He who drowned the world

In this satisfying sequel to She Who Became the Sun (2021), Parker-Chan brings their historical-fantasy retelling of the rise of Chinese emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to a conclusion. As the action begins, Zhu Yuanzhang is on a quest to remake the world into something that would accept her for what she is--a man but also a woman, a woman but also a king. Unfortunately, other players are also at work. Eunuch general Ouyang is determined to stamp out Zhu on his way to kill the Great Khan. Madam Zhang seeks the throne for her man--whoever that might be--and a new player, Wang Baoxiang, is playing a game in the capital that risks collapsing the empire entirely. This story is part Game of Thrones and part tale about desire and revenge--when hate is what drives someone, what happens when their goals are achieved? Parker-Chan has written a heart-racing, emotional story that is also heartrending and shocking precisely because readers will, by the end, know the characters and their aims and loves so well. The conclusion of the Radiant Emperor duology makes use of every last word and stamps this series onto the map as a new must-read of the fantasy canon.

Parker-Chan follows She Who Became the Sun with this intricately plotted and devastatingly brutal historical fantasy, the finale to the Radiant Emperor duology set in 1356 China. A five-way power struggle simmers between former monk and current "Radiant King" Zhu Yuanzhang, revenge-driven eunuch General Ouyang, the Zhang merchant family, Red Turban rebellion leader Chen Youliang, and Henan's prince Wang Baoxiang. Zhu makes peace with Ouyang, promising he can have his revenge and kill the overthrown Mongol ruler, the Great Khan, if he will first help Zhu defeat the Zhangs. Meanwhile, Chen offers his assistance to the Machiavellian Madame Zhang, even as Baoxiang, who skillfully manipulated his way into the Great Kahn's court, now aims to ingratiate himself to the Zhangs himself. Parker-Chan admirably continues the nuanced and compassionate examination of gender, sex, and desire that began in book one while simultaneously dialing up the intensity and frequency of the graphic violence, torture, rape, and sadomasochism. Indeed, Chen's habit of sending mutilated severed hands to Zhu and the scenes of Zhu assisting Ouyang's sexualized self-harm feel borderline gratuitous. Though Parker-Chan successfully steers the complex political machinations to a satisfying conclusion, readers will need strong stomachs to handle this gory window into the worst of human behavior. (Aug.)

Zhu Yuanzhang has started her path as the Radiant King, but she faces a larger battle to become emperor. Even with the success of her forces, many others stand in the way of her path to greatness. General Zhang commands a stronger, larger army and is guided by his sharp, cunning wife, Madam Zhang. Zhu knows that to survive this hurdle, she will need to bring the eunuch General Ouyang to her side, no matter the enmity between them. Yet beyond these powerful players is one who can subvert all of their goals--the scholar Wang Baoxiang, who has placed himself in the capital to create a long game of revenge and death for everyone's path to the throne. Paying equal attention to fierce battle scenes and deep conversations and filled with desperate decisions and brutal actions, this book is immersive and intimate. VERDICT Parker-Chan's sequel to She Who Became the Sun is a powerful historical fantasy filled with complex people and high stakes.--Kristi Chadwick