Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > Into the Riverlands

For those of you who have never heard of Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle novellas (which I would rate E for Everyone, as they are essentially mythological tales worth reading for both the young and the old), know going in that each novella is a standalone story, but I do recommend you at least read the first novella in the series, “The Empress of Salt and Fortune”, so you can get a good grasp of who Chih and Almost Brilliant (the two characters who do carry over from one novella into the next) are, and also because it’s a brilliant introduction to what Vo is doing with this universe of mythological tales from Asia.

And, if you are already a fan of Chih and Almost Brilliant, welcome back, but I am going to tell you that while Nghi Vo is always a brilliant writer, I didn’t like this entry in the cycle as much as I utterly enjoyed the previous two entries.

“The Empress of Salt and Fortune” was revelatory to me: like watching a flower bloom in time lapse or an intricate piece of origami being folded directly in front of you, the hypnotic, captivating, and prosaic tale of revenge served cold (and fierce) lured me in and kept me hooked until the very last beautiful word. Nghi Vo is currently one of my favorite writers simply because of her way with atmosphere and how she can draw you into the worlds inside of her books with a unique magic not many authors possess, or maybe just not possess in the same manner. But the Singing Hills Cycle differs from her novels like “Siren Queen” in that the main characters of this series aren’t there to tell their own stories–they serve as the book’s receptacle to observe, record, and report the supporting characters’ stories. In a way, Chih is a cultural anthropologist, one who specializes in folklore and linguistics. The creed which anthropologists abide by is “observe and report”. Chih, along with Almost Brilliant, simply move about the world, gathering everyone else’s stories so they can be recorded for posterity. This mission is most sacred to Chih, as everyone’s stories are worth telling and hearing.

“Into the Riverlands” has a story to tell, of course. In all actuality, it has more than one; but maybe that’s the problem. I loved the silent, reverent way Chih sat with the Grandmother in “The Empress of Salt and Fortune”, because I could feel how much respect Chih had for the story and storyteller. In this novella, however, it seemed there was simply too much going on besides storytelling for the story to be given any respect or weight. It was simply bits and pieces told in between what I felt were scenes that could’ve been excised in favor of more story time.

Does this mean I didn’t like it? I didn’t say that. Any Nghi Vo is better than no Nghi Vo. And I love the Singing Hills Cycle for what it offers readers of all ages. So I will always recommend it, for the young or old.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for granting me access to this title in exchange for fair and honest review.

File Under: Fairy Tale and Folklore/LGBTQ Friendly Reads/Novellas/Standalone Fantasy