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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 against another edition
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.
zoilkn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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? Yes
5.0
abhimanyu01's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
nini23's review against another edition
reflective
sad
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse
arielkirst's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
This book was beautiful! my first by this author, and honestly I read it because I love mammoths and it popped up when I searched for that, but I'm so glad I did. The world building was subtle and poetic, the characters all felt very real. I will definitely read more!
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
2.0
Ich mochte den Rest der Serie, aber dieses Buch las sich für mich wie eine plotlose Found-Family-Huldigung, bei der ich die ganze Zeit überlegen musste, welches Gegenwartsgeschehen hier wohl als Kloster voll redender Vögel verkleidet wird. Das Geschichtenfurnier war mir zu dünn.
annaclaire's review against another edition
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
3.75