I think I would have liked this book more if it hadn't felt quite so long. While I don't think there were necessarily parts that should have been shortened or cut out, it just felt daunting and I found myself having trouble keeping focus or being able to keep track of who was who. None of the characters particularly grew on me, and I think that was just a side effect of how long the book felt, because they were all written very well. Overall, a good read, but felt too much like a book assigned for English class that you don't particularly love but also don't particularly hate.

This was an excellent attempt at what it could have been. However, with the constant skipping important battles and fight scenes this is a sloooow read. You don’t get most of the action in actual words, just as an aftermath, “hey, this is what happened and we won.” I wouldn’t recommend it to those in deep high fantasy since the magic isn’t actually defined until later, but maybe those that enjoy more historical reads. Nice start though. Maybe we’ll get a sequel and more about the characters.

I don't know how to review this. It was very good and I'm looking forward to the next book. The writing, the characters, it all built up an epic story that I will be thinking about for ages.

I don't know how to review this. It was very good and I'm looking forward to the next book though. Zhu and Ouyang were very interesting and compelling characters both individually and as foils.

I can not rave about this book enough. I’m not even sure I have the proper words. I can not wait to listen to the audio of it.

Absolutely loved this one and can’t wait to read the next book. The writing and characters were amazing. Overall gave this one five stars.

Really enjoyed this story, with a mix of historical figures in a fantasy setting, war themes, gray and dark morality, and a lot of room in the story for a valuable exploration of disability and queerness in multiple relationships, without diverging from the plot.

Discussed this in depth here: https://youtu.be/S0NHXLEMrmg

Genre: Historical, LGBT, Asian Literature
Age range: 17+

Overall: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Writing and Setting: 5/5


Content warning: *child abuse, violence, graphic scenes, neglect, poverty

The gist of my review:

This book has a very interest concept and literally THOUSANDS of incredible reviews… but I didn’t like it...

Initially I was drawn in with the ‘Mulan meets The Song of Achilles’ and the ‘bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty’. I understand where the Mulan references tie back to, however, I really can’t liken this book to SOA in the slightest. I more see this book resembling ‘Poppy Wars’.

I will give props to the LGBT representation, but the reason why I didn’t like the book was because I found it to be more of a history book, rather than this epic fantasy. I attempted this book multiple times, and eventually I forced myself to finish this book.

Characters: 3/5

The characters were all interesting in their own ways. By far, I loved Ouyang the most. This character was so fascinating from the get-go, but Zhu…! Zhu’s story started off so well. I felt empathetic for her humble and simple beginning and rooted for her for seizing the opportunity she took, but after she left the monastery, I was put off my how dull she became.

Plot: 2/5

To me there didn’t really seem like there was much of a plot. Throughout the course of my reading experience, I couldn’t really tell what the course of the novel was going to be and when I got to parts where the sequence of events became clearer, I just wasn’t amazed.

Writing and Setting: 5/5

In my opinion, the writing in this novel is what prevented me from DNF’ing. The descriptive writing was lyrical and artistically written. All the scenes and characters were described in such a visual fashion that I became absolutely addicted to.

In terms of POV, the story jumps around to different characters a lot. Although I normally like this about epic fantasy novels, I just don’t think it was done particularly well in this book. As I mentioned before, not all the characters that engaging and only some of them weren’t really distinct.

Thank you to Shelley Parker- Chan and the team at Tom Doherty Associates for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As I started reading this book I tried to read faster and faster to figure out where the story was going and how the characters were going to survive to the end. And the answer is that some of them don't! From the very beginning I enjoyed the way this book played with gender and expectations. The plot point regarding the prophesy and this idea that the character will only be successful if they are fully taking on their brother's mantle and name. Over time as the become more comfortable with themselves I love the inner work of them questioning and exploring what their gender is and what it can be. This book raises questions of destiny versus choice and how both can work for you. I was intrigued by the role that revenge and retribution plays in this book, even in the face of love.

She Who Became the Sun was a fantastic start to Parker-Chan's works and it did not disappoint. The world-building and historical events were well-researched and written. I had a great time going on an adventure alongside Zhu.
The pacing did move a bit slow, however, the likable and flawed characters made up for it. Every single character was fleshed out and I connected with their struggles.
Overall, this was an amazing start to the series and I am looking forward to reading more!

She who Became the Sun is a unique and timely reimagining of Chinese history through a gloriously queer lens. And I love it. While it has been described as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles, I really don't think that the comparison does it justice. After being told her whole life that she is worthless, destined for nothing, and has no future, a young girl decides that she will survive no matter what. To not only survive, but to shine, and to do so she has to steal her deceased brothers name, Zhu Chongba, and his fate. As she becomes he, Zhu enters a monastery and becomes a monk. From Monastery to warrior, and from warrior....well, Zhu is going to make it all the way to the top. From poverty and starvation, Zhu's journey will end up with the crowning of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu herself.

