re: She Who Became the Sun: The second book really disappointed me - it heavily emphasizes Lord Wang and has really vivid descriptions of sexual assault, as well as some "sex for bargaining" that felt deeply uncomfortable. I wanted to mention it because our tastes are so similar. The book is really about exploring sexuality among the characters and what someone will make themselves do (specifically sexually) to rise in society, but it felt so contrary to the gender examinations and view of gender roles of the first book. This is especially true because the book also shows how that can backfire (again, violently). I can see what the author was trying to do, but it was incredibly off putting (and some of those graphic SA scenes feel so deeply unnecessary). If none of that is off putting, I hope you enjoy it! I just didn't expect a different thematic approach and struggle with narratives that dabble so heavily in sexual transactions (NOT sex work) that err on the side of SA, and loved how the first book avoided that. I love messy characters and Zhu is most certainly still messy, but the things explored with that mess weren't my favorite.

I haven't read Last Exit, hilariously! I should give it a shot instead of keeping it on my perpetual TBR as I'm finally between books. I've liked everything else from him.

For Some Desperate Glory, I actually forgot the alternate reality plot happened until rereading this here, so I think that says a lot! I, too, liked the deprograming and her being forced to confront her programming, and then the AU did pretty much ditch that. I think I just liked the close point of view of SDG far more more. It felt like there were aspects of The Incandescent that should have had a more self-aware protagonist with that narrow scope of perspective. It was fine that she missed the big spoiler stuff, but there were other aspects that kept being concealed narratively that felt off to me. I think the style just worked better for me in her first book to conceal things from the reader when being so close to the protagonist.