Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - She Who Became the Sun

The biggest plot twist was the twist in the way our hero turned out to be, though perhaps that was my own naievete and ignorance because I've never wanted something so strongly.

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braveprincess11's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I went into this book with no knowledge and no expectations - and it absolutely blew me away. To think that this is a DEBUT novel… Shelley Parker-Chan is a literary genius.

At the end of the first chapter, I still didn’t quite understand what I was in for, but by the end of Part 1, I was HOOKED.

Their ability to write such unique and compelling characters who experience gender, desire, and ambition in such similar and yet opposing ways, all while working in the confines of an extremely patriarchal society…

I’m desperate for the next book already

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melliedm's review

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I try to be a bit more eloquent with these reviews, but I really have to be honest: Holy shit this was good.

Zhu is a young girl living in poverty in Yuan dynasty China who has a fortune of nothingness. Her brother, Zhu Chongba, has a fortune of greatness. But when he and their father dies, Zhu decides to take his fortune for herself, and his identity. She joins a monastery which in short time is destroyed by the wronged Eunuch general of the Yuan army, Ouyang, which sets them both on the path to their fate.

For Zhu, that means going to Anfeng and working her way through the complexities and dangers of court politics in an attempt to rise through the ranks and achieve the greatness she has stolen for herself, and encountering surprising (sapphic) love along the way.

For Ouyang, it means accelerating his plans for vengeance against those who ruined him and slaughtered his family...all the while his complex feelings for his Prince, the son of the man he hates, attempt trouble him.

The pacing of She Who Became the Sun is incredible, delivering information, drama, and tense action in such a way that I kept finding it hard to put the book down for any length of time. The court drama was enthralling and frequently left me unsure of how things would end up—no plan could be certain when everyone has their own interests to serve, and they wait only for the perfect opportunity to take what they need.

Both of the main characters, Zhu and Ouyang, are incredibly characterized. Though one is protagonist (Zhu) and one is perhaps the antagonist (Ouyang), it is less that they oppose one another and more that they balance one another, something reinforced many times throughout the book. Even in their identities: Zhu with a female body, but living as a man, and feeling like she is neither; and Ouyang who wants to see himself as a man, but as a eunuch knows the world doesn't share that view, and who internalizes it to a painful level, existing somewhere in between. The story hinges on the push and pull of their sides (not just them individually), and they are incredible foils to one another. The chapters tend to alternate between the two, and I never felt disappointed when we switched, because they always felt like the perfect next step in the narrative.

Both Zhu and Ouyang are saddled with innumerable flaws and exacting ambitions, and their passion makes it easy to care about what they want even if you disagree with the route they choose to try and get it. Zhu may be the protagonist, and she may have many relatable qualities, but she is not a good person. For some, that may be a problem, but I love when female or genderqueer characters can be human--even if it means they do horrible things along the way. Ouyang, as the antagonist, gets more leeway from us with his actions because we accept his role in the story, but also commits truly terrible acts. Like I said: they exist in balance.

All in all, She Who Became the Sun is an incredible feat of storytelling. I devoured every word, and although the end was incredibly satisfying, I was also left wanting more of whatever Shelley Parker-Chan could deign to give me. I cannot wait for the sequel!

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zoeolivia1199's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

OBSESSED with this historical fantasy which reimagines the beginnings of the Ming Dynasty in China. Parker-Chan creates beautiful, evocative, heartbreaking characters (Ouyang apologist here). You FEEL their desires and motivations in your body. The two main characters are fascinating foils for each other through their complicated relationships with queerness, gender, and fate. Can't give this book high enough praise. So excited for the sequel to drop in August. Parker-Chan outdid themselves with this debut.

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khaleesiofthegreatwhitenorth's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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