The settings are lush, the battles are epic, and the political scheming is Machiavellian (even though ol' Niccolo won't be born for another few centuries). The friendships are powerful, and the romances are all the delicious queerness that one could want. Zhu, who was assigned female at birth lives as a man, and finds her beloved in a lovely court maiden. Alongside Zhu's story is that of Ouyang, warrior, general, and eunuch. Ouyang's gender is fluid, although having been assigned male at birth, and his strength of arms is equalled by the strength of his longing for his totally hot Prince.

Thank you Shelley Parker-Chan for this epic, excellent game changing historical re-imagining. I'm very proud to claim you as a shining star of Australian fiction.

I have been trying, literally for months, to get through this book. I find the premise to be interesting and engaging, however the novel itself is quite flowery and drags pacing wise in a way that I don't find engaging or enjoyable. At this point, the book has been archived, I have picked this up and put it back down more times than I can count, and I think I just need to call it quits. I am rating 3 stars because I feel my review does not reflect the actual quality of the work, rather my current mental state and the types of writing I enjoy. Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC, and I am very sorry I was not able to fulfill.

I rounded out the sapphic trifecta with this beauty, and it did not disappoint.

From the beginning, the story is gripping. The world building is phenomenal, and the author’s rich and detailed descriptions really allowed for full immersion in this story.

I loved our MC. She’s such a badass, and even with her “flaws”, she never once holds back.

My biggest issue is now we wait for book two.

Absolutely stunning. I loved this one.

It’s a bit slow in spots, but I loved the characters so I didn’t mind.

Some of the writing was repetitive, but it immersed me into the world.

Absolutely captivating. A life-spanning epic of fate, ambition, and identity set in 13th-century Mongol-ruled China. After a childhood full of death and starvation, a young girl assumes her brother’s identity as Zhu Chongba and takes his place as a novice monk destined for greatness. Follow Zhu as she joins the rebellion against Mongol rule and works her way up the ranks to higher and higher positions of power. The characterization of the main characters and their development was so good.

Historical fantasy at its finest.

A brilliantly written novel about a woman who makes the decision to be great by stealing her dead brother's destiny. Shelley Parker-Chan writes a character who is tremendously flawed, but also terribly human. They explore gender identity, power struggles, destiny, and the sacrifices required to be great.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, political fantasy, or a beautifully written book.

I can't wait to read more by Shelley Parker-Chan!

Ooof... where to start with this review...

She Who Became the Sun is one of the hardest books to come up with a rating for. I've landed at a three star for this reason. The writing, for a majority of the book, is quite beautiful. However, this was very close to being DNFd after the first chapter as the chapter was nothing but purple prose. I do not like flourishy metaphors and description that borders on not making sense. It did let up. It seems that Chan was attempting to set a scene and, for me, it didn't work.

As for the rest of the book, there were a lot of things done that I care nothing for. The first being excessive time jumps. As much as I wanted to care for Zhu, I couldn't. I didn't have time. As soon as we were given an opportunity to delve into her character, we fast forward. I may not be a charter driven reader but I do have to care about the characters in the book. This made it hard to continue.

Secondly, I love action in my fantasy novels and this had none. All of the action happens off page. I did not care for this at all. Again, made it very hard for me to remain interested.

What kept me going was the relationships in this novel. I won't put spoilers in here but suffice it to say that Chan excelled in garnering sympathy for a few of the characters involved in this story.

Also, the exploration of sexuality and gender identity was something I really enjoyed. It's not often that we get to see something like this in fantasy and those elements were really well done. Having struggled with gender identity in my past, I could see some of the elements that I had to come to terms with and I had that connection with Zhu as she explored that aspect of herself.

So, did I like it, did I not? Some elements were great and some were poor. It leaves me with a sense of ennui over it all. I don't think I will continue with this story but I'm also glad to have read parts of it

I was enraptured in the beginning: the way Parker-Chan introduces us to Zhu and the whole opening sequence (mostly in the descriptions) was absolutely epic. I was sad to see that level of detail lost as we delved into the politics and dialogue, but I found each member of our main cast to be compelling - and seeing them both from the inside and the outside (both on the same team and from their opponents) really gave us such a clear and deep picture.

