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tinyelfarcanist's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is, undoubtedly, a feminist tale.
There is a story on the books, of the emperor of Anh coming to In-Yo in a dream and pressing a seed into her belly. It is the story that the people of Anh like a great deal, about the great virility of their rulers and how they reach out in their sleep or in death, and it isn't as if the history books aren't full of such things.
In such a short format, the author packs a fleshed-out world you want to delve into. Passing characters leave a mark and the story being told from the past is even more engaging than the present.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Slavery, Kidnapping, War, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
rorikae's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
'The Empress of Salt and Fortune' is an evocative and beautifully written novella that follows a cleric cataloging a house by a distant lake and learning the story of its inhabitant in the process.
Cleric Chi arrives at a recently declassified lake and stumbles upon a woman named Rabbit who lives in a house on the lake's shore. Rabbit invites Chi into her home and begins to tell her story of how she came to live on this lake and her friendship with the woman that would become the Empress of Salt and Fortune. Her story unfolds as Chi catalogs the contents of her house and Rabbit explains how each piece harkens back to her past.
Nghi Vo is such a wonderful writer. Her prose is lush and evocative. Pairing that with a well paced story that unfolds through the items in a house, results in a wonderful novella. We get to learn about Rabbit's past through the items and in the process we get a sense for the people that she once knew. At the same time, Vo utilizes Chi's commentary about the items and how they interact with Rabbit to further flesh out their background as well.
I will be interested to see if the subsequent stories build off of Rabbit's story and the political history of the world or if they will each be their own standalone story as Chi travels. Either way, I can't wait to read what comes next. This is another of the recent Tor novella series that have been some of my favorite things to read.
Cleric Chi arrives at a recently declassified lake and stumbles upon a woman named Rabbit who lives in a house on the lake's shore. Rabbit invites Chi into her home and begins to tell her story of how she came to live on this lake and her friendship with the woman that would become the Empress of Salt and Fortune. Her story unfolds as Chi catalogs the contents of her house and Rabbit explains how each piece harkens back to her past.
Nghi Vo is such a wonderful writer. Her prose is lush and evocative. Pairing that with a well paced story that unfolds through the items in a house, results in a wonderful novella. We get to learn about Rabbit's past through the items and in the process we get a sense for the people that she once knew. At the same time, Vo utilizes Chi's commentary about the items and how they interact with Rabbit to further flesh out their background as well.
I will be interested to see if the subsequent stories build off of Rabbit's story and the political history of the world or if they will each be their own standalone story as Chi travels. Either way, I can't wait to read what comes next. This is another of the recent Tor novella series that have been some of my favorite things to read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, and Pregnancy
cheye13's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Grief, Infertility, Pregnancy, Violence, War, and Medical trauma
Minor: Suicide, Sexual content, and Homophobia
aardwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Lovely prose, clever pacing with few pages, lively characters, and awesome worldbuilding, and it all comes together with elegant craft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Violence, Suicide, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Medical content, Blood, and War
arcinzole's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
I was amazed at the character development the author packed into this very small space with a complex plot. Loved the narrative devices used. Good, organic queer representation too.
My one possible complaint with the queer rep was that the one explicitl nonbinary character was portrayed as part of a semi-magical religious order removed so much from the other characters, but that may simply be a result of the very compact story. I am so excited to read more and see more characters. I have a feeling I will find more well handled gender-identity related diversity in her work.
My one possible complaint with the queer rep was that the one explicitl nonbinary character was portrayed as part of a semi-magical religious order removed so much from the other characters, but that may simply be a result of the very compact story. I am so excited to read more and see more characters. I have a feeling I will find more well handled gender-identity related diversity in her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Misogyny, Classism, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
sorcha_rosa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
5.0
Beautiful, enthralling, dark. I will not forget this story within stories for a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment, Violence, and Misogyny
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