Magnificent in every way.
War, desire, vengeance, politics – Shelley Parker-Chan has perfectly measured each ingredient of this queer historical epic. Glinting with bright rays of wit and tenderness, yet unafraid to delve into the deep shadows of human ambition,
She Who Became the Sun, like Zhu, is unquestionably destined for greatness
She Who Became the Sun is
epic, tragic, and gorgeous. It will wreck you, and you will be gratefulA thoroughly engrossing read with a fabulous, tragic-trickster protagonist. The exploration of gender and personhood was totally absorbing . . .
I've been waiting for a book like thisEpic, sublime and emotionally devastating,
She Who Became the Sun is as brilliant as
Circe, and
a deft and dazzling triumph Parker-Chan unrolls the painted scroll of her epic tale with the control of a master storyteller,
revealing a dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayalA gripping tale of rise to power, fate, betrayals and the bloody beginnings and endings of dynasties.
Heartbreaking, stirring, hauntingEvocative and heart-rending, Parker-Chan’s debut is
a poetic masterpiece about war, love and identityStunning, powerful and complexShe Who Became the Sun is
an intense and sweeping epic that blurs the lines between rebellion and revenge, between fate and ambition, exposing the inherent violence of gendered ideologies and the traumas they create in ourselves and the worldZhu is a hero unlike any other – her propulsive desire to survive at any cost powers a glorious novel that encompasses grand betrayal, love, loss and triumph.
An unforgettable debutShe Who Became the Sun is just
amazingly, blindingly goodA cinematic tour de force that feels classic and yet utterly fresh
Instantly enthralling. Zhu is canny, charming, and ruthless as she claims her own fate in a richly detailed world, challenging dynasties and gender in the processThis audacious, brilliant debut is a vivid, original reimagining . . . Peopled by flawed, fearless characters and with a dramatically violent storyline,
this is immersive storytelling at its finestShe Who Became the Sun is an emotional rollercoaster.
Highly recommended and I can’t wait for the sequel!Zhu journeys from life as a peasant girl to war and the heights of power. This is a traditional Chinese tale reimagined in a subversive new way, for fans of
The Song of Achilles and
Across the Nightingale Floor. The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller
An immersive, historical fantasy set in 14th-century China, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a queer tale of love, loss, betrayal and triumph.
'Magnificent in every way' – Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty plain, a seer shows two children their fates. For a family’s eighth-born son, there’s greatness. For the second daughter, nothing.
In 1345, China lies restless under harsh Mongol rule. And when a bandit raid wipes out their home, the two children must somehow survive. Zhu Chongba despairs and gives in. But the girl resolves to overcome her destiny. So she takes on her dead brother’s identity – and begins her journey.
Can Zhu escape what is written in the stars, as rebellion sweeps the land? Can she claim her brother’s greatness – and rise, ruthlessly, to take the dragon throne?
This is a glorious tale from a powerful new voice.
She Who Became the Sun is a reimagining of the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu was the real-life peasant rebel who expelled the Mongols, unified China under native rule, and became the founding Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
‘Epic, tragic and gorgeous’ – Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Shelley Parker-Chan is an Australian by way of Malaysia and New Zealand. A 2017 Tiptree Fellow, she is the author of the historical fantasy novel
She Who Became the Sun. Parker-Chan spent nearly a decade working as a diplomat and international development adviser in South-East Asia, where she became addicted to epic East Asian historical TV dramas. After a failed search to find English-language book versions of these stories, she decided to write her own. Parker-Chan currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she is very grateful to never have to travel by leaky boat ever again.
