Raquel Flockhart's Reviews > The Brides of High Hill

“The world starts with a story. So do dynasties and eras and wars. So does love, and so does revenge. Everything starts with a story.”

I was very excited about this new novella in the The Singing Hills Cycle since I found out that it would have gothic horror elements. And although I enjoyed it and was surprised by the turn the story ends up taking, I must admit that I missed my favorite aspect of this series: Cleric Chih collecting different stories. It was something barely present in Mammoths at the Gates but in this one it practically disappears, changing the structure to put Chih at the center of the plot instead of focusing on the story-within-a-story element.

The premise is that Chih decides to accompany a young bride to meet her future husband and assist her in wedding negotiations. But when they arrive at the estate, they begin to realize that something strange is happening there: the behavior of the lord’s supposedly mad son, mysterious figurines scattered around the estate or how the servants seem to be frightened.

Overall, The Brides of High Hill is an entertaining gothic fantasy novella with a touch of mystery that is different from previous installments. As always, the author’s prose is a delight to the eye, something accentuated by Cindy Kay’s wonderful narration of the audiobook (I’ll not tire of recommend physically reading these novellas and listening to the audiobooks at the same time). I look forward to discovering what new stories the author will surprise us with in the following installments.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Previous installments:
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune ★★★★
2. When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain ★★★
3. Into the Riverlands ★★★
4. Mammoths at the Gates ★★★

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