Shelley Parker-Chan

Riding high on her recent victory, Zhu Yuanzhang is now the Radiant King - brilliant, ambitious and unstoppable in her quest for greatness. But she will soon discover the price of her ruthless decisions may be too high to bear.

He Who Drowned the World

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...

sofia 🪆

"Go into your next life. Live it, and bear its suffering. Do it again with the life after that, and the next, and with each one find it easier. Until one day, in a thousand years, the force of the universe will bring you and Esen-Temur back together to start afresh."

“Was it really bravery, though, if the reason a boy raised a sword was because an adult’s expectations had made him believe there was no other avenue?”

“Nobody would lift a finger to change the world for us. To make a place for us. What choice did we ever have, but to do it ourselves?”

I liked this better than the first book. It’s rare to find a book with a satisfying ending and this one hit the notes just right for me.

Ian de Villava

I liked this better than the first book. It’s rare to find a book with a satisfying ending and this one hit the notes just right for me.



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... At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

everyone was awful and miserable for 98% of the book and i couldn't look away, but then the last 2% made me cry so what about it!

an exhilarating duology that turns over questions of gender and body and fate and will, and somehow became tender after all of it.

even better than the first book and that’s saying a lot! every character’s relationship with gender / their body was so thought-provoking, such unique personalities and i liked them all in their own way

julia

nina 

wang baoxiang, zhu and xu da, you will always be loved by me. 3.75 stars ✨

Zita Azlina

** spoiler alert **
           Enchanted. I was  truly  Enchanted.

SO MANY THINGS I really wanted to say, and how much I want to elaborate on everything! First of all was THE historical references. Every calculating movements, and even the state of the kingdom at that point. I WILL ALWAYS love the way SPC uses MANY metaphor to draw something. And mind you, the writing is TOP TIER. And yes we haven't even talked about how great the fucking research must have be. Histories and Maps and maybe mementos from anyone involved. Caring about accuracy while serving it in a completely different plate. This is a nice meal with carefully prepared traditional ingredients but served a completely new dish. MY BEST MEAL.

SPC is able to play with our five senses by showing us everything. There is a tell and there is a show, but this thing was so ADVANCED SHOW that I couldn't believe this was written by a human. But it is! And it is amazing, and fucking for real this is the first most first time I noticed the fascination of the fuckass writing style is HERE. God tier. Masterpiece. Everything. 18382882/10. The place details? The ornament details? The situations of the surroundings details? All building details? >>>>>>>>>

Yes. The talk about how in depth how meaningful how extraordinarily written the characters were is a completely different discourse. The development? Beyond mankind. Even Ouyang and Wang Baoxiang and Zhu Yuanzhang had a character rollercoasters that, even though is beyond our relatability, is still within our reach, the way they were written was so beautiful that it touched our heartstrings, that even in an unrelateness I still managed to grasp that understanding. Development doesn't always went to the sense of light. Their development even to their worse is still STILL fascinating to follow. And yes, yes. That's probably the basis of Ma XY characters LOL. No, we havent even talked about how INSANE the depiction of EMOTIONS WERE. jealousy are described in a more, excruciating way. Desperation is a color so black it stench. And then there is self hatred, lots of self hatred, and how intense that it slowly consumes even the readers. Every Ma Xiuying's inner turmoil with WBX...???????? YEAH. ATE IT. ATE IT GUYS.

Everything about this book screams masterpiece. Everything is fit. All the twists? Fitting. Making more sense. The top of the riddles. All the major character deaths? No, it's not for the shock value. No, it's not because it's a lazy writing. It's a complete puzzle. Madam Zhang and Ouyang had more justice to their character with them being dead. Wang Baoxiang left alive? AN ICING TO THE FUCKING CAKE. 

THE FIGHT SCENES???? THAT OND CYL AND ZYZ DUEL??? NO, THE FUCKING ISLAND FIGHT????? HELLOOOOOOOOOOO DO YOU HEAR ME? You don't even have to make it into an LA to feel the intensity of it, the exhaustion and fear, but also thrill and the curiousity to know who would win and how. ZYZ war strategy is VERY fucking BRILLIANT. 

