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

emotional reflective slow-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? No

A novella off the beaten path, detailing an unconventional empress’s rise to power in an unconventional structure. Empress In-yo was sent from the far north for a political marriage, in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. The story is told in fascinating vignettes, recollections from the empress’s trusted handmaiden as given to a monk. As an audiobook, it had a soothing, repetitive cadence as each vignette continued apace, but it would also make for a lovely novella to linger over each page, marveling at the deliberate craft that beautifully—and succinctly—pulls together an epic story.