I was initially planning to read Romancing of the Three Kingdoms, but when I got a copy of Strike the Zither, I decided I'd never have another chance at a first impression and wanted to see how the story read without being familiar with its source material. As someone whose knowledge of Three Kingdoms is virtually nonexistent (I basically read the first chapter and skimmed the Wikipedia article and promptly forgot what I read,) I can confirm that you can appreciate this reimagining without any knowledge of the original story.

Strike the Zither is just fun. After more cerebral books, Joan He gives us a delightful story that I accidentally devoured in a single day. Granted, there is still blood and death and war and pain, but there's just something about Strike the Zither that makes me think He especially enjoyed writing this particular story.

STZ is kind of a hard book to describe. Maybe because it's inspired by a Chinese classic and it doesn't quite follow conventional Western traditions of storytelling, but it almost feels like we follow one character through a sweeping epic.

Three Kingdoms basically takes place over a hundred years, so trying to condense all that into a YA duology whose first book is under 350 pages is an ambitious undertaking. It's a military fantasy with three kingdoms at war, but He manages to juggle all the different pieces well, maneuvering them with the care of an expert chess player (or military strategist.) There's a relatively big cast and a ton of moving parts, but I never felt overwhelmed or confused--and this is coming from a reader who refuses to commit anyone's name to memory until she's decided she's invested in the story (fantasy books that dump a bunch of names on you in the beginning are the bane of my existence,)--so it's quite the feat.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pacing of the book. Because the story takes place on a grand scale, it's a bit more plot-heavy, but He is an efficient storyteller whose economy of words keeps the story moving at a tight, almost clipped, pace. The storytelling is definitely on the leaner side and, in general, the world building and scenes aren't nearly as expansive and descriptive as I would like. The first half ("Stanza One") is solid: action-packed and filled with war machinations, shifting alliances, and a few battle scenes. It introduces the major players at war and sets the scene for the duology.

And then we reach Stanza Two.

It starts with a pretty big reveal that throws the story off course for a bit. The sudden shift--both in content and in pacing--feels like skidding to a stop after we've built up all that momentum leading up to the break. Like I said, I'm not familiar with the original Three Kingdoms, so I'm not sure if the Twist™ is a faithful retelling of the story or a creative liberty He decided to take. (My money is on the latter, but knowledgeable Chinese scholars can scream at me in the comments section.) Jury's still out on how I feel about the actual twist, but I'm not a huge fan of its execution. It took me a while to get back into the story after the abrupt transition. I personally think the twist makes the story a bit disjointed, but I found the rest of the story enjoyable once we got back on track.

"A strategist detested is strategist doing something right."

"They love Ren for her honor, Cloud for her righteousness, Lotus for her spirit. My job is not to be lovable but to get every peasant off the mountain and into the town over, where Ren should already be waiting with the first wave of evacuees, the other half of our troops, and--hopefully--a boat passage south so that I can secure us some much-needed allies."

Based on the reviews, it seems like Zephyr is a controversial character, but I really like her as a protagonist. She's ambitious and a bit rough around the edges but still manages to distinguish herself from other "unlikeable" heroines. I appreciate the way He slowly peels back the layers, revealing the strategist's humanity bit by bit, especially in light of [REDACTED.] Zephyr is a bit of a complicated character, but I happen to like the complicated. I think she's definitely someone you can appreciate, or at least understand, even if you don't necessarily like or relate to her. There's a vulnerability hidden behind that arrogant, brilliant mind. She thinks she can't afford to be likeable because she's too busy saving lives, but at the end of the day, she's scared to be alone. I love it.

Speaking of things I love, Crow, the sickly strategist working for the enemy might just be my new favorite love interest. He's an old soul with a dry wit, and the scenes between him and Zephyr are some of my favorites. The romance is light and provides a fun little break from all the death and pain. I do think it could be developed a tiny bit more though. I'm not necessarily asking for more romance (at least not in book one,) but I think the progression from rivals/enemies to lovers(ish) could use a little more work. Not to say I didn't love it, because I did.

Did I immediately fall in love with Crow once I realized he wasn't a consumptive old man?

Yes .

Do I think "there's only one zither" is the most brilliant line in the book?

Also yes.

Do I think it was a little insta-lovey?

Well, yeah.

At risk of giving away spoilers, I'll just say that, when it comes to the romance, I think Joan forced her hand a little bit in the sense that she structured the story so that all the falling in love stuff had to happen before the big plot twist in Stanza Two. Zephyr and Crow's entire courtship (if you can call verbal sparring, occasional flirting, and a mental chess match courtship) has to be condensed into 160 pages, or at least the pages that aren't already spent watching Zephyr spends scheming, defecting, scheming some more, and trying not to die, which is to say, not a lot. Because the romance is a relatively small subplot in light of everything else that happens in STZ, I don't really mind how it's written (they're both trying to win a war, there's no time for falling in love,) but I am expecting more romance and better development in book two.
As someone who prefers character-driven stories, I do hope we get to see more development in general in the sequel. A lot of STZ was spent laying the groundwork for what I'm sure will be an epic conclusion. Even though Joan He's self-proclaimed brand is "twists and pain," I foolishly allowed myself to be lulled into a sense of complacency, and reader, when the final twist was revealed, I did not see it coming. I need to know what happens next, but more importantly, I need to see more of these characters we've met in STZ. I need more complex found families. I need more messy sibling relationships. And I definitely need more Crow and Zeyphr, like a lot more Crow.

