Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Tordotcom (2022), 112 pages
Description
"The Empress of Salt and Fortune Wandering cleric Chih of the Singing Hills travels to the riverlands to record tales of the notorious near-immortal martial artists who haunt the region. On the road to Betony Docks, they fall in with a pair of young women far from home, and an older couple who are more than they seem. As Chih runs headlong into an ancient feud, they find themselves far more entangled in the history of the riverlands than they ever expected to be. Accompanied by Almost Brilliant, a talking bird with an indelible memory, Chih confronts old legends and new dangers alike as they learn that every story-beautiful, ugly, kind, or cruel-bears more than one face. The novellas of The Singing Hills Cycle are linked by the cleric Chih, but may be read in any order, with each story serving as an entry point"--… (more)
Media reviews
Into the Riverlands and its characters are as delightful as the two previous installments. My only quibble, and it is a very minor one, is that this is a case where novella length, while sufficient for the story the author wanted to tell, isn’t long enough for the story I wanted to read. Thus
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far, even Vo’s novels have not been all that long. Generally, I am in favour of shorter books but in this case, the opportunity to stay in Vo’s worlds longer would be welcome. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member AnnieMod
2 years after the publication of the second novella in the series comes the third and we meet Chih and their talking neixin Almost Brilliant again (and Almost Brilliant is even more amusing than in the previous novels). This time our traveling monk/cleric/historian is headed to the Riverlands to
I'd admit that I was not sure where this novella was going until almost the middle - the language and the style looked different from the lyrical tales that preceded it. There was a reason for that of course and once the stories of the new companions started to get hinted at, things started to fall into place. Part of the difference came from the setting - the open road replaced the much more confined locations of the previous 2 novellas. Which made me stop and wonder - would the start have bothered me as much if I had never read the first two novellas - was my unease because it was different or because it was generally weaker indeed. I am not sure I can answer that one truthfully.
It also seems like Chih is getting more and more involved with the stories they are collecting - from the almost passivity of the first tale through the tigers to here, there is a gradation (which also corresponds with Almost Brilliant getting more and more entertaining). I am not sure if that is leading to a change in the cycle or we are just seeing the author finding her voice more and more. But the result is a lot livelier and adventurous novella than the preceding ones. Which does not make it necessarily better than them - or worse. Just different.
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try to record the stories of the apparently immortal martial artists of the area. Just as it happened in the previous novellas and as it happens often in life, there were other people traveling the same route - so they decided to travel together and while traveling, some stories got told (and some battles happened).I'd admit that I was not sure where this novella was going until almost the middle - the language and the style looked different from the lyrical tales that preceded it. There was a reason for that of course and once the stories of the new companions started to get hinted at, things started to fall into place. Part of the difference came from the setting - the open road replaced the much more confined locations of the previous 2 novellas. Which made me stop and wonder - would the start have bothered me as much if I had never read the first two novellas - was my unease because it was different or because it was generally weaker indeed. I am not sure I can answer that one truthfully.
It also seems like Chih is getting more and more involved with the stories they are collecting - from the almost passivity of the first tale through the tigers to here, there is a gradation (which also corresponds with Almost Brilliant getting more and more entertaining). I am not sure if that is leading to a change in the cycle or we are just seeing the author finding her voice more and more. But the result is a lot livelier and adventurous novella than the preceding ones. Which does not make it necessarily better than them - or worse. Just different.
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LibraryThing member TMLbuds34
Stories come in all lengths and are spawned from all sorts of ideas, but sometimes all you need to tell a really good one is a creative mind, a bit of inspiration, and a few short pages to write it on. With Into the Riverlands, Nghi Vo tells a short fable with surprisingly deep lore which
It's tempting to wonder why The Singing Hills Cycle, like other series of novellas, couldn't fit into a single, larger novel instead, but the very theme of this book lends itself to short bursts of creativity. It seems to me that Nghi writes novellas in the same way she is inspired, putting as much on the page as her burst of creativity will allow at its peak and never allowing the story to overstay its purpose. In a hundred pages or less you have a novella featuring lovable characters with distinct personalities, clear motivations for every one, and just enough action to balance the exposition.
A novella with padding is an idea too small to be interesting, but in this case, I feel like there is a larger story absolutely screaming to be released into the wild with only its very best aspects making it to the page. There is even enough room to have a chapter dedicated to a historical story within the story, and it all works together to create a novella of the perfect length. I was astounded at how much story could fit into this when I thought back on it the next day, but perhaps the lack of useless padding has helped me retain the big picture and remember more of it.
Of course I wish it was longer, but never at the expense of great storytelling. This novella knows exactly what it is, a burst of creativity that leaves you wishing it could keep going but ending where it needs to. By writing this series of inspiring novellas, Nghi has allowed this series to continue for as long as she feels the urge to write it and has eliminated the need for filler by focusing on each novella as its own story. In its own short way, this is a series which has mastered longevity.
Thanks to Nghi Vo and Tordotcom for providing me with a review copy, it was very much appreciated.
