She Who Became the Sun
Shelley Parker-Chan The Radiant Empire #1
Published July 20th, 2021
(Tor Books)
416 Pages
4/5 Stars
advanced reader copy provided by the publisher
SYNOPSIS
Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.
To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything
“I refuse to be nothing…”
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attacks orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness.
REVIEW
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be masterful.
Parker-Chan crafts a beautiful, heart-wrenching, queer, and gender-bent retelling of the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang and the Ming Dynasty.
The story follows the sister of Zhu Chongba as she retakes her brother's name after her father and brother's death. A strong recurring theme in this novel is the concept of fate and how it shapes one's life. Zhu is told that her brother is destined for greatness and she is not. This set's Zhu motivation that follows her throughout her life: be great.
I can't believe this is the author's debut because of how gorgeous and intricate their writing is. Her writing is so lyrical and paints this beautiful, yet war-torn world so well, I felt I was in it. At about halfway, this book shifts from the comfortable life of a monk to a dense political fantasy. One would think that a big shift like that would make the book not flow well, but it did. Parker-Chan makes the jump seamless, AND all the while adding in a new perceptive.
Regarding the new perceptive- that is why i deducted a star. I didn't particularly enjoy Esen and Ouyang's chapters. I audibly groaned when his chapter came up because all I wanted was more Zhu.
I want to talk about how amazing Zhu is. She is easily the most fascinating character I have read about. I love how ambitious she is and how utterly driven she is. She doesn't let anything or anyone stop her on her quest for greatness. Even love won't stop her, which I love so much. In a lot of books, romance tends to deter or change the person's motives but it doesn't here. Zhu doesn't give up her dreams for love. She knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to get it.
One aspect I wasn't expecting but loved was Zhu's bond with Xu Da. Their growth throughout the years was just- so wholesome to read about. Their bond never weakened, no matter the circumstances. It brought a wonderful lightness to a dark book.
Another lightness to the book was the delightful romance between Zhu and her love interest. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll be brief. It was so wonderful to watch two people that have their differences but still love and support each other. Zhu's love interest keeps Zhu grounded.
I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds in the sequel. I'm sure a lot of shit is going to go down and I can't wait!
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