She Who Became the Sun

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is based on the premise that the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang (called Zhu Chongba in the novel), was assigned female at birth (AFAB).

The novel features two main characters: Zhu and Ouyang. Zhu represents the Red Turbans (starting off as a monk), while Ouyang is a Mongol. If you explore Chinese history, there is a wealth of richness, drama, intrigue and amazing stories at the hinge points of various dynasties. What the author does in She Who Became the Sun is tell the story of a young girl.

At the start of the novel, drought and famine have reduced her large family to three: herself, her father and her 11-year-old eighth-born (and thus lucky) brother, Zhu Chongba. A portion of the dwindling food the poor family has is used to pay a fortune teller to predict Zhu’s future, and it is confirmed that he has a great destiny. However, when the lazy, spoiled Zhu and their father are killed by bandits looking for food, the remaining girl sees she has one chance at survival: to travel to the nearby monastery, where her father had promised his son years ago, and to pose as Zhu Chongba. She not only lies to survive as her brother but also dares to take on his destined greatness.

From the walls of the monastery to the rebel camp, Zhu takes bold risks to try and achieve her destiny. Her character arc is fascinating, featuring a network of characters, relationships and challenges. Throughout the novel, Zhu is portrayed as a relatable and human character, someone the author heavily invests in, allowing readers to sympathise with and root for her.

The parallel to the real-life story of how a poor peasant turned mendicant monk and later rebel leader comes across as fantastic (in the sense of fantasy) but not unrealistic.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

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