THIS FUCKING BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE. Maybe the pacing in the second part and the third part is like a sudden peak and makes the third part feels extremely rushed, and maybe there are also many missed opportunity in diving more things (maybe because I love The Third Prince so much that him not being observed more with WBX screams injustice) BUT THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING.

SPC managed to make this historically accurate book not lost too much of it accuracies and still managed to make this an extraordinary ownvoices book you can't stop hearing! Something about their own scream in this book is stark clear, but it's all fits and spot on through the characters mouth and didnt feel like a random self insert AT ALL. And yes, this one is the reason why this book is REALLY important for all queers. Only a genius could pull that off.

Please hear that.

In short, HWDTW is one of the greatest book Ive read this year (and this is officially my 400th book ever. YES). Please don't hesitate to tune in to this duology guys. IT IS MORE THAN WORTH YOUR TIME.

A GODLY MASTERFUCKINGPIECE.

Infinity out of 10.


Just want to drop this here:

  “Go into your next life. Live it, and bear its suffering. Do it again with the life after that, and the next, and with each one find it easier. Until one day, in a thousand years, the force of the universe will bring you and Esen-Temur back together to start afresh.”


QUESTION: SPC SHOULD MAKE A NOVELLA OF MING DYNASTY STARTING. YOU ALL AGREE?
(Yes/Yes)

alice

rarely do i enjoy a sequel more than its predecessor, but Shelley Parker-Chan has raised the bar.

The finale. It was as well written ass the first but I didn't like it as much if I am being real.  The first book was about the journey from nothing to something which I. think was a much more resonant story. By book two our characters have a lot and are moving towards more. It was harder for me to feel as good about that. Further, CW: content warning, there is a bunch more Sexual Assault and R*pe in this book and some of it was moderately graphically depicted which I wasn't expecting as the first book had none of that. Ended strong. Intrigue was strong. Storytelling was strong. But I didn't end up liking the characters as much by the end. But I guess that's part of the story or maybe you aren't meant to? Perhaps the complexity was lost on me. I am willing to concede that may have been the case. I freely admit I was not as enraptured nor caught up in this story as the first which may have been my problem. 

Apiecalypse Jen

It is clear that Shelley Parker-Chan is above many of their peers. A lot of authors aim to write fantasy that also incorporates themes that contemporary readers are interested in - such as politics and non-cis and non-straight perspectives - or that prompt universal philosophical questions - about morality and goodness.

However, few are as successful as SPC is. Quite often the themes would stick out as a sore thumb in the writing of some authors; it is just that they were tacked on because the author wanted them there but did not actively work them into the text. In comparison, SPC masterfully weaves themes of gender and sexuality, morality and corruption into the fabric of what would already be a rich and intriguing fantasy (historic) world.

Recently I read "Before We Were Trans" by Kit Heyam which explores gender nonconformity throughout history and across different cultures. It made the interesting point of demonstrating how gender could be defined and function - that it has a social dimension and a sexual dimension and a spiritual dimension (among others). This actually enriched my reading of "He Who Drowned the World" as it helped to create a further layer to the gender politics within the novel; it was fascinating to be able to experience and examine the novel through this lens.

I am sure the author's own background helped in building this up within the story but I loved the exploration of sexuality and gender dynamics. The way, for example, both Baoxiang and Madam Zhang use their sexuality to build their influence, with Baoxiang further projecting a deceptive submissiveness through his effeminate presentation. Or the way gender nonconformity is punished (in the face of Oyuang) but that does not necessarily create comradery between those rejected by society norms (Oyuang's life-long subjection to degradation as an eunuch does not make him sympathetic to the specific discrimination women, as a social class, face. In fact, as he considers himself male, comparison with women is insulting to him - something that is both a trauma response and a learnt social behaviour).

SPC has taken the time to present the layers and intersectionality of the social and political dimensions of gender and sexuality with a realistic, messy complexity where none of the characters' experiences are uniform. It is evident that they had a genuine investment and interest in the way the personalities and actions of the main characters are shaped by the world around them and their role in it.

But even beyond that, the novel is well-plotted out and well-paced. SPC's prose is, once again, excellent - flowing easily and with lyricism, and incredibly engaging. It is, by all accounts, an exemplary fantasy novel (and duology).

