The Radiant Emperor: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - Fantasy - Paperback

Details:
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781529043402
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Series: The Radiant Emperor (Book 1)

Overview:
She Who Became the Sun is Shelley Parker-Chan's Sunday Times Number One bestselling historical fantasy debut, reimagining the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty. Set in a famine-ravaged 14th-century China under Mongol rule, it follows a peasant girl who steals her dead brother's identity and destiny to escape a life of nothingness. Blending queer romance, political intrigue, and sweeping battles, this is an unforgettable, gender-defying epic for fans of ambitious, character-driven fantasy.

About the Book:
In a famine-stricken village on the North China Plain, a nameless girl watches her brother Zhu Chongba receive a prophecy of greatness, while she is destined for nothing at all. When bandits slaughter their family, she refuses her fate: she takes her brother's identity and, as Zhu, sets out to claim his foretold destiny for herself. From a monastery threatened by war to the heart of a crumbling Mongol empire, Zhu's ferocious will to survive pulls her toward power she was never supposed to have. Parker-Chan's prose moves between intimate desperation and sweeping battle sequences with equal skill. Alongside Zhu, a eunuch general, Ouyang, pursues his own ruinous quest for vengeance, and the two are drawn into a devastating, mirrored struggle for identity and power. Richly researched and steeped in the politics and mysticism of the era, the novel interrogates gender, ambition, and the cost of greatness with rare emotional intelligence. It has been celebrated for its queer representation and refusal of easy heroism, earning comparisons to Mulan reimagined through a darker, literary lens. This is a novel that rewards close reading and lingers long after the final page, standing as a complete, satisfying arc while setting up its acclaimed sequel.

Key Benefits:

• Sunday Times Number One bestseller with major award recognition and critical acclaim.
• Rich, immersive queer historical fantasy set in 14th-century Mongol-ruled China.
• Complex, morally grey characters and a gripping dual narrative structure.
• Brand new paperback, perfect for collectors and gifting alike.
• Book 1 of The Radiant Emperor series, ideal for readers ready to start a new epic.

About the Author:
Shelley Parker-Chan is an Australian author of Asian-Malaysian-Australian heritage. She spent almost a decade working as a diplomat and development adviser across South-East Asia, an experience that fuelled her fascination with East Asian history and epic historical dramas. A 2017 Otherwise (Tiptree) Fellow, she brings a diplomat's eye for power and politics to her fiction. She Who Became the Sun is her acclaimed debut novel, launching The Radiant Emperor series to widespread critical and commercial success.

Why You'll Love This Fantasy:
A bold, queer reimagining of history that fuses political intrigue, forbidden love, and gender-defying ambition into one unforgettable, prize-winning epic.

Please Note: Dispatched with the UK ISBN and UK edition cover as shown in the listing images.