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library_gremlin's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Minor: Suicide, Murder, and Pregnancy
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
o_romeo's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, and War
green_amaryllis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Death of parent
anaisqsn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
It demanded a lot of focus for me to fully understand the storyline—probably because I listened to the audiobook. I read another review mentioning that the names of characters or places could be misleading with only the audio, such as Almost Brilliant the bird or the palace Thriving Fortune, and I fully agree with this. This feeling of disorientation in the first ~30% slightly lowered my rating.
However, once I got to understand the settings and the name of each place and character, the plot unfurled into a brilliant story of vengeance and sisterhood.
Each character felt real, making the story even more fascinating. I love how the story of In-yo’s rise to power and rebellion is told by Rabbit, her handmaiden, to Chih several decades later. The diversity of objects Chih finds in the palace adds a new piece of the story, further enhancing the experience of the reader.
Vo's writing is phenomenal. Even though I finished this book yesterday, I am still fascinated by how effective the storytelling was. Are you really telling me this was only 121 pages? Barely more than two hours? Dude. Weaving the threads of such a complex story in such an effective way is incredible. Every word is precisely chosen by the author and has a full impact on the reader.
This ended up being a 4 out of 5 stars for me. I will surely read this again, and probably purchase a copy of the novella to read along. I might even check out the sequels :).
If you’re looking for a short read, with strong-willed women (and a non-binary cleric?), set in what seems like Imperial China, I highly recommend it!
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Death and War
litoreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The story follows a cleric who is listening to an older woman named Rabbit's story about the Empress of Salt and Fortune, In-yo. We learn that Rabbit and In-yo had a beautiful human relationship one can only describe as non-romantic soul mates. They would do anything for each other while maintaining public appearances as royalty and handmaiden.
No spoilers, but the ending truly shows the level of this friendship and how beautiful human connection can be. This novella is short and perfect. If I can finish it in a couple of hours, so can you, and you ABSOLUTELY should.
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Body shaming and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
incandescent_ink's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Minor: Pregnancy, War, and Classism
quinnyquinnquinn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Grief and Pregnancy
Minor: Trafficking
spootilious's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Title: The Empress of Salt and Fortune
Review:
Minor: Death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
arkham's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Minor: Confinement, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy