A review by elliya
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This had so many elements that I loved, but I have so much trouble with unlikeable protagonists. And here I am racing into the next book of the series, so 🤷🏻 Good audiobook narration, but the pacing was very slow at times for me — a little bogged down in military strategy and 1300s warfare tactics. But I do appreciate being exposed to historical information (in this case, a re-imagining of the transition into the Ming dynasty) through novels :)

Also this book has a sapphic relationship which gets nearly zero page time — except for a full-on FISTING SCENE that occupies half of the couple’s overall page time??? Honestly though it was tender and I was not mad.
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