A review by bittennailbooks
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 Vo once again proves she can teleport her audience time and time again into the land of Singing Hills with a fully captivating story that feels like a full-length adventure in a short novella. 'The Brides of High Hill' is another celebration to add to the lightweight but hefty series that dips its toes ever so slightly into the horror genre.

We return (rather jarringly) to our Cleric Chih, who is escorting a beautiful bride to her new husband to bless the marriage. With Almost Brilliant nowhere to be found, Chih finds themselves wound around the finger of this blushing bride as they enter the desolate Do Cao to meet the feared Lord Cao. With his mad son shouting warnings and a string of Gao's previous brides missing, Chih finds themselves in the middle of a nightmare where the monsters are hiding in plain sight.

I think Vo really flexes her ability to silently terrify you in this novel as it dips its toes ever so slightly into the horror genre. Although I felt disjointed and confused at some plot stops (perhaps that was intentional), it ties together well, sure to please fans of the series. 4.5/5.