Despite a few missteps, Joan He has given us a compulsively readable intro to her duology. I had to know what was coming next and was compelled to keep reading even if I was, say, burning up in my car sitting in a Costco parking lot. I didn't even have time to try to predict what would happen next since I was so engrossed in the story, though I needn't have bothered. Joan He is the master of the unexpected, and the reveal in the final chapter took a solid and enjoyable story to the next level. I feel like my star rating jumped an entire ranking at the plot twist because it went from "this is kinda fun" to "I NEED THE SEQUEL NOW."

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan's Childrens Publishing Group, and BookishFirst for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

STRIKE THE ZITHER is definitely the strongest out of the three books Joan He has written. What Joan He excels at is building on the found family trope and the characters relationships, not necessarily romantic but in their friendships and loyalty. I loved Zephyr as a main character and I liked the first half of the story. The second half caught me off guard and I felt a little bit unbalanced from the flow and pacing of the plot. There was a slight disconnect when the second part of the book began. As I continued reading I was able to get used to the change and the book ended on a strong high note. I am looking forward to SOUND THE GONG, the sequel and conclusion of STRIKE THE ZITHER..

4 stars

I unfortunately DNF. The being dropped into the action at the beginning of the book and just thrown names and titles with very arrogant un-relatable characters was a solid no for me. I hate that they were snubbing their noses and basically spitting on the common folk from the start. I am not a fan of a villain origin story that doesn’t build you up to why they are who they are.

Joan He excels at betrayal and tragedy and Strike the Zither continues that reputation. There were a lot of things in StZ that were easy to like. I felt well connected to the main character through her emotions and thought process. This allows the reader to anticipate her moves and decisions. The war lordessess were each their own individual identity who were easy to discern.

I can't really place what it was about the book I didn't like but there is a pivotal point in the book where you start feeling a bit disconnected. I felt like sometimes I didn't really get why things were happening anymore. I'm not familiar with the Three Kingdoms, so these things may have to do with my lack of understanding of the original tale. The events happening may have been important points in the Three Kingdoms.

I quick and short read I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially with court politics/strategies. Another great retelling and I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley as well as BookishFirst for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Set during the Xin Dynasty, the land is divided into three with a puppet empress on the throne and three warlordess fighting for control, each with their own ideals. Zephyr, a young and brilliant strategist, serves the warlordess Xin Ren and her sworn sisters who are fighting against the empire. Zephyr makes the decision to infiltrate the enemy's ranks, where she meets her counterpart Crow, the enemy’s mysterious strategist, and sets into motion a series of events even the Rising Zephyr couldn’t predict.

STRIKE THE ZITHER is a reimagining of Chinese classic Three Kingdoms. He’s take on the story involves a leading cast of female characters and a “peacock” of a strategist that I have come to love. The battles, politics, and strategies of the story were cleverly thought out and executed, leaving me surprised and delighted throughout the story. While heavy in strategy and politics, He manages to focus on the characters and their relationships. The sisterhood, strategist/lordess, and rival relationships were well-done with fleshed out and complex and painfully real characters. Not to mention I loved the romantic aspect of the story so much (enemies to lovers).

He’s storytelling was lyrical and immersive, making the story progressively more enjoyable, especially with the Three Kingdom references throughout the book which made me feel so nostalgic for similar stories.

Overall, STRIKE THE ZITHER is a wonderful reimagining of a classic and an adventure in exploring war, strategy, rivalry, love, and loyalty. An absolute favorite of mine now.

I really enjoyed the world, characters, plot - everything. Zephyr, Crow, and Ren have captured my fancy--Miasma, too! I can't wait for the second book, and I may even decide to read Three Kingdoms at some point to compare.

I really enjoyed this one. I received an early readers copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This story mostly follows two strategists at war with one another. The author does a great job at keeping you guessing as to her objectives so that the audience is also spending their time trying to figure out what certain goals are throughout the book. The only thing I didn't love from this was the naming scheme for a lot of the characters. I struggled on occasion to remember who was on what side due to the seeming randomness of many characters names.

