of this book， considering it has a lot of similarities to The Poppy War series （some similarities were really， really close 👀）。 I really enjoyed all the scheming and double-crossing， the thematic writing and the prose， the gender queer characters mirroring each other and how heart-breakingly （at times） queer everything was。 I do think that the beginning felt a little rushed， so it was harder to connect to Zhu's character at times。 The time jumps of Zhu's time at the mo I pretty much enjoyed most of this book， considering it has a lot of similarities to The Poppy War series （some similarities were really， really close 👀）。 I really enjoyed all the scheming and double-crossing， the thematic writing and the prose， the gender queer characters mirroring each other and how heart-breakingly （at times） queer everything was。 I do think that the beginning felt a little rushed， so it was harder to connect to Zhu's character at times。 The time jumps of Zhu's time at the monastery felt disjointed？ I wish we'd gotten more time with them growing up and accepting their destiny than we did。 I also wish this book wasn't promoted as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles because it's only very very loosely linked to either of those tbh and I think that sets potential readers up for a story they aren't getting。 This isn't a story about romance， despite the presence of two relationships。 This is story about ambition and will and survival。 This is a story about people willing to do whatever and sacrifice everything to achieve the great and terrible destinies they believe they're owed。 Also， uh。 There's a fisting scene that I know I was not prepared for。 Just a whole hand up in there。 So， fair warning if you plan to listen to this book while on public transit。 。。。more
anna ✩
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4 stars！ My brain is all over the place after reading this。 She Who Became the Sun is said to be a Mulan meets Song of Achilles， queer and lyrical。 It is absolutely all of those things。 The writing in this book is phenomenal， I felt like I was reading an old fairytale all throughout。 However， please be prepared for this to be a different kind of fantasy book。 This book is dark and the characters are unforgiving and fighting with all they've got to achieve what they want to be their futures。 The 4 stars！ My brain is all over the place after reading this。 She Who Became the Sun is said to be a Mulan meets Song of Achilles， queer and lyrical。 It is absolutely all of those things。 The writing in this book is phenomenal， I felt like I was reading an old fairytale all throughout。 However， please be prepared for this to be a different kind of fantasy book。 This book is dark and the characters are unforgiving and fighting with all they've got to achieve what they want to be their futures。 The characters are complex， there are heavy descriptions of war and strategy and politics。 It is lyrical and immersing and powerful。 She Who Became the Sun starts with two children: a boy and a girl。 The boy is given a fate to be great， and the girl is given a fate to be nothing。 When the boy dies after a rebel attack， the girl uses her brother's identity to claim the fate of greatness that he was meant to have。 This is a brilliant debut with a unique story and powerful writing style。 。。。more
anna|moss
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I love this book。 Every single part of it。 I loved the characters， their arcs and their immensely interesting relationships。 Every relationship dynamic—be it romance， friendship， animosity， or something in between—is incredibly fleshed out and every character feels so alive， you expect them to jump off the page and appear right in front of you。 She Who Became The Sun is a beautiful， heartbreaking story with lush prose and unforgettable characters that won't leave you disappointed。 Best fantasy d I love this book。 Every single part of it。 I loved the characters， their arcs and their immensely interesting relationships。 Every relationship dynamic—be it romance， friendship， animosity， or something in between—is incredibly fleshed out and every character feels so alive， you expect them to jump off the page and appear right in front of you。 She Who Became The Sun is a beautiful， heartbreaking story with lush prose and unforgettable characters that won't leave you disappointed。 Best fantasy debut of 2021 so far。 。。。more
Sarah
