He Who Drowned the World

He Who Drowned the World
Shelley Parker-Chan, 2023

Premise: Sequel to She Who Became the Sun. Zhu continues her fervent quest to become emperor of all China (while hiding her original gender). The Mongol general Ouyang still burns with his desire to take revenge for the murder of his family. Many other characters are waiting in the wings to interfere.

This was an incredibly satisfying and fitting sequel. The most interesting thing, I thought, was that the first book was about gender and identity, contrasting Zhu's ambiguity with Ma's femininity and Ouyang's obsession with not being "really" male. This book is about bodies and identity. The relationship between a person and their body. That can include their gender, but there's more to it.

Zhu learns to manage a new physical disability and struggles to maintain her troops' confidence in her, as many people see a physical lack as evidence of some deeper problem. She and Ouyang continue their strained, painful balancing act, feeling they are connected but not understanding why. Ouyang's martial perfection is never enough because he is a eunuch.

There is a lot more sex in this volume. Several characters use their bodies to manipulate others, then struggle with their feelings or dissasociate to handle the situation. All the different ways that bodies can be used and exploited for personal gain are explored here.

It's a complicated and bloody business, full of politics and plotting. It's not a light-hearted read, but it was gripping and satisfying.

4 Stars - A Very Good Book