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legs_n_chins's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
I’m reading Vo’s novellas sort of out of order, in a sense, so I read Empress of Salt most recently and didn't get to Tiger Came Down in between. I don’t know what the style of storytelling is in Tiger so I don’t have a good frame of reference, but the stark difference between Empress and this one was a little surprising and disappointing. I really, really enjoyed the style of Empress and had hoped that the other novellas would be in the same sort of switching POV, though I do understand how that might get exhausting or repetitive quickly. So, fair enough that this is a very different style.
That said, this is the first of Vo’s works so far I didn’t give a full 5 stars to. Partially for my slight disappointment in the writing style shift, but also because I didn’t find it quite as immersive as her other works. Maybe it was my mood today, I don’t know. Regardless, I preferred how Empress kept the action of the story and the present moments separate. It really wove well into the meta narrative of storytelling as an act, I felt, and having Chih be in a more active setting was a little jarring. Though still an observer, it felt strange to see them at the center of the action rather than the action being communicated through story. Again, I get how it would grow boring to have the same style over and over — and this is the third of Vo’s novellas in this collection so if she’d done them all the same it would certainly be stale by now — but I wasn’t as big a fan of it is all.
But aside from all of that, I really liked the theme of this one. The way stories are all interconnected and all the same but all different. It reminds me so much of Black Sails which does a lot of the same thing. Stories are told and they are passed on, that’s the point of Chih and Almost Brilliant, so they naturally shift and change and grow. It’s all about what someone has seen and what they then say and how they tell it. I really liked the story of Wild Pig Yi and Gravewraith Chen (btw absolutely incredible character name) and their song as they killed the Hollow Hands. I do just wish that wasn’t the only real story told in this one, it felt so short. Understandably, with the theme, Chih had to observe the rest, but I do wish some of the other tales they touched on had been spun out a little more. I think I maybe lost some of the power of how they were connected because I couldn’t quite grasp the plot of the other mentioned stories. Still, for the length, Vo continues to create immersive settings and characters I really care about and I just think that’s so powerful. I love all these characters dearly and I only had them for 100 pages.
A story is true, a story is untrue.
That said, this is the first of Vo’s works so far I didn’t give a full 5 stars to. Partially for my slight disappointment in the writing style shift, but also because I didn’t find it quite as immersive as her other works. Maybe it was my mood today, I don’t know. Regardless, I preferred how Empress kept the action of the story and the present moments separate. It really wove well into the meta narrative of storytelling as an act, I felt, and having Chih be in a more active setting was a little jarring. Though still an observer, it felt strange to see them at the center of the action rather than the action being communicated through story. Again, I get how it would grow boring to have the same style over and over — and this is the third of Vo’s novellas in this collection so if she’d done them all the same it would certainly be stale by now — but I wasn’t as big a fan of it is all.
But aside from all of that, I really liked the theme of this one. The way stories are all interconnected and all the same but all different. It reminds me so much of Black Sails which does a lot of the same thing. Stories are told and they are passed on, that’s the point of Chih and Almost Brilliant, so they naturally shift and change and grow. It’s all about what someone has seen and what they then say and how they tell it. I really liked the story of Wild Pig Yi and Gravewraith Chen (btw absolutely incredible character name) and their song as they killed the Hollow Hands. I do just wish that wasn’t the only real story told in this one, it felt so short. Understandably, with the theme, Chih had to observe the rest, but I do wish some of the other tales they touched on had been spun out a little more. I think I maybe lost some of the power of how they were connected because I couldn’t quite grasp the plot of the other mentioned stories. Still, for the length, Vo continues to create immersive settings and characters I really care about and I just think that’s so powerful. I love all these characters dearly and I only had them for 100 pages.
A story is true, a story is untrue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: War and Blood
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
linblythe_pub22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, and Abandonment
maeverose's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not sure I fully understood the ending but I enjoyed it overall
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault and Kidnapping
Description of a hanged bodyputtingwingsonwords's review
adventurous
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
Apparently this was the month for starting books by authors who wrote other books I had intended on reading first, but haven't and loving them!
I've wanted to read The Chosen and the Beautiful for months and haven't had the chance, but the cover of this one was so intriguing combined with the author I couldn't pass it up. I started this knowing I would probably be a little confused since, even though it says you can read them out of order, I still thought there would be pieces I would be missing. But even if I was, I didn't feel like I was. The story is short enough that even if it was a stand-alone I would be eager to hear more and find out more about all of our characters.
The way you're reading a story that's essentially about stories and how they're told and passed along and kept throughout history was fun and led to a sort of twist I didn't really see coming even though it's right in front of you (and Chih). Chih and Almost Beautiful are a wonderful couple to have as the narrator, but I loved all of the characters that were along for the road trip. I would gladly read a book about any of them. I fully plan on reading the rest of The Singing Hills Cycle books and I highly recommend this series!
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
I've wanted to read The Chosen and the Beautiful for months and haven't had the chance, but the cover of this one was so intriguing combined with the author I couldn't pass it up. I started this knowing I would probably be a little confused since, even though it says you can read them out of order, I still thought there would be pieces I would be missing. But even if I was, I didn't feel like I was. The story is short enough that even if it was a stand-alone I would be eager to hear more and find out more about all of our characters.
The way you're reading a story that's essentially about stories and how they're told and passed along and kept throughout history was fun and led to a sort of twist I didn't really see coming even though it's right in front of you (and Chih). Chih and Almost Beautiful are a wonderful couple to have as the narrator, but I loved all of the characters that were along for the road trip. I would gladly read a book about any of them. I fully plan on reading the rest of The Singing Hills Cycle books and I highly recommend this series!
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
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