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He Who Drowned the World  By  cover art

He Who Drowned the World

By: Shelley Parker-Chan
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
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Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Washington Post Best Books of the Year 2023

The sequel and series conclusion to She Who Became the Sun, the accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles.

How much would you give to win the world?

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.

But Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband—and she’s strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father’s killer, the Great Khan.

Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history—and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him.

All the contenders are determined to do whatever it takes to win. But when desire is the size of the world, the price could be too much for even the most ruthless heart to bear…

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

©2023 Shelley Parker-Chan (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Natalie Naudus narrates the conclusion to The Radiant Emperor Duology.... Naudus...illuminates the few tender moments amid the overall violence and sets a quick, smooth pace that never lags." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about He Who Drowned the World

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Good Closure

Too often readers are left to wonder what happened next. This was a good sequel.

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Wasn't sure it was for me, ended up really liking it

Give this one a try, the series will surprise you. The first book was just ok, this one was a great finish.

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I just love it

I had a hard time remembering the names so it helped to write down a little list to keep track of them. I should’ve also written down the city’s though as well. We get to learn more about the side characters in this book.

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How many times can one book make a grown man cry?

Too many to count. I’m obsessed. I’ve been waiting patiently for so long and I was not disappointed for even a second. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and life-changing, Parker-Chan’s story is everything I had hoped for and more.

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Excellent follow up

Queer “historical” fiction is a new favorite genre! Great reading and wonderfulky realistic evil characters.

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everything I wanted it to be!

perfection!! absolutely brilliant! this sequel to the best book I've read in years is everything I wanted it to be!!!

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A Phenomenal book

Beautifully written and expertly narrated, this captivating story was compelling from beginning to end. Sometimes brutal, the suffering to become one’s true self was searing, to say the least.

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Narrator has terrible volume issues!

I love the story but this is almost unlistenable. The narrator whispers and then shouts. Such a shame!

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  • 09-05-23

So amazing

What a beautifully epic way to end the duology. A generally dark story that ends with so much light and hope. I can’t recommend this story enough.

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The first book was better.

The first book was better. But still provided a resolution. The beginning of this book was more engaging than the end.

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