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A review by fadingapple
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo
4.25
4.25/5 stars
This was unexpected, refreshing, unique, impactful - in very few pages. At roughly 100 pages, this novella packs a powerful punch that will leave you feeling fully satisfied and yet thoughtful. This is a story you have to experience - my words or descriptions would be far insufficient.
I adore the concept of a scholar monk travelling to gather stories to add to the archives, and using that knowledge to survive situations that should not be survivable. But, I especially loved that this one gives us insight into where Chih comes from as they return to their abbey. It was a completely different setup from the first 3 books and captured my attention in a new way. We learn more about the monk sand the Order of the Singing Hills - about the story keepers more than stories themselves. It was fascinating and leaves me hungry for more about the world!
It's just so well done and extremely obvious that Vo knew the story she wanted to tell and had a passion for it; it takes a special kind of skill to write so much in so few words.
This was unexpected, refreshing, unique, impactful - in very few pages. At roughly 100 pages, this novella packs a powerful punch that will leave you feeling fully satisfied and yet thoughtful. This is a story you have to experience - my words or descriptions would be far insufficient.
I adore the concept of a scholar monk travelling to gather stories to add to the archives, and using that knowledge to survive situations that should not be survivable. But, I especially loved that this one gives us insight into where Chih comes from as they return to their abbey. It was a completely different setup from the first 3 books and captured my attention in a new way. We learn more about the monk sand the Order of the Singing Hills - about the story keepers more than stories themselves. It was fascinating and leaves me hungry for more about the world!
It's just so well done and extremely obvious that Vo knew the story she wanted to tell and had a passion for it; it takes a special kind of skill to write so much in so few words.