He Who Drowned the World, by Shelley Parker-Chan, is the perfect closer to the story that began in She Who Became the Sun. Parker-Chan doubles down on characterization, crafting a story that surpasses the expectations set by its predecessor. The stakes are high so let’s get into it.
Zhu Yuanzhang may have defeated the Mongol army, but she still has her sights set on the throne. But she’s not the only one, and she’ll need help to get there. Securing an alliance with her former enemy, the eunuch General Ouyang, may be the least of her problems. Madame Zhang stands in her way, and there may be spies within her ranks. Not to mention, everyone else has a real trained army, while she has rebellious peasants. Will Zhu, or the other contenders of the throne have the heart and will to do what is necessary to win?
Parker-Chan dives right back into the story picking up where the first book left off. There is a good amount of work put on the front end to remind the reader who they are dealing with. Everyone came back with a pleasing familiarity as the major board shifts and re-alignments are set up. Zhu Yuanzhang is prepared to make a play for the throne, just as others set their sights on it as well. Parker-Chan delicately places all the pieces on the board in deep character pieces, showing the hill that Zhu will need to climb. Methodologies and goals are clearly defined, breathing will into each character in compelling ways. The reader gets to see how closely they all resemble each other while noticing the glaring differences. One gets the feeling they are watching history be made as these characters smash into each other.
I don’t want to get into too much detail on the plot side, but rest assured it’s a real banger. The character interactions are to die for as Zhu and General Ouyang have to manage a precarious alliance. Their desires are at the forefront of every conversation, tinting every sentence. Since Parker-Chan writes from both their perspectives, we are treated to their internal thoughts about each other as well. The paragraphs that describe their emotions read like agonizing epic poetry that shows you the minds of tortured souls. Grand and grander statements made my own heart swell with anticipation and excitement each time I encountered these descriptions. And seeing it from differing perspectives only made each player more distinct. You could understand the characters on a deeper level, maybe not to the point of rooting for them, but feel for their fate. It made the twists and turns of the unfolding plot all that more tangible and effective. I loved so many of these characters despite some of their villainy because it weirdly made them feel whole.
These details allow Parker-Chan to dive into themes revolving around the idea of fate. They pick up on the threads from She Who Became The Sun, pulling and untangling them as the story progresses. Is fate something you’re resigned to? Or is it something to be grasped at, and challenged? Do you determine your own fate, or does it make you who you are? And do others have control over your destiny? Parker-Chan plays with these questions through most of her characters, each exploring it in their own way. What made it all the more interesting for me, was how this was engaged through the lens of gender, and its relation to power. Characters who seem like they should be trapped by these conventions are free moving agents that weaponize their positions and how society sees them. They can be cruel, intelligent, generous, and cold. Since all of the characters play with these themes, it rounds them all out in satisfying ways, by making them all reflect off each other.
He Who Drowned the World made it onto our 2023 Best of the Year list, and for good reasons. I think I buried the lead here, but this book is the perfect closing sequel. It keeps you guessing until its very end, drawing the character conflicts into extreme tension. The fight for the throne is a brutal one, and the book doesn’t shy away from it. Shelley Parker-Chan is someone to keep an eye on, and I can’t wait for what they write next. So if you haven’t picked it up yet, you need to. If you haven’t read She Who Became the Sun, what’re you doing?
Rating: He Who Drowned the World – Accept your fate, and read this book.
-Alex
