He Who Drowned the World

History murmurs beneath waves,

slow waters shaping silently,

a quiet riot of ambition,

rhythms rewriting stone and soil,

kingdoms softly spun, undone

in echoes louder than their rise,

cycles swift as shifting tides.

Characters tread shadowed roads,

footsteps fading, heavy with desire,

edges sharp yet known, familiar,

mirrors revealing clearer truths—

fragments reflecting regret,

shadows stretching, breaking,

guiding gently by the hand

toward understanding.

Parker-Chan’s prose flows softly,

slipping smoothly through defenses,

subtle tensions shimmering

beneath careful sentences,

meanings gleaming quietly,

revelations whispering,

waiting beneath certainties.

At the core, queer authenticity

pulses fiercely, love fractured

yet resilient, radiant with scars,

betrayal’s blade cuts cleanly,

bonds mend stronger,

marked by wounds and wonder.

Ultimately, you’ll sink willingly,

trusting these waters,

drifting deeper, breathing clearer,

surfacing transformed—

world remade, reshaped,

reborn from quiet depths.

Disappointing after She Who Became the Sun. Much more intrigue and plotting and betrayal (yawn), many more plot twists, and almost zero tension: a few chapters in, you realize that no matter how dire the predicament, Zhu will face it with a gleeful "my fate is to win, so I will win." One or two dei ex machinae later, plus some knob tweaking on the Infinite Improbability Drive, and the crisis is solved. On to the next one.

Much more snappy repartee. Cute, fun, but awkward. More expository dialog. Too many wild coincidences to keep track of. Much more slaughter and cruelty, and a few (too few) tossed-in handwringing moments about the horrors of war, then back to more war. "It's for a noble cause." Two stars overall, but good ending pushed it up to three.

Darker than the first book, and at times felt like it juggled too many perspectives and got a little repetitive (I get it, Wang Baoxiang has a soul full of blackness!), with sexual dynamics that were both fascinating and sometimes disturbing, but even so I had so much fun and was so compelled. These books read like really good fanfiction, in the best way, e.g. they are deeply enmeshed in the psychology of characters whose similarities and differences make up a rich story tapestry, in addition to the actual plot.

A fantastic follow up to “She Who Became the Sun”. I didn't think the characters could gain more depth but somehow they did. This one felt like it had more mature scenes than the first one, and I would definitely look at the TWs beforehand just in case.

The politics and interworking's of the key players felt very complex and required my full attention. The plot was solid and, much like the first, the prose were noticeably good. Overall a great historical fantasy that makes me want to read more of the genre!

Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique. 

What an incredible adventure. The more I've sat with this the book the more I realize this duology might be my favorite series of all time. The characters are amazing. As much as some characters made me angry or disgusted, I truly cared for each one. Parker-Chan does an incredible job writing gray characters and making you care for them. 

The first two-thirds of this book was not as good as the first book. I still enjoyed it but not quite as much. But then the last third?? Oh my god. I wish that part of the book could have last another 200 pages. I was so compelled, I couldn't put it down. 

My biggest complaint about this book was that it wasn't longer. There were a couple relationships that I wanted the book to spend more time with, particularly Xu Da and Zhu, the Third Prince and Wang Baoxiang, and Zhu and Ma. The characters and their relationships are what make these books so compelling so I wanted more but I can understand why those potential scenes might not have been included. As well I would have liked to see a little more right at the end. The book ends right at its natural conclusion but I personally wanted an epilogue. However I wouldn't take any points away because it wasn't included. 

In conclusion, this book and this duology rips. Highly recommend. 

Beautifully written, fully-fleshed characters, perfect pacing. Overall an amazing read. I would, however, have liked an author note telling me which bits are supported by history and which are total fabrications so I'm denying 5 full stars because I consider that important.

The ending was awfully abrupt, and ruined what would have been a 5-star rating. Book isn't quite grimdark like others have said, but its certainly not for the faint of heart. The POV list was expanded, and for the better!