I have loved Joan He's other books, but my feelings are conflicted with this one, for various reasons:

- total disconect with all the characters. They come to me feeling very plain, not humanized at all, and Zephyr, who is more elaborate was kinda cartonish and way arrogant (which makes sense, considering) but I would love for her to have been more fleshed out in all her facets

- we get a major twist. I was pleasantly surprised by it, imagining how it would affect the chAracter from here on. But... Let's say the character changes (really changes) and I just couldn't relate at all (I wasn't relating or caring much for them at this point, but it got worse).
Also would have appreciated more backstory about all of that and the characters and relationships we find at this point

- the plot of the story Is a good one, but I am a character driven reader, and I felt left out?
I was skimming pages towards the end, and I am not sure if I like the book or not (the twists at the end make up for many so-and-so moments). Maybe it wasn't the right moment for me to read this one?

I don't know how to rate this one. 2'5 over 5? 2? 3? I would lobe to be able to leave the rating blank

This book had such wonderful world building. It really sucks you into it right away. It had such a fun and fresh plot. I highly recommend!

This was such a great read!! It took a little bit for me to really get sucked in, but once I was, I wasn’t ready for it to end. And that ending!?!? Why do we have to wait for book 2!?!?

good book and really enjoyed the characters and their journey. I liked the romance.. I enjoyed how the characters grew in the book and what happened.

Wow.

Wow. Wow. WOW.

When I first saw that a fantasy novel was coming out that was riffing upon the Chinese classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," I was more than a little intrigued. I'm by no means any kind of expert on Chinese classic literature, but I'm at least vaguely familiar with a couple of the Six Great Classic Chinese Novels, with "Romance" being the oldest of them.

I'm also, admittedly, a fan of East Asian television dramas -- those produced from China, included -- and so I had a sneaking suspicion that the narrative of the story and, in particular, some potential plot elements were ones that I would not only enjoy, but was eagerly hoping for.

Needless to say, Joan He did not disappoint. While I can easily imagine that the mid-point shift is one that might throw some readers unaccustomed with eastern fantasy tropes for a loop, I found that He navigated that plot point with ease. She laid seeds for what was to come, but didn't bang it over the reader's head heavy-handedly.

Actually, my own (relatively ignorant, white) opinion is that, overall, I think He did a phenomenal job in this retelling/riff on the original story. It's not an easy kind of story to tackle, and holy crap if she didn't plunge headfirst and just bang out a, well, absolute banger.

If I have any critiques, it might be in the swift progression of the seeming romance between our primary character, Zephyr, and the opposing tactician, Crow.

Side note:I'm going to refer to any character by their soubriquets in this review, just for my own ease. Soubriquets are rather important, by the way, so if you're not used to any kind of Chinese historical or fantasy stories, strap yourself in and get ready to learn about naming schemes. (It's really not all that complicated, but if you've never encountered such a thing, I can imagine it might be a little overwhelming at first.)

Where was I? Oh yes: Zephyr and Crow. Given the relatively short time they spend together, I found their relationship just a hair rushed. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it -- I absolutely did -- nor even that I haven't seen such a trope before in Chinese dramas -- I have and more than once -- but when thinking about it for this review, I was struck by how quickly Crow went from total distrust to willingly taking a physical wound for to passionately making out with and potentially infecting Zephyr with a terminal illness. Now, there is the fact that this is a duology to be considered, so perhaps there are things about Crow which we have yet to discover that may explain away some of this rapid pace. There's also the fact that this is a time of civil war and, hey, when you might die any day, I suppose a rapid fall into romance isn't that strange in such circumstances.

But it is a bit quick. Again, I love them together and would happily take someone re-enacting their zither scenes together so I could bask in the tension...but it was still just a wee bit fast.

War has come to the Xin Empire, and the noble warlordess Xin Ren leads a small force to oppose Miasma, the prime ministress who claims to be the will of Ren’s cousin, the empress. In order to combat superior, well-supplied forces, Ren needs a master strategist, someone who will join her cause. Rising Zephyr, one of the most brilliant strategists in all of Xin, has filled that position—and is determined to lead Ren to victory. No matter what the cost.
If this description sounds almost familiar, it should. Joan He’s Strike the Zither is her reinvention of the epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical fiction saga credited to Luo Guanzhong. While the stories are incredibly familiar to Chinese readers, they’re less well-known to American audiences. At 800,000 words and with a cast of thousands that would make Golden Age Hollywood proud, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is justifiably daunting to a modern audience. But its core story—three friends who swear an oath to support each other through thick and thin, a strategist so gifted as to make it seem as if the weather obeys their whims, honorable warriors determined not to win by cheating, and an abundance of courtly intrigue despite those honorable attitudes—resonates well beyond its early origins. Which is why it’s so delightful that He draws on those tales here and then makes them entirely her own.

The story opens in media res, with Ren’s forces fleeing from the larger imperial army led by Miasma. Ren, in all her noble intent, has insisted that her forces also shepherd the peasants who sheltered them to safety. This complication is irksome to Rising Zephyr, to whom people are really just pieces on a game board; peasants cannot appreciate her brilliance, after all. When it looks as though all might be lost, Zephyr still has tricks up her sleeