Compelling and original. I enjoyed the conceit of the travelling archivist and their talking/remembering bird to tell the story. I enjoyed the unremarked upon use of they/them pronouns for that archivist.

This piece is a novella, and as such would seem to be an obvious quick read, but there is much to sift through in reading Vo's story of an unloved empress and the ways women may change the world in the face of adversity.

The tale follows the conceit of a cleric from a temple of knowledge on their way to view an eclipse who happens upon an old woman. Over what seems to be the course of several days the ancient reveals herself to have been a servant to In-yo, a northern barbarian who would become the Empress of Salt and Fortune, telling portions of her story and the empress's as she tidies her dwelling, using relics and souvenirs for their intended purpose - to prompt memory and story. Each chapter begins with a list of items, a brief in-the-moment conversation about said items, and then recollections. The story is slow to develop, until the end, when all the threads come together and a clever plot is revealed at last.

For readers who have enjoyed Tor.com's free short fiction, this novella will come as a wonderful treat. Others' mileage may vary. For myself, I appreciated the artistry of the writing without actually enjoying it all that much. I do, however, find that the following line, repeated and alluded to more than once, seems to designed to prick a reader's mind and stay with them, and it is a good one: "Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves."

This is a short story about love, power of friendship and that is sadly all I can say about it. To be honest, Empress of Salt and Fortune is not special. The plot is really flat and... about nothing, I don't know how to say it differently. So, the only thing I can say that I liked, is writing. It really surprised me, because I wasn't expecting it from this book, but this author can write so beautifully! But as it seems, this was not book for me.

We meet Chih, a cleric of an archival organization in Anh, as they travel to the home of the previous exiled Empress from the north after the Empress's death. Chih's companion is Almost Brilliant, an intelligent, magical hoopoe bird who helps with Chih's archival responsibilities. When they arrive, they're met by Rabbit, one of the former Empress's attendants. In the short story that follows, Chih and Almost Brilliant catalog the Empress's things and listen to the stories that Rabbit tells of the Empress, her time in exile, and the war between Anh and the north.

It took me a few chapters to figure out the cadence and how the story was unfolding, because the stories mix together in a puzzling way. The narrators do remain distinct, however, so it wasn't long before I was following along naturally. Putting it together was honestly part of the fun. This story is economical while still being poetic in its expression. We only get glimpses of Rabbit's life, and very little of Chih's story beyond the present moment, which also made it a little more work to follow the events in Rabbit's story. For all that, it has everything we need to understand the major events and the relationships in Rabbit's life.

This story unfolds petal by petal, or layer by layer if you prefer onions. The emotional impact crept up on me, and I wasn't expecting the ending, or even some of the developments along the way. It's really a wonderfully-told tale, and I do hope there will be more stories of this world. We only get a glimpse of the magical framework of the world, as well as tiny glimpses of much greater adventures and conflict.

Ever read a book that leaves you at an absolute loss in your current scope of knowledge, hungering for more but unsure of where to even begin sating that clawing need?

I need more of Rabbit, Chih and Almost Brilliant. I need In-Yo’s quiet smiles and I need to understand the spreading depths of the tradition and lore from which The Empress of Salt and Fortune unfolds, but most of all I need to discuss the rebellions and relationships Vo weaves together in a gorgeous text which manages to be concise yet sweeping at the same time.

A catalogue, a history, a tactical guide and spiders web; Vo’s debut novella grasps you by the lapels and rips you from the modern world, all the while wrapping you in an eiderdown comforter and kissing you goodnight. It’s a fairy tale and a lullaby, a portrait of resilience and an ode to the quiet strengths of women who bide their time and reap vast reward.

Simply. Beautiful.

For fans of: Circe, The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Life of an Amorous WOman

The Empress of Salt and Fortune does more in its short page length than many full length novels do in theirs. It is the story of a handmaiden's relationship with the previous empress and through Vo's evocative description, powerful language, and vivid imagery, this novella forms a many-stranded story of female love, loss, and solidarity amidst a world of male-dominated power and shows just how powerful women can be, no matter how silenced and marginalized they are. An incredible debut and one that I'm sure to recommend to many people looking for empowering Asian stories.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm always on the lookout for writers who are getting people excited, and this one graced my radar several times before I was able to grab her on Netgalley.

This one has some really cool setting descriptions (evocative and colorful), excellent use of object descriptions (telling very understated stories that branch much deeper than first implications), and some very cool points of subtlety in the telling of a much larger story.

In a nutshell, we hear the story of an exiled princess in a Chinese-like high-fantasy dynasty and we see how she got power in a male-dominated world. But again, the story is subtle and prefers to keep a mild face throughout.

I enjoyed all of this quite a bit.

There are also some pretty wonderful non-binary characters, but it's not like we should judge this novella based on whether it is non-binary or LGBTQ...

Right?

Let me be honest. This novella is not that new. I've read some rather wonderful Guy Gavriel Kay novels recently that is just as evocative, set in similar situations, with as much High Fantasy ethos, culture, and it punched me with many subtle punches. I felt for both the females and the males. LGBTQ and straights.

Kim Stanley Robinson has also pulled off something as wonderful in Years of Rice and Salt.

I can probably rattle off half a dozen shorter works from the last two years alone and more than two dozen LGBTQ novellas that are coming nearly exclusively from several notable venues, all of which tout that we're FINALLY getting LGBTQ stories... and yet it almost feels like EVERY story I read that is published today is ONLY LGBTQ.

Am I a hater?

Hell no. But let's put it this way: if any market is glutted with a particular agenda, then one cannot accurately say that they're FINALLY getting a voice. Back around 2000, it was unusual. Now? Well, out of every recent modern book I've read, approximately 9/10 are LGBTQ. When did diversity come to mean exclusivity?

And if you ask why I'm bringing this up here and now, I want to be clear that I'm not coming down on the author. I'm going to read more of her work. The finger I'm pointing at is the industry and the fans who stoke their own anger at society by removing equality from the playing field in the name of diversity and then come back to tell us all that things have been unfair for far too long.

I have a very strong sense of fairness. This isn't the author's fault. I suppose I'm drowning a bit in the fact that there is LGBTQ everywhere I look.

That being said, returning to this novella, I really DID enjoy it, but there is already a lot of SilkPunk out here. This one is one of the more subtle of the breed but it isn't all that original. It stands on the shoulders of many previous storytellers.

This story was woven so beautifully that when I realized what was happening I realized the signs had been there all along. It was a joy to read with such rich detail that had a backbone of ice. The world building is exquisite and the story within the story narrative was extremely powerful. I will be recommending this for a long time and remembering it for longer.

How am I supposed to write a review when every time I try to explain the way this book made me feel I want to cry out of pride and scream my anger to the wind. This book doesn’t make you feel things you can put into words. It makes you feel things that only you can feel and only you can comprehend. And I mean this in the best way possible.

Nghi Vo's "The Empress of Salt and Fortune" is a 128 page, tightly written historical fantasy novella.

It has two heroines, the first being the exiled empress In-yo herself and the second her servant and friend Rabbit. The story is set in a realm reminiscent of Imperial China, and moves back and forth in time, gradually revealing its secrets.

In-yo plays a long and careful game, whose conclusion is immensely satisfying.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting going into this story other than I needed to read it. And I was not disappointed! The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a gorgeous story within a story about a woman’s potent rage and simmering patience.

We follow Chih, a nonbinary cleric who is making their way to the capital for the new empress’s coronation. They come across Rabbit, an elderly women who used to be the previous empress’s servant, and over the course of this book, she tells Empress In-yo’s true story to Chih.

And so, we get to know In-yo and everything she’s lived through. she’s been a pawn her entire life, sent into a foreign court and sent into exile as soon as she gives birth to an heir. However, she bides her time and overcomes the men who have kept her weak.

It’s an unfurling of a story with so many layers. In-yo’s life is one very much up to interpretation because if there’s anything to be learned from this story, it’s that perspective is everything. Rabbit does not outright describe In-yo to Chih; instead, she tells her anecdotes that, put together, create a more accurate portrayal of her. In-yo is lazy and uncouth to some, but Rabbit knows that she only appears that way because she has no respect for them.

This book had absolutely beautiful writing; I couldn’t stop highlighting lines! It’s succinct but packs a punch, which gives this book even more weight to its underlying tone of rage.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune was a gorgeous frame story, unveiling a complex life laid bare. It’s a stunning fantasy with beautiful writing. I can’t recommend it enough!

A delightful short story with Asian influences. The story of a royal from the north brought to wed the emperor in the south. She gives him a son and earns her exile, where she uses her time to plot against the crown. This book is told in true storyteller fashion, bits of information is provided piecemeal by the woman, Rabbit, narrating the tale. The recipient of the tale, Chih, is a cleric whose job is to document history and seek answers.

