Reviews - She Who Became the Sun: Der Strahlende Kaiser

16k reviews for:

She Who Became the Sun: Der Strahlende Kaiser

Shelley Parker-Chan

3.98 AVERAGE

pawswithabook's review against another edition

2.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

‘Don’t look down as you’re flying, or you’ll realise the impossibility of it and fall’

In this re-imagined historical fantasy fiction, we follow the rise of the founder of the Ming dynasty. When, in China in 1345, Zhu Chongba does not survive following a bandit raid on their family home, his sister assumes his identity and destiny to become emperor.

I loved the premise, this had so much potential to be a brilliant book but I really didn’t enjoy it.

Honestly, this book was just slow. There was so much detail, and so many words, and so many character names, I just felt lost.

It did improve as the book progressed, the last quarter moved at a little more pace, and the characters did become more endearing especially when there were fewer to follow but it felt a little too late to make up for the rest of the book.

This book has had good reviews, so please read those for balance, but personally, this one was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

moon_child2812's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

mariemtck's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

I feel really torn about this book. On one hand, there were moments that were incredibly compelling, inspiring, and right up my alley, they made the story feel so promising from the very beginning. That’s why it was all the more disappointing that, for me, about half of the book fell flat. I enjoyed the dual focus on Ouyang’s story alongside Zhu’s, and I liked the supporting characters who surrounded them throughout. I also appreciated how the plot evolved, often in surprising directions. But despite all of that, I never felt truly invested in what was happening. Even if my favorite character had been killed off, I don’t think I would have felt much beyond a kind of distant acknowledgment. That said, I can still recognize the beauty of the writing itself, it’s a well-crafted story. I also know that my own context shaped my reading experience: coming out of a slump made it harder for me to fully engage with the book BUT I still think the book might resonate more strongly with readers who can more easily immerse themselves in it. 3 stars!

lanaxd's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

effervescent_worm's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

nat_v's review against another edition

1.0

DNF.. i skimmed the last 1/2-1/3 of the book after forcing myself to read it for almost 3 months. I had heard tons of good things about this book and was disappointed when I found it very hard continue reading. I struggled to keep characters straight and unfortunately was not captivated by the plot. The one thing I think this book had going for it was the initial premise of the starving country girl who took over her brothers fate - sadly nothing that followed the first few chapters grabbed my attention.