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vaguely_pink's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Child death, Death, Death of parent, War, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Dysphoria, Grief, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Homophobia, Colonisation, and Blood
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Slavery, Suicide, Alcohol, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Body horror
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Gore, War, and Violence
mnkeemagick's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There's a substantial amount of cultural and historical information, the harsh realities represented beautifully and without pause, with just enough fantastical elements to make it shine the brighter. Can't wait to check out the next one.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Sexism, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
splendidmusings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Grief
fabichirinos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Dysphoria, Abandonment, Cursing, Sexual content, Murder, Death, and Child death
Moderate: War
augustar14's review against another edition
- 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
It's difficult for a book this long not to feel slow paced. There was plenty of action that got me through, but it still overall felt a little slow.
I also struggle with the main character and her actions/choices at times. I understand her motivations and that her situation is complex, difficult, and influenced by significantly different cultural beliefs. And, at the same time, it is painful to see her grow into the person she becomes. The parallels with the eunuch general are fascinating, and I do plan to at least try to read to sequel to see where that thread goes. His story and decisions are painful to follow, though, too. Overall, it is a difficult read, one that offers little reward for the suffering and pain it puts the reader through. It is not a happily ever after story.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Death, Infertility, Torture, Blood, Abandonment, Murder, Homophobia, Bullying, Child death, Xenophobia, War, Child abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Vomit and Excrement
mirandyli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Colonisation, Death, War, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Abandonment
eloisedoesread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child death, War, Abandonment, Violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder
thewitchwhoisabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Ableism, Body shaming, Violence, Misogyny, Body horror, Abandonment, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Child death, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Grief
rbeccamaec's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The only reason I wouldn't rate it 5 stars is just because there was something missing from this that made me want to tear through it. I only found myself able to digest 30-40 pages at a time (50 on a good day). There were some pretty stark contrasts between faster paced and slower paced scenes, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if the slower scenes didn't drag a little. I think I would have been able to read this a lot quicker had the pacing throughout the book been consistent with the pacing in Part One. That being said, Parker-Chan's writing is on the whole concise but evocative.
But pacing issues aside, I absolutely love the characterisation - Zhu is an example of a well-written morally ambigious protagonist. Her character development isn't driven by a gratuitous or shallow desire for glory and power; her desire is meaningful and rooted in suffering. She refuses to be nothing, and assumes the identity of another to instead claim their fate - the fate that the original Zhu Chongba had "given up". It's a story of sheer willpower and suffering; of sacrificing one's morals in the pursuit of greatness and in the defiance of destiny. And in spite of Zhu's more questionable or downright reprehensible actions, I find myself rooting for her.
I absolutely loved the exploration of gender identity and sexuality. Parker-Chan's exploration of gender in particular was suitably nuanced and far from two-dimensional. Although Zhu privately declares herself as a woman, she struggles to reconcile her masculinity and femininity, having to navigate the minefield of gender performance in a patriarchal society. She rejects and hides her feminine traits out of fear of the implications that femininity carries in terms of her potential for power, authority, and greatness. In the same way that Madam Zhang, the true power behind the Zhang family - operates behind the facade of her husband, Zhu can only achieve greatness by assuming the identity of a man, to whom autonomy and authority are freely granted.
But she ultimately eschews her brother's identity which she wore as a disguise from Heaven and a means of claiming greatness: "I've been reborn as myself." And while we can assume she continues to present as a man, her inner conflict subsides as she embraces her newfound identity. In many ways, Zhu can be considered genderfluid. Through her relationship with Ma Xiuying, she finds a way to reclaim and embrace her femininity, to exist authentically in her body rather than at odds with it (if only with Ma). As complicated as their relationship becomes at the end of the book, I hope Parker-Chan continues to develop it in the sequel (and makes it a little less one-sided; I'd love to see Ma's character fleshed out a little more, especially with her difficult choice to remain at Zhu's side despite murdering the Prince of Radiance).
General Ouyang's story parallels Zhu's in many ways, and early on they are established as 'twin flames' (of a sort). Ouyang similarly struggles with his gender identity and is a victim of the patriarchy. However, unlike Zhu who is disguising herself, Ouyang struggles with the shame of being a eunuch and not conforming to his gender. His self-hatred manifests in a loathing for women, as their acceptance and perception of him as 'not a man' only serves to remind him of the trauma and shame he has suffered at the hand of Chaghan Temur and the Mongols. Moreover, he struggles with a repressed love for Esen, which brings with it further confusion over his gender identity (when Esen likens Ouyang's appearance to that of a woman, he feels it's the ultimate betrayal) and makes his revenge all the more devastating. Ouyang serves as a foil to Zhu, as while she rejects her Heaven-mandated fate, he leans into his, believing it to be a path of revenge.
There's so much more I could explore, but all-in-all, She Who Became the Sun is striking, tragic, and masterfully written.
Graphic: Child death, Classism, Colonisation, War, Gore, Murder, Ableism, Death, Grief, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Torture
Moderate: Abandonment, Body shaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Racism
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, and Excrement