"The Empress of Salt and Fortune" unfolds from a series of tales and preserved by the former handmaid, Rabbit, who served and guarded the secrets of Empress In-yo. The story begins when a young cleric, Chih, explores a nearby hidden palace while on their way to the crowning of the new empress. They discover Rabbi, who has been hidden away from the world upon the Empress' decree. Chih, who seeks to preserve all history, becomes intrigued as Rabbit as she divulges her truth through the various objects she shows the cleric.

In this tale, Chih learns about the young In-yo, who came to the court of Emperor of Anh. Rabbit was given to the palace to make up for the taxes not given in tribute. Forced to become a servant, Rabbit slowly works her way up until the day In-yo arrives. The two eventually form an everlasting bond that continues even when the empress is banished from court. Chih gleans information about how the Empress In-yo slowly accumulated powers by playing the long game. Through this story, Chih also learns some devastating secrets about how the new empire came to be, and the histories lost to time.

This book is ultimately about female friendship and perseverance in a patriarchal society. It's also about the sacrifices that women will make to protect their friends and help them achieve their dreams in an oppressive society. "The Empress of Salt and Fortune" centers on Rabbit and In-yo, but also on Chih as they learn how history only remembers the big moments and not all the small and minute details and suffering that leads up to these achievements.

The more I think about this book, the more and more I love it. The world building is exquisite and the settings feel both utterly unique and effortless. The descriptions of the Rabbit's items work not only to set a mood, but also to reveal the history of Rabbit and In-yo. At its core is this patriarchal society that creates female bonds, but also breaks them. Vo shows how these bonds have to be sacrificed for the great good and how history through the character of Chih only remembers the victors and not those, who stood loyally at their side. While the ending works in favor of Rabbit and In-yo, you cannot help but feel that something precious and valuable was lost in the process.

A beautiful portrayal of female anger, the rise and fall of an empire and storytelling. A close look at the monarchy through a servants eyes, and it is the story of a woman willing to sacrifice everything to become who she is meant to be.

This novella reminds me why I do not normally pick up short writing – because I have a mighty need for this to be 600 pages longer and for Chih and Almost Brilliant to be main characters who takes me on adventure and gather stories for me to read.

The writing of this story is spectacular and thought invoking and honestly I am tempted to read it again in a few months just to be absolutely wowed by its ending.

These characters, whom we only have for a moment, have somehow imprinted themselves on the inside of my eyelids, and the novella’s short sentences and strong pacing has build a world of wonder and beauty in just a few hundred pages. I don't want to spoil the story that unfolds - but it tells a tale of fury and strength and sacrifice and is so quote-able I want several of her words tattooed.

I want more of this world and more of the Empress and Rabbit and Chih (who presents as They and it is written in such a manner that you never question this - which is how it should be)
I am overwhelmed with the feelings this book brought forward for me of compassion, and loyalty, and love - but most importantly of the anger of women and what they can accomplish by simply being.

There is nothing I love more than a fantastically set story, with enchanting writing to match, about angry women who do things. Rage becomes her. I absolutely adored the writing style and nostalgic but fairy tale vibe of this story. Would love to see more from this author!

This was a beautifully written book. The vignette style, along with the almost simple yet poetic prose really made it stand out. I especially liked how, even though it's short, the way it's written almost begs you to take your time with it. Each object found by Chih holds a story told by Rabbit. These stories revolve around Empress In-Yo. It was brilliantly done. The actual prose reminded me a bit of Zen Cho's The Terracotta Bride, which I also adored. All in all, The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a work of art. (Full review to be posted at The Fantasy Inn closer to the publication date.)

Oops. I didn't realize this was a Macmillan book when I requested it. I will not read anymore Macmillan publications until they end their library embargo. So sorry for my mistake. And Macmillan's evil ways.

Oops. I didn't realize this was a Macmillan book when I requested it. I will not read anymore Macmillan publications until they end their library embargo. So sorry for my mistake. And Macmillan's evil ways.

There are no damsels in distress in this story.

THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE is a beautiful short story about a girl who took control of her destiny and helped others along the way in the most bad ass way possible.
I was really sad when I realized how short the book was, but what it lacked in length, it made up for in depth.
I can definitely see this book as a movie with beautiful imagery.

such a great example of whole world snuck into a novella. Nghi Vo's language is lilting and captivating, easy to read and get swept away. I'm really enjoying this tradition of TOR novellas by authors with marginalized identities, and would love to see Vo write a full length novel.