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5 stars！CW: gore， war scenes， public execution， child killed off screen， mutilation， starvation， body dysphoria， ableist language， misogyny， internalized homophobia， self-hatred， graphic sex scene （sapphic）， no rape or SA tho！This。。。。 is Parker-Chan's debut novel？ How？？ It was pitched as a mix of Mulan and The song of Achilles， two stories I dearly love so my expectations were astronomically high。 The fact that it exceeded them still is astonishing to me。 I haven't read such a complex adult fant 5 stars！CW: gore， war scenes， public execution， child killed off screen， mutilation， starvation， body dysphoria， ableist language， misogyny， internalized homophobia， self-hatred， graphic sex scene （sapphic）， no rape or SA tho！This。。。。 is Parker-Chan's debut novel？ How？？ It was pitched as a mix of Mulan and The song of Achilles， two stories I dearly love so my expectations were astronomically high。 The fact that it exceeded them still is astonishing to me。 I haven't read such a complex adult fantasy book riddled with morally grey anti-heroes in forever and I adored every scheming bit of it。 It's hard to talk about the main plot without spoiling some of it so spoilers ahead！ I see where the Mulan influence comes in， Zhu being AFAB but taking on her dead brothers identity and therefore his destiny that guaranteed greatness instead of her nothingness can be read as a more fleshed out Mulan take。 The TsoA influence was lost on me though because there was no tenderness or romance between Ouyang and Esen to be found。 Instead we got painful yearning and lingering glances between them， clear and at times difficult to read misogyny from Ouyang's POV due to jealousy and self-hatred for his own physical form and the last showdown between them？ It was so intense and dramatic， I couldn't believe it was actually happening！ So many times fantasy novels have no consequences or use plot armor to keep characters morally pure and save others from death but not with this story。 Despite the terrible things Ouyang does， I felt for him。 How could he not avenge his family that was killed by Esen's father who then stole his fertility via mutilation and made him live with the shame and knowledge that he'll be the last one of his line？ The fact that he did love Esen despite all of that manifested in sever internalized homophobia and denial in him。。。 So much nuance and complexity for most characters in this book is what makes it stand out！ Zhu was a delight to read about。 I love her will and desire to take on her brother's fate no matter what it costs。 She goes from living as a Monk to becoming a warrior and now striving to be the next Emperor。 The character growth she goes through is beyond complex and I absolutely adored every bit of her gender identity struggles and exploration throughout the eventful journey。 Also the kinship she felt as soon as she saw Ouyang for the first time was beautiful。 Meeting someone who also doesn't conform as their biological sex sparks mutual understanding and I wish that they could've had a bonding moment or two but since they were on rival teams to begin with I knew it wouldn't be possible。 I also adored Zhu's relationship with her own desire versus staying true to her destiny。 Ma Xiyang sure shuffles things up for her but their budding love for each other was done so tastefully and when Zhu finally revealed her body to Ma and thus her big secret everything fell into place。 The shock， the confusion but then the attraction and array of possibilities it meant for Ma made it a no brainer for her to marry Zhu。 I'm excited to see what their relationship has in store for the sequel， but I bet it won't be all smooth sailing。 All in all I loved every dramatic， twisty bit of it albeit some strategic scenes were hard to follow sometimes。 The prose was stunning， the characters have depth and make you root for them despite questionable actions and the queerness woven throughout this dark tale was done tastefully。 I can't wait for the sequel！！ 。。。more
Elana
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i dont even know what to say。 i’ll cobble a review together when it isn’t 1:32am
Katie
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This book was so beautifully written and such a unique reading experience。 While I certainly do see the resemblance to The Song of Achilles and Mulan as it says in the description， this book went far beyond being just another version of another story。 It blurred the lines between so-called "good" and "bad" so artfully， featuring a cast of characters so flawed and yet so compelling that I found myself completely sucked into the world。 Admittedly， I did struggle through some of the middle section This book was so beautifully written and such a unique reading experience。 While I certainly do see the resemblance to The Song of Achilles and Mulan as it says in the description， this book went far beyond being just another version of another story。 It blurred the lines between so-called "good" and "bad" so artfully， featuring a cast of characters so flawed and yet so compelling that I found myself completely sucked into the world。 Admittedly， I did struggle through some of the middle section of the book as the plot felt as though it had plateaued for a bit in order to introduce new characters， but once I reached a certain point， I absolutely couldn't put the book down until I had finished。 Shelley Parker-Chan is an unbelievably talented writer and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series to come out。 This book wasn't exactly what I thought it would be- I expected a modified Mulan retelling and ended up with a gut-wrenching story of betrayal， ambition， and fate- but I enjoyed it all the more for it。 。。。more
