khargaotte's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Une magnifique lecture, qui m'a happée plus que je ne l'espérais. Je reste peut-être un peu sur ma faim d'en comprendre plus au sujet du monde créé par l'autrice, mais cela ne me donne que plus envie de lire le reste de la série. La délicatesse avec laquelle l'histoire se tisse, avec laquelle les personnages sont introduits au fil des souvenirs de Lapin, permet de constituer à mesure qu'on avance dans la lecture un tableau qui se dessine petit à petit, par touches, laisse apparaître certains éléments et en laisse d'autres à deviner au lecteur. Un vrai plaisir.
Cette découverte n'a d'ailleurs pas été desservie par la traduction de Mickael Cabon, qui est d'une finesse très appréciable !
Cette découverte n'a d'ailleurs pas été desservie par la traduction de Mickael Cabon, qui est d'une finesse très appréciable !
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Xenophobia
Minor: Murder
camryndaytona's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, War, Murder, Sexism, Xenophobia, Confinement, Violence, and Genocide
fraise's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Grief, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence, War, Suicide, Infertility, Colonisation, Murder, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death and Slavery
totsfions's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a masterful work of storytelling. It's a book fascinated with the historical record, asking what we pass down and what we do not, and why. What responsibility do we have to preserve history, and how do we tell it? What is a matter of record? Who do we make vulnerable when we chose to preserve? What makes this book so compelling, is that the story is not concerned with objective history, as it is the point of view of it's characters. The act of making history is personal. The book becomes a captivating blend of the oral and the written, a reflection on what is seen on the surface and what is revealed through depths of knowledge unavailable to fresh eyes. The rich and vibrant world Vo has created is the perfect vehicle for this line of inquiry, unparalleled in it's creativity and intrigue. I came away from this book feeling at once satiated by the experience and salivating for the answers to it's queries. A wholly worth while read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death, and Xenophobia
horizonous's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Suicide
jjjreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, Trafficking, Classism, and Slavery
Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
Minor: War and Violence
ggcd1981's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Empress of Salt and Fortune é uma novela inspirada pela Cultura Chinesa. Eu resolvi ler esta obra quando recebi um crédito VIP mensal no Audiobook.com e não me arrependi. A história é contada quase como uma fábula, inclusive a narração de Cindy Kay contribuiu muito para essa atmosfera do livro. A história em si tem momentos pesados de morte e luto, intriga política e até mesmo a queda de um império, mas através da escrita de Nghi Vo e da narração de Kay a obra obtém uma certa leveza. Resumindo aqui o enredo, A novela é feminista e tem boa representação LGBTQ+. Ela também aborda temas como opressão, classes sociais e luto. Gostei muito da obra apesar de que a escrita e vocabulário necessitaram mais atenção de minha parte para não deixar de compreender o seu sentido. Foi uma boa experiência e continuarei com a série. Dou um sólido 4.5 estrelas.
Spoiler
a novela trata da história de como a Imperatriz In-yo estando em isolamento e em um país que não era o seu construiu uma rede de espiões a partir de “Leitores de sorte” e, apesar de estar sob vigilância constante, por meio de sua engenhosidade e desenvoltura derrubou um império e tomou o poder. Essa história é contada por sua fiel criada e amiga, Rabbit, quem sacrificou seu amor e sua filha por In-yo. Rabbit conta sua própria história assim como conta a da imperatriz para o clérigo (não binário) Chih do Monastério Singing Hills e seu pássaro e companheiro Almost Brilliant (uma ave dotada, na obra, de fala e da habilidade de nunca esquecer). Em The Empress of salt and fortune já no início In-yo havia falecido, Rabbit conta sua história para que esta não seja esquecida, mas também para que alguém saiba que na verdade a nova imperatriz que irá suceder é na verdade filha de Rabbit com seu amor, Sukai (este assassinado por suspeita de espionagem), adotada em segredo por In-yo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Classism, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
catapocalypse's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is a very short novella, but packs a lot of poignancy and intrigue. It follows a cleric named Chih and their talking hoopoe companion, Almost Brilliant, as they explore a recently unhidden location that once housed the late Empress In-yo during her years in exile. They meet Rabbit, an elderly woman who had served as handmaiden to the Empress, and she tells them stories related to various items as they take inventory. The stories piece together the secrets of In-yo's life and ascent to power.
I love a good series of related vignettes like this. It doesn't do anything super unpredictable, but I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, their various relationships, and the worldbuilding. We only get a taste of the latter, but I look forward to reading the companion novella when I'm able!
I love a good series of related vignettes like this. It doesn't do anything super unpredictable, but I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, their various relationships, and the worldbuilding. We only get a taste of the latter, but I look forward to reading the companion novella when I'm able!
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Suicide, and Xenophobia
ehmannky's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Nghi Vo is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is just 112 pages of excellent writing and a frame narrative that puts all other frame narratives to shame. I just...adored it through and through.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder, War, and Xenophobia
ghulsona's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Confinement, Sexism, Misogyny, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Sexual content