She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Zhu Chongba believes that she must totally deny her female identity in order to seize her brother's destiny of greatness and avert the nothingness originally foretold for her. Eventually, he orchestrates the death of both Esen and Esen's father, then turns his forces against the Mongolian Emperor. Ouyang and Zhu have several military clashes he eventually cuts off Zhu's hand, but allows her to live. This is complicated by Ouyang's love for Esen, the Mongolian prince he serves. Meanwhile, Ouyang, an ethnically Han man who was castrated and enslaved by the Mongolians because of his family's treason, plots to overthrow his rulers. She rises to the rank of commander after a series of seemingly miraculous military victories. When the abbot angers the Mongolians, the monastery is destroyed by General Ouyang. Zhu Chongba remains at the monastery for years, maintaining her disguise and eventually becoming ordained as a monk. The daughter takes on her brother's name, Zhu Chongba, and pretends to be a boy in order to find refuge in a Buddhist monastery. However, after bandits kill their father, the son wastes away and dies. The son is told he will achieve greatness, while the daughter is told she is nothing. With the Empire fracturing, both the Emperor and others with the power to challenge him can summon the Mandate of Heaven.Ī local fortune teller describes the fate of two children from a peasant family. In this historical reimagining, the Mandate of Heaven is a literal flame that can be summoned by the Emperor. The novel is set in 14th century China, during the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty and the Red Turban Rebellions. The book won both the Best Novel and Best Newcomer awards at the British Fantasy Awards, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction and the Hugo Award for Best Novel, making Parker-Chan the first Australian to be nominated for the latter award. Parker-Chan's debut novel, the work is a re-imagining of the rise to power of the Hongwu Emperor in the 14th century. She Who Became the Sun is a 2021 historical fantasy novel by Shelley Parker-Chan.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan