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A review by jayati
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
5.0
✨ See my full review on my blog! ✨
✨ Read my interview with the author on my blog! ✨
She Who Became The Sun is a magnificent book which is a genderqueer retelling of the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Beautifully written, this book captured me from the very beginning as it told us the story of two ambitious, determined and morally grey main characters who would do anything to achieve what they desired.
"If your desire was the most important thing in the world, what wouldn't you do to achieve it?"
Zhu is a peasant girl who desires so much more than the world would ever give her. She is resourceful and cunning and somehow, finds a way out of every situation, doing whatever she has to do to achieve the greatness she desires so much. She has a fierce determination and unbreakable will and reading her spectacular journey kept me at the edge of my seat as she progressively does thing more and more unhinged in order to achieve that.
Ouyang is the eunuch general of the Mongol army driven by his want to avenge his family by killing the ones who killed them. He can not forgive the atrocities done to him and his people and so, we follow him as he exacts his revenge no matter how much pain and hurt it causes him.
This book is full of so much desire and want and longing and the pain and hurt intermingled with it as the characters try to achieve their goals, and all the damage they cause along the way, both to others and themselves. This story took my heart and cut it open, leaving behind the pieces for me to put back together on my own as I recover from the ending of the book.
I also loved the exploration of gender identity and sexuality in this book, and how fluid it is and how it can change very easily. It talks about what gender really is and how you as well as others perceive, exploring it with Zhu and Ouyang, who both have such different perspectives and relationships with their gender identities.
"I'm me, she thought wonderingly. But who am I?"
The plot and the pacing of the book is wonderful as well. Suspense builds up slowly and gradually throughout the book leading up to two climax moments for both of our characters that had my holding my heart in my hands as the scenes played out brilliantly, with an ending that I didn't expect which has me eagerly waiting for the next book.
If you're looking for a high-stakes book with war, political intrigue, discussions of power, desire and gender with an exceptional plot and complex, morally grey characters that has you enraptured and turning the page, this is definitely the book for you!
✨ Read my interview with the author on my blog! ✨
She Who Became The Sun is a magnificent book which is a genderqueer retelling of the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Beautifully written, this book captured me from the very beginning as it told us the story of two ambitious, determined and morally grey main characters who would do anything to achieve what they desired.
Zhu is a peasant girl who desires so much more than the world would ever give her. She is resourceful and cunning and somehow, finds a way out of every situation, doing whatever she has to do to achieve the greatness she desires so much. She has a fierce determination and unbreakable will and reading her spectacular journey kept me at the edge of my seat as she progressively does thing more and more unhinged in order to achieve that.
Ouyang is the eunuch general of the Mongol army driven by his want to avenge his family by killing the ones who killed them. He can not forgive the atrocities done to him and his people and so, we follow him as he exacts his revenge no matter how much pain and hurt it causes him.
This book is full of so much desire and want and longing and the pain and hurt intermingled with it as the characters try to achieve their goals, and all the damage they cause along the way, both to others and themselves. This story took my heart and cut it open, leaving behind the pieces for me to put back together on my own as I recover from the ending of the book.
I also loved the exploration of gender identity and sexuality in this book, and how fluid it is and how it can change very easily. It talks about what gender really is and how you as well as others perceive, exploring it with Zhu and Ouyang, who both have such different perspectives and relationships with their gender identities.
The plot and the pacing of the book is wonderful as well. Suspense builds up slowly and gradually throughout the book leading up to two climax moments for both of our characters that had my holding my heart in my hands as the scenes played out brilliantly, with an ending that I didn't expect which has me eagerly waiting for the next book.
If you're looking for a high-stakes book with war, political intrigue, discussions of power, desire and gender with an exceptional plot and complex, morally grey characters that has you enraptured and turning the page, this is definitely the book for you!