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absolutely begs to be explored with further books, and the format makes it a perfect short read that you can pick up whenever you feel the urge. For me, an hour with this book at bedtime was a positive ending to my day that I realized I could use a lot more of.It's tempting to wonder why The Singing Hills Cycle, like other series of novellas, couldn't fit into a single, larger novel instead, but the very theme of this book lends itself to short bursts of creativity. It seems to me that Nghi writes novellas in the same way she is inspired, putting as much on the page as her burst of creativity will allow at its peak and never allowing the story to overstay its purpose. In a hundred pages or less you have a novella featuring lovable characters with distinct personalities, clear motivations for every one, and just enough action to balance the exposition.
A novella with padding is an idea too small to be interesting, but in this case, I feel like there is a larger story absolutely screaming to be released into the wild with only its very best aspects making it to the page. There is even enough room to have a chapter dedicated to a historical story within the story, and it all works together to create a novella of the perfect length. I was astounded at how much story could fit into this when I thought back on it the next day, but perhaps the lack of useless padding has helped me retain the big picture and remember more of it.
Of course I wish it was longer, but never at the expense of great storytelling. This novella knows exactly what it is, a burst of creativity that leaves you wishing it could keep going but ending where it needs to. By writing this series of inspiring novellas, Nghi has allowed this series to continue for as long as she feels the urge to write it and has eliminated the need for filler by focusing on each novella as its own story. In its own short way, this is a series which has mastered longevity.
Thanks to Nghi Vo and Tordotcom for providing me with a review copy, it was very much appreciated.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is the third book in the Singing Hills Cycle. I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this addition to the Singing Hills Cycle a lot. In this book Chih and Almost Brilliant head to the Riverlands, a vicious land plagued by bandits and
This was very well done and a thoughtful (if quick) read. We get to learn more about the Riverlands and meet the legendary fighters of the region. We get to watch as Chih is involved in a battle for a small village (and accepts that they are more suited to telling stories than fighting). I enjoyed this a lot, I think if you have enjoyed the previous novellas in this series you will enjoy this one as well.
I still love the idea of Chih being a collector of stories and really enjoy Chih's love of stories themselves and knowledge of how they help people understand the world.
My Summary (5/5): Overall this was a great pleasure to read and I continue to really love the premise behind this series and the stories it contains. This book was a bit more action packed than previous ones. I am eager to see where Chih and Almost Brilliant explore next!
Thoughts: I enjoyed this addition to the Singing Hills Cycle a lot. In this book Chih and Almost Brilliant head to the Riverlands, a vicious land plagued by bandits and
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fighters. There is a lot more action in this book than in the previous ones. As with previous books there are stories and tales within the main story that Chih and Almost Brilliant collect along their journey.This was very well done and a thoughtful (if quick) read. We get to learn more about the Riverlands and meet the legendary fighters of the region. We get to watch as Chih is involved in a battle for a small village (and accepts that they are more suited to telling stories than fighting). I enjoyed this a lot, I think if you have enjoyed the previous novellas in this series you will enjoy this one as well.
I still love the idea of Chih being a collector of stories and really enjoy Chih's love of stories themselves and knowledge of how they help people understand the world.
My Summary (5/5): Overall this was a great pleasure to read and I continue to really love the premise behind this series and the stories it contains. This book was a bit more action packed than previous ones. I am eager to see where Chih and Almost Brilliant explore next!
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LibraryThing member quondame
We are presented with five interesting characters who join on a short trip from one river town to the next on foot. There are stories and story fragments told on the trip and the trip itself becomes a story. Unfortunately, that story somewhat overwhelms the character so that a most unusual young
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woman who shines in the first sections is reduced to her name after the action begins. Show Less
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
Review to come
What I like about these novellas is you don’t need to have read the previous ones to enjoy the current one. Chih is a cleric of the Singing Hills collecting stories along with her avian traveling companion, Almost Brilliant. They are fascinated by every story they hear and take
What I like about these novellas is you don’t need to have read the previous ones to enjoy the current one. Chih is a cleric of the Singing Hills collecting stories along with her avian traveling companion, Almost Brilliant. They are fascinated by every story they hear and take
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notes so they can report it all back to the abbey. They meet a pair of young women in a tea ship that can more than take care of themselves when trouble arrives and join them as they all are traveling in the same direction. An older couple joins them, and they set out on the road swapping tales and fighting bandits. Show Less
LibraryThing member niaomiya
I really have been enjoying this Singing Hills series by Nghi Vo. Part fable, part fantasy, the series follows wandering cleric Chih, this time as they travel to the Riverlands with their trusty talking bird Almost Brilliant. Along the way they encounter two young women and an older couple, who all
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are more than meets the eye. The group travel together on the road to Betony Docks, and Chih learns many more stories related to the history and legends of the Riverlands. Show Less
LibraryThing member fred_mouse
As with the other books in this series, Nghi Vo has created a fabulous story about how we collect, transmit, and cherish stories, and what it means to be at the heart of those stories. I found the first third or so somewhat fragmented, as Cleric Chih gathers stories from their travelling
The story focuses on martial stories, with references to fighting styles, sects, and a number of other details that I recognised as relevant, but as this is referencing genres that I only have a passing familiarity with, I suspect I missed details. I suspect that people with a better understanding will find a richly layered tapestry of comments on this, the way I did about how people use story.
content warnings: minor for death and violence.