In this short novella, Vo introduces us to a handful of interesting and engaging characters, as one regales another with a story of imperialism and oppression. As the synopsis states, the world depicted is akin to imperial China, and the author has a gift for writing evocative, albeit-brief description. After meeting Rabbit, the emperor’s wife’s handmaid, Cleric Chih learns Empress In-yo’s story. Through this, we glean the larger picture of not only In-yo’s life, but also the world and culture in which all of the characters exists.

Despite its slim length, the author manages to include a lot into the narrative — through allusion, hints, and small details readers attain a very full picture of the world and the predicament of the characters. We learn about palace politics and cultural norms, and how those who run afoul of either are silenced and/or exiled. How one’s position is precarious, and one’s fortunes can turn on a dime at the whims of others.

It was a prison at first, because it always was one, a place where emperors could banish wives who no longer pleased. It was better than the executioners’ silk garrote, at least, though the emperor’s executioners could travel as well as anyone.

Vo’s characters are great. Whether curious or furious, they are brilliantly realized on the page. The author’s prose is evocative and flows very nicely, while never becoming florid or over-done. I think the only niggle I have is that is wasn’t long enough — it would have been great to learn more about the characters and their contexts, to explore the world more. Perhaps there are more stories to come in the future? Regardless, Vo manages to scatter moments of insight, large and small, throughout the text. Yes, I would have liked a longer book, but it is nevertheless a well-realized setting.

If you are looking for a quick read that will both engage and entertain, then The Empress of Salt and Fortune should suit your needs perfectly. Elegantly written, this is a very good read. Recommended.

This book hits one of my favorite tropes - the framing is that of an archivist monk visiting the empress’ former palace, and interviewing the old woman she finds there about all the items she uncovers in the palace, and in parallel, the old woman telling her story. I have a bit of a weakness for “servant to powerful figure tells their side of the story” narratives, and then throw in a side of “archivist finding the real story” and I’m not surprised that I tore through this in a day or so. After a certain point you can tell where the shape of the novella is going to go, but this still managed to pull off a very good twist in the story. There’s also just a hint of a ghost story here too. This is due out in March, and I highly recommend picking it up when it does.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a short yet evocative read. The storytelling is spellbinding and I really enjoyed the way the tale unfolded. If anything, I would have liked to have seen it become a longer work, so we could spend more time with the action and the characters. I would definitely be keen to read more by Vo in the future. For now, The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a wonderful book for those looking for a quick fantasy read with a strong female lead and LGBT representation.

(Review will go live on my blog at the link provided on 2 March 2020)

Do you ever finish a novella and simultaneously you’re satisfied because it’s managed to tell a complete story but also you want to be living in that world for so much longer? Well, this is one of those.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune takes place years after a coup. A chronicler arrives at the place where the empress was exiled to and meets her old handmaiden, and from there we find out the events that took place leading up to the start of the coup.

Frankly, the best thing about this novella is the worldbuilding and the writing. You know when a book makes you want to live in a particular world forever and not stop reading? Well, yeah. I so desperately wanted this book to be longer than the 110 pages that it was. It felt like the story the handmaiden told could be a full length novel in itself, and we only got snapshots of everything that was going on.

Then, the characters! It feels cliched to say that it seemed as though the characters came to life off the page, but they were so well-developed in such a short (or so) amount of time, and they really did almost come to life.

I think it would be safe to say that this novella has left me speechless, for lack of another word. I’m struggling to put down just how much I loved it (which in itself should be a reason for you to read it). So really, all I can say is, preorder this one. You won’t regret it.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo, a great quick read. A short story destined to capture the hearts and minds of those who read it!

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was utterly spellbinding. A rich, surprisingly intricate tale that seemed woven of thousands of strands of silk as much as written. Aside from the fact that the style is exquisite, this is an amazingly powerful tale about female friendship, love, loss and the power of women's voices when women band together to remove the restraints of silence placed upon them. There are hints of fantasy here too and the story is set in a historical China inspired landscape.

A young cleric and her hoopoe - a sentient, talking bird with edetic memory - are travelling to the capital to see the new Empress form her first dragon court. On the way they chance upon an old woman named Rabbit who turns out to have known the previous Empress very well indeed. As the cleric records Rabbit's story, the reader is treated to a richly detailed story of how the previous empress came to the throne; how women sometimes have to hide in plain site and bide their time, but in forming strong friendships and valuing each other regardless of background, they can become a force to be reckoned with no matter how silenced they are or how marginalised.

This is simply stunning. A beautiful story that was poignant and stirring, never shying from cruelties but somehow finding a way to show the triumph of human and especially women's will and fortitude. Highly recommend this to anyone who wants a female led fantasy that is subtle and kind in the face of great opposition.