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rapitash's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
I had high hopes for this one, and I can’t say that I felt like it hit the mark the way that it did for other readers.
This is a novella of 100 pages—and it’s a small book, so it’s a small 100 pages. There’s a lot crammed into this story: setting the scene in the present, and establishing Chih and their character and what a cleric does, and then Rabbit in the present, and where they meet, while Rabbit launches into her tale about In-yo, the now deceased Empress. The political context which frames In-yo’s arrival in Anh hints at a rich world with a long history. We pass through a few years of political intrigue, and as In-yo seeks to get revenge. Vo plays with the idea of a true protagonist, and the roles minor figures play in major historical events, as we learn about Rabbit’s relationship with the Empress she served, and the sacrifices she made that helped ensure In-yo’s victory. And all of it is super intriguing—it’s just that there isn’t really the proper time or space to properly explore all these elements, which leaves them feeling vague and underbaked. I struggled to get a proper foothold in the world; it was hard to really, truly care about the characters of the novella.
The way the story is written didn’t help matters for me, either. Moving between Chih’s POV in the present and Rabbit’s recounting of the past often felt jarring and made the pacing of the novel feel slow. We’d get a glimpse of a scene with Chih, and then we were launching back into Rabbit’s tale; once I was invested in that, we were drawn back out. It made it hard for me to remain engaged.
I do think that the last quarter or so of the novella was the strongest. I felt the climax, while not explosive, served as a really good way to tie the entire story together, and left me shocked with a revelation that felt out of left field for me.Rabbit’s relationship with Sukai, I felt, was a highlight of the novel, although i felt it could've been written for better emotional impact. The reveal that their daughter was the new Dragon Empress, passed off as In-yo’s miracle baby after Sukai’s death, was shocking to me, and I had a few questions as to whether the new Empress was aware that Rabbit had been their mother and what her upbringing had been like, but this was left vague and unexplored also.
When I think about the story as I’m writing this, I feel like there was a lot of cool elements, and a lot of potential, and that the ending was solid enough for it to be a good book. Other people might connect with it better and maybe understood the complexities of it more. But I personally came away from it feeling “eh”, and that it had been a lot to read. It’s not the feeling a 100 page novella should leave you with, imo.
This is a novella of 100 pages—and it’s a small book, so it’s a small 100 pages. There’s a lot crammed into this story: setting the scene in the present, and establishing Chih and their character and what a cleric does, and then Rabbit in the present, and where they meet, while Rabbit launches into her tale about In-yo, the now deceased Empress. The political context which frames In-yo’s arrival in Anh hints at a rich world with a long history. We pass through a few years of political intrigue, and as In-yo seeks to get revenge. Vo plays with the idea of a true protagonist, and the roles minor figures play in major historical events, as we learn about Rabbit’s relationship with the Empress she served, and the sacrifices she made that helped ensure In-yo’s victory. And all of it is super intriguing—it’s just that there isn’t really the proper time or space to properly explore all these elements, which leaves them feeling vague and underbaked. I struggled to get a proper foothold in the world; it was hard to really, truly care about the characters of the novella.
The way the story is written didn’t help matters for me, either. Moving between Chih’s POV in the present and Rabbit’s recounting of the past often felt jarring and made the pacing of the novel feel slow. We’d get a glimpse of a scene with Chih, and then we were launching back into Rabbit’s tale; once I was invested in that, we were drawn back out. It made it hard for me to remain engaged.
I do think that the last quarter or so of the novella was the strongest. I felt the climax, while not explosive, served as a really good way to tie the entire story together, and left me shocked with a revelation that felt out of left field for me.
When I think about the story as I’m writing this, I feel like there was a lot of cool elements, and a lot of potential, and that the ending was solid enough for it to be a good book. Other people might connect with it better and maybe understood the complexities of it more. But I personally came away from it feeling “eh”, and that it had been a lot to read. It’s not the feeling a 100 page novella should leave you with, imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
schnaucl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I really liked this novella.
I liked the idea of a monastery charged with recording things in minute detail and I can absolutely see how that would be a threat to people in power. I would imagine there would be multiple attempts to disband or burn down such a monastic order over the years.
I really liked Rabbit and Empress In-Yo.The way they passed information was really quite clever, as was the way they slowly replaced the shrine retinue with soldiers loyal to Empress In-Yo, to say nothing of Rabbit's child sitting atop the throne.
I'm really looking forward to reading more.
I liked the idea of a monastery charged with recording things in minute detail and I can absolutely see how that would be a threat to people in power. I would imagine there would be multiple attempts to disband or burn down such a monastic order over the years.
I really liked Rabbit and Empress In-Yo.
I'm really looking forward to reading more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Classism
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
not_another_ana's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The abbey at Singing Hills would say that if a record cannot be perfect, it should at least be present. Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your mind.
Chih, a young cleric from Singing Hills, is on their way to the capital when their curiosity takes them to a former residence of the Empress of Salt and Fortune. There they come across the Empress' former handmaiden Rabbit, who is willing to recount tales of life in the residence and the Empress' rise to power. It's a story within a story that slowly unveils something deeper and secret.
Very much enjoyed this, it was short but packed quite the punch. I am amazed with how much world building Nghi Vo manages to cram in 100 pages without infodumping or making it a tedious read. The story is engaging and draws you in and, perhaps, that was the only thing that bothered me: that I wished to know more about this world and was left hanging dry.
Chih was a solid character and a solid device to introduce the reader to this world, and Almost Brilliant quickly became a favorite. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed Cindy Kay's narration a lot, easy to understand yet full of emotion. Can't wait to keep reading this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, and War
maryellen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief and Pregnancy
jahnadv's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy and War
lumidouce's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
blacksphinx's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.0
This is a lovely little story that is being terribly misrepresented by the plot synopsis on the back. The plot of this story is that a cleric from the abby at Singing Hills, Chih, has been sent to record information about the events leading up to the reign of the Inuit-coded Empress of Salt and Fortune, In-yo, over the Chinese-coded empire of Ahn. She is recently deceased and all of her records are still intact at the compound where she was once held in exile. Chih winds up obtaining an account from an old handmaiden of In-yo's nicknamed Rabbit, who reveals how she came into the Empress' confidence. At first Rabbit doesn't want to come right out and say anything direct to this cleric, as she tries to decide what should be left on the floor of history. But over the duration of their many conversations, Rabbit decides to let go of some heavy secrets she's been carrying.
I can see how this wouldn't be the book for everyone. If you wanted to be reductive, the plot is an old woman recounting long-ago events to a cleric and their talking bird. But I kept finding myself getting lulled into the word of the story, the glittering court and the crafty Empress. I understand why this series has gotten so much attention and I'm definitely in it for the long haul.
I can see how this wouldn't be the book for everyone. If you wanted to be reductive, the plot is an old woman recounting long-ago events to a cleric and their talking bird. But I kept finding myself getting lulled into the word of the story, the glittering court and the crafty Empress. I understand why this series has gotten so much attention and I'm definitely in it for the long haul.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Trafficking, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility, Blood, Medical content, and War
Passing mention to forced sterilization.danteeeh's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Grief
__codex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Classism