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companions. The pattern in these stories kind of makes sense at this point, but it is later in the story that the more subtle patterns become clear. The story focuses on martial stories, with references to fighting styles, sects, and a number of other details that I recognised as relevant, but as this is referencing genres that I only have a passing familiarity with, I suspect I missed details. I suspect that people with a better understanding will find a richly layered tapestry of comments on this, the way I did about how people use story.
content warnings: minor for death and violence.
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LibraryThing member macha
third novella in the marvellous Singing Hills Cycle, set in a classical orient. full of small tales, but meditating on the limitations of stories to capture what really happened in real life, while musing on their ability to turn what really happened into a greater truth with a life of its own.
LibraryThing member LisCarey
Chih and the talking bird with the indelible memory, Almost Brilliant, travel into the riverlands to gather the stories of near-immortal martial artists that characterize the area. Along the way, they meet up with two young women (a martial artist, and her friend who makes sure the bills get paid),
After a lively debate about whether the ferry (safer) or the road (faster) is the better choice, including discussion of just how dangerous the road really is, in these calmer, more settled times, they set off on foot.
At first, all is going smoothly, and everyone is happy to join in with Chih's plan of sharing stories so that they and Almost Brilliant can collect them for the Singing Hills Abbey. The stories feature those near-immortal martial artists, both heroes and villains, all using magic in various ways. But at a welcome and unoccupied road shelter, they find an unpleasant surprise--a dead body hanging in the shelter, with the imprint of a legendary, murderous, and supposedly long-dead gang, the Hollow Hand.
They bury the man, and Chih does a traditional cleric's duty of praying over the grave, though that's a role they're rarely called on to fill. The travelers share more stories, and continue their travels the next day, but they are all more alert, and more tense. The tension and alertness aren't wasted; they are walking straight into trouble in Betony Docks, where they all, and Chih in particular, expected to find safety after the looming risks of the road.
Instead, they find the town under attack, by legendary villains. Chih, Almost Brilliant, and the martial artist and her friend, find out who they've been traveling with. It's a startling, terrifying, amazing experience.
I really hope for many more stories of the travels of Chih and Almost Brilliant.
I bought this book.
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and an older couple, who might be a bit more than that seem. Including a bit older than they seem. The six of them band together to continue traveling to Betony Docks, where they are all bound.After a lively debate about whether the ferry (safer) or the road (faster) is the better choice, including discussion of just how dangerous the road really is, in these calmer, more settled times, they set off on foot.
At first, all is going smoothly, and everyone is happy to join in with Chih's plan of sharing stories so that they and Almost Brilliant can collect them for the Singing Hills Abbey. The stories feature those near-immortal martial artists, both heroes and villains, all using magic in various ways. But at a welcome and unoccupied road shelter, they find an unpleasant surprise--a dead body hanging in the shelter, with the imprint of a legendary, murderous, and supposedly long-dead gang, the Hollow Hand.
They bury the man, and Chih does a traditional cleric's duty of praying over the grave, though that's a role they're rarely called on to fill. The travelers share more stories, and continue their travels the next day, but they are all more alert, and more tense. The tension and alertness aren't wasted; they are walking straight into trouble in Betony Docks, where they all, and Chih in particular, expected to find safety after the looming risks of the road.
Instead, they find the town under attack, by legendary villains. Chih, Almost Brilliant, and the martial artist and her friend, find out who they've been traveling with. It's a startling, terrifying, amazing experience.
I really hope for many more stories of the travels of Chih and Almost Brilliant.
I bought this book.
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LibraryThing member Stevil2001
—if death or betrayal have not torn them apart, why, they must be together still.
A monk travels their country with their talking bird, collecting stories, in this case (this is the third novella in this "cycle") mostly about women who practice martial arts. Well written and with some neat moments
A monk travels their country with their talking bird, collecting stories, in this case (this is the third novella in this "cycle") mostly about women who practice martial arts. Well written and with some neat moments
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of observation, but even though it's a story about a journey and it ends with a big fight, I didn't think it really went anywhere. Show Less
LibraryThing member Shrike58
Cleric Chih and their little friend Almost Brilliant are back. This time they find themselves sucked into a mini martial-arts epic, where the intellectual depth comes from considering the unreliability of memory, and how people would prefer to be remembered. This iteration continues to be charming,
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while at the same time being a little more smart-ass than the first two stories in the cycle. Show Less
LibraryThing member Belbo713
This was not as good as the others in the series, though it is almost impossible to be better than Empress of Salt and Fortune. However, it's always lovely to be back with Chih and Almost Brilliant.
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novella — 2023)
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2023)
Ignyte Award (Shortlist — Novella — 2023)
Locus Recommended Reading (Novella — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022-10-25
Physical description
112 p.; 8.25 inches
ISBN
1250851424 / 9781250851420