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A review by wordsofclover
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is ready to make her next steps to bring her closer to the Great Khan and become Emperor. But to do this, she has to face up against her enemy, the General Ouyang, and convince him to work with her - all while at the same time other players move their own chess pieces to bring themselves closer to power and make it harder for Zhu to succeed.
This is a historical fantasy book that is so deep in character growth and journey as well as lore around the emergence of the Ming Dynasty - yet dipped in a bit of magic and identity exploration that makes it one of the most unique series I've ever read, and it's so well written. She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World are both books I had to read slowly. I needed to invest time into the world, and the characters and to understand them, their ambitions and their plans. I felt really invested in Zhu and I love her dynamic with many of those closest to her from Xu Da, Ma and Ouyang.
The way sexuality and gender is explored through a variety of characters in this book is excellent as the story looks at what it means to be a 'man' versus a 'woman' and how society can dictate how other look at you but also how you look at yourself if you allow society's ideas box you in.
I really enjoyed this second book - in a way I didn't even realise until I finished it and started to think about it more to review. I'm very excited to see what happens with book three and where Zhu goes from here.
This is a historical fantasy book that is so deep in character growth and journey as well as lore around the emergence of the Ming Dynasty - yet dipped in a bit of magic and identity exploration that makes it one of the most unique series I've ever read, and it's so well written. She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World are both books I had to read slowly. I needed to invest time into the world, and the characters and to understand them, their ambitions and their plans. I felt really invested in Zhu and I love her dynamic with many of those closest to her from Xu Da, Ma and Ouyang.
The way sexuality and gender is explored through a variety of characters in this book is excellent as the story looks at what it means to be a 'man' versus a 'woman' and how society can dictate how other look at you but also how you look at yourself if you allow society's ideas box you in.
I really enjoyed this second book - in a way I didn't even realise until I finished it and started to think about it more to review. I'm very excited to see what happens with book three and where Zhu goes from here.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Sexual content