And here we go, with the second and final part of this epic duology. (Reminder: The Radiant Emperor duology is a historical fantasy "retelling" of the founding of the Ming dynasty.) 

 

He Who Drowned the World picks up right where She Who Became the Sun left us. Zhu has successfully reclaimed southern China from the Mongols and is looking ahead at continuing that success by taking it all, and crowning herself emperor. But there are still major players in the game with the same goal and a similar claim to the title as her own. The courtesan Madam Zhang is moving for her husband to get the throne (and has an army to back her up), Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered himself into the capital city and is playing political games behind the scenes to further his own agenda, and the unstable General Ouyang is still single-sightedly set on bringing down the Mongols to avenge his family. Zhu has many allies - her wife Ma and close friend Xu Da supporting her completely - but the odds are still long and the fight will still be violent and dangerous. And Zhu will have to decide how much, and who, she is willing to sacrifice to finally achieve her fate. 

 

The plot was not the only thing that picked up right where it left off. The writing, too, remains just as spectacular. It's incredible quality writing. The plot and character development, the complex political machinations, the subtle and nuanced alliances/betrayals...it all remains just so, so good. It's all balanced together in perfect measure, nothing sacrificed for the sake of another aspect. And the pacing in this second one was even better than the first; I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book from the complexities of relationships, surprising choices, twists, action scenes, and tragedy/losses. The build of the separate pieces of this story, in parallel with each other, created such an eagerness in me for the moment when it all came together, bringing the novel to its peak. When those moments hit - because there were more than one (!) - they delivered. 

 

Thematically, there was a continued, searing, commentary on perceived gender differences and societal expectations/labels being just that: perceived. Parker-Chan explores through these characters how limiting that actually is on a person's ability to become their full self or imagine a future different (better) from the current. This same commentary and expose on gender is mirrored for external "limitations" placed on people with disabilities, which, again, only limit potential if the person internally lets it. As part of these themes, there is the fact that some of the alliances and character developments in concert with each other are happening within incredibly toxic frameworks (content warnigns for: pain, self harm, emotional manipulation, blackmail/lies, sexual violence/manipulation, extreme un-worked-through grief). It's realistic, but tough to read at times. I also really appreciated the depth with which Parker-Chan delved into a reflection on costs, and how much reaching for a fate/goal is worth. In particular, as some of our primary characters - Zhu, Baoxiang, Madam Zhang - experience losses of those particularly special to them (no spoilers, but there are some big deaths), it does have them really questioning which sacrifices are worth it, and at what point they need to bow out versus would that be disrespectful of another's sacrifice for their cause. It was quite emotionally affecting. On a related note, oh the ghosts that haunt us, and what we do because of/for them, even though it changes nothing of their fate(s) in the end. Heart-wrenching.  

 

The end was not, could not really be, a surprise one. Despite that though, Parker-Chan wrote quite the compelling finale. Zhu grew a lot over these two books, aided in no small part by Ma, and in the final moments of this novel, as she faces one final choice on how to reach her fate and start her new empire, her actions show that growth. She still refuses to not do whatever she must to become emperor, and yet, she also considers what she is willing to do, what she is willing to make those she loves do, and on what note she wants to start this new world of her imagination. That strength of choice and compassion, the power one can pull from it, is such a lingering and powerful message to close on. Finally, I need to say, for me, I was so satisfied by one aspect of the story/ending in particular... The way that everyone who couldn’t accept the expansive view of identity and ability that Zhu was creating the future out of/for, or move past shame of/related to it, doesn’t survive to see said world is telling hits hard. But then, for those who accept/own it, or are willing to reset, there is space made for them, no matter their past deeds. It's sad, hard to come to terms with, in some cases, but also inspires a hope for that future as Zhu and Ma see it.  

 

 Epic. An absolutely epic duology. 

 

 

“…but a weak man, well-managed, is a woman’s greatest strength.” 

 

“But, of course: usually when men saw women, they were performing.” 

 

“It wanted what everyone wanted when they looked at him: to eradicate the hateful thing that didn’t fit into the world as they had made it.” 

 

“Dead was dead. It was only the living who cared. It was only the living who felt, and desired. It was only the living who chained themselves to the past, and told themselves to the past, and told themselves it was for the sake of the dead that they did what they did.” 

 

“Was it really bravery, though, if the reason a boy raised a sword was because an adult's expectations had made him believe there was no other avenue? 'I've always thought honor must be cold comfort to the dying. Given the choice, I'd prefer not to die.'” 

 

“A connection between two people existed only because of their shared belief in it as real. There was no such thing as a connection with only one end. There was no such thing as love, alone.” 

 

“If being the emperor means having the world, then its value must be infinite. It's worth anything. / Perhaps so. But if each death could also be considered the end of that person's unique world-- Then isn't pain infinite, too?” 

 

“To be in contact with someone else's pain was to risk feeling it yourself, unless you severed the connection by hating them. When most people's greatest desire was to avoid pain, of course they would rather hate.” 

 

“…it didn’t have to be real, to hurt.” 

 

“Her triumph was muted by sorrow, for everything that had been given and lost for this moment. Those losses and sacrifices now formed the soil from which her new world would sprout. As the world grew, it would draw up the loving kindness of those sacrifices and knit it into the material of itself. With that as its foundation it could never be like the old world of violence and domination. It would be new. She thought with gratitude: It will be itself.”