Book description
The sequel and series conclusion to She Who Became the Sun, the accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles.
How much would you give to win the world?
Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her…
Why read it?
2 authors picked He Who Drowned the World as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This is the second and final volume in Parker-Chan’s breathtaking Radiant Emperor duology.
I love the alternate, 14th-century China setting and the fact that, while this is a fantasy, the focus is much more on the characters’ emotions, inner lives, and relationships than on the speculative elements. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of high-stakes plot developments, because there are!
But each character’s arc is a detailed study of how past suffering can set people on horribly destructive paths. Some of these characters cannot help hurting themselves in their commitment to achieving things they’d probably be better…
Sometimes, I’m hesitant to start a new series because I’m worried the author won’t stick the landing. If you’ve been considering The Radiant Emperor duology but had the same hesitation, let me reassure you: this ending delivers.
He Who Drowned the World finishes the magic-laced, queer-driven retelling of the founding of the Ming Dynasty that started in She Who Became the Sun. The book’s three central characters—Zhu Yuanzhang, General Ouyang, and Wang Baoxiang—are all ruthless and damaged and monomaniacal in their own ways, and while I wouldn’t like to meet any of them in real life, I could have…
If you love He Who Drowned the World...
The High House
The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.
The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.
Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…
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