Review: She Who Became The Sun

So *in captain America voice* you have finally read this blog now huh. Congratulations, you are now part of my non existent fandom. Hehe, just kidding. Not like I'll ever have a fandom. I should though, y'all be just missing out on my awesome personality just because y'all never were a part of my fandom. You people should be  a part of it because it's never a dull moment with me. You hear that!! 

Two children, a boy and a girl- one of them blessed with the fortune of greatness, the other to become nothing. After being orphaned by bandits, it is the boy who gives up to despair and dies. But the girl refuses to follow the fate of the rest of her family. Taking on her brother's identity, Zhu Chongba decides to join the monastery in the hopes of the greatness that was once destined to be her brother's. Everyday her identity remains at rish, and yet Zhu must continue or face a fate like her late brother's.

QUICK THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: 4/5, KINDA LIKE THE IDEA OF A NON-GENDER CONFORMING AFAB.

WHAT DID I FEEL ABOUT THE  BOOK'S: 

1. Writing Quality: The writing quality is good, because it's descriptive and it kind of holds you in even if your ADHD brain screams that it doesn't want to. And believe me, my ADHD brain has been screaming for the entire month of march after I finished "They Both Die At The End". I am disappointed at the pacing in the middle of the story because it feels like you're going through still waters. I forgot the name of that part of the sea, but it was like a ship that had to dump all its riches and horses just to move forward because the ship would remain as still as a statue due to lack of winds. Wish I could remember the name though. I read about it in 9th grade Geography, but then again, I haven't studied  geography in almost 2 years now. Anyways, yeah, the pacing of the second unit was really slow compared to the other two which dragged it down a lot.

2. Image/ Illustration Quality: Considering that this book is historical fiction, I will give it props for being so beautifully illustrated because I kind of knew what the things looked like just by their sheer description. Though partly the description lacked where needed and I will be putting quite the amount of blame on the second unit. Otherwise it's good.

3. Character Development: Considering Zhu is the main character, this book mainly focuses only on her character development, which is fine by me. She has an interesting background and it is kinda nice to see that she is gender non conforming even while being AFAB and she is not afraid to be ruthless when she needs be. Plus the monk arc of hers was significantly the best arc that could have happened to Zhu, without which the book wouldn't have happened. The romantic development of hers with Ma is also quite commendable but I do feel like the book would have done significantly well without it. As for Ouyang's side of the story, well, I don't have much to say.

4. Couldn't put it down- Ness: I'll say a 6/10. I am gonna stop explaining this point because it gets kinda tedious trying to explain my reasons because they'll be the same points over and over again and this blog does not do repetitions. Mama didn't raise no repeater, she raised a failure but not a repeater.

5. Intellectual Depth: I kind of do like the word play on the title. And also on Zhu's name. If I remember correctly, Zhu means vermillion [I looked up on Google, don't murder me] which I have personally often used to depict the colour of the sun while painting, yes I used to paint, don't be surprised. And also the word "sun", Zhu takes on the role of the "son" in the family. She who became the "son". Interesting play of words, I like it.  Took me a while to figure it out, but gah dayum.

6. Plot Twists: There aren't really many to be honest, this book is really straight [heh] about the events that happen in the story. The only plot twist that made me go "OOOOOOOOOOOOOH" was Ouyang's betrayal and that was because I genuinely thought that he was in love with Esen. Like seriously, the text fucking looks like he was freaking in love with a man who had four wives and hence he was ashamed of himself for it. But god damn who knew that he was the one who was plotting against Esen all along. Like bruh, reading that at 2 am was a major shock. Whew, that was a close one. Like seriously, bruh what was with that plot twist?

7. Plot: So, there isn't much to say about the plot. BUT THE FACT THAT A NON GENDER CONFORMING AFAB BECOMES THE FRIGGIN EMPEROR IS WHERE IT'S AT YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Because this  is where the enbies are repped. This is how we should be treated. As monarchs and deities because we deserve it. Plus, the idea of women killing their counterparts and rising to power, please, that is the trope we live for, THAT IS what we want to see in books. Queendoms, women in power. 

OVERALL, A NICE READ, will definitely recommend it to someone who wants to read about badass females.