She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

“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 takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness.

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I was really hoping I'd enjoy this one. The blurb sounds brilliant, the cover's amazing and it's getting great reviews online. I love Mulan in all its variations, and although I haven't read The Song of Achilles I know it got fantastic reviews as well.

Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. Maybe it's because I don't know much about this part of Chinese history; maybe it's all the interchangable minor characters; maybe it's that I didn't really empathise with any of the characters at any point. Maybe it's that I didn't follow all the politics going around.

The descriptions are really good, I'll give Shelley that much. She's clearly done a ton of research into everyday life in that time period, and I never felt confused about what that tool or piece of clothing was. (Did they really burn insense into monk's heads?) The buildings and gardens are lovingly described and I enjoyed that part of the novel.

Not for me, I'm afraid, but I hope it does well and that other people enjoy it.

She who Became the Sun publishes on the 20th of July in the US (lower image) and on the 22nd of July in the UK (top image). I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.