Publisher: Mantle (Trade Paperback – 29 August 2023)

Series: The Radiant Emperor – Book Two

Length: 487 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Rising Australian author Shelley Parker-Chan returns with the second part of her Radiant Emperor duology, He Who Drowned the World, an impressive and complex historical fantasy set in 14^th century China.  He Who Drowned the World is the exciting sequel to the author’s first novel, She Who Became the Sun, which provided a compelling spin on a legendary Chinese Emperor by imagining them as a female who takes on her dead brother’s identity to achieve greatness.  She Who Became the Sun was a pretty awesome read, loaded with intriguing imagery, excellent characters, and a unique story.  I deeply enjoyed reading it when it first came out and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts and pieces of Australian fiction in 2021.  I was very excited to get a copy of He Who Drowned the World, especially as Parker-Chan does an excellent job of fishing off her epic story in a big and compelling way.

Plot Synopsis:

How much would you give to win the world?

All the contenders are determined to do whatever it takes to win. But when desire is the size of the world, the price could be too much for even the most ruthless heart to bear . . .

He Who Drowned the World proved to be a unique and captivating novel that continued to follow former monk turned general Zhu Yuanzhang as she attempts to free China from the Great Khan, outwit her rivals, and take the throne as Emperor.  Parker-Chan dives right into this scenario as the book starts, and you are soon enthralled by the complex, multilayered story that emerges.  Thanks to the power shift from the first book, the battle for control of China turns into a fight for dominance with four armies in the field, while the shadowy Wang Baoxiang manipulates events in his favour from the shadows at the capital.  The events are shown from the various unique perspectives of the four main characters, each of whom is trying to survive and win the throne by their own methods.  I love the blend of storylines that evolved here, whether it is the main protagonist’s plan to seize her destiny no matter what, Ouyang’s destructive quest for revenge, Madam Zhang’s attempt to manipulate all the men in her life to gain power, or Wang Baoxiang’s careful and lustful politicking.  All these character arcs are deeply fun in their own right, although I must admit I found Wang Baoxiang’s storylines to be the most fascinating, mainly because he was so deliciously devious and swiftly rose up as a brilliant villain.

As the book continues, the reader is treated to some amazing story points, including Ouyang being forced to work with Zhu, who keeps winning with inventive tactics; Madam Zhang’s plots failing her left and right; and Wang Baoxiang’s malevolent rise to power, taking down everyone he gets close to.  Each of these characters gets their moment to shine, and I loved some of the interactions that emerged, especially when the characters begin to meet each other.  Zhu and Ouyang in particular play off each other perfectly, with Ouyang’s sheer anger finding no purchase with Zhu’s more Zen outlook on life, which only infuriates Ouyang more.  I really loved the part of the book that focused on the complex alliance between these two characters, and its dramatic end also works extremely well, especially as it leads to that haunting scene where Ouyang encounters his destiny only for it to destroy him.

The entire book moves at an outstanding pace, and the compelling detail, unique world-building, and fascinating characters continue to build as the novel reaches its zenith.  The final fate of Ouyang really was a major highlight of He Who Drowned the World, and the rest of the plot that follows had me hooked to the end.  The last part of the book was a little more subtle than I was expecting, but it still featured some great moments as Zhu, who is not as benevolent as you would think, sacrifices much to try and achieve victory.  The taut emotions, devastating betrayals, and determined attempts for revenge really help this conclusion stand out, and I was enthralled the entire way through.  Parker-Chan ends everything on a somewhat hopeful note, which was nice after how dark the rest of the book was, and the reader will come away from He Who Drowned the World satisfied, if a little emotionally raw and shaken.

I really must comment on the fantastic and unique setting that Parker-Chan utilised for this duology.  The overarching setting of 14^th century China is pretty awesome in itself as the author worked hard to capture the unique cultural aspects of the period, such as the control by the Mongolian dynasty, while also presenting all the chaos and war that emerged when Zhu attempted to claim the throne.  However, things get even more interesting as the author works in some subtle but significant fantasy elements that really make these books standout.  These elements are all tied into a person’s right to rule as those with the will, ability and destiny are gifted with a literal Mandate of Heaven, which allows them to call forth an aurora of light and fire to show their divine right to rule.  Several key characters in the series are gifted by the mandate, and the way they use it, whether to install fear, show their divinity, or utilise it for even darker purposes, is pretty damn fascinating.  The other major fantasy element revolves around ghosts that only a few characters can see, which end up being an interesting part of the plot.  The protagonist’s ability to see and occasionally manipulate these ghosts adds a certain edge to their story, especially as it serves as a representation of their deeper guilt, regret or determination, and I felt it was a fitting character element.  The manipulation of ghosts also results in some dark scenes, especially when one of the antagonists does some horrible things to get a supernatural advantage.  This interesting blend of historical and fantasy elements really helped to give the world of these duology a fantastic and unique tinge, and I really enjoyed seeing the elaborate war story Parker-Chan set out in it.

I also enjoyed how nearly all the major characters in this book had some compelling gender and orientation feature to them, which helped to define their character and take them to some interesting places.  This includes the main protagonist taking over a male identity and entering a unique relationship with their wife, while General Ouyang deals with the shame of being a eunuch, although that doesn’t stop him from being the biggest badass in the book.  These elements were really well handled by the author, who featured them in a thoughtful and tasteful manner, and it was interesting to see how this defined them.  Parker-Chan really dove into the emotional, cultural and spiritual nature of these factors, especially in their historical context.  I particularly enjoyed how all these characters tended to rise up above the shame or taboo nature surrounding this character element, and indeed many of them used it to their advantage.  I really enjoyed seeing how well Parker-Chan utilised these elements in the plot and it made for some great representation.

I really enjoyed this distinctive and fascinating novel from Shelley Parker-Chan who produced a remarkable conclusion to her impressive debut duology.  He Who Drowned the World was a powerful, intense and complex read that really showcased the horrors of war, ambition and self-delusion.  Featuring a moving and devastating narrative, loaded with great characters and a unique take on Chinese history, He Who Drowned the World is an exceptional read and a worthy sequel to Parker-Chan’s first book.

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