He Who Drowned the World

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What to expect

The Song of Achilles meets Mulan in He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan - a dazzling queer historical fantasy of war and destiny set in an epic alternate China, and sequel to Sunday Times bestselling She Who Became the Sun.

‘Transcendent, heart-wrenching’ - Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat

What would you give to win the world?

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory – one that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.

However, Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial aspirations. Courtesan Madam Zhang plots to steal the throne for her husband. But scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang is even closer to the throne. He’s maneuverered his way to the capital, where his courtly games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history. In the process, he’d make a mockery of the warrior values his Mongol family loved more than him.

To stay in the game, Zhu must gamble everything on one bold move. A risky alliance with an old enemy: Ouyang, the brilliant but unstable eunuch general. All contenders will do whatever it takes to win. But when desire has no end, and ambition no limits, could the price be too high for even the most ruthless heart to bear?

Praise for Shelley Parker-Chan:

‘As brilliant as Circe . . . a deft and dazzling triumph’ – Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

‘Magnificent in every way. War, desire, vengeance, politics – Shelley Parker-Chan has perfectly measured each ingredient’ – Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

‘Shelley Parker-Chan is a genius’ – Jen Williams, author of Talonsister

Critics Review

Transcendent, heart-wrenching
Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat
He Who Drowned the World blew me out of the water. Deep, dark and peopled with deliciously complex characters, this book will draw you irresistibly into a world of tragedy and triumph. Shelley Parker-Chan is a genius
Jen Williams, author of Talonsister
A powerful historical fantasy filled with complex people and high stakes. . . . Paying equal attention to fierce battle scenes and deep conversations and filled with desperate decisions and brutal actions, this book is immersive and intimate
Library Journal, Starred Review
A heart-racing, emotional story that is also heartrending and shocking . . . The conclusion of the Radiant Emperor duology makes use of every last word and stamps this series onto the map as a new must-read of the fantasy canon
Booklist, Starred Review
Even better than the first . . . These novels beautifully capture the feedback loop wherein queer-coded characters are reviled, which drives them to unbearable viciousness, which in turn fills them with self-loathing. Parker-Chan’s characters struggle to break this cycle, and the nuance with which they’re portrayed makes us root for them. In the end, Parker-Chan seems to suggest, power belongs not to the most ruthless but to those who are most successful at self-forgiveness
The Washington Post
Fans are not going to be disappointed . . . He Who Drowned The World was well worth the wait
Glamour
Mesmerizing
SciFiNow
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, author of Sorcerer to the Crown, on She Who Became the Sun
Epic, tragic and gorgeous. It will wreck you, and you will be grateful
Alix E. Harrow, author of Starling House on She Who Became the Sun

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
zofialefay 12/06/2024
5.0
5.0
I've loved this duology. Such a good story, really exciting, with one foot firmly set in historical fact, even whilst creating a queer character of the Emperor to be. And why not? How would we really know anyway?
I actually thought that this was going to be a trilogy, so I'm gutted that we only get two parts - but you never know!
ClareR 04/09/2023

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