Melody C
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I have been waiting for this book for a year， only to read a book where I literally hated every character except for 2， one of which died and the other one probably close to it。 The thing is， I can tell what the author was trying to do with the characterizations， but it's difficult to write unlikable characters who you still can understand and root for， and I did not carry one shred of affinity for Zhu by the end of the book。 Despite being the main character， she felt very one-note and every vic I have been waiting for this book for a year， only to read a book where I literally hated every character except for 2， one of which died and the other one probably close to it。 The thing is， I can tell what the author was trying to do with the characterizations， but it's difficult to write unlikable characters who you still can understand and root for， and I did not carry one shred of affinity for Zhu by the end of the book。 Despite being the main character， she felt very one-note and every victory she got felt completely undeserved。 In fact， I may spite read the second book just to see if she gets an unhappy ending。 。。。more
Jason
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The early part about the struggles of monk training is pretty good; it would make an entertaining （if not particularly original） novella。Afterwards， well。。。I like the queer representation/storyline。 And it's cool to see the history of a real-life powerful Asian figure in mainstream media， which is not too common at all。But politicking is only sometimes interesting to me， and war rarely。 The author doesn't do anything to elevate these aspects above run-of-the-mill， and they eat up most of the sto The early part about the struggles of monk training is pretty good; it would make an entertaining （if not particularly original） novella。Afterwards， well。。。I like the queer representation/storyline。 And it's cool to see the history of a real-life powerful Asian figure in mainstream media， which is not too common at all。But politicking is only sometimes interesting to me， and war rarely。 The author doesn't do anything to elevate these aspects above run-of-the-mill， and they eat up most of the story。 I'm also not convinced that the secondary POVs are essential at all to build the plot or character development。 。。。more
Solace_In_Reading
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7/20/2021ignore the fact that it took me a long time to read this: this and Iron Widow are my #1 books of 2021 and i hope everyone gets to read them！！！ review on my blog Solace in Reading。
Simone
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Yep， this book was ALL THE THINGS I was expecting it to be and then some。 I can't believe it's over。 While this book is compared to Mulan， I think it's far from it。 If anything， this read more like The Poppy Wars。 If you're a fan of literary fiction， historical fiction， military fantasy， stories with gender identity， queer relationships， or even stories that will flip you on your head， then I invite you to read this book。 This is THE book and it was massive and lush and powerful and so damn surp Yep， this book was ALL THE THINGS I was expecting it to be and then some。 I can't believe it's over。 While this book is compared to Mulan， I think it's far from it。 If anything， this read more like The Poppy Wars。 If you're a fan of literary fiction， historical fiction， military fantasy， stories with gender identity， queer relationships， or even stories that will flip you on your head， then I invite you to read this book。 This is THE book and it was massive and lush and powerful and so damn surprising。 I'm going to have some spoilers in here （nothing too wild， but hinting at some bigger events in the story）， so proceed with caution。Honestly， it's been a while since I've read a book of this magnitude and I need to shout it from the rooftops。 This is one of the best books I've read all year。 This is definitely a character-driven story more than it is plot-driven， but the characters were so utterly realized and felt so real and flawed that I couldn't stop reading。 It's a bit of a slow burn as well， so be prepared to sit down and take your sweet time getting into this story。 It's also not for the feint of heart。 There's no lovely romance between two characters。 