Synopsis
A dazzling queer historical fantasy of war and destiny set in an epic alternate China – and sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling She Who Became the Sun. The Song of Achilles meets Mulan in He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan.
‘Magnificent in every way’ – Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
What would you give...
Details
18 July 2024
496 pages
9781529043457
Imprint: Pan
Reviews
He Who Drowned the World blew me out of the water. Deep, dark and peopled with deliciously complex characters, this book will draw you irresistibly into a world of tragedy and triumph. Shelley Parker-Chan is a geniusJen Williams, author of Talonsister
A powerful historical fantasy filled with complex people and high stakes. . . . Paying equal attention to fierce battle scenes and deep conversations and filled with desperate decisions and brutal actions, this book is immersive and intimateLibrary Journal, starred review
A heart-racing, emotional story that is also heartrending and shocking . . . The conclusion of the Radiant Emperor duology makes use of every last word and stamps this series onto the map as a new must-read of the fantasy canonBooklist, starred review
Even better than the first . . . These novels beautifully capture the feedback loop wherein queer-coded characters are reviled, which drives them to unbearable viciousness, which in turn fills them with self-loathing. Parker-Chan’s characters struggle to break this cycle, and the nuance with which they’re portrayed makes us root for them. In the end, Parker-Chan seems to suggest, power belongs not to the most ruthless but to those who are most successful at self-forgivenessThe Washington Post