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shoni's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
You're telling me I have to sit here and wait for the second book to come out. I didn't sign up for this! (i mean I did but like I don't approve).
I think it's safe to say that Joan He really can do no wrong. I really enjoy all her books and they all bring such different feelings and emotions that I'm just left with so many questions and emotions after I'm done. And Joan writes it in such a way that I can't even be mad because it's the best thing for the story! Having the map, artwork, and table of contents, in the beginning, was great. I miss that in books! It adds such an extra element in the smallest way and I love it. I do believe it's a nod to the original Three Kingdoms as it had the same format which adds to the genius behind it.
The characters were also just amazing. Zephyr is one of my favorites for sure. She has such chaotic energy in the most logical way that I am in love with her. She makes you understand what you don't even understand. PLUS, THE TENSION AND BANTER BETWEEN CROW AND ZEPHYR IS WHAT I WANT/NEED. It was everything and made me so happy. I knew from the beginning that there was something with Crow, that we weren't getting the full story but I wasn't expecting that! Like somehow was easier to accept the doomed love when he was on Miasma's side than Cicada's. I'm so curious to see where both these characters go in the second book AND how their paths cross again. also how much does Crow knows about Zephyr? It's said it's your soul finding its other half, so if that's the case, would he recognize zephyr's soul after a while ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT SCENE BY THE LAKE WITH THE ZITHER, or not and just be ridden with sorrow? I have too many questions and so much time till the second book comes out. It's ridiculous.
Also, Ren. Such an iconic. A lordess who is both feared and loved in the best way. Like I want to be like her. Spread chaos and bloodshed in the most humane way. Iconic.
I honestly have so many thoughts and emotions and I can't even figure out how to put them into words at this point. I can't wait for the second book and see where it all goes.
I think it's safe to say that Joan He really can do no wrong. I really enjoy all her books and they all bring such different feelings and emotions that I'm just left with so many questions and emotions after I'm done. And Joan writes it in such a way that I can't even be mad because it's the best thing for the story! Having the map, artwork, and table of contents, in the beginning, was great. I miss that in books! It adds such an extra element in the smallest way and I love it. I do believe it's a nod to the original Three Kingdoms as it had the same format which adds to the genius behind it.
The characters were also just amazing. Zephyr is one of my favorites for sure. She has such chaotic energy in the most logical way that I am in love with her. She makes you understand what you don't even understand. PLUS, THE TENSION AND BANTER BETWEEN CROW AND ZEPHYR IS WHAT I WANT/NEED. It was everything and made me so happy.
Also, Ren. Such an iconic. A lordess who is both feared and loved in the best way. Like I want to be like her. Spread chaos and bloodshed in the most humane way. Iconic.
I honestly have so many thoughts and emotions and I can't even figure out how to put them into words at this point. I can't wait for the second book and see where it all goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Blood
azrah786's review against another edition
3.25
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, war, death, animal death, death of parents (off page), vomiting, physical abuse, terminal illness, grief
It breaks my heart to say this but I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to :(
I absolutely loved both of Joan He’s previous books, I just felt like there was something missing for me in this one that I can’t entirely put my finger on.
Strike the Zither is a reimagining of the Chinese epic Three Kingdoms with the twist that the leading characters are predominantly female – it has such an noteworthy and unique premise but I just couldn’t click with the story.
Don’t get me wrong He’s writing and twisty storytelling is as brilliant as ever here and the characters were interesting and well established enough. However, the fast pacing with not much action was reminiscent of She Who Became the Sun and Daughter of the Moon Goddess, two other reads that I didn’t vibe with this year for similar reasons.
Everything was happening too fast for me, relationships and alliances included, and then the big plot twist didn’t shock me at all, I just skimmed over it and continued reading without much other thought.
Maybe being more familiar with the original story that this was inspired by would have given me a better understanding and appreciation for the nuances and links but unfortunately this wasn’t my cup of tea so I doubt I will be picking up the sequel.
If you’re a fan of historical c-dramas and Wuxia then I’d definitely recommend checking it out though!
Final Rating – 3.25/5 Stars
CW: violence, blood, injury, war, death, animal death, death of parents (off page), vomiting, physical abuse, terminal illness, grief
It breaks my heart to say this but I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to :(
I absolutely loved both of Joan He’s previous books, I just felt like there was something missing for me in this one that I can’t entirely put my finger on.
Strike the Zither is a reimagining of the Chinese epic Three Kingdoms with the twist that the leading characters are predominantly female – it has such an noteworthy and unique premise but I just couldn’t click with the story.
Don’t get me wrong He’s writing and twisty storytelling is as brilliant as ever here and the characters were interesting and well established enough. However, the fast pacing with not much action was reminiscent of She Who Became the Sun and Daughter of the Moon Goddess, two other reads that I didn’t vibe with this year for similar reasons.
Everything was happening too fast for me, relationships and alliances included, and then the big plot twist didn’t shock me at all, I just skimmed over it and continued reading without much other thought.
