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A review by deereadstoo
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
CW/TW: gender dysphoria, internalized homophobia, war themes, misgendering, gender inequality
Sometimes reading the synopsis taints the reading experience just a little bit.
Shelley Parker-Chan puts pen to paper and brings to life some of the most vibrant and emotionally jarring characters I’ve ever read. When I first met Ouyang, Baoxiang, and Esen, I was immediately enthralled. The way they portrayed these characters was breathtaking. The passion, the pain, the flaws. They were all characteristics that made each one of them bring something different and yet similar to the story and help bring it to life. Even more so with Ouyang as Parker-Chan artistically explores gender identity and how it rears its head so beautifully and really takes the reader on the journey with him as goes through internal struggles regarding who he is and what he’s fighting for.
However, there’s one character that didn’t seem to get that same dedication–Zhu Chongba. Now, one could argue that Zhu’s one-dimensional characterization fits rather well with her one-track mind to greatness, but I think there still could’ve been more depth to her character while still blazing her path to greatness by any means necessary. It really felt like a disservice as she’s literally who the story is about. Maybe if the synopsis was written to include both Zhu and Ouyang’s stories, I would’ve felt that the story made more sense and was truthful in it’s marketing.
In terms of the writing, the beginning and end had me gripped. The storytelling and imagery. The passion and vigor for fighting for your destiny was right there. However, the middle...dragged. The pacing was painfully slow which is why it took me a month to finish it. I was interested but not enough to keep reading until night became day. That ending definitely made up for it. I was in it. My jaw was unhinged and my fingers were flipping the pages as fast as my eyes could take me because I needed to know–what next? I’m definitely intrigued because Zhu did say they will meet again.
Overall, I don’t think this was a bad story. If you’re interested in Chinese historical fantasies and enjoy more character-driven stories that explore gender identity and fate, this is definitely something you want to indulge in.
EDIT: Mulan meets Song of Achilles is probably the best use of books to describe another book I’ve ever seen.
Sometimes reading the synopsis taints the reading experience just a little bit.
Shelley Parker-Chan puts pen to paper and brings to life some of the most vibrant and emotionally jarring characters I’ve ever read. When I first met Ouyang, Baoxiang, and Esen, I was immediately enthralled. The way they portrayed these characters was breathtaking. The passion, the pain, the flaws. They were all characteristics that made each one of them bring something different and yet similar to the story and help bring it to life. Even more so with Ouyang as Parker-Chan artistically explores gender identity and how it rears its head so beautifully and really takes the reader on the journey with him as goes through internal struggles regarding who he is and what he’s fighting for.
However, there’s one character that didn’t seem to get that same dedication–Zhu Chongba. Now, one could argue that Zhu’s one-dimensional characterization fits rather well with her one-track mind to greatness, but I think there still could’ve been more depth to her character while still blazing her path to greatness by any means necessary. It really felt like a disservice as she’s literally who the story is about. Maybe if the synopsis was written to include both Zhu and Ouyang’s stories, I would’ve felt that the story made more sense and was truthful in it’s marketing.
In terms of the writing, the beginning and end had me gripped. The storytelling and imagery. The passion and vigor for fighting for your destiny was right there. However, the middle...dragged. The pacing was painfully slow which is why it took me a month to finish it. I was interested but not enough to keep reading until night became day. That ending definitely made up for it. I was in it. My jaw was unhinged and my fingers were flipping the pages as fast as my eyes could take me because I needed to know–what next? I’m definitely intrigued because Zhu did say they will meet again.
Overall, I don’t think this was a bad story. If you’re interested in Chinese historical fantasies and enjoy more character-driven stories that explore gender identity and fate, this is definitely something you want to indulge in.
EDIT: Mulan meets Song of Achilles is probably the best use of books to describe another book I’ve ever seen.