Rabbit's story tells a different one than is told currently in the empire, however it is a heartbreaking tale of sacrifice, loss, and loyalty. This is a very quick read, and some bits are left up to the imagination and hinted at, but the ending is clear and not completely surprising. The flow of this book was beautiful and fit the story line perfectly. I normally don't enjoy Asian influenced storytelling as much, but this was short, sweet, and evocative.

Pretty peculiar book, it read as a sort of fairy take giving you little pieces of a puzzle in the shape of stories in each chapter to show you the bigger picture.

It was a bit confusing at first with all the different terms I didn't know the meaning of, but the more I read the more I was tuned to the story and its characters.

A non binary cleric, a talking animal with fantastic powers, and an old lady with a story. An incredible story.

I don't think there's a way to explain this novella. You have to live it.

I enjoyed what the book was trying to do. It was similar to a group of short stories rather than one cohesive book, however the gaps between the stories made the book difficult to get into. The book unquestioningly allows LGBTQ+ characters to exist without needing to explain their orientations or genders and to be more than these things as well. That being said, the book is almost boring to me. The main character is a cleric whose only job is to copy/remember stories to be examined and understood later. It personally wasn't a book for me; however, to everyone else who enjoys books without stress and conflict, the book is not terrible.

First actual book of 2020 and we’re off to a good start! The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a Vietnamese-inspired fantasy which tells the the story of the exiled Empress, In-Yo, through her hand maiden, Rabbit. This was such a gorgeously written novella that focuses on the strength of women and finding your voice when it has been taken away from you. One thing I love reading about is great characterization through relationships among characters, and Rabbit’s recounting of In-Yo made me both fall in love and ache for In-Yo. I can’t wait for Vo’s next work because I’m a huge fan of what she’s written so far!

My word. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with this book as hard as I did. This is a beautifully told, magical novella that is beautifully faithful to Asian traditions and culture whilst also bringing fantasy into the mix. The narrator is believable, her story touching - the Empress equally an intriguing figure.

My only negative is I wish this were longer!! I had so many questions, so much more I wanted to know - I wanted more! This could so easily be pushed further into a novel...a trilogy...a series, I could read about this beautiful world and its inhabitants over and over!

A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side.

This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy.- Goodreads

I loved everything about this book. It was impressive how much the author was able to put into this book. 

The depth was like eating a bowl of rich soup. You finish it up and then sit there completely satisfied and wonder if you will ever taste something that good again. 

I love the fact that this tale is told there the handmaiden because it adds empathy to the story as well as honesty that might not have been displayed if told by the Empress. I can't say the story was overall creative but it was written beautifully, it was colorful, the imagery was clear and the flow of the story was great. 

The Empress as well as the handmaiden were both inspiring for the history that they changed and again I was impressed with how much the author fit into 112 pages. 

Overall, this is a read that I recommend, not just for an in-between read but because it is freaking good. 

4 Pickles

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @tordotcompub for the wonderful ARC!

Well hello there little novella with beautiful cover art. We're fully stacked here with a nonbinary (main!) character and wlw relationships set in an Asian fantasy world with strong, powerful women! We're talking political backdrops, handmaidens, and the rise of an exemplary empress. There was so much packed in these few pages, and the prose was beautiful and entrancing to boot! I was invested from the absolute start when we encounter our main character and her sentient bird called a 'hoopoe' as they come upon an old woman called Rabbit and prepare to hear and record her story.

And what a tale it was. It was just lovely to see the show of quiet strength of women in the face of subjugation come alive. The characters and political machinations shaping the monarchy were equally interesting to follow. There was also some interesting layering regarding the importance of story telling and the voices of women- the story itself is recounted to our main character in pieces by Rabbit as the book progresses, and we in turn are reading the story from a poc woman...I would love to read an expanded, novel size book set in this world (or another novella), but am content with this little gem for now. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a quick breath of fresh air in the fantasy department.

The world-building here is simply stunning: vivid to the point of being cinematic, and tinged with just the right amount of magic. The plotting too is incredible, with everything unveiled slowly and some truly fantastic twists near the end. If I have any real complaints it's that things did feel a bit too episodic near the beginning (and also that there wasn't enough Almost Brilliant!), but honestly, other than that? Amazing. I'll be watching for whatever Vo publishes next from here on out, and I'm hoping that we'll get more stories from Anh, because I loved this setting. (Also...more stories with Almost Brilliant please.)

Beautiful setting and worldbuilding. Characters are simply portrayed but not one-dimensional. Rabbit and In-Yo's story as framed by the narrative told to Chih and Almost Brilliant is engaging and filled with emotion. As Chih went through the various objects that guide Rabbit's story, I couldn't wait to hear more while also not wanting it to end.