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bookbrig's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is such a sweet and sad and hopeful read. I loved the stories, the details about Almost Brilliant's family, and the glimpses into Chih's past. Into the Riverlands was the slowest of the series for me, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading, but I'm so glad I did. Maybe I'll go back and give Riverlands another try to see if I enjoy it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
apple_atcha_reading's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Another solid installment in the Singing Hills series. I love that these short stories are interconnected, but could be read in any order and still make sense.
In this installment we see Cleric Chih back home in Singing Hills, where they discover their beloved Cleric Tien has passed. Family members from Cleric Tien's former life before joining Singing Hill believe they have a right to Cleric Tien's body and a say in how their passing is handled.
This was what I would describe as more of a slice of life installment, with hints of mysticism throughout. It's much more reflective, and we spend more time with Cleric Chih going through Cleric Tien's belongings and archives, as well as spending time in the aviary visiting Almost Brilliant <and their new chick>. The speaking ceremony (funeral) was incredibly touching and made me tear up. It was clearly emotional and difficult for all involved, no matter how close they were to Cleric Tien. In the aftermath of the funeral and <smashing of the gates, seeing how powerful grief is. Myriad Virtue's expression of grief was so emotionally charged and what I took to be a representation of how people will never truly be gone as long as their are people who remember them and share their stories.>
Overall, it was a very thoughtful and touching story of grief and how it effects everyone around the person, especially those who knew them best. Nghi Vo is an auto buy author for me and I sincerely hope she continues this series.
In this installment we see Cleric Chih back home in Singing Hills, where they discover their beloved Cleric Tien has passed. Family members from Cleric Tien's former life before joining Singing Hill believe they have a right to Cleric Tien's body and a say in how their passing is handled.
This was what I would describe as more of a slice of life installment, with hints of mysticism throughout. It's much more reflective, and we spend more time with Cleric Chih going through Cleric Tien's belongings and archives, as well as spending time in the aviary visiting Almost Brilliant <and their new chick>. The speaking ceremony (funeral) was incredibly touching and made me tear up. It was clearly emotional and difficult for all involved, no matter how close they were to Cleric Tien. In the aftermath of the funeral and <smashing of the gates, seeing how powerful grief is. Myriad Virtue's expression of grief was so emotionally charged and what I took to be a representation of how people will never truly be gone as long as their are people who remember them and share their stories.>
Overall, it was a very thoughtful and touching story of grief and how it effects everyone around the person, especially those who knew them best. Nghi Vo is an auto buy author for me and I sincerely hope she continues this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
displacedcactus's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
After three books of seeing Cleric Chih out in the world, this book finally takes us to the Singing Hills monastery, so we can learn more about the order and Chih's youth, their friends, and the people who are like family to them. We also get to learn a lot more about the neixin. In fact, despite being very short, this book did a beautiful job of answering some questions I had about the world, while also dropping tempting breadcrumbs about other parts of the world we haven't seen yet.
While this is technically a stand-alone, I think it will have more emotional impact if you've read at least one of the other books first, so that you already know Chih and Almost Brilliant.
Speaking of emotional impact, I'd definitely say this was the most emotional of the four books so far, at least for me. It's pretty focused on grief and mourning.
While this is technically a stand-alone, I think it will have more emotional impact if you've read at least one of the other books first, so that you already know Chih and Almost Brilliant.
Speaking of emotional impact, I'd definitely say this was the most emotional of the four books so far, at least for me. It's pretty focused on grief and mourning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, and Domestic abuse
There are several instances of misgendering.sarah984's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a beautiful little story about grief, change and growth - coming home to a place and people that have changed, ways to handle grief and what you carry with you. I thought the ending was a little too convenient but overall I loved this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, War, Excrement, Self harm, Transphobia, and Animal death
madradstarchild's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Terminal illness, and Death
clarabooksit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse
ezwolf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Mammoths at the Gate is the fourth installment in The Singing Hills Cycle where we follow Cleric Chih and their companion Almost Brilliant as they collect stories and history on their travels. In this book Chih has returned home to their abbey to something amiss.
This series is so fascinating and I love the way that the book uses stories from its characters to create the story we read. How once people are gone, its only the stories that remain.
I am pleased to have Almost Brilliant and Chih reunited. I love their dynamic and Almost Brilliant is such an interesting character and meeting her daughter was so fun! Being back at the abbey also meant that most of the characters we met had gender neutral pronouns and presentation, I think this was the most characters using they/them pronouns I've read about all in one book.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
This series is so fascinating and I love the way that the book uses stories from its characters to create the story we read. How once people are gone, its only the stories that remain.
I am pleased to have Almost Brilliant and Chih reunited. I love their dynamic and Almost Brilliant is such an interesting character and meeting her daughter was so fun! Being back at the abbey also meant that most of the characters we met had gender neutral pronouns and presentation, I think this was the most characters using they/them pronouns I've read about all in one book.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Domestic abuse
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Blood
laurareads87's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
In Mammoths at the Gates, the fourth installment in the Singing Hills series of novellas, story monk Chih returns home to the Singing Hills Abbey to find... mammoths at the gates. In their absence, an elder monk Cleric Thien has passed, and their relatives are at the abbey asking to have their body returned. Chih and acting Divine Ru must navigate their grieving processes and the grief of those at the abbey, including especially Cleric Thien's neixin Myriad Virtues, while honouring Thien's memory and their own traditions without angering Thien's relatives -- and their mammoths -- that they storm in. A lovely exploration of grieving, remembrance, and honouring. I am grateful for the Singing Hills Cycle and hope to have many more times with Chih and Almost Brilliant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: War
ashton_n's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A lot of people are afraid of death; or perhaps it’s more accurate to say what comes after, what comes before, what happens during. When someone dies, there’s a tendency to paint people as a dichotomy. But people are not two sided coins, they are an expanse of experiences, memories, an emotions. To remember them is to honor their existence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and Violence
scrubsandbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So much love for The Singing Hills Cycle series. Nghi Vo knocked it out of the park again with this book. This time, we see Cleric Chih come back home and deal with a grief and loss, which only adds to the beautiful world-building of this entire series and Chih's development as a lovable character. How Vo manages to pack so much emotion and development into these small novellas is a wonder but if I could have one bookish wish granted and have it come true, it would be that she never stops writing these.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse