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A review by jes312
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I loved the first book, but had a harder time with the second installment (partially because this is much darker--see content warnings). There are more POV in this book, which I wasn't as invested in from the first book, and because of that, I felt like it bogged the story down. I loved that Zhu and Ouyang teamed up and I wanted more from Ma's perspective, especially given how instrumental her story is in the last part of the book.
I know this is a duology, but I kind of wish there was a third, so we could see ifZhu lives up to expectations as Emperor. Was all the sacrifice worth it? Not knowing anything about the Ming Empire, I was left wanting more and the story feels unfinished.
I know this is a duology, but I kind of wish there was a third, so we could see if
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, War, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Death, Outing, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Child death, Grief, Rape, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Abandonment