Fantasy
![Shelley Parker-Chan - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B08FSX16TT.jpg)
He Who Drowned the World: A Novel (The Radiant Emperor Duology, 2)
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.
How much would you give to win the world?
Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.
But Zhu isn't the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband―and she's strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father's killer, the Great Khan.
Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history―and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him.
All the contenders are determined to do whatever it takes to win. But when desire is the size of the world, the price could be too much for even the most ruthless heart to bear…
How much would you give to win the world?
Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.
But Zhu isn't the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband―and she's strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father's killer, the Great Khan.
Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history―and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him.
All the contenders are determined to do whatever it takes to win. But when desire is the size of the world, the price could be too much for even the most ruthless heart to bear…
Editorial Reviews
"Even better than the first. . . . These novels beautifully capture the feedback loop wherein queer-coded characters are reviled, which drives them to unbearable viciousness, which in turn fills them with self-loathing. Parker-Chan's characters struggle to break this cycle, and the nuance with which they're portrayed makes us root for them. In the end, Parker-Chan seems to suggest, power belongs not to the most ruthless but to those who are most successful at self-forgiveness."―The Washington Post
"The most finely crafted fantasy novel of the year. . . . Sentence by sentence, Parker-Chan's prose is unrivaled in modern fantasy. It's so consistent in its richness, so precise in its sequencing that even the grimmest of moments become enthralling and vital. . . .The fearless Parker-Chan pulls no punches, repeatedly pushing characters to their limits and beyond."―BookPage, starred review
"Intricately plotted and devastatingly brutal historical fantasy. . . . 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. . . . Parker-Chan successfully steers the complex political machinations to a satisfying conclusion."―Publishers Weekly
"A powerful historical fantasy filled with complex people and high stakes. . . . Paying equal attention to fierce battle scenes and deep conversations and filled with desperate decisions and brutal actions, this book is immersive and intimate."―Library Journal, starred review
"A heart-racing, emotional story that is also heartrending and shocking precisely. . . . 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."―Booklist, starred review
"Just as exciting, epic and stunningly written as the first. It will leave you on the edge of your seat until the final page."―Ms. Magazine
"A dark, often brutal, and occasionally gory follow-up to (excellent) historical fantasy She Who Became the Sun, Shelley Parker Chan sends her Radiant Emperor duology off in style."―
"The most finely crafted fantasy novel of the year. . . . Sentence by sentence, Parker-Chan's prose is unrivaled in modern fantasy. It's so consistent in its richness, so precise in its sequencing that even the grimmest of moments become enthralling and vital. . . .The fearless Parker-Chan pulls no punches, repeatedly pushing characters to their limits and beyond."―BookPage, starred review
"Intricately plotted and devastatingly brutal historical fantasy. . . . 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. . . . Parker-Chan successfully steers the complex political machinations to a satisfying conclusion."―Publishers Weekly
"A powerful historical fantasy filled with complex people and high stakes. . . . Paying equal attention to fierce battle scenes and deep conversations and filled with desperate decisions and brutal actions, this book is immersive and intimate."―Library Journal, starred review
"A heart-racing, emotional story that is also heartrending and shocking precisely. . . . 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."―Booklist, starred review
"Just as exciting, epic and stunningly written as the first. It will leave you on the edge of your seat until the final page."―Ms. Magazine
"A dark, often brutal, and occasionally gory follow-up to (excellent) historical fantasy She Who Became the Sun, Shelley Parker Chan sends her Radiant Emperor duology off in style."―
Readers Top Reviews
H Ridgley
arrived promptly in good condition, bought as present receipient has enjoyed other books by same author, so hopefully this will go as well
AshH Ridgley
The final bloody and epic conclusion to the duology! War is here and the political games and betrayal are only just starting. Zhu needs to secure the dangerous general Ouzang in order to face off against the great khan and claim the throne but the price she'll have to pay for the throne will have her risking everything. Ouyang is still reeling from his betrayal of killing his lover and master. Ouyang is on a war path and is determined to finally get his revenge. Biaxong has returned to the palace and must now scheme his way to the throne while dealing with the hostilities of the empress and the kings consort who would kill him. All three of them are after the throne and each desire their own revenge... but the throne is a bloody path and the people they will lose, the sacrifices they will have to make, and the pain they'll endure will be unimaginable as they scheme their way against one another for the last person standing to take the throne. This book was a dark and brutal time, it truly drained me of my energy because of just how much was going on. It was great and it has you reeling and clenching your hands as you see what turn the story takes and how much depravity and lost these characters will have. This was a brilliant way to end the series but my god was it so much. Like I truly think this was a fantastic read but be warned it will be so emotionally taxing and brutal. Seriously the political chess game that was going on was so much fun to watch. I would highly recommend this series for fans of high political/war themed books cuz the action is non stop and will have you guessing at every turn.
Joanna VarnumAsh
This book was absolutely gripping! While the first book of this duology varied in its pacing, this book started off strong and never let up. At this point in the story, our main characters have fully embraced the idea that there's nothing they won't do (or hurt) for power and revenge, and they've gone absolutely unhinged. Watching these characters spiral out of control as their desires led to more and more suffering was SO entertaining and fascinating. I honestly can't say that I love any of these characters at the end of the story, but I can say that I found most of them compelling and incredibly unique. We live in a society that is exploring the ideas of gender, identity, and sexuality, but placing these conversations in a setting such as ancient China really sheds new light on these important themes. I found myself rooting for Zhu and Ouyang to achieve their goals, because they really did overcome so many obstacles just by existing. However, their choices definitely made their lives a lot more difficult! I was unprepared for the emotional damage this book was going to do in the last 1/3 or so... so brace yourself! I knew things were going to get sticky, but it was so painful to read about what these characters did and/or what happened to them! I honestly couldn't put this book down and flew through it so much more quickly than the first book. The writing is superb, the characters are so flawed and complex, and the story builds up to a huge climax!
Chelsea ReiningJo
Shelley Parker-Chan brings an amazing historical fantasy once again! The brutal world of tragedy, culture, beauty, politics, intrigue, and ambition is just as vivid and heart-wrenching as the first book. The characters are still flawed, unique, nuanced, complicated, and real to a fault. But, my complaint from the first book was even more prominent in this sequel - there are so many characters with similar names and places and motivations and relationships to keep track of.....it made it hard to follow along at times. That's why this is only a 4 star instead of a 5, but it was still amazing. Parker-Chan brings forth a strong ending to an amazing duology. I never knew exactly what was going to happen, who would survive (spoilers, a lot of people die), and who would succeed. I laughed, I cried, I was so confused I didn't know what my own name was - and man was it enthralling. This series is heavy and complicated - it's not for the feint of heart or those that was to fully relax while reading. But, it is intricate and beautiful and tragic and thoughtfully executed. You'll find yourself immersed in the themes of ambition, fate, gender, sex, sexuality, expectations, and loyalty. The reader gets a front row seat to how the smallest of actions can have a gargantuan impact on not only your life, but everyone's. Be prepared to ask yourself - how far am I willing to go for what I want, would I go even a fraction as far as the characters? I would caution readers that the changing of POV and intensive list of characters and locations can become confusing, especially because the changes often happen mid-chapter. Context clues are enough throughout to keep you interested and informed, but there were times where something was referenced and I felt like I was missing a connection. But, I still loved the story and wasn’t confused in the end, even if I worry I may have missed a few enhancing details. I highly recommend this book and author to any historical fantasy lover!
