Book Review: She Who Became the Sun

[rocky41_7]

I'm slightly unsure this one really belongs here, as it's not totally clear the protagonist of this novel still identifies as a woman by the end of the book, but it's close enough to share and still likely to be of interest, I think. She Who Became the Sun is a historical fantasy novel by Shelley Parker-Chan. It is the first in a duology and the description is:

She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor.
 

This one I grabbed on impulse at the bookstore back in January because I vaguely remembered hearing about it somewhere. As with my last review, I'm going to keep this short because I simply do not have the energy for more. I liked this book and I do plan to read the next one. There were moments I wasn't sure about it, but I'm glad I stuck with it and I think Parker-Chan crafts some very interesting characters here.

The main protagonist Zhu is fascinatingly driven and unrepentantly ambitious. She is also ruthless in her pursuit of her destiny, which starts to get pretty interesting at the end of this novel, and I expect will feature even more prominently in the next. She also reads, to me, as asexual or something close to it, which as an ace person myself was fun to see, especially because it isn't treated like a problem in her relationships. Neither does it stem from her own complex relationship with gender--it's just how she is.

The deuterogonist Ouyang is every bit as interesting, even though we don't see his POV until the middle part of the book. He is someone who is so viscerally torn between feeling compelled towards revenge and yet not desiring anything that will actually come of it that it's so interesting to watch his fate play out. I think Parker-Chan does a great job getting you into Ouyang's head during his perspective chapters and it was so interesting to me how Zhu leans into their connection while Ouyang is repulsed by it.

Recommend if you:

• Enjoy morally gray/amoral protagonists--both Zhu and Ouyang do shady to outright horrifying things in pursuit of their goals.
• Want queer relationships--won't give spoilers on this but both Zhu and Ouyang have queer experiences ,
• Enjoy a historical setting that leans into the contemporary cultures--we get a good look both at the culture of the Mongols and of the Chinese.

Do not recommend if you:

• Like heavily detailed stories--my only real criticism of the novel is that it often skims over things I would have liked explored in more depth.
• Like a happy ending--of course this is only 1 of 2 books, but based on how it's going, I would not hold out hope for a happy end. The end of this first novel was not an uncomplicated victory.
• Prefer romance to be a core of the story--as noted there are queer relationships here, but for the most part they are not the central part of the novel.

Crossposted from my main and books 

Comments

[chestnut_pod]

This was one of my favorite reads of its publishing year! Very excited for the sequel.

[rocky41_7]

I hadn't realized it was a duology until after I finished SWBtS, but now I'll be regularly checking my library until I can get ahold of the next one!

[larryhammer]

It's hard to see how becoming the first Ming Emperor in a way congruent with known history can end up as a happy ending, even though that means Zhu wins. (That's some seriously messed up history.)

I overall liked the book, but felt Ouyang's POV was handled awkwardly. For the first third-plus, there was no indication that the book had a deuteragonist, but then suddenly there he was, and presented in a way that made it hard to sympathize with him.

[hebethen]

Huh, I remember liking Ouyang pretty soon after he was introduced! YMMV, I guess? But tbf I was very much reading through grey-tinted glasses already by that point, haha.

Either way, though, dreading/looking forward to the sequel for sure.

[rocky41_7]

I liked his story a lot as well...and I will echo those sentiments on the sequel!

[nineveh_uk]

Likwise, I loved Ouyang as soon as he got a POV, but I can see why some readers find it a jarring change, especially as it comes at a point when Zhu's story is also at a point of change. 'Grey-tinted glasses' is an excellent phrase :)

Also echoes the sequel hope/dread. Though really I just want it to be good. I already accept it will be full of terrible people making worse choices.

[rocky41_7]

Yeah, even the ending of the first book I wouldn't really call "happy"...sure Zhu and Ouyang get what they want, but at what cost?

Personally I found Ouyang an interesting character--I was really intrigued by his internal contradictions and I think his POV on the Mongol side of events gave better perspective on the overall story. I see why Parker-Chan didn't include his POV from the start, but I also see how it could be jarring to readers to suddenly have a second POV character in there.