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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
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
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
this was a heavyyyyy read. My goodness. So incredibly complex and moving, much like the first book. There is so much to say - I’ll be processing it for a few days I think. Also def read content warnings beforehand if needed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Abortion
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
This sequel to She Who Became the Sun (and conclusion to the duology ) is even darker than its predecessor - you've been warned, reader. This is, again, a nuanced exploration of gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, and experiences of dysphoria and internalized transphobia and homophobia - and also war.
Our character foils from book one, Zhu and General Ouyang, orbit each other even more closely in this installment, and I was fascinated to see the ways in which they aided and betrayed one another. I was surprised by how much time we spend with Wang Baoxiang, and didn't anticipate how central his storyline would become, but I honestly loved how the threads came together and how his story intersects with Zhu and General Ouyang. And never fear, because my favorite side character from book one, Ma, becomes pivotal in the final act, and I was so delighted to see how she influences the course of the narrative.
Though this book was exceedingly dark with significant on-page trauma (including rape, sexual violence, miscarriage and abortion, in addition to murder and war), these scenes felt intentional more than gratuitous, as Parker-Chan examines the intersections of revenge, sex, pain and violence in compelling and devastating ways.
Our character foils from book one, Zhu and General Ouyang, orbit each other even more closely in this installment, and I was fascinated to see the ways in which they aided and betrayed one another. I was surprised by how much time we spend with Wang Baoxiang, and didn't anticipate how central his storyline would become, but I honestly loved how the threads came together and how his story intersects with Zhu and General Ouyang. And never fear, because my favorite side character from book one, Ma, becomes pivotal in the final act, and I was so delighted to see how she influences the course of the narrative.
Though this book was exceedingly dark with significant on-page trauma (including rape, sexual violence, miscarriage and abortion, in addition to murder and war), these scenes felt intentional more than gratuitous, as Parker-Chan examines the intersections of revenge, sex, pain and violence in compelling and devastating ways.
I appreciated how Parker-Chan brings into this morally grey, violent hell scape earnest discussions of living authentically. Our characters each have a different vision of what it might mean to rule, and Zhu and Ma offer insight into what it might look like to create new ways of being yourself in a world that wasn't built for you. They dream of a world existing outside the binaries that have restricted them, and have to continually decide which sacrifices are worthy of this cause. The symbolic contrasting lights and shadows of the mandate, and the ability to see ghosts, layer into this vision of remaking new life and new light from death and darkness.
I felt the story was surprisingly well-paced (given its length), and there were significant landmark scenes throughout that will haunt me for some time (sailing through ghosts?! IYKYK).
Because of how graphically violent and dark this duology is, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to all fantasy readers, but I would absolutely recommend for those who love historical fantasy, historical retellings, speculative fiction, gender+bent history, and queer retellings with deeply (deeply) morally gray characters.
I felt the story was surprisingly well-paced (given its length), and there were significant landmark scenes throughout that will haunt me for some time (sailing through ghosts?! IYKYK).
Because of how graphically violent and dark this duology is, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to all fantasy readers, but I would absolutely recommend for those who love historical fantasy, historical retellings, speculative fiction, gender+bent history, and queer retellings with deeply (deeply) morally gray characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Outing, War, Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Gore, Infidelity, Dysphoria
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
A bittersweet end to the duology. These books look at gender and the human experience of it in a way that has left me feeling exposed and crying. In a good way though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, War
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Torture
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Sexual violence, Torture
Moderate: Homophobia, Miscarriage
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
Vague spoilers ahead.
This book. This freaking book.
Shelley Parker-Chan masterfully mixes the queer experience with the historic backdrop in SWBTS, and this continues in new wonderful and tragic ways in the sequel. It is stunning in its prose and pacing, and so well researched. The settings are vivid, from the smells to the backdrops of pirate ships. It spits in the face of gender, and gender roles, and challanges mysgony in every breath. I was angry, I was distraught, and I was heartbroken, but it was also so strangely beautiful and hopeful, in spite of all the darkness. This is a book about power, ambition, desire, and what you would do to seize your fate.
The character arc of each of these characters is astronomical, particularly in our main protagonist, Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu has done nothing but survive for her entire life, but in HE, we begin to see her learn the costs of her will, her pursuit of greatness. We see Zhu learn about herself, own herself and her body, and learn to accept and give love to those she cares for. We see her learn and grow, and when we finally see her wants come to fruition, it feels so right.
