Scan barcode
foureyebooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
akhcreates's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
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
4.5
abbydee's review against another edition
Loooovvvvvvvved this. Recommended to all for its serious issues and light humor, good friendships, actual stakes and tension but nothing too horrible happening on-screen. The story occupies its novella length comfortably and moves along well. The fantasy elements and ghost story are delightful. This is what I needed right now, or maybe just what I crave all the time.
library_gremlin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death, Self harm, and Animal cruelty
figsofpeach's review against another edition
relaxing
sad
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
bookswithjk's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A bit of a departure from the other three books, but this may be my favorite of the series. The message is clear - what is a person, but a thousand stories? We may know only version, but others may know a second, a third, etc.
readerbot_lu's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
Did I like it? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes
Favorite Quote
“People grow up. I get to grow up, and I get to change. I’m not going to mope around heartbroken forever because we thought we were both going to get to leave and see the world, and then I couldn’t. You can’t expect me to be your old friend from home who loves to hear about your great adventures!” (Ru, 57)
Positives
This novella felt much darker than the others because Chih was actually one of the story participants. I mentioned in my review of Into the Riverlands that Chih seems to be taking a more active role in the stories they “observe” and that trend continues here. Chih’s grief and nostalgia Chih felt very real to me.
Negatives
One of the themes of this series is how people aren’t always human. This was a powerful subplot in this novella, but I felt like having Myriad Virtues turn into a human doppelgänger of Thien at the end (which solved the main plot problem) doesn’t reinforce the neixins’ personhood and independence from the human clerics.
lothwolfjedi's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
lines__lines's review
4.5
This installment in the Singing Hills Cycle also nests stories together to build a larger picture, but this one progresses in a much more traditional manner, and puts Chih themself as a central character in the narrative. The story being uncovered in bits and pieces is that of Cleric Thien, Chih's mentor who has passed away just before Chih arrives back at the Abbey after three years on the road. We get memories from Chih directly, from Chih's childhood friend (and current acting head of the order), from Cleric Thien's granddaughters who have come with a claim to his body, and from Thien's neixin, Myriad Virtues.
This book traces through various stages of grief in different characters' reactions, and asks how we remember those we have lost. It also explores the grief of personal changes - growing up means leaving previous versions of oneself behind and facing the fact that relationships with others might have to change with these new versions of ourselves. Chih gets far more character development in this book, though much of it is a culmination of their experiences from the previous books. As always, Vo manages to pack a lot of thoughtfulness into one novella. This is perhaps the most emotional of the books, preferring to meditate on aspects of grief and change more than the mysteries of narrative-making and truth-telling.
This book traces through various stages of grief in different characters' reactions, and asks how we remember those we have lost. It also explores the grief of personal changes - growing up means leaving previous versions of oneself behind and facing the fact that relationships with others might have to change with these new versions of ourselves. Chih gets far more character development in this book, though much of it is a culmination of their experiences from the previous books. As always, Vo manages to pack a lot of thoughtfulness into one novella. This is perhaps the most emotional of the books, preferring to meditate on aspects of grief and change more than the mysteries of narrative-making and truth-telling.