A review by kplovestoread
Strike the Zither by Joan He

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

After reading Joan He’s debut Descendant of the Crane in one sitting, He quickly became an author to watch for me then becoming a must buy author when I enjoyed her next novel The Ones We’re Meant to Find in one night. When I found out her third book Strike the Zither was set to release in October I made my first ever ARC request. So I’d definitely say I was excited for this book despite the risk that maybe this time He didn’t write a banger (as is the risk for any author as they write more books). 

I’m glad to say I was not disappointed. 

Strike the Zither is based on the Three Kingdoms period and tales in Chinese history. Going into this book I didn’t really have much knowledge on the Three Kingdoms besides what was divulged in Chinese or Korean dramas set in that time period (so not a lot). That being said, STZ is more of a tale inspired by the Three Kingdoms than a strict retelling as it purposely does away with a lot of factors that defined the time like patriarchy. So if you’re about to go into this book expecting a historically accurate portrayal of the Three Kingdoms, that is not what you’ll be getting but that is not a bad thing. If the fact that this is not a strict retelling deters you from picking up this book, I’d urge you to reconsider because you’d be missing out on an amazing tale. 

Strike the Zither was full of mind reeling plot twists, a distinct narrator, and unforgettable characters with complex relationships. 

One aspect of Joan He’s writing that made her a must read author for me is her masterful execution of plot twists. There are a lot of them, they happen when you least expect, and most importantly when they happen your jaw is on the ground but it never feels like it was thrown in just for shock value. There were multiple times while reading STZ where I gasped out loud at something that was revealed not only because it was shocking but because I realized that what I had been reading previously had actually been foreshadowing. Joan He does a magical thing where exposition, character building, and setting can all double as foreshadowing but you won’t know it until the plot twist happens. Joan He further mastered this execution in STZ so that the story never felt like there was a lull and I always had a reason to keep turning the pages, trying (but never succeeding) in figuring out how everything fit together. The entire time I was reading STZ I had no idea how it would end, and that only made me want to read further.

The narrative voice of the main character, Zephyr, was clear and added to the overall experience of the story. Zephyr’s personality was distinct and the decision to use first person to capture it also aided in making me, the reader, aware of different relationship dynamics and gave insight into how other characters impacted and were perceived by Zephyr while making me question if everything is what it seemed. In short, Zephyr’s narration did a great job at engaging my mind throughout the story and making me more and more invested as I read. 

Another compelling aspect of STZ were the dynamic relationships between a full cast of unforgettable and complex characters. There are depictions of both found family and blood family and the similarity and differences between the two are a major driving force for both the characters and the plot. In conjunction with the major plot twists, characters’ struggles with family and connections gives an added layer of complexity to the plot and gives major actions of war, violence, and betrayal a believable and compelling motivation. 

I went into Strike the Zither not knowing what to expect, and I ended it being excited to see what comes next. 
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