Ouyang is a character I have EXTREMELY complicated feelings about. General Ouyang leads a tragic life from start to finish. Ouyang's desires juxtaposed against Zhu's reveal several similarities, but I think Ouyang is Zhu if she never learned to see outside of herself. The way these two characters balance against each other? Magic. Ouyang's entire arc just hurt, hurt in a way that made me want to hug my friends closer.
Baoxiang is a can of worms that I was not expecting from this book. His melodrama and flair and just sheer toxicity were like a bomb going off. It hurt to watch, but it hurt more to look away. Baoxiang was the quiet one, the one no one saw coming. His quiet ascent was bone chilling, but his bitter-sweet downfall brought forth Zhu's merciful side beautifully. I found myself relating to him one sentence, wanting to hug him in another, and then being horrified the next.
And that ENDING. Perfect. No notes.
This book. This freaking book.
Shelley Parker-Chan masterfully mixes the queer experience with the historic backdrop in SWBTS, and this continues in new wonderful and tragic ways in the sequel. It is stunning in its prose and pacing, and so well researched. The settings are vivid, from the smells to the backdrops of pirate ships. It spits in the face of gender, and gender roles, and challanges mysgony in every breath. I was angry, I was distraught, and I was heartbroken, but it was also so strangely beautiful and hopeful, in spite of all the darkness. This is a book about power, ambition, desire, and what you would do to seize your fate.
The character arc of each of these characters is astronomical, particularly in our main protagonist, Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu has done nothing but survive for her entire life, but in HE, we begin to see her learn the costs of her will, her pursuit of greatness. We see Zhu learn about herself, own herself and her body, and learn to accept and give love to those she cares for. We see her learn and grow, and when we finally see her wants come to fruition, it feels so right.
Ouyang is a character I have EXTREMELY complicated feelings about. General Ouyang leads a tragic life from start to finish. Ouyang's desires juxtaposed against Zhu's reveal several similarities, but I think Ouyang is Zhu if she never learned to see outside of herself. The way these two characters balance against each other? Magic. Ouyang's entire arc just hurt, hurt in a way that made me want to hug my friends closer.
Baoxiang is a can of worms that I was not expecting from this book. His melodrama and flair and just sheer toxicity were like a bomb going off. It hurt to watch, but it hurt more to look away. Baoxiang was the quiet one, the one no one saw coming. His quiet ascent was bone chilling, but his bitter-sweet downfall brought forth Zhu's merciful side beautifully. I found myself relating to him one sentence, wanting to hug him in another, and then being horrified the next.
And that ENDING. Perfect. No notes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Deadnaming
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
Cohering my thoughts about this book and the duology together is a herculean challenge. It was not a pleasant reading experience, in that horrible things are happening to all characters at all times. It is one of my favorite books in that a vice was slowly, constantly contracting around my lungs until I finished it.
Even more so than the previous book, the transness in this one is tangible. A number of lines were clearly written in response to current events in our world. The interweaving of the ensemble is just as masterful as the first book. Beginning this book, I was afraid that it would fall short because my favorite element of book one couldn't continue ( that being the ouyang/esen relationship, when one of them is dead ), but my fears were unfounded. Not only did that thread continue, but it was intensified amongst other threads.
My options discussing this book are to break it down entirely and speak at length, or to simply say it's magnificent, and I suppose I'll settle for the latter.
(I strongly recommend checking content warnings. If you would prefer not to, keep the tone and events of book one in mind and know book two pushes a little bit further.)
Even more so than the previous book, the transness in this one is tangible. A number of lines were clearly written in response to current events in our world. The interweaving of the ensemble is just as masterful as the first book. Beginning this book, I was afraid that it would fall short because my favorite element of book one couldn't continue (
My options discussing this book are to break it down entirely and speak at length, or to simply say it's magnificent, and I suppose I'll settle for the latter.
(I strongly recommend checking content warnings. If you would prefer not to, keep the tone and events of book one in mind and know book two pushes a little bit further.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide
Minor: Cursing, Infertility, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Dysphoria
A number of characters rely on dissociation as a coping mechanism.
Especially compared to the previous book, there is quite a bit of on-page sex. While technically on page, it is almost never graphically detailed. Additionally (and fitting for the setting), it almost always falls into the dicey consent grounds of transactional sex – e.g. a lesbian actively choosing to sleep with a certain man for money or power. There is a single rape scene, and again, while on-page, it's brief and sparsely detailed.