I AM SO SAD THIS DUOLOGY IS OVER! I will admit, it took me a few tries to get back into this book after so long away from the first book (I read She Who Became the Sun in 2021 - yikes). But the third time, and a little patience on my part, was the charm! Parker-Chan knows how to write a slow-burn fantasy (with a lot of historical influence) masterfully. By about 25%, I was back in the swing of their storytelling style, remembering characters names and pasts, and refamiliarizing myself with the overarching plot of the series.

Readers watch as events unfold around the Empire: Madame Zhang with her plots to become Empress by any means necessary; Zhu seeking to claim the throne as the Radiant Emperor and forging a fragile alliance with Ouyang who only wants revenge for his father’s death by killing the Great Khan; and a new threat brewing below the surface, Baoxiang, who is willing to debase himself if it means he can claim the title of Great Khan and be the worst one in history. All of these characters’ fates are tangled together, but only one person can come out on top to claim the throne. Who will it be? How much will they sacrifice for their goal?

If you haven’t read this series yet and are interested, I strongly recommend reading the two books back to back, with as little time between the two as possible! As a person who very rarely rereads, I found myself wishing I had reread the first book several times because I think it would’ve made the going easier. I also strongly recommend checking out the content warnings on The StoryGraph, if themes like sexual assault, body horror, self-harm, and brutality, in particular, are challenging for you. This one was really heavy and you should take care of yourself first. All that to say that this was an epic conclusion to a grisly and messy duology that also takes time to explore the depths of human emotion and behavior.