I also loved that the story is rooted in want. Zhu wants greatness so she will take it. She will take it from anyone who stands in her way. And if she has to suffer for it, then that is the cost and she has known nothing but suffering and so she will pay it. Over and over. And each time she is confronted with that choice, she continues to pay more and more. I cannot wait to see how her story ends.

Also, hello sapphic trifecta! The sapphic relationship at the core of this book is fantastic because they challenge and encourage each other, they talk plainly, they fulfill each other's needs, and they still are rooted in wants: what is a woman allowed to want? What is a woman allowed to want when the world thinks her a man? Again, we are back at wanting.

Once again, I got duped into loving the cover only to realize later this was going to be a fantasy series, (a duology, I think)!! The first was The Poppy War, which I completed. Woot woot! Have yet to post my review on the final series. Anyway, She Who Became the Sun, which was marketed as a combination of Mulan and The Song of Achilles, was a strong debut. I enjoyed it overall.

This novel was a retelling of a history based on the Red Turban Rebellion that took place between 1351 and 1368 in China, with a genderqueer, Zhu, as its protagonist. I don’t know much about the Red Turban Rebellion, so off to Wikipedia I went. In short, the Red Turban Army, originally started by Guo ZiXing and followers of the White Lotus was to resist the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. One of its prominent leaders was Zhu Yuanzhang, i.e. the main character of this debut, although the latter had a very different back story. According to the author, she took full creative liberty with the reimagination of this history. You might want to read the history to know more before/after reading the retelling.

Ok so now, I was really expecting to enjoy this because of its rave reviews and the stunning cover that set the tone for me. When the story started, it felt so darn promising – an intriguing character, a female who adopted her brother’s identity after his death, who, according to a fortune teller, has a future destined for greatness and assuming his identity, she was determined to achieve it, no matter the cost. With that, she managed to enter a monastery (which I enjoyed reading about) while keeping her real identity hidden.

Then, when it got to part two, somehow it felt like it had taken a different direction. But that’s okay, it’s the author’s story and prerogative, and I can go with it. This part, if I recall correctly, was the longest among the three parts, slowing down the pace, but I was able to learn more about the other secondary characters as the story shifted to their POVs. I would be fine with that had it added depth to the story, but it didn’t, not really. What I did appreciate though, was that the fighting scenes were less descriptive as compared to TPW (hence not so graphic). I think I’m in the minority here, preferring my fighting scenes to be over and done with in a page or a few paragraphs. But I guess this was also why nothing really stood out in this book.

Also, I found Zhu’s intention to survive turning into a desire and greed to achieve greatness was just too big of a leap; too sudden, making it a little unconvincing. And her resolutions to her problems were so easy and convenient, with hardly any tension or challenges. I found it hard to empathize with her, while Ouyang’s character on the other hand, was more believable. In fact, if I had to choose a memorable character from this book, it would be Ouyang, whose life was saved and changed after becoming a eunuch. He struggled with his identity, of not being treated like a man and not getting the respect he deserved. His struggles between wanting to avenge his family and serving his master whom he was infatuated with, were deeply explored.

You know how when you read a book, you’d know exactly what you enjoyed and didn’t? This for me, was a difficult book to rate. Looking back now (I normally take a few days to reflect on what I had read before reviewing), I can hardly recall any particular parts that were memorable, or ones that I didn’t like. That said, I still enjoyed the book as a whole, I think mostly because of the writing and the characters in general.

I think this book leaned more towards historical fiction (weighed heavily on politicking) than fantasy, as I didn’t find there were much fantasy elements to it, except for Zhu’s ability to see ghosts and the ability to emit fire (although I must admit I’m still a newbie in this genre, and I am just comparing it to TPW).

Reading this, for me, was like watching a Chinese kung fu drama/series (which is a good thing, because I used to watch and love them) – with lots of cunning plotting and revenge but minus the drama/suspense. Why? Because I didn’t feel like there were any cliffhangers or parts that made me want to turn the page faster. Let me just put it this way, for me, after the first part, I continued to read it because I enjoyed the brilliant writing and was curious about the characters and what they were plotting next. So yeah, generally an okay read. Would I want to read the sequel? Yes! I’m curious to see if the sequel will fare better, and I’m confident that it will!

TW: violence, death, misgendering, sexism, homophobia
Themes: fate, body acceptance, gender identity, love, revenge

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Survival. Destined to a life of struggle and poverty,mainly because of her sex. A son who has been promised a future great leader confounds those who see him as a great leader. The Zhu family is basking in good fortune when fate and bandits capture the brother and sister . It is Zhu who uses her brothers name to gain access to a famed monastery. It is here her life with a rigorous routine and a kind and gentle soul flourishes. It is here her purpose is clear to all. It is here the Sun rises for all to see.