Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo

55 reviews

sarrie's review

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.5

 
TL;DR: While not my favorite in the Singing Hills Cycle I still think this is a valuable story in the series, giving us a closer look at the order and it's inner workings 


I'm a big fan of the Singing Hills cycle featuring Cleric Chih and their travels gathering stories. The Tiger Came Down the Mountain is one of my favorite novellas I've read in a long time, and the stories are so vibrant that I was super excited to get to Mammoths at the Gates. Perhaps that excitement was a little too much, my expectations too high for this installment as it is definitely the weakest I've read so far in the series. 

This is a story about grief in a way. But a removed kind of grief. Chih returns in time to witness the funeral rights of a teacher from the monastery and the family that want their remains returned. The conflict arises in the shared grief, but differing stories the two groups have of the deceased individual. We get snippets of history with Chih and their old friend who is the acting leader. We also see grief over the loss of childhood and the friendships that change and evolve as we age. All this was obvious but it simply didn't click for me. Perhaps a longer story would have carried these themes better? More of the story telling aspect (as we only got that briefly at the end)? 

The ending did little to help the story, feeling as if the author had written themselves in a corner. Magic was used as the 'get out of jail free card' solving everyone's problems. Simply not my favorite. I still enjoyed my time with the Cleric, I still loved seeing more of Singing Hills. I think perhaps go into this one prepared more for a quieter, slower, and darker version of these novellas and you'll have better expectations. 
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charlottejones952's review

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-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

4.5

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bittennailbooks's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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

Nghi Vo once again transports us back to the Singing Hills in what feels like a seamless transition between dreamy novellas. Chih (they/them) has finally been called home to the Singing Hills Abbey to be met with the unfortunate news of the passing of their beloved childhood mentor, the growing pains of their best friend, and the pull between grief and belief. Once again, Nghi proves their mastery of the fantasy novella genre.

Thumbs up: As always, Vo pulls you into a poetic and fantastic story featuring beloved characters, adding layer upon layer of the Singing Hills lore. Although short, you feel like no time has passed in the standalone series with Chih the cleric, exploring the intricacies of life, death, and the grief that is left for the living to hold. An absolutely fantastic addition to the series and a must-read for anyone looking to get catapulted out of a reading slump.

Thumbs down: No notes for this novel. My only hope is that one day Vo treats us with a full-length, sprawling adventure about Chih and their storyseeking.

Was it a nail-biter? Although low-stakes, it is not without its moments of pulled emotions and the (relatable) reality-check of growing up, and that bereavement is a lesson for the living. 5 Stars!
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sebrittainclark's review

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-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? Yes

5.0

Cleric Chih returns home to the Singing Hills Abbey to find both home and himself changed. I loved that this novella focused on Chih's background and the stories were related to those he knows. I really enjoyed havig more time with Almost Brilliant and learning more about the other neixim.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
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uranaishi's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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