There's no designations between "good" and "evil" characters。 This is about ambition， drive， and the ability to overcome any obstacle in your way to a greater purpose。There's two sides of this story because there's two different groups of people fighting each other for supreme reign of the kingdom。 There's the Red Turbans and the Mongols。 There's also two main characters; Zhu and Ouyang。 Zhu represents the Red Turbans （who first starts off as a monk） and Ouyang is a Mongol。 I was a little confused when I started reading because Zhu had such a strong opening， but Ouyang doesn't come into the picture until a bit later。 When Ouyang started having his own perspective in the novel， I was thrown a bit。 But once I started realizing that there's two main characters， then things started to make sense。Your first main character， Zhu Chongba is a red turban， but she didn't become a red turban as quickly as you could imagine。 No， she first started as a terrified young girl who's father and brother just died。 I absolutely loved reading where Zhu came from。 From being a starving peasant to becoming a monk and then finally the commander of one of the red turban factions， Zhu has been fighting all her life to survive; to become something more than the nothing fate she was handed at birth。 Zhu was probably one of the most complex characters I've read。 She was born with no name， no fate， and no reasons to live other than to serve her father and brother。 She originally took her brother's name in order to survive， but the fact that he was fated to be great， she internalized that and ruthlessly fought her way to the very top。 What started off as a means to survive drove her to become the leader of her own empire。And her fight was brutal。 Filled with backstabbing and betrayal， Zhu did everything in her power to get what she wanted。 She's constantly fighting herself as well trying to push out the nothing fate she was dealt and living the great fate her brother was handed。 It was really interesting to see Zhu's psychology while she did the things she did。The other character worth noting is Ouyang。 OMG Ouyang and I hope no one sleeps on him because he's truly such an interesting character。 He's first seen at Zhu's monastery as the Mongols destroyed and disbanded all the monks living there。 Ouyang is described to be an effeminate man who could easily pass as a woman。 Ouyang was enslaved to Esen （the Prince of Henan's） family， but over time he earned his way to becoming his general fighting alongside the Mongols despite his people actually coming from their opponents。 Ouyang is also a eunuch not by choice。 No， his family was slaughtered and was told by the Mongol Emperor that there would never be another Ouyang produced ever again。 His past is brutal and it fueled him for years as he plotted his revenge。 But the most interesting part of the story is that he's also absolutely in love with Esen （his captor， his best friend， and his commander）。 The man who has enslaved him and helped slaughter his family is also the love of his life and I can't even imagine the turmoil that must have gone through Ouyang's head and heart as he enacted his revenge。 OMG， the emotions running through me as he struggled with his own emotions。There is a relationship between Zhu and Ouyang that does play out。 Being on opposite sides of this great fight， there was going to be some derision， but at the same time I felt like they saw a little bit of themselves in each other。 It was interesting to see。There is a slight fantasy element to the story。 It was surprising how subtle it was because I imagined people using magic or there being some magical creatures。 But the fantasy components were interesting and the way they designated people as "Heaven's Mandate。" It's like any monarchy that believes they're appointed by a higher being and the fantasy elements in this book were that appointment。 I thought it was interesting， especially the way it plays out towards the end of the book。It surprised me utterly to find out that this was based on real people and the real Emperor of the Ming Dynasty。 I don't know much about this point in Chinese history， but digging around the Internet after reading the book， I thought it was fantastic that Shelley Parker-Chan utilized these characters to create a story all their own。 It was truly masterful。I will say that the pacing was a bit slow for me。 I wanted there to be a few more battles or conflicts between bouts of strategizing and plotting， but being a character-driven story， the focus was more on the people rather than the events。 Overall， this was quite a story filled with history and culture and some of the most interesting characters I've read in a while。 I'm really excited for book two and I will probably end up reading this one again in the future。Thanks Tor Books for the gifted read。 。。。more
Jenna Lee
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1，000，000/5 stars。 I have a lot of feelings about this book。 All amazing。 Go read it。
The Captain
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Ahoy there me mateys！ I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 So here be me honest musings 。 。 。This book lured me in with its promise of a story of a girl who takes the place of her dead brother who had been destined for greatness。 It is set during the timeframe leading to the founding of the Ming Dynasty in China。 There is also LTGBQ+ representation。 This should have been a recipe for love。 Instead， I sadly got an abandoned ship at 32%。To be fair， I Ahoy there me mateys！ I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 So here be me honest musings 。 。 。This book lured me in with its promise of a story of a girl who takes the place of her dead brother who had been destined for greatness。 It is set during the timeframe leading to the founding of the Ming Dynasty in China。 There is also LTGBQ+ representation。 This should have been a recipe for love。 Instead， I sadly got an abandoned ship at 32%。To be fair， I loved the set up and the beginning of the novel。 I enjoyed how the main character， Zhu， is so determined to live that she rejects her fate and steals the path of her dead brother。 Is she really going against her fate or was the switch fated all along？ I felt that her time in the famine and the destruction of her family was extremely evocative and engrossing。 I also enjoyed her time in the monastery。 However， there are huge jumps in time where we miss Zhu's personal development and this leads to a series of vignettes without the connective tissue。 I wanted the missing sections and， frankly， found the given plot to be rather boring。 The pace was uneven。 Then the author chose to add in some new POVs。 I didn't mind the introduction to Ma but really didn't enjoy the sections of the eunuch Ouyang which were tiresome。 The last straw for me was how easily Zhu helped win her first battle。 As the book progressed， Zhu accomplished her goals with very little insight into her thought-process and seemingly little hardship。This book ended up not to me taste。 But given how many five star reviews I have seen， I am in the minority。 Arrr！So lastly 。 。 。Thank you Macmillian/Tor-Forge！ 。。。more
Valerie Molina
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It was a good book
Cianna Sunshine & Mountains Book Reviews
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Things I love History， Badass Women， Humor， and non-traditional gender roles。 This book has all that and more。 I adored it。 I was the girl who grew up on Mulan。 She’s always been my favorite， she’s tough， she’s hardworking and she just wants to make a difference， and damn if this book didn’t take that feeling and make it even better。 This book is 5 stars！ I loved this book！ You need to check it out because it’s just such a well-written book， with a nuanced main character and the idea that someti Things I love History， Badass Women， Humor， and non-traditional gender roles。 This book has all that and more。 I adored it。 I was the girl who grew up on Mulan。 She’s always been my favorite， she’s tough， she’s hardworking and she just wants to make a difference， and damn if this book didn’t take that feeling and make it even better。 This book is 5 stars！ I loved this book！ You need to check it out because it’s just such a well-written book， with a nuanced main character and the idea that sometimes you have to be different to fit in， and what makes your difference can make you a leader。 This alternate history shows us how a young girl who was considered worthless can rise to the highest position possible and change the world。 It’s got war， romance， friendship， and heartbreak but that’s what makes it great！ I will be recommending this book to random people in bookstores for the foreseeable future。 It's so good。Highly recommend this book！ 。。。more
Tesa
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Thank you Tor for an ARC of She Who Became the Sun！Forget Mulan x The Song of Achilles。 This book was Game of Thrones （the show at least） written as a literary fiction novel with less of the magic and more discussion of gender。This story was brutal and dense， full of war and politics， and its pacing had the feel of a history book （it is truly a retelling of the rise of the Ming Dynasty）。 Meanwhile the writing was that of a literary fiction novel I could have read during school （complete with a p Thank you Tor for an ARC of She Who Became the Sun！Forget Mulan x The Song of Achilles。 This book was Game of Thrones （the show at least） written as a literary fiction novel with less of the magic and more discussion of gender。This story was brutal and dense， full of war and politics， and its pacing had the feel of a history book （it is truly a retelling of the rise of the Ming Dynasty）。 