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A review by tallangryplanet
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
I was originally going to add a quote to the beginning of this review, but I just couldn't bring myself to choose just one.
This book is a genderbent retelling of the founding of the Ming Dynasty in China, but even (or maybe especially) if you know nothing of the story it is greatly enjoyable. Zhu starts off as the unimportant daughter of a poor peasant, but after her entire family dies she takes her brother's identity and, hopefully, his fate of greatness. We also learn about general Ouyang, an eunuch tortured by the cruel way the Mongols dealt with his family and his duty to that lost family, as his path crosses with Zhu's. Through these two characters the author also explores gender identity in a very touching way. There is also a struggle with internalized homophobia for one of the main characters, which felt very relatable and well represented for me.
As someone who started this book without knowing anything of the real story, the plot was extremely engaging. I was constantly curious to see what Zhu's next move would be, and how she would deal with her problems, even if some of the solutions were rather unrealistic. Her development as a character as the story progressed was also greatly enjoyable, I was so invested I worried for her as the choices she made became darker and darker. The other characters, even those with shorter appearances, felt fully fleshed out too. Chinese history and myth also play a very important part, which makes the book even more interesting as the character's faiths and perceived obligations to family and culture make their decisions harder and their personalities more complex.
If you're looking for a queer historical fantasy this might be the perfect read for you, I can't wait for the next book!
This book is a genderbent retelling of the founding of the Ming Dynasty in China, but even (or maybe especially) if you know nothing of the story it is greatly enjoyable. Zhu starts off as the unimportant daughter of a poor peasant, but after her entire family dies she takes her brother's identity and, hopefully, his fate of greatness. We also learn about general Ouyang, an eunuch tortured by the cruel way the Mongols dealt with his family and his duty to that lost family, as his path crosses with Zhu's. Through these two characters the author also explores gender identity in a very touching way. There is also a struggle with internalized homophobia for one of the main characters, which felt very relatable and well represented for me.
As someone who started this book without knowing anything of the real story, the plot was extremely engaging. I was constantly curious to see what Zhu's next move would be, and how she would deal with her problems, even if some of the solutions were rather unrealistic. Her development as a character as the story progressed was also greatly enjoyable, I was so invested I worried for her as the choices she made became darker and darker. The other characters, even those with shorter appearances, felt fully fleshed out too. Chinese history and myth also play a very important part, which makes the book even more interesting as the character's faiths and perceived obligations to family and culture make their decisions harder and their personalities more complex.
If you're looking for a queer historical fantasy this might be the perfect read for you, I can't wait for the next book!