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A review by hannahbailey
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had huge expectations for this epic tale of a girl who rose to power despite all odds. Sadly I preferred the idea over the execution. I found it really hard to connect with the characters because of the third person narration and time jumps.
However, I did love the exploration of gender in the setting of war and violence. It was really interesting to watch the different characters grow into their respective roles. The subtle use of fantasy added an extra element of risk, so the story felt believable with incredibly high stakes.
Fantasy fans will love the diverse cast and character development, as well as the exciting, action-packed plot. I would've enjoyed the book a lot more had it been written in first-person, though I think this is more a fault of my own than that of the book's.
Check trigger warnings for this book as it's packed full of them - definitely not a light read.
thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review
However, I did love the exploration of gender in the setting of war and violence. It was really interesting to watch the different characters grow into their respective roles. The subtle use of fantasy added an extra element of risk, so the story felt believable with incredibly high stakes.
Fantasy fans will love the diverse cast and character development, as well as the exciting, action-packed plot. I would've enjoyed the book a lot more had it been written in first-person, though I think this is more a fault of my own than that of the book's.
Check trigger warnings for this book as it's packed full of them - definitely not a light read.
thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Slavery, Body horror, Grief, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Physical abuse, Sexism, War, Child death, Ableism, Bullying, Gore, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Racial slurs