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A review by ravensandpages
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
arc and finished copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I hardly know where to start with this review. I already had high expectations, but SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN absolutely blew me away! This epic reimagining of the rise of the Ming dynasty's founding emperor follows the genderqueer monk Zhu Chongba, who was not born with that name or destiny for greatness; she stole both from her brother after a bandit attack left her the sole surviving member of her family. Refusing to accept her foretold destiny of nothingness, Zhu Chongba finds herself capable of anything if it means escaping fate.
However, this story is much bigger than Zhu's! Opposite her, the eunuch general Ouyang has his own struggles and fate to contend with. Several points of view weave between theirs and reveal more about the world and characters in a way that made it nearly impossible to put this book down. Despite the slow pace that perfectly matches other epic fantasies I've adored, such as The Poppy War and The Fifth Season, I feel like this book flew by and now I don't know what to do with myself! And don't let the words slow-paced fool you into thinking this book is itself slow. While there were moments to savor intense desire, details about the rich world, and deep internal conflict, Zhu took "0 to 100" as a motto to live by and I frequently found myself standing up in my seat, aghast at something I'd just read. The betrayal! The murder! The raw desire! Don't let the "Mulan" comparison fool you into thinking this is anything like Disney.
It's so hard not to write an entire essay on each character. Each one was so richly written, and I treasured so many of them. Ouyang's conflict was so complex and devastating, Esen's pure heart and arc had me tearing up, and I can't truly get into my burning love for Ma Xiuying and Xu Da without most likely spilling a ton of spoilers about their journeys. I'm amazed at the number of moving pieces and the way so many conflicting plans and desires came together to craft this truly great story, and I can tell a lot of care and genius went into it.
I can only dream of one day having the talent to properly put my feelings about books like these into words, but every page of Parker-Chan's debut shines with pure ability. Dialogue, emotions, action, and the world came together in an efficacious writing style I can only describe with my limited vocabulary and aptitude as *chef's kiss.* I love stories based on classics and history that preserve the feel of ancient epics but without making my eyes cross the same way classics do, and Shelley Parker-Chan nailed this perfectly. While I found the comparisons to The Song of Achilles less applicable plotwise— it mostly focuses on the "enemy," which is far too simple a word for them, and in the immortal words of Rebecca Roanhorse, "Patroclus could never"— the gorgeous writing style felt perfect for the time period in the same way TSOA's writing felt perfect for a story set in Ancient Greece, while still being easy for modern eyes (like mine, regrettably... one day I'll actually read a classic... one day).
I realize I'm making a lot of comparisons here, and I by no means want to diminish the originality and brilliance of She Who Became the Sun. I'm simply floored that this book has so many elements of some of my favorite books of all time and joined their ranks so quickly, and if you loved anything I've mentioned or the comp titles, you're sure to love it as well. I am desperately awaiting the continuation and truly can't recommend this enough. Forget whatever destiny your TBR has for you and seize greatness (aka SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN) for yourself!
❧ 5 ★
I hardly know where to start with this review. I already had high expectations, but SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN absolutely blew me away! This epic reimagining of the rise of the Ming dynasty's founding emperor follows the genderqueer monk Zhu Chongba, who was not born with that name or destiny for greatness; she stole both from her brother after a bandit attack left her the sole surviving member of her family. Refusing to accept her foretold destiny of nothingness, Zhu Chongba finds herself capable of anything if it means escaping fate.
However, this story is much bigger than Zhu's! Opposite her, the eunuch general Ouyang has his own struggles and fate to contend with. Several points of view weave between theirs and reveal more about the world and characters in a way that made it nearly impossible to put this book down. Despite the slow pace that perfectly matches other epic fantasies I've adored, such as The Poppy War and The Fifth Season, I feel like this book flew by and now I don't know what to do with myself! And don't let the words slow-paced fool you into thinking this book is itself slow. While there were moments to savor intense desire, details about the rich world, and deep internal conflict, Zhu took "0 to 100" as a motto to live by and I frequently found myself standing up in my seat, aghast at something I'd just read. The betrayal! The murder! The raw desire! Don't let the "Mulan" comparison fool you into thinking this is anything like Disney.
It's so hard not to write an entire essay on each character. Each one was so richly written, and I treasured so many of them. Ouyang's conflict was so complex and devastating, Esen's pure heart and arc had me tearing up, and I can't truly get into my burning love for Ma Xiuying and Xu Da without most likely spilling a ton of spoilers about their journeys. I'm amazed at the number of moving pieces and the way so many conflicting plans and desires came together to craft this truly great story, and I can tell a lot of care and genius went into it.
I can only dream of one day having the talent to properly put my feelings about books like these into words, but every page of Parker-Chan's debut shines with pure ability. Dialogue, emotions, action, and the world came together in an efficacious writing style I can only describe with my limited vocabulary and aptitude as *chef's kiss.* I love stories based on classics and history that preserve the feel of ancient epics but without making my eyes cross the same way classics do, and Shelley Parker-Chan nailed this perfectly. While I found the comparisons to The Song of Achilles less applicable plotwise— it mostly focuses on the "enemy," which is far too simple a word for them, and in the immortal words of Rebecca Roanhorse, "Patroclus could never"— the gorgeous writing style felt perfect for the time period in the same way TSOA's writing felt perfect for a story set in Ancient Greece, while still being easy for modern eyes (like mine, regrettably... one day I'll actually read a classic... one day).
I realize I'm making a lot of comparisons here, and I by no means want to diminish the originality and brilliance of She Who Became the Sun. I'm simply floored that this book has so many elements of some of my favorite books of all time and joined their ranks so quickly, and if you loved anything I've mentioned or the comp titles, you're sure to love it as well. I am desperately awaiting the continuation and truly can't recommend this enough. Forget whatever destiny your TBR has for you and seize greatness (aka SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN) for yourself!
❧ 5 ★