In The Empress of Salt and Fortune, the first book in the Singing Hills Cycle, we are introduced to the main character, Cleric Chih. Chih is a scholar and historian from the Singing Hills Abbey. Chih, and her companion, a neixin (apparently a talking hoopoe bird) named Almost Brilliant, have journeyed to Lake Scarlet. Lake Scarlet is where Empress In-Yo was exiled to after she gave birth to an heir. ( )

Chih, a traveling cleric, stops at Lake Scarlet on her way to the capital to see the eclipse and coronation of the new Empress. Chih (who uses the pronoun they) is surprised to find that someone is occupying the former empress’s compound, called Thriving Fortune. The old woman Chih meets is called “Rabbit,” and it turns out she was the personal attendant of Empress In-yo, The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The Empress will have been dead a year when the eclipse occurs.

While Chih and their bird named Almost Brilliant (with the skill to retain all it hears in its with an indelible memory) sojourn at the compound, they are unable to resist looking for new stories to take back to the Singing Hills Abbey. It is the mission of clerics to remember and mark down. Thus Rabbit tells them stories about her own life, and that of the life of In-yo.

In-yo was exiled to Lake Scarlet after giving birth to a crown prince. She and Rabbit lived at Thriving Fortune for the next several years. During that time, the Court sent a “revolving cadre of beautiful spies from the city.” They also hosted a number of fortune-tellers; the Court understood In-yo was obsessed with fortune-telling of all kinds. One of the fortune-tellers who came, Sukai, won Rabbit’s heart.

What happens next is memorable and both heart-breaking and inspiring. It presumably also sets the stage for the next parts of this story, told in two subsequent novellas, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, and Into the Riverlands.

This novella, the first in the “Singing Hills Cycle,” won a number of prestigious fantasy awards, but I wasn’t so convinced of its award-worthy nature after reading it. Nevertheless, I liked it enough to want to read the next two installments right away. ( )

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Rabbit’s world changed when she was sold into Imperial labor and chosen as a handmaiden for the new empress In-Yo. Despite being from different backgrounds, both Rabbit and In-Yo had no choice in their fates. When In-Yo is exiled, Rabbit faithfully follows and together the two friends seek retribution. When Cleric Chih and their recorded bird Almost Brilliant cross paths with Rabbit, the tale of her campaign with In-Yo begins to unfold.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune is told in storyteller fashion as Rabbit reveals the life she led beside the Empress. Nghi Vo draws the reader in gradually and pulls back at key moments to evoke mystery and anticipation. Each time Rabbit will ask Chih and Almost Brilliant if they understand the story. While the story seems straightforward, the mystery revolves around the words Rabbit isn’t telling. The context between the lines the reader and characters must piece together with each new tale. This technique brought the story to a personal level for Rabbit. As she reflected on her memories the reader was not only told the story but was also able to see the emotional impact it held for Rabbit.

Each new piece granted to the reader reveals another layer of the world, showing the cruelty of imperial rule and the need for a new path to be set. The delicate nature required for In-Yo to make an impact incorporated elements of lore and fortune telling. Despite being novella length, there is no question of what influenced In-Yo and Rabbit’s path. And while there are some lingering questions surrounding the Clerics and recorder birds, there must be some mystery left over for future novellas.

This story was emotionally impactful, and constantly moving forward. Despite taking breaks between tales for side conversations, every moment capitalized on the displayed emotions and cultivated a compelling reading experience. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Asian inspired tales dedicated to the need for women's voices to be heard and recognized. ( )

I bought this largely because I fell in love with the cover, and once again, judging a book by its cover did not steer me wrong. Plus, stories set in fantasy worlds inspired by Imperial China are a sweet spot for me at the moment.

I loved this all the way through. From Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant (a talking hoopoe), to the story unfolded to them about the Empress and her handmaiden/friend/companion Rabbit. The story is critical of patriarchy, monarchy, imperialism, and is filled with women and non-binary characters defying the roles they were assigned to play.

Also, war mammoths.

Delightfully, I was able to jump immediately to the sequel. ( )

Great storytelling packed into a short format. Really wonderful narrator and power dynamics. Really good world building. I love the gradual uncovering of a secret history. I love the historical Asian setting with fantasy overlay (and forgive me if I think there's a fantasy overlay and this is an actual slice of history -- it's so well done I feel that either could be true). Big fan of the wandering monk, the documentation, the extraordinary lives of objects and how they tie to story. ( )