She Who Became the Sun

Very impressive! This reads at times like some of the historical TV soaps from China - somewhat silly and overly dramatic but at the same time a huge amount of fun, poignant and playing out across one of the key periods of turmoil in Chinese history. The search for identity and destiny are the key plot drivers. The genderqueer protagonists give one element of that - they are searching to find themselves. The whole thing is played across a civil war - essentially the whole country trying to find its identity too.

This is historical fantasy at its best, taking real events and subtly twisting them with a fantastical element. The fantasy is subtle, the stakes are real and the drama is on point. I can see where the comparisons are to the Poppy War - this book does not back away from the brutality inherent in war and it is a historical fantasy set in China, but for me that is where the comparisons end - it is a very different period being dealt with, the fantasy is not as in your face and the writing styles are quite different. There is more wit to Shelley's writing - a nod perhaps to the aforementioned Chinese TV shows - and the themes are more subtly portrayed. I do love them both but they are very different beasts.

Easily one of the best historical fantasy novels I have read, from any setting. So far my top read of the year.