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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
I've found that once you pick one of these novellas up, you don't want to put it down until it's finished. Just as beautifully written as the first one. I did miss Almost Brilliant in this one though.
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Need me a tiger wife to feed first from my plate frfr
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Once I started reading, I couldn’t put this book down. Beautifully written and entrancing
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
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
More sensual than anticipated.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
medium-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
Lovely little novella! I liked this far more than the first in this series, which was THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE. The pacing was better, the dialogue more natural, and the storytelling reminded me a bit of something you might tell by the fire or as a bedtime story—might listen to this when it comes out as an audiobook.
This continues the story of Chih, a cleric from the Singing Hills, which is a monastic order that collects histories from all over the world. Chih finds themselves being escorted through a mountain path when their group is attacked by three tiger sisters. To forestall becoming the tigers' next meal, Chih tells an old story about a tiger and her scholar lover—sort of a Scheherazade situation.
Vo achieves more effectively what I think she intended in the first book, which is to complicate the reader's idea of how stories are constructed, altered, and recorded—how they are never complete reflections of the "truth" because those telling it have their own expectations about what a story really "means."
Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This continues the story of Chih, a cleric from the Singing Hills, which is a monastic order that collects histories from all over the world. Chih finds themselves being escorted through a mountain path when their group is attacked by three tiger sisters. To forestall becoming the tigers' next meal, Chih tells an old story about a tiger and her scholar lover—sort of a Scheherazade situation.
Vo achieves more effectively what I think she intended in the first book, which is to complicate the reader's idea of how stories are constructed, altered, and recorded—how they are never complete reflections of the "truth" because those telling it have their own expectations about what a story really "means."
Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love Nghi Vo's writing, and I love Chih. The absence of Almost Brilliant was a bummer, and I liked the story being told in this one a little bit less than the one in the first book; however, overall this was great and I suspect that this series will soon become a favorite of all time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Sexual content