Meanwhile the writing was that of a literary fiction novel I could have read during school （complete with a plethora😉of SAT words）。 To be clear， this is not a bad thing！ But it is likely something you have to be in the mood for and go into expecting lest you be disappointed。 This was an objectively good book （OMG THE WRITING） that will likely rate higher on a reread。 But， with the state of mind I was in and expectations I had going into reading this book for the first time， it felt like a solid 3 stars。I loved the parallels between Zhu and Ouyang as two sides of the same coin as well as the exploration of gender identity and gender roles （particularly as an East Asian woman）。 However， I wish we had stuck with their POVs more as the others kind of muddled the story for me after only getting Zhu's POV in Part 1。 Additionally， Zhu and Ma’s relationship dynamic and their conversations about desire and fate were definitely the highlight of the story for me。 I am very much looking forward to how Zhu and Ouyang’s stories play out after all the events in the last 40 pages。😳🤯In summary， She Who Became the Sun is a great read but not at all what I expected。 Think less fantasy， more historical fiction。 。。。more
Orianne
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Wow is the only way I can describe She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan。This book was addictive from the front cover to the back page。 Fate is a precarious matter。 A matter that the peasant girl destined for nothingness decides to take charge of by sheer will and might。 Being reminded day in and day out that her older brother is fated for greatness。 An unexpected event changes the trajectory of her entire future。 Desperate to change her future the peasant girl grasps her brother's ident Wow is the only way I can describe She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan。This book was addictive from the front cover to the back page。 Fate is a precarious matter。 A matter that the peasant girl destined for nothingness decides to take charge of by sheer will and might。 Being reminded day in and day out that her older brother is fated for greatness。 An unexpected event changes the trajectory of her entire future。 Desperate to change her future the peasant girl grasps her brother's identity and seeks the freedom and purpose to forever change her destiny。 This epic story does a fantastic job at delivering a complex and compelling story that leaves you wanting more。 The excellence of the story is found in the characters and intelligent explorations of themes such as destiny， ambition and survival。 The opening of the book immediately reminded me of The Poppy War by R。F Kuang。 Seeing a character-driven and determined to go against all the odds and destiny has planned and reached their own desires and goals。 That is what initially got me hooked on the story。 For Parker-Chan's debut novel She Who Became the Sun， is outstanding。Parker-Chan blends history with fiction effortlessly。 Witnessing Zhu Yuanzhang's rise to power and founding of the Ming Dynasty in 14th century China。 The story is brutal， powerful and captivating。 The clever lyrical prose showcases a war-torn period on the brink of a revolution that keeps you at the edge of your seat。 Along with the political intrigue， high stakes and loyalties that are put to the test I am buzzing for book 2。 Now characters。The strong point for the novel overall。 Each character major or minor is crafted with complexity and rememberable individuality。 Highlighting how identity is at the heart of the story's message main conflict and intertwined plots （especially once you meet Ouyang） Zhu determination to achieve greatness regardless of the cost is mesmerising as it is intense。 Which makes her commit to actions that are morally questionable。 Yet， I could not get enough of her。 Zhu was so damn appealing。 Zhu puts herself and her agenda at the forefront。 While on a superficial level it might appear selfish but Parker-Chan makes it far more complex。Zhu does what is necessary but she willingly suffers the cost and witnesses the repercussions it has on other people。 Sure it makes her a questionable or heck even problematic character but it makes an interesting character as well。 Where's the fun in characters if they are always morally 'good' or 'bad'？ Seeing the blurring and distortion of what is even seen as 'morally grey' is a smart move by Parker-Chan which illustrates their skilful writing。 The exploration of gender and gender identity， woven into the fabric of the story with ease and grace。 Just like it made to be part and parcel of the story and bold fully too。 Parker-Chan does wonderfully examine gender/gender identity in a nuanced way that echoes the many discussions in a refreshing manner。 My only minor critique is the pacing for part 2 of the story was kind of slow but I can forgive that because the story kept me engaged。 Overall， She Who Became the Sun is an immersive masterpiece that strikes a great balance between great characters， worldbuilding and thematic exploration。 I can't wait to see what book 2 has to offer。4。5/5 stars read。 The thoughts and opinions above are my own。Thanks very much to Pan Macmillan for an e-arc via NetGallery in exchange for an honest reviewAlso please view the author's website for a list of trigger warnings prior to reading 。。。more
