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A review by franklc29
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
5.0
I had trouble sleeping last night because I couldn't stop thinking about this book and, as I woke up this morning, I realized that the review I wrote last night, while I had a migraine, was woefully inadequate.
This book is a stunning achievement. Every single character is tragic (except maybe Zhu) and they somehow manage to be extraordinarily sympathetic beings despite the fact that they are, for the most part, awful monsters. Ouyang has let his myopic quest for revenge define his entire life. He has tortured, killed, and maimed to get what he needs. He killed the only person that ever loved him (and that he ever loved) to achieve his ends. Yet, despite all of it, he is one of the most tragic and sympathetic characters I've ever read. His ending is horrific. Does it make up for his crimes? Of course not but you can't help but be wrecked by his story. Baoxiang has turned the world's hatred of him into a weapon that he will use to destroy everything that has ever wronged him. Baoxiang plots, betrays, murders, tortures, etc. and yet he is maybe the most tragic character of them all. The author's ability to get me to care about and buy in with these characters that are true monsters is stunning.
This book, and this series, wrecked me. It is not an easy read. The characters are monsters, but monsters that you can't help but feel for. The world is bleak and awful yet it feels so real. I would not recommend this book to everyone because this is a difficult and, at times, painful read. Despite all of it I loved this book and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to live in this world and be with these characters.
This book is a stunning achievement. Every single character is tragic (except maybe Zhu) and they somehow manage to be extraordinarily sympathetic beings despite the fact that they are, for the most part, awful monsters. Ouyang has let his myopic quest for revenge define his entire life. He has tortured, killed, and maimed to get what he needs. He killed the only person that ever loved him (and that he ever loved) to achieve his ends. Yet, despite all of it, he is one of the most tragic and sympathetic characters I've ever read. His ending is horrific. Does it make up for his crimes? Of course not but you can't help but be wrecked by his story. Baoxiang has turned the world's hatred of him into a weapon that he will use to destroy everything that has ever wronged him. Baoxiang plots, betrays, murders, tortures, etc. and yet he is maybe the most tragic character of them all. The author's ability to get me to care about and buy in with these characters that are true monsters is stunning.
This book, and this series, wrecked me. It is not an easy read. The characters are monsters, but monsters that you can't help but feel for. The world is bleak and awful yet it feels so real. I would not recommend this book to everyone because this is a difficult and, at times, painful read. Despite all of it I loved this book and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to live in this world and be with these characters.