Maybe being more familiar with the original story that this was inspired by would have given me a better understanding and appreciation for the nuances and links but unfortunately this wasn’t my cup of tea so I doubt I will be picking up the sequel.
If you’re a fan of historical c-dramas and Wuxia then I’d definitely recommend checking it out though!
Final Rating – 3.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Terminal illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, and Vomit
patricktreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Strike the Zither was my first read by Joan He, and I was pleasantly surprised with how deep the story got. I did not realize that it was a retelling until receiving the arc. Thank you to #Netgalley for that.
This read was fast paced, and full of unexpected twists. I was honestly taken by complete surprise when the big one came through at around the 60% mark. I am more than excited to read the upcoming titles in this new series.
High recommend. Please note the content warnings as this work does deal some with aggressive character deaths.
This read was fast paced, and full of unexpected twists. I was honestly taken by complete surprise when the big one came through at around the 60% mark. I am more than excited to read the upcoming titles in this new series.
High recommend. Please note the content warnings as this work does deal some with aggressive character deaths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Grief, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Blood, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Loving all of these epic fantasyies based on different Asian mythologies! Admittedly, I don't know the Chinese classic that this one is based on, but the characters were great, the world building was great, and I was sucked in from the beginning. There's war, scheming, and a little bit of found family. Something for all kinds of historical fantasy lovers!
And the plot twists! Between the scheming and the plotting, there are twists that you don't see coming all throughout the book. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book!
And the plot twists! Between the scheming and the plotting, there are twists that you don't see coming all throughout the book. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
Moderate: Blood, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Death of parent
maaikereadsbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Many thanks to Text Publishing and Joan He for the advanced copy of Strike the Zither via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
Strike the Zither is a fascinating re-imagining of the Three Kingdoms. I will admit that I went into this book not knowing anything about the Three Kingdoms at all. But I can imagine it was a very male-heavy affair. Strike the Zither, on the other hand, has been written with a female majority of characters. Male characters, while present, are in the minority. However, rather than making them inferior (as would be the case in a gender-switch reimagining), He also wrote male characters into positions of political and strategic power in the story.
It took me a bit to get the feel of the story and I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in it. The way it is written would make it work very well as a graphic novel or screen adaptation. There is a large switch of viewpoint in the middle of the book, which again threw me, as I’d not long gotten into the rhythm of the story, and this did detract from the story somewhat for me. Overall, I just felt a little something was lacking. It felt a little shallow, the characters lacked in depth and there were sudden leaps in time with little explanation.
Really, I feel Joan He did not do herself justice. She could have split this book into two. The ‘before’ and the ‘after’. With more depth of the characters and explanations, it would have felt like an even richer, deeper story.
It was a brilliant idea, well executed. But, with more time and over two volumes, would have been immense. It could have been MORE. For this reason I just couldn’t love it.
Spice: 0/5
Trigger warnings: Amputation, Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Guns/weapons, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, Physical illness, Poisoning, Violence, War
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, Child death, Murder, and Physical abuse
jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.0
“One star cannot light a galaxy, he’d said as he’d seen on the feather. I’m not a star, I’d countered. I am the universe itself.”
Strike the Zither follows Zephyr, a strategist for one of the three warlordesses in conflict over the land in the realm. Zephyr goes undercover in the enemy camp to tip the scale in her side’s favor. There, she meets challenges in a rival strategist named Crow and otherworldly encounters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for an ARC of this book!
I loved this. Zephyr is such an unapologetic character. She’s arrogant, but for good reason. She’s a very good strategist and I loved being inside her brain throughout this book. I got to hear all her plans and ideas. I love political intrigue and war in a book and this one had plenty of that! I loved her and Crow’s relationship and how it developed from a rivalry to something much more. Their connection was very genuine and intellectual. Joan He always done such an amazing job with plot twists. It’s always something you never see coming and could never possibly guess. Her stories are always so unique and different. The story was rooted in history and possibilities and I enjoyed the journey it took me on.
Strike the Zither follows Zephyr, a strategist for one of the three warlordesses in conflict over the land in the realm. Zephyr goes undercover in the enemy camp to tip the scale in her side’s favor. There, she meets challenges in a rival strategist named Crow and otherworldly encounters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for an ARC of this book!
I loved this. Zephyr is such an unapologetic character. She’s arrogant, but for good reason. She’s a very good strategist and I loved being inside her brain throughout this book. I got to hear all her plans and ideas. I love political intrigue and war in a book and this one had plenty of that! I loved her and Crow’s relationship and how it developed from a rivalry to something much more. Their connection was very genuine and intellectual. Joan He always done such an amazing job with plot twists. It’s always something you never see coming and could never possibly guess. Her stories are always so unique and different. The story was rooted in history and possibilities and I enjoyed the journey it took me on.
