You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Almost incoherent with how much I enjoyed this. I wasn't sure if I would like it as much as book 1 at the beginning but it really built itself up from silly adventure to pondering the purpose and usefulness of any of the character's goals. This book said self destruction is not a means to an end because you cannot undo the scars. The ending tries to undo some of the bleak Outlook and darkness that the book had built up and turn it into hope and I'm not sure it did that super well (we passed the point of no return miles ago) but overall I still loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Grief, Outing, Dysphoria
Moderate: Miscarriage, War
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is not going to be for everyone.
The tone of this novel was markedly darker than its prequel, but you can’t help but be transfixed by the main cast and their descent into darker and darker waters. Each character plays such an important role in the story as a whole, but with each new perspective you can’t help but see how they’re all doomed by the narrative in their own unique ways since they exist in a world that is designed to prevent them from winning.
While this story focus a lot on themes of bigotry, social rejection, and self loathing (especially when it comes to gender identity and expression), it also highlights the incredible power that self acceptance holds in a world that despises those who are different. Despite this story being absolutely riddled with tragedies and loss, it does go on to show that not all new beginnings are heralded by one last terrible act.
My only complaint is that the third part of the book (the last 80 pages) felt a little rush in my opinion. I would have love to see Zhu’s finale plan develop a little bit slower and I wanted to see more of how the world reacts to the very last scene in the story. This book is already incredibly long, and there certainly wasn't enough material to stretch the series into a trilogy (it also wouldn’t be as hard hitting), so I do understand why the final wrapping up of all the loose ends was fairly quick.
By and large, this duology hits hard and it places a heavy focus on how bigotry and self loathing can destroy not just the individual, but society as a whole. There is a glimmer of hope for the future, but you certainly wont get to see that hope carried out here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WHAT A RIDE!
Honestly, there was so much going on in this book - not necessarily plot-wise, we still follow Zhu and her quest to become the Great Khan to remake the world, but for each individual character who's POV we see or may see as part of another character's POV.
The focus of the book shifts slightly to Wang Baoxiang and his machinations, but we still get a lot of page time from Zhu and Ouyang as well as Madam Zhang - all of them striving for power in different and yet so similar ways. The amount of mirroring and contrasts is amazing in this book.
It's a lot to take in and while it does get dark at times there is still hope, and that hope is also there at the end so that you close the book (still slightly reeling from Part 3) with a positive feeling.
This book is really worth the read - just like the first one - and such an excellent take on what is gender if not what we make of it.
Honestly, there was so much going on in this book - not necessarily plot-wise, we still follow Zhu and her quest to become the Great Khan to remake the world, but for each individual character who's POV we see or may see as part of another character's POV.
The focus of the book shifts slightly to Wang Baoxiang and his machinations, but we still get a lot of page time from Zhu and Ouyang as well as Madam Zhang - all of them striving for power in different and yet so similar ways. The amount of mirroring and contrasts is amazing in this book.
It's a lot to take in and while it does get dark at times there is still hope, and that hope is also there at the end so that you close the book (still slightly reeling from Part 3) with a positive feeling.
This book is really worth the read - just like the first one - and such an excellent take on what is gender if not what we make of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Violence, Grief, War, Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Dysphoria
Minor: Abortion
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ouyang deserved better.... I felt so bad for him by the end of this story. The Third Prince also deserved better. I didn't expect that kind of betrayal from Baoxiang at all. Ma ALSO deserved better too instead of doing what Zhu asked of her!! It sounded like she chose to do it in the end but that's... it's still very sad. The one who DESERVED BETTER MOST OF ALL THOUGH IS XU DA. I'M GOING TO BE SAD ABOUT HIM FOREVER. Also go Zhu!! I support women's rights and women's wrongs!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Rape, Self harm, Grief, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
I don’t know if I’ve read a book with so many complex and tortured relationships to gender. Ambition, sacrifice, autonomy, revenge, regret, grief, sadism and masochism, spirits destroyed and indestructible, actual spirits both benign and lethal… plus conquest and war strategy- a lot happening here. Some parts dragged a little for me but all in all a compelling and thought provoking read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As I’ll mention in the content warnings section below, this book is much more triggering and more violent in specific ways than the first book (She Who Became the Sun) in this duology.
That being said, I couldn’t put it down. I finished this one much more quickly than the first. It was very gripping. The reason I gave it 1/2 star less than its predecessor is just because of the r*pe scenes honestly.
Re: the titleI wondered if the title of the second book referred to the main character of the first book just with a different pronoun but this book focuses more on a different character, who was in the first book but didn’t play such a major role. He sort of comes from behind unexpectedly and becomes a major player in this installment.
The backstabbing really gets kicked up a notch in this book too.
I kind of thought at one point that the book was getting a bit predictable/tired and then OPE THERE’S A TWIST and then WHOOPS ANOTHER ONE. Hang in there.
The protagonist of the first book continues to beat the odds in unexpected ways as she did before and again it’s spectacular. Also as before, I found myself rooting for and even loving really cruel, dark, awful characters. The author has a talent for coaxing out empathy for the worst baddies.
That being said, I couldn’t put it down. I finished this one much more quickly than the first. It was very gripping. The reason I gave it 1/2 star less than its predecessor is just because of the r*pe scenes honestly.
Re: the title
The backstabbing really gets kicked up a notch in this book too.
I kind of thought at one point that the book was getting a bit predictable/tired and then OPE THERE’S A TWIST and then WHOOPS ANOTHER ONE. Hang in there.
The protagonist of the first book continues to beat the odds in unexpected ways as she did before and again it’s spectacular. Also as before, I found myself rooting for and even loving really cruel, dark, awful characters. The author has a talent for coaxing out empathy for the worst baddies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
There is a lot more triggering content in this book than in the first installment of the duology, She Who Became the Sun.
Specifically there are multiple rape scenes:
- one is marital as a punishment visited on a wife by her husband
- one is sort of in the context of a gay relationship but first of all the “relationship” starts off as a manipulation tactic and is coercive and abusive and secondly the specific rape scene itself is forcible and in anger.
- another is in the context of a king/consort relationship, which already means consent can’t apply because of the power dynamic, and then he is purposely trying to hurt her emotionally with the specific rape.
There are also numerous incidents of self harm (many of them are actually perpetrated by someone else, but still falls solidly in the “self harm” category in this context).
Like the last book, there is a child who dies - murdered by a soldier. He also has his blood let as proof of life to send to his father to gain his army’s compliance.
I marked both miscarriage and abortion but really it’s neither of those exactly. A woman is happy about her pregnancy and then another woman gives her poison that ends it without her knowledge or consent.
There’s also someone who has been mutilated. A servant has her eyes and tongue removed so that she can be used in a specific way to test someone’s magical powers.
There’s also a man who is executed by being cooked alive in a bamboo steamer.
Yes, the first book was violent and about war and cruelty. But I think this book takes it to another level in several ways. Read with caution.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Slavery, Suicide, Grief
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, War
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Outing
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion