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

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Had some juicy bits but didn't blow me away.
The pacing wasn't great for me. Important events that could have fleshed out the world or pushed character development literally got skipped/glossed over. (Battles,
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MONASTERY WHEN OUYANG AMBUSHED IT
)
I understand that action and battle weren't the focus of the story, but with a world that felt so empty it took away SO much.
I also didn't like the timeskips during Zhus youth in the Monastery. We got some key moments that fleshed out her character but there could have been so much more.
(Daily life, struggles with her gender)
Now to the juicy bits, which was mostly the relationship between Esen and Ouyang.
The mixture of envy, guilt, resentment, love(?) and attraction Ouyang felt for Esen?
The underlying need and duty for revenge that propelled Ouyang through life, the endless circles of violence.
And Esen not being able to see Ouyang for who he is, what makes him *him* after years of companionship?
BANGER
Ma's and Chu's relationship was interesting too but not as much.
Ma choosing to want something (Zhu) at the end and it being something that will ultimately cause her suffering, by her own choice was great.

It just could have been a longer thing with the strife and battle and suffering that's constantly talked about but I couldnt *feel* it, so I wasn't invested.
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