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A review by jamgrl
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I adore these little novellas!
If you haven’t heard of them, they take place in an alternate east Asia full of magic and legendary stories. Our main character is a young cleric whose job it is to record stories for their abbey’s historical archives (with the help of their talking bird companion who has photographic memory). They travel and meet people and hear their stories, so as a reader, you follow both the real time story and the stories being told. The stories are adventurous and exciting and the real time gives this sense of sitting together with people which is very slice of life (though they have obstacles and events of their own).
This one I felt leaned the most into the story telling idea of these books, with the characters telling multiple stories while on a journey together. It was a very comforting read, even if violence was a central theme 😂. It felt very much about catching moments in people’s lives and snapshots of who they are and people sharing time together and forming community for a short period. Like the temporary friends you make at weddings or on trips who you know you’ll never see again. I don’t know, I just really liked it!
Each novella is stand alone!
If you haven’t heard of them, they take place in an alternate east Asia full of magic and legendary stories. Our main character is a young cleric whose job it is to record stories for their abbey’s historical archives (with the help of their talking bird companion who has photographic memory). They travel and meet people and hear their stories, so as a reader, you follow both the real time story and the stories being told. The stories are adventurous and exciting and the real time gives this sense of sitting together with people which is very slice of life (though they have obstacles and events of their own).
This one I felt leaned the most into the story telling idea of these books, with the characters telling multiple stories while on a journey together. It was a very comforting read, even if violence was a central theme 😂. It felt very much about catching moments in people’s lives and snapshots of who they are and people sharing time together and forming community for a short period. Like the temporary friends you make at weddings or on trips who you know you’ll never see again. I don’t know, I just really liked it!
Each novella is stand alone!