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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has a different story than the others in the series but it is so similar it doesn’t feel like a different book. It feels copy paste between the series.
Nghi Vo is a master of her craft and she is so fantastically gifted at imbuing these stories with a sense of true folklore. Not just in terms of the content but in how it is delivered, and in the case of this tale, how it changes depending on who is telling it. Seriously masterful stuff.
I will say that I listened to this in audiobook format and that probably didn’t help, but I just had a hard time following the battling storylines. I’m keenly aware that there are layers and layers of subtle changes with massive significance and that they each contribute to the larger narrative… but it was sort of lost on me except in the broadest terms. Obviously that’s on me, but I didn’t find myself sinking as easily into this one as I did the previous story in the series. Still, I plan to keep going to see the continuation of Cleric Chih’s story.
I will say that I listened to this in audiobook format and that probably didn’t help, but I just had a hard time following the battling storylines. I’m keenly aware that there are layers and layers of subtle changes with massive significance and that they each contribute to the larger narrative… but it was sort of lost on me except in the broadest terms. Obviously that’s on me, but I didn’t find myself sinking as easily into this one as I did the previous story in the series. Still, I plan to keep going to see the continuation of Cleric Chih’s story.
i loved this book. it was nothing like i imagined but exceeded all expectations. the way that the author is able to incorperate queer characters and stories is so good.
i loved both the human and tigers version of the same story, its interesting how its simliar to real life that us as humans can change and adapt stories to better fit our own beliefs (for better and for worse)
overall great read and im excited to read the other books in the series
i loved both the human and tigers version of the same story, its interesting how its simliar to real life that us as humans can change and adapt stories to better fit our own beliefs (for better and for worse)
overall great read and im excited to read the other books in the series
fast-paced
fast-paced
Nghi Vo's storytelling technique is, for me at least, a very unique take on the 'story within a story'.
Chih re-tells the story of a scholar and tiger who fell in love in order to survive three hungry tigers. This is a slow-burn Sapphic love story that brings forth the power of oral history. Each part of this world holds a different version of the tale, but all seemingly going towards the same sweet end. Nghi Vo has a voice like no other, fearless like the cleric with no sense of preservation, but a desire to hold stories.
A trope that I very much love in fairy tales is the 'power of the name'. Names hold meaning and a certain power over the owner. It is not wise to give the name away so freely. The climax of the love story, shown through the scholar giving her name is peak traditional story telling.
At the same time, I feel like there are moments when Nghi Vo tries a little too much and the story becomes very hard to follow. There were moments when I did not know where I was: was I with the scholar and her tiger lover or with Chih and her carelessness? Even that small confusion did not prevent me from enjoying this and recommending The singing hills cycle. These novellas are a breath of fresh air in the literary world.
Chih re-tells the story of a scholar and tiger who fell in love in order to survive three hungry tigers. This is a slow-burn Sapphic love story that brings forth the power of oral history. Each part of this world holds a different version of the tale, but all seemingly going towards the same sweet end. Nghi Vo has a voice like no other, fearless like the cleric with no sense of preservation, but a desire to hold stories.
A trope that I very much love in fairy tales is the 'power of the name'. Names hold meaning and a certain power over the owner. It is not wise to give the name away so freely. The climax of the love story, shown through the scholar giving her name is peak traditional story telling.
At the same time, I feel like there are moments when Nghi Vo tries a little too much and the story becomes very hard to follow. There were moments when I did not know where I was: was I with the scholar and her tiger lover or with Chih and her carelessness? Even that small confusion did not prevent me from enjoying this and recommending The singing hills cycle. These novellas are a breath of fresh air in the literary world.
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:
Complicated
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes