I was lucky enough to get an eARC for He Who Drowned the World. This book series means the world to me, Zhu was a big influence in helping me come into my own as someone who is nonbinary. I saw myself in her and felt seen. I’m so thankful for these books and the characters within them, so I was determined to get this read as soon as possible.

If you thought the first book was full of triggers, this one you want to go into it knowing them. From self-harm, to murder, to multiple scenes featuring drowning, to body mutilation. This book starts where the last one left off. Zhu is determined to take the throne, despite the fact more people have appeared with the heavenly mandate. She must prove once again she is worthy, even if her mandate is white, which represents death. Zhu must ask more from the people who fight for her and who she loves if she hopes to defeat them all, when more and more people work to stab her in the back and switch sides.

Like the first book, this book is slowly paced. It’s very much a slow burn sort of book. Which I know some people will think the payoff isn’t worth it. In my opinion, it was. I was at 98% of the book as everything started to happen and by the last page I was crying because I wasn’t ready for the end. It felt like saying goodbye to my friends, my found family. Zhu and Ma felt like people I knew and loved. The idea of not hearing from them broke my heart. I wanted to see the rest of their lives, how all of this works out for them. I want to know what happens to certain people. I need to know if Ouyang finds his love. There’s so much I want to know. But I’ll always have these books to go back to and appreciate the amazing journey of them. This book is dark but if you’re able to get through it, the pay off in the end is worth it, even if it will leave you needing more.

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

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3.0

Atana and the Firebird by Vivian Zhou

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