Content Warnings
Minor: War, Death of parent, Murder, Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Death
art_books_chemistry's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Upfront, my biggest issue with Strike the Zither was that as soon as the book started, I felt as if I was jumping into the middle of a story which was already halfway to it's conclusion. I became quite lost and it took awhile for me to really connect to the characters because I felt like I was playing catch-up trying to keep several moving pieces straight. I also found it hard to visualize where various meetings and battles were taking place. Part of this is because I listened to it as an audiobook, a map that would normally be found in a visual book would have made this easier.
The other reason I took off some star points is due to me being unable to connect to the characters. I found them very superficial for the most part. In this regard, the writing became better towards the end of the book. There was some introspective moments from the main character but the rest of the cast is still not developed as well as I would hope after over 10 hours of audio.
This leads me into my next point which is that I found the plot to be overall straightforward until the second "part". The introduction of the god subplot threw the main plot into utter confusion. I do like that it was a twist I didn't see coming but it could have been integrated much more cohesively into the main plot. Between this and the aforementioned character development issues, I think the author would have been better off making this two books: one for the first "part" of the book and one for the second "part". This would have allowed for more in depth background and development of not just the characters but also the geography and magic of the novel. I was severely lacking the connection with playing a zither from the first half of the book, though some of that was explained later on.
Although I personally did not enjoy this novel overall, I'm sure it would still appeal to others who like fantasy.
The other reason I took off some star points is due to me being unable to connect to the characters. I found them very superficial for the most part. In this regard, the writing became better towards the end of the book. There was some introspective moments from the main character but the rest of the cast is still not developed as well as I would hope after over 10 hours of audio.
This leads me into my next point which is that I found the plot to be overall straightforward until the second "part". The introduction of the god subplot threw the main plot into utter confusion. I do like that it was a twist I didn't see coming but it could have been integrated much more cohesively into the main plot. Between this and the aforementioned character development issues, I think the author would have been better off making this two books: one for the first "part" of the book and one for the second "part". This would have allowed for more in depth background and development of not just the characters but also the geography and magic of the novel. I was severely lacking the connection with playing a zither from the first half of the book, though some of that was explained later on.
Although I personally did not enjoy this novel overall, I'm sure it would still appeal to others who like fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Chronic illness, and Death
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free advance copy of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, and War
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
This book is chock-full of some of the most badass female characters you’ve ever met. A feminist retelling of an ancient Chinese classic, this women-led epic is a wartime story of loyalty, trust, honor, and betrayal—it’s absolutely brutal, at times. The narrator, Zephyr, is a brilliant young strategist who is always three steps ahead, predicting and orchestrating events with pinpoint accuracy, until something unforeseen changes everything. Be prepared to get hooked on this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, War, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Torture, Stalking, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an advance copy.
tl;dr
A beautifully written book with powerful characters and a rollercoaster ride of plot twists that's nearly impossible to put down.
About
In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match?
Thoughts
I'm already counting down the days to the sequel. The author's notes in the back state that this is her favorite book, and with good reason. It's an excellent book. War stratagems and human complexity clash beautifully and painfully in this retelling of The Three Kingdoms (although no familiarity with the original is necessary to enjoy this). The plot drives the story, but there's plenty of space for human interaction, including very thoughtful portrayals of the many different forms of sisterhood. Zephyr is an absolutely stunning main character. Bold, capable, confident, and utterly unshakeable. As much as I love a story where the MC learns to believe in themselves, getting to read one where they already do is truly exhilarating. Crow is a fantastic foil (and potential love interest?) - clever, moody, and full of secrets. I loved seeing him and Zephyr match wits. Writing is fast-paced, and evocative, with plot twists furling out with increasing urgency. And that ending! Ahhhh!
I'd also like to take the time to appreciate that notes in the back offer insight into the original Three Kingdoms story for curious readers, and there are a handful of gorgeous character illustrations in the front. (I, uh, wouldn't mind one for Crow in the second volume.)
tl;dr
A beautifully written book with powerful characters and a rollercoaster ride of plot twists that's nearly impossible to put down.
About
In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match?
Thoughts
I'm already counting down the days to the sequel. The author's notes in the back state that this is her favorite book, and with good reason. It's an excellent book. War stratagems and human complexity clash beautifully and painfully in this retelling of The Three Kingdoms (although no familiarity with the original is necessary to enjoy this). The plot drives the story, but there's plenty of space for human interaction, including very thoughtful portrayals of the many different forms of sisterhood. Zephyr is an absolutely stunning main character. Bold, capable, confident, and utterly unshakeable. As much as I love a story where the MC learns to believe in themselves, getting to read one where they already do is truly exhilarating. Crow is a fantastic foil (and potential love interest?) - clever, moody, and full of secrets. I loved seeing him and Zephyr match wits. Writing is fast-paced, and evocative, with plot twists furling out with increasing urgency. And that ending! Ahhhh!
I'd also like to take the time to appreciate that notes in the back offer insight into the original Three Kingdoms story for curious readers, and there are a handful of gorgeous character illustrations in the front. (I, uh, wouldn't mind one for Crow in the second volume.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and War
Minor: Alcohol and Animal death