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Mulan meets The Song of Achilles; an accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China.“I refuse to be nothing…”In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatnMulan meets The Song of Achilles; an accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China.“I refuse to be nothing…”In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness.

In the tumultuous world of the Mongol Empire during the 14th century, "She Who Became the Sun" by Shelley Parker-Chan tells the story of Zhu Chongba, a peasant girl from a humble village, who becomes the fabled Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming Dynasty.

As a child, Zhu Chongba's life is upended by the Mongol invasion, which leaves her family destitute and her village in ruins. Driven by a desire for revenge and a sense of divine destiny, she joins a rebel army, disguising herself as a boy named Zhu Chongba.

Through a series of extraordinary events, Zhu Chongba rises through the ranks, proving her exceptional strategic and combat skills. She navigates treacherous political alliances and battles against formidable enemies, including the Yuan Dynasty forces, rival rebel leaders, and corrupt officials.

As Zhu Chongba's power grows, she encounters various challenges that test her character and leadership. She must balance her ambition with compassion, grapple with the consequences of her choices, and confront the sacrifices she has made along the way.

Shelley Parker-Chan's "She Who Became the Sun" is a captivating historical fiction novel that brings to life the tumultuous era of the Mongol Empire and the rise of the Ming Dynasty. It offers a unique perspective on Chinese history through the lens of Zhu Chongba, a complex and formidable figure who defied societal norms and gender expectations to become one of China's most renowned emperors.