Kevin
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4 stars， a really strong debut with some fantastic use of imageryShe Who Became the Sun bills itself as part reimagining of the founding of the historical Ming dynasty and part reimagining of Mulan。 The story follows her as she goes from merely trying to survive by adopting the name of her dead brother to actively accruing power and many of the book's best moments come from our protagonist， Zhu's scheming to get more。 The novel hints that Zhu is slowly being corrupted by power and that her motiv 4 stars， a really strong debut with some fantastic use of imageryShe Who Became the Sun bills itself as part reimagining of the founding of the historical Ming dynasty and part reimagining of Mulan。 The story follows her as she goes from merely trying to survive by adopting the name of her dead brother to actively accruing power and many of the book's best moments come from our protagonist， Zhu's scheming to get more。 The novel hints that Zhu is slowly being corrupted by power and that her motivations are slowly becoming nefarious so I look forward to seeing that aspect developed in the sequels。 Zhu herself is an interesting character who understands political pragmatism and ambition but is hampered by the circumstances of her birth and the reality of society around her。 Despite her slow turn to cruelty， it's still surprisingly easy to root for her much of the time because of just how much she has overcome to be where she is and how capably she responds to serious setbacks。That said， the book isn't without its flaws。 The pacing can trip up from time to times。 It's first noticeable in the section between Zhu studying at the monastery and eventually becoming a soldier。 The book suddenly shifts to multiple POVs in a way that is a bit jarring and feels like it derails Zhu's story ever so slightly。 The biggest pacing issue comes near the end though with pieces falling into place a little to quickly to get Zhu to her new position。 After what felt like a much slower and steadier pace to get to this point， I was a bit taken aback how the whole plan leapt forward by a few bounds in the final pages and I think this section could have been drawn out a bit more。 That aside， it is a really well done book and I admire Parker-Chan's use of imagery throughout the book which often gives the novel a cinematic quality and makes it easy to picture every scene。 。。。more
Joyfully Jay
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A Joyfully Jay review。 5 starsI want to start this review by stating， as a simple fact: I love this book。 This is a wonderful， poignant， cruel， and thoughtful book and I want you to love it as much as I do。 It’s a story about selfishness， the selfishness of wanting to live， of wanting to be worth living。 Of grabbing hold of your own destiny — even if it comes from stealing someone else’s — and grief， loss， love， and the pain of love。 Of loving who you can’t， not being able to love as you should， A Joyfully Jay review。 5 starsI want to start this review by stating， as a simple fact: I love this book。 This is a wonderful， poignant， cruel， and thoughtful book and I want you to love it as much as I do。 It’s a story about selfishness， the selfishness of wanting to live， of wanting to be worth living。 Of grabbing hold of your own destiny — even if it comes from stealing someone else’s — and grief， loss， love， and the pain of love。 Of loving who you can’t， not being able to love as you should， doubting the worth of your love， doubting your own worthiness and whether you even deserve love。There is a gamut of emotions that come through in this well-written， well-researched， and frankly wonderful book。 From monks to governor’s wives， from thieves to generals， wives， sons， and daughters， from to farmers and soldiers， there is no person in this book untouched as we bear witness to the rise and fall of Zhu Chonbga。 And I loved every minute of it。 It reminds me of one of my favorite all time series in the sheer amount of emotion this book was able to wring out of me， and will be one of my top three books in my favorites list this year。Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=She Who Became the Sun
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=She Who Became the Sun&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft