She Who Became the Sun

Lumen Benja Moretum reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

A Story of Desire, Power, and (Not Just Bodily) Becoming

4 stars

Content warning vague spoilers for content

She Who Became the Sun reimagines Chinese history and places questions of identity at its core. Parker-Chan explores how the body—whether whole or marked by suffering—shapes the way characters perceive themselves and are perceived by others. Desire in its many forms—sexual, romantic, and deeply political—drives the narrative forward, intertwining personal longing with ruthless ambition.

The book is particularly striking in its treatment of gender perspectives: it challenges traditional roles and reveals how power and identity are constantly negotiated through them. Fate itself becomes a component of identity, not a fixed path but something characters wrestle with, redefine, and ultimately claim for themselves.

The cast is strikingly, even painfully human—driven by longing, flaws, and the weight of destiny.

I wouldn't have needed the smut though. Sorry.

73pctGeek reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Love a complex protagonist!

4 stars

In a version of Yuan dynasty China where magical mandates and ghosts really exist, a “worthless” little peasant girl refuses to accept the fate laid out for her.

At first, I found the prose detached, and somewhat inaccessible, but it grew on me and after reading about 150 pages, I was drawn in, and found it engaging. The setting feels fresh and intriguing, the story is interesting, and the characters are complex and flawed.

A good read about an ambitious protagonist, and now I have to read the sequel to find out what happens!

Aimee Gunther reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

The description is not wrong: lyrical... a great way to journey through a a grand fantasy #Bookstodon

4 stars

Vibes of Circe. Driven characters push forward without the book becoming too heavy-handed. An exploration of identity and desire.

TalesFromTheEV reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Loved it

4 stars

Queer rep, smart characters, epic destinies and tragedies. Well worth a read

Kathrin Passig reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Das Grundkonzept ist ein bisschen wie bei "The Queen's Gambit", man sieht einfach 400 Seiten lang der Heldin beim Siegen zu. Was ich neulich schon mal über ein anderes Buch sagte, trifft auch hier zu: Ich finde es gut, wenn die ganzen Untaten aus offen zugegebener Rache und aus Wille zur Macht begangen werden, nicht wegen angeblicher guter Taten oder Weltverbesserungspläne. Ich möchte nicht, dass man mir das Böse akzeptabler macht. Wenn gemordet wird, dann sollen alle wissen, was für eine Entscheidung hier getroffen wurde, ohne "tja, es war hässlich, aber notwendig für den guten Zweck"-Ausreden.

Hier stand ursprünglich "1000 Seiten", weil das die Libby-App so anzeigt. Woran man sieht, dass mir über dem ganzen E-Book-Lesen jedes Gespür für Länge in Seiten abhanden gekommen ist, sonst hätte ich das doch merken müssen.

no <3 reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

that was... an experience
I've never read anything quite like that before, and the queer rep makes me unimaginably happy about having read this

Sergio reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book is Mulan x Three Kingdoms with a dash of Baru Cormorant, which is to say, it attempts to encapsulate some of my biggest likes in fiction in a tightly written package and manages to do so with flying colors. I find it funny that right after I finished Three Kingdoms, the next book I happened to pick up couldn't stop talking about the Mandate of Heaven, used li as a unit of length and had characters comparing themselves to Zhuge Liang. I guess it was written in the heavens!

DThoris reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Gender flipping, believable historical fiction.

ish-i-ness reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Reading a bit too much like the Poppy War for my taste. The discussion about destiny in the beginning almost had me, but it wasn’t quite enough. DNFed.

johnny dangerously. reviewed She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Absolutely stunning, especially for a first novel. The scope with which Parker-Chan writes is phenomenal, yet the subtle and quiet moments are real and true as well. The book balances the colossal subjects it covers, sweeping death and battlefields on fire, with intimate moments between lovers, broken promises between friends.

If you're a fan of big action, big feelings, or historical dramas, you need to read this immediately.