A review by paperpaladin
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Since this is a novella I don't want to get too much into the plot of the book since most things I could say would be a spoiler or told better through the story itself. Chih is a monk of the Singing Hills, an order whose purpose is to record all history. The story begins with the death of an Empress and some private lands being made open to the public. Unable to avoid the mystery of these lands Chih heads to this area to record what she can of it.

What follows is a slow unraveling of the mystery of this place and Nghi Vo does an expert job of teasing out the mystery. The prose in this book is beautiful but feels effortless. Lines are well written and just flow off the tongue. I have described this style as what Hemmingway wanted to be but never quite achieved. Not a word is wasted but there is no excess either. The story itself had me gripped until the end. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone.
 
My rating system
1 - Did not enjoy
2 - Not irredeemable but has too many flaws to say I enjoyed
3 - Enjoyed it
4 - Great book but didn't love it
5 - Amazing book 
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