She Who Became the Sun

By Shelly Parker-Chan

This was masterfully told as a historical fiction/historical fantasy. I jumped into this book without knowing much of the history it pulled from and now I am compelled to read up on it!

Brevity was maintained throughout the novel rendering a quick pace of events. Every important detail was mentioned succinctly and profoundly. What was left out for a good part of the novel were of the internal thoughts and emotions of the characters. In the beginning, this made me feel disconnected from the characters, especially Zhu. But then, somewhere in Part II I realized that the writing style helped me piece together the desires of each character. I felt more engaged when multiple 3rd person POVs were introduced. The goals, histories, and personalities of the characters began to flesh out more, playing off each other, creating a harmonious balance of dynamic, riveting, and tense energy. I would not say that I felt attached to the characters, but I was definitely hooked on how their arcs would develop…. And I was not disappointed! They were not predictable at all, they felt absolutely realistic.

The most alluring aspect of this book for me is the fact that explores such powerful themes as identity, love, desire, and fate. It is definitely an electric read for fans of historical fiction/fantasy or military fantasy!