She Who Became the Sun
The Radiant Emperor Duology, #1
The #1 International Bestseller
A lush, subversive reimagining of the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang, the peasant rebel who expelled the Mongols, unified China under native rule, and became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Read more about the historical figures behind the story.
“A gripping tale of rise to power, fate, betrayals and the bloody beginnings and endings of dynasties.”
—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author of SEVEN OF INFINITIES
She Who Became the Sun
The Radiant Emperor Duology, #1
“I refuse to be nothing…”
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu is flung back onto a collision course with her lethal fate. Her one chance of escape is to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness. Searching for a path to power, Zhu joins the rebellion—only to find it under existential threat from the Mongols’ most feared general: an enslaved eunuch whose beautiful female face conceals a heart as merciless as jade and ice.
For a monk with no martial skills, the front line of a war’s losing side is a bad place to be. And worse yet, Heaven is watching for any sign that Zhu might not be the true owner of the fate she has been audacious enough to claim…
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Praise for She Who Became the Sun
“This 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 finest.”—Daily Mail
“This is an important debut that expands our concept of who gets to be a hero and a villain, and introduces a pair of gender disruptors who are destined to change China – and the LGBTQ fantasy canon – forever.”—USA Today
“Original and absorbingly detailed, She Who Became the Sun explores the strength that we find within ourselves, and inspire in others, when we rebel against expectations and take fate into our own hands. This book will play with your emotions and keep you reading past bedtime.”—PopSugar
★ “The characters are bold and complex in this story of fealty, family, and self. Epic worldbuilding, high action, and ruthless shades of love and desire make the tale at turns tragic and inspiring.”—Library Journal (starred review)
★ “Zhu is a powerful queer anti-hero…the plots and betrayals that swirl around the book’s events are themselves intensely compelling, but it is Zhu’s strength of will and passion that give this novel its spark.”—Booklist (starred review)
★ “Parker-Chan’s gorgeous writing accompanies a vibrantly rendered world full of imperfect, fascinating characters...You can't miss this one.”—BookPage (starred review)
“A nuanced exploration of gender identity and striking meditation on bodily autonomy set this fantasy apart. Fans of Asian-influenced fantasy have just been given their newest obsession.”—Publishers Weekly
“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.”—Samantha Shannon, author of New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE
“Evocative and heartrending, Parker-Chan's debut is a poetic masterpiece about war, love, and identity.”—S. A. Chakraborty, international bestselling author of the DAEVABAD trilogy
“Epic, tragic and gorgeous. It will wreck you, and you will be grateful.”—Alix E. Harrow, Hugo award-winning author of THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES
“An absolute stunner...there's war and violence and betrayal (oh the betrayal) and destiny both embraced and defied. Incredible work. Cannot wait for the next one.”—Rebecca Roanhorse, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of BLACK SUN
“A 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 this.”—Megan Campisi, author of THE SIN EATER
“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 betrayal. Fantasy will never be the same.”—Zen Cho, award-winning author of the SORCERER TO THE CROWN series
“Sublime and emotionally devastating, She Who Became the Sun is as brilliant as Circe and a deft and dazzling triumph of historical fantasy.”—Tasha Suri, author of EMPIRE OF SAND
“A gripping tale of rise to power, fate, betrayals and the bloody beginnings and endings of dynasties. Heartbreaking, stirring, haunting.”—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author of SEVEN OF INFINITIES
“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 world.”—Tessa Gratton, author of THE QUEENS OF INNIS LEAR
“An exhilarating rise to power that takes you from palace to village to battlefield, in a world that is stunningly alive. Parker-Chan’s exquisitely wrought prose brings light and nuance to the novel’s immense themes of gender, power and fate. An instant classic.”—C. S. Pacat, USA Today bestselling author of the CAPTIVE PRINCE trilogy
“Zhu 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. Parker-Chan's tender characterisation, assured pacing and dry wit make this an unforgettable debut.”—A. K. Larkwood, author of THE UNSPOKEN NAME
“I absolutely devoured this gorgeously written tale of survival, ambition and fate. With engaging characters and an exquisite blend of tension and action, She Who Became the Sun will captivate and torment fans of epic and historical fantasy alike.”—Sam Hawke, Aurealis, Ditmar and Norma K Hemming Award winning author of CITY OF LIES and HOLLOW EMPIRE
“Shelley Parker-Chan's debut novel is a sweeping epic rendered in elegant prose. Arresting, beautiful, grand in scope and yet intimately poignant, readers will be drawn into this deftly written fantasy.”—Rowenna Miller, author of THE UNRAVELED KINGDOM trilogy
“A seamless blending of history and fantasy into a compelling, tragic and powerful tale of ambition, desire and revenge.”—Anna Stephens, author of GODBLIND
“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 process.”—Malinda Lo, author of ASH and HUNTRESS
“A glorious, searing, sweeping epic of war and tragedy, ambition and intimacy, desire and betrayal. Prepare to be destroyed.”—H.G. Parry, author of A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAGICIANS