"He Who Drowned the World" is a 2023 historical fantasy novel by Australian author Shelley Parker-Chan. It is the sequel to their 2021 debut novel "She Who Became the Sun" and completes The Radiant Emperor duology

. The story continues in 14th century China, following Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, who has liberated southern China from Mongol rule and now seeks to crown herself emperor. However, her ambitions are challenged by powerful rivals, including the courtesan Madam Zhang and the eunuch general Ouyang, who seeks revenge for his father's murder. Additionally, the scholar Wang Baoxiang enters the capital with his own lethal intrigues, aiming to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history as a form of revenge against the patriarchal Mongol society that despises him

. The novel deeply explores themes of desire, suffering, grief, and revenge through its complex characters. Baoxiang's pain is described as so overwhelming that it "drowns the world in its darkness," symbolizing a consuming grief and hatred that ultimately threatens to consume him entirely. The characters' struggles with identity, gender, and societal expectations are central to the narrative, making the novel not only a political and historical fantasy but also a profound meditation on personal and collective pain

. In summary, "He Who Drowned the World" is a richly layered historical fantasy about power, revenge, and the human cost of ambition set against the backdrop of 14th century China.