He Who Drowned the World: the epic sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling historical fantasy She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, 2)

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as for wang baoxiang - he's the star i fear, my insane unhinged wrathful fave. this was truly his book. the painful doomed sibling relationship of him and esen is one i won't be forgetting anytime soon. None of the main characters are particularly likable, nor do they have a single good bone in their body, except maybe Zhu. But even then, some of the things she did had me raising my eyebrows more than once. Despite that, I was rooting for her to win because compared to Ouyang and Baoxiang, she was considerably better. Even though her path to meet her goal was bloody, she was determined to make a world where no one is shunned or ostracized for who they are. When I reviewed Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became The Sun in 2021, I had no doubt it would top all the best books lists of that year. Some books just have a gravitational pull, each sentence drawing you closer to their core. Parker-Chan’s sequel, He Who Drowned the World, matches and at times exceeds its predecessor; its darker tone, deeper intrigue and visceral set pieces more than live up to the promise of book one. Be warned: No one will be left unscarred in the war for supremacy in northern China, even the reader. She has the quality of drawing out the good in people, did you feel it, when you were with her? That you were becoming your best possible self” (spoken about Ma)

As brilliant as Circe . . . a deft and dazzling triumph’ – Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne It is to Parker-Chan's credit that they write with such skill and mastery that I *felt* all that horror. They truly can capture emotion in such a striking way and satisfying way, but, god, did I ask to feel all that? Maybe I did. lol. But please heed the TW list they provide in their own comments here. I would also rate this very adult. This is for 18+ for sure.This is by any metric a 5 star read. An incredible feat, especially for a sophomore effort.* The plotting is intricate and pays off in spades, the characters are complex and driven (many are wonderfully subversively queer), both the battle scenes and the intimate emotional scenes will have you holding your breath in fear and anticipation. It is absolutely spectacular.

The story centers on four major groups in the search for power. Zhu Chongba, former monk and her wife Ma (Zhu is a woman who took her brothers identity after he died and became a monk) are one group. The Zhang family ruled by a king but actually run by Lady Zhang is a second group. General Ouyang, former slave, and out for revenge on the Khans is the third and finally Lord Wang Baoxiang the prince of Henan and master at planning is the fourth. The first 3 groups all have their own armies, while the final main character choses to manipulate the chess pieces. Zhu, The Radiant King, finds herself feeling unstoppable after her victories and wants to crown herself emperor. But she won’t just have to go against the reigning dynasty but also others who have designs on the throne. Zhu realizes she can’t go it alone and makes an unlikely alliance with someone who is more like her than he realizes. But no one vying for the throne realizes that there is someone who lurks in the shadows with their own designs to rule and is much closer to claiming the throne than anyone else. As they’re all willing to do whatever it takes to rule, who will have to sacrifice the most, and who will emerge victorious? The sequel and series conclusion to She Who Became the Sun, the accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles.I claim my place. And if the pattern of the world refuses to let that place exist, I will change it. Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory – one that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor. This dance between them is so riveting because it is so visceral. We are as connected to them as they are to each other and so we root for this connection to hold true, for it to mean something, for it to forge a new path—a path that we can follow them down. The Radiant Emperor series has never been a story of lightness, even during some of She Who Became the Sun’s softer scenes of queer love, friendship, and bonding, but He Who Drowned the World reads far darker. Parker-Chan’s writing is as captivating as ever, though, eloquently describing everything from the landscapes and wardrobes—to physical encounters, both sexual and not. The series’ heat burns from beginning to end with battles, sexual espionage, and greed-confused determination.