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pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
After finishing this novella I promptly added the rest of Nghi Vo's works to my tbr.
I'm not sure how such a detailed world and history fit into this novella, I was not expecting it! The characters are varied and lovable, the pace is steady, the story development is delicately laid out to show each side and progression of the Empress. The end is righteous. I loved Chih's curiosity and cleverness, Almost Brilliant's snark, and Rabbit's mischief, and, just, everything about the Empress.
Queer and Non-Binary friendly, feminist, and fantastical. I cannot wait to read the rest.
I'm not sure how such a detailed world and history fit into this novella, I was not expecting it! The characters are varied and lovable, the pace is steady, the story development is delicately laid out to show each side and progression of the Empress. The end is righteous. I loved Chih's curiosity and cleverness, Almost Brilliant's snark, and Rabbit's mischief, and, just, everything about the Empress.
Queer and Non-Binary friendly, feminist, and fantastical. I cannot wait to read the rest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Genocide, Pregnancy, Confinement, Misogyny, Grief, and War
growintogardens's review against another edition
2.75
Was it pretty at times? Yes. Was I lost often? Also yes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Death, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy, War, and Suicide
kingcrookback's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I've (as of writing this review) only read one other work of Vo's, Siren Queen, and I find that I much prefer Empress of Salt and Fortune. They're both frame stories that dip in and out of the embedded narrative, but there's something to Empress's setting and pacing that does it for me in a way that Siren Queen didn't. Empress moves along deftly (though I wouldn't necessarily say that it's swift), and the Vo treads the line between detail and ambiguity. Neither detailed to the point of bogging anything down nor ambiguous enough to be called vague. Rabbit's story is both touching and gripping, albeit hazed by time and memory. A nice little capsule.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, War, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Grief
maeverose's review
5.0
My first 5⭐️ of the year!!
I was expecting to like this but I wasn’t expecting it to make me cry.
The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, the story takes it’s time and is simultaneously comforting and painful. I always love the ‘stories attached to items’ trope (is that a trope?) and this has that. I was worried I wasn’t fully understanding it at first (with all the ‘do you understand?’ moments..), but by the end I did. Well, I’m sure there are details that I missed but I understood the overall story. This is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read I think. Please read it.
I was expecting to like this but I wasn’t expecting it to make me cry.
The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, the story takes it’s time and is simultaneously comforting and painful. I always love the ‘stories attached to items’ trope (is that a trope?) and this has that. I was worried I wasn’t fully understanding it at first (with all the ‘do you understand?’ moments..), but by the end I did. Well, I’m sure there are details that I missed but I understood the overall story. This is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read I think. Please read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Classism, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal death, Slavery, and War
Forced separation from a child and forced separation from a romantic partner, brief mention of a beheading, drowning and gutting (not detailed).kaziaroo's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
4.75
I normally go for substance over style, but I liked this one a lot. It's very atmospheric and immersive, and I really enjoyed the narrative style and framing. The storytelling was very subtle and I'm still a little confused about the timeline of events but it suited the overall tone. It took a while for me to realise what made the empress so great and even now I feel like I barely know her, more as a shadow in the mist than a person. As someone who tends to read chunky novels, it feels strange and almost uncomfortable to finish a story while not knowing so much about the characters. It kept me company for a few hours, and now it's gone. I'll definitely keep the other books in the series on my to-read list for next time I have a long journey.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, and Death
Minor: Abortion, War, Pregnancy, Murder, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Infertility, and Animal death
aritag's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Misogyny
periwinkle_flora's review
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A very quiet, thoughtful story about people and their ties to others.
I liked the characters Chih & Rabbit, and that they have a conversation with each other throughout the book.
A short story, but unique + nice all around.
I liked the characters Chih & Rabbit, and that they have a conversation with each other throughout the book.
A short story, but unique + nice all around.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny and Grief
singlier's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Empress of Salt and Fortune 5/5 🐇s
I read this book on the recommendation of an online friend and was absolutely not disappointed. This book is a quick read, only around 120 pages, but what it manages to do in those pages is astounding. The story follows a young cleric, Chih and their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant as they listen and catalogue the artifacts of Rabbit, a servant who worked for the late Empress In-yo. Over the course of the book, they learn the story of Empress In-yo, a princess from the north entrapped in a political marriage who, after bearing a son for the Emperor, is sent into exile. Years later, In-yo returns to the capital, where she overthrows the Emperor and enshrines her daughter on the throne as the head of a new dynasty.
This books is short but powerful, mixing the catalogue of Chih's findings with the stories Rabbit tells her. It is a story of anger, magic, and retribution, all set in a high fantasy imperial China setting. The cast is small, with most named characters being women. There are two more books in the series, and I can't wait to read them.
I read this book on the recommendation of an online friend and was absolutely not disappointed. This book is a quick read, only around 120 pages, but what it manages to do in those pages is astounding. The story follows a young cleric, Chih and their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant as they listen and catalogue the artifacts of Rabbit, a servant who worked for the late Empress In-yo. Over the course of the book, they learn the story of Empress In-yo, a princess from the north entrapped in a political marriage who, after bearing a son for the Emperor, is sent into exile. Years later, In-yo returns to the capital, where she overthrows the Emperor and enshrines her daughter on the throne as the head of a new dynasty.
This books is short but powerful, mixing the catalogue of Chih's findings with the stories Rabbit tells her. It is a story of anger, magic, and retribution, all set in a high fantasy imperial China setting. The cast is small, with most named characters being women. There are two more books in the series, and I can't wait to read them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Infertility
blackcatkai's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
beautifully written and engaging, im interested to see where the story goes in subsequent novellas. it's more of a high fantasy than what I'm personally used to/into so I got a little lost despite how short it is, but thats a me issue. either way, nghi vo is clearly ridiculously talented with descriptions & story telling and I am absolutely reading more of her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: War, Pregnancy, and Grief
Minor: Suicide and Sexual assault
rtaire's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Death, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Grief and Pregnancy