It is clear that Shelley Parker-Chan is above many of their peers. A lot of authors aim to write fantasy that also incorporates themes that contemporary readers are interested in - such as politics and non-cis and non-straight perspectives - or that prompt universal philosophical questions - about morality and goodness.

However, few are as successful as SPC is. Quite often the themes would stick out as a sore thumb in the writing of some authors; it is just that they were tacked on because the author wanted them there but did not actively work them into the text. In comparison, SPC masterfully weaves themes of gender and sexuality, morality and corruption into the fabric of what would already be a rich and intriguing fantasy (historic) world.

Recently I read "Before We Were Trans" by Kit Heyam which explores gender nonconformity throughout history and across different cultures. It made the interesting point of demonstrating how gender could be defined and function - that it has a social dimension and a sexual dimension and a spiritual dimension (among others). This actually enriched my reading of "He Who Drowned the World" as it helped to create a further layer to the gender politics within the novel; it was fascinating to be able to experience and examine the novel through this lens.

I am sure the author's own background helped in building this up within the story but I loved the exploration of sexuality and gender dynamics. The way, for example, both Baoxiang and Madam Zhang use their sexuality to build their influence, with Baoxiang further projecting a deceptive submissiveness through his effeminate presentation. Or the way gender nonconformity is punished (in the face of Oyuang) but that does not necessarily create comradery between those rejected by society norms (Oyuang's life-long subjection to degradation as an eunuch does not make him sympathetic to the specific discrimination women, as a social class, face. In fact, as he considers himself male, comparison with women is insulting to him - something that is both a trauma response and a learnt social behaviour).

SPC has taken the time to present the layers and intersectionality of the social and political dimensions of gender and sexuality with a realistic, messy complexity where none of the characters' experiences are uniform. It is evident that they had a genuine investment and interest in the way the personalities and actions of the main characters are shaped by the world around them and their role in it.

But even beyond that, the novel is well-plotted out and well-paced. SPC's prose is, once again, excellent - flowing easily and with lyricism, and incredibly engaging. It is, by all accounts, an exemplary fantasy novel (and duology).

Simply put, I loved it. This duology is so incredible. Parker-Chan deals with massive ideas masterfully, all set against the backdrop of ancient China. Monumentally flawed characters dealing with grief and loss, the need to belong in a world that refuses to accept them, and ultimately wanting what we all want - to love and be loved. I loved the questions posed throughout - what does it mean to get what you want but not feel satisfaction? How do you know if your reality is the one everyone else acknowledges as well? Can you let go of anger and pain when it’s become all you know - become who you are? There’s also something to be said about how toxic masculinity really ruins everything and this book illustrates that so perfectly. 

Katie Allard

Moth

I was lucky enough to get an eARC for He Who Drowned the World. This book series means the world to me, Zhu was a big influence in helping me come into my own as someone who is nonbinary. I saw myself in her and felt seen. I’m so thankful for these books and the characters within them, so I was determined to get this read as soon as possible. 
If you thought the first book was full of triggers, this one you want to go into it knowing them. From self-harm, to murder, to multiple scenes featuring drowning, to body mutilation. This book starts where the last one left off. Zhu is determined to take the throne, despite the fact more people have appeared with the heavenly mandate. She must prove once again she is worthy, even if her mandate is white, which represents death. Zhu must ask more from the people who fight for her and who she loves if she hopes to defeat them all, when more and more people work to stab her in the back and switch sides.
Like the first book, this book is slowly paced. It’s very much a slow burn sort of book. Which I know some people will think the payoff isn’t worth it. In my opinion, it was. I was at 98% of the book as everything started to happen and by the last page I was crying because I wasn’t ready for the end. It felt like saying goodbye to my friends, my found family. Zhu and Ma felt like people I knew and loved. The idea of not hearing from them broke my heart. I wanted to see the rest of their lives, how all of this works out for them. I want to know what happens to certain people. I need to know if Ouyang finds his love. There’s so much I want to know. But I’ll always have these books to go back to and appreciate the amazing journey of them. This book is dark but if you’re able to get through it, the pay off in the end is worth it, even if it will leave you needing more.

He Who Drowned the World

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