Sofia

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Sofia is Currently Reading

Sofia is currently reading

The Land of the Living and the Dead (Gael Song, #3)

by Shauna Lawless (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, sff, netgalley

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10 hours, 37 min ago

Sofia is currently reading

She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)

by Shelley Parker-Chan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: sff, favorites, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

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Sofia said: " "She Who Became the Sun" is flawless, or as near as flawless a book can be.

The world-building is top-notch. Parker-Chan has obviously done their research on the historical period they're drawing from, and as a result the world the characters inhabit "She Who Became the Sun" is flawless, or as near as flawless a book can be.

The world-building is top-notch. Parker-Chan has obviously done their research on the historical period they're drawing from, and as a result the world the characters inhabit feels lush and deeply authentic. The fantastical elements are incorporated beautifully, both those that are taken directly from traditional Chinese religion/folklore (the hungry ghosts, the concept of reincarnation and of fate being pre-ordained by the heavens) and those that are, as far as I know, Parker-Chan's own inventions (those with the mandate of heaven being able to (view spoiler)[ interact with the spirit world<\spoiler>, and, for that matter, the mandate of heaven manifesting physically).

I also really liked that more than one person can have the mandate of heaven at the same time, indicating that what it signifies is the potential to rule more than anything else. This ties in really well with one of the major themes of the book, which is whether or not fate is something that can be changed. The protagonist, Zhu, is told that her fate is to be nothing, and after she "steals" her brother's fate of greatness she is terrified that the heavens will discover her theft and will punish her for it. Ma, her love interest, has spent all her life not bothering to want anything, because as a noblewoman her fate is to be traded by men like a chess piece. And Ouyang has spent his entire adult life and a good chunk of his childhood waiting for the fate he believes is inevitable.

The book does not provide a definite answer to that question. Zhu changed her fate, but in doing so she condemned the girl she once was to nothingness. The events align perfectly to deliver Ouyang to his fate, but he only fulfills it because of the actions he chooses to take, for all that he feels as though it is impossible for him to do otherwise.

Another wonderful aspect are the characters. They are complex and multifaceted, and everyone, even the most seemingly innocent, are capable of morally questionable actions. Just as (almost) everyone is capable of kindness and love. The two protagonists commit some deeply cruel acts (mostly Ouyang, but Zhu is getting there), and yet I couldn't help but root for them throughout, because of how well Parker-Chan characterized them and their motivations.

I loved the relationship between Zhu and Ouyang, and also found it an interesting novelty: it would've been really easy to make them into a romance, given the premise (their souls are described as being connected), but Parker-Chan goes into an entirely different direction, which I really appreciated.

As far as the two romantic subplots go, Zhu's was fine, though nothing to write home about, but I did root for them as a couple. Oddly enough, while I thought that Ouyang and Esen had a more interesting dynamic than Zhu and Ma, I was definitely not rooting for them.

I found Parker-Chan's decision to refer to most of the characters using only their last names, even when we're in their POV, slightly odd. I understand why this was done for Zhu and for Ouyang (for very different reasons), but not for the rest, and I found it a bit distracting, at least at first. But this is a very minor detail, and did not impact my enjoyment of the book at all.

All in all, "She Who Became the Sun" definitely ranks among my top reads of 2021. I'm looking forward to the sequel, and to anything else Parker-Chan decides to write. (hide spoiler)] ...more "

progress:

(page 192 of 416)
— Jun 11, 2024 09:54AM

Jul 28, 2021 02:08PM · see review

Sofia is currently reading

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

bookshelves: currently-reading, favorites, sff

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"I used to wonder why everyone complained about all the songs, because when I read it as a kid I really liked the songs... I'm listening to this on audio and I get it now 😭" — Dec 22, 2023 04:07AM

Sep 09, 2023 09:18AM