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A review by ourxstorybegins
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
3.5
Thanks to the publisher for sending copies of the Singing Hills Cycle books in exchange for an honest review!
Into The Riverlands is the third of a trilogy of novellas that can be read in any order, and this is the first one that I read. I definitely felt like I was a bit thrown into things with no real introduction to Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing! Chih is a historian, going to different locations to learn the stories of the areas, and in this particular book they are thrown into action almost immediately. I do wonder if this book would have read differently for me if I’d started from the beginning of the series, but i still definitely enjoyed it.
My favorite part of this book is the ensemble of characters that Chih and Almost Brilliant end up traveling with. They are all so interesting and end up surprising the reader (and Chih) throughout the novella.
One thing I will say is that the first half of the book was giving really strong “cozy fantasy” vibes, which is my exact jam when it comes to fantasy. That said, the book did end up becoming a bit more high-stakes and action-packed in the second half. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I expected. That said, I do look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Into The Riverlands is the third of a trilogy of novellas that can be read in any order, and this is the first one that I read. I definitely felt like I was a bit thrown into things with no real introduction to Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing! Chih is a historian, going to different locations to learn the stories of the areas, and in this particular book they are thrown into action almost immediately. I do wonder if this book would have read differently for me if I’d started from the beginning of the series, but i still definitely enjoyed it.
My favorite part of this book is the ensemble of characters that Chih and Almost Brilliant end up traveling with. They are all so interesting and end up surprising the reader (and Chih) throughout the novella.
One thing I will say is that the first half of the book was giving really strong “cozy fantasy” vibes, which is my exact jam when it comes to fantasy. That said, the book did end up becoming a bit more high-stakes and action-packed in the second half. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I expected. That said, I do look forward to reading the rest of the series!