A review by jourdanicus
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

adventurous 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? It's complicated
I really enjoyed this book and especially the character of Zhu Chongba. There was a little more more discussion of strategy/politics than usually interests me, and sometimes I got the characters confused (honestly because I'm white and not accustomed to Chinese names, so that's no fault of the author, the characters were all very distinct and well written). The moments of the characters' internal narrative and the interactions between them were compelling and believable. The queer subplot of this story is one of my favorite probably ever. The descriptions of the experience of attraction and dysphoria felt so representative and nuanced. I highly recommend the audio, the narrator was great and it was helpful to hear character and place names pronounced correctly.
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