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shaipanda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
I loved this just as much as When the Tiger Comes Down the Mountain which I accidentally read first :)
I have such a soft spot for pretty much any stories that include storytelling tbh
I have such a soft spot for pretty much any stories that include storytelling tbh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Death
florecita_lectora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Medical trauma and Grief
jjjreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, Trafficking, Classism, and Slavery
Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
Minor: War and Violence
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
moonytoast's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
short but very lovely, a great bite-sized fantasy story about the big and small moments of history and the winding journey of a once-exiled empress from the north to becoming the sole monarch
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
thereaderfriend's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Nghi Vo managed to expertly tell a story in a story of a oppressed woman who overthrew a patriarchal empire. Rabbit, a humble handmaiden sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of 5 packets of dye, tells the story of how In-Yo, an exiled princess turned to amazing empress, conquered what saw so little of them, to a servile cleric. Rabbit also gets taken advantage of but is redeemed with a great outcome, as well as In-Yo with her amazing overcoming. Also appreciated how Chih, the cleric, responded to learning this lesson. They were so kind and earnest about how they saw this story and how it would affect Chih's career.
Some fav quotes:
"Accuracy above all things. You will never remember the great if you do not remember the small."
"How do you live with it watching you? .. As you live with anything, I suspect. You bear it, or you end it."
"Time is the thing. I want time to get the words right. To do proper honor to those who died. I don't want them to be ashamed when others speak about them. But I know that there is only so much time left, and it will never be perfect. "
"... if a record cannot be perfect, it should at least be present. Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your mind."
"Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves."
Some fav quotes:
"Accuracy above all things. You will never remember the great if you do not remember the small."
"How do you live with it watching you? .. As you live with anything, I suspect. You bear it, or you end it."
"Time is the thing. I want time to get the words right. To do proper honor to those who died. I don't want them to be ashamed when others speak about them. But I know that there is only so much time left, and it will never be perfect. "
"... if a record cannot be perfect, it should at least be present. Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your mind."
"Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, War, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy and Grief
Minor: Suicide, Infertility, and Murder
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
ireadinbed's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was such a refreshing palette cleanser to the kind of super densely set stories I've been reading.
It felt like reading a fairly tale, probably because of the storytelling viewpoint. It took me a while to piece together what the story was about, but once I did it was very satisfying.
It felt as if it was told in glimpses and it was just what I needed on an afternoon home sick and looking for a distraction.
I will definitely continue on with the series.
It felt like reading a fairly tale, probably because of the storytelling viewpoint. It took me a while to piece together what the story was about, but once I did it was very satisfying.
It felt as if it was told in glimpses and it was just what I needed on an afternoon home sick and looking for a distraction.
I will definitely continue on with the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Pregnancy, Kidnapping, and Death
ggcd1981's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
The Empress of Salt and Fortune é uma novela inspirada pela Cultura Chinesa. Eu resolvi ler esta obra quando recebi um crédito VIP mensal no Audiobook.com e não me arrependi. A história é contada quase como uma fábula, inclusive a narração de Cindy Kay contribuiu muito para essa atmosfera do livro. A história em si tem momentos pesados de morte e luto, intriga política e até mesmo a queda de um império, mas através da escrita de Nghi Vo e da narração de Kay a obra obtém uma certa leveza. Resumindo aqui o enredo, a novela trata da história de como a Imperatriz In-yo estando em isolamento e em um país que não era o seu construiu uma rede de espiões a partir de “Leitores de sorte” e, apesar de estar sob vigilância constante, por meio de sua engenhosidade e desenvoltura derrubou um império e tomou o poder. Essa história é contada por sua fiel criada e amiga, Rabbit, quem sacrificou seu amor e sua filha por In-yo. Rabbit conta sua própria história assim como conta a da imperatriz para o clérigo (não binário) Chih do Monastério Singing Hills e seu pássaro e companheiro Almost Brilliant (uma ave dotada, na obra, de fala e da habilidade de nunca esquecer). Em The Empress of salt and fortune já no início In-yo havia falecido, Rabbit conta sua história para que esta não seja esquecida, mas também para que alguém saiba que na verdade a nova imperatriz que irá suceder é na verdade filha de Rabbit com seu amor, Sukai (este assassinado por suspeita de espionagem), adotada em segredo por In-yo. A novela é feminista e tem boa representação LGBTQ+. Ela também aborda temas como opressão, classes sociais e luto. Gostei muito da obra apesar de que a escrita e vocabulário necessitaram mais atenção de minha parte para não deixar de compreender o seu sentido. Foi uma boa experiência e continuarei com a série. Dou um sólido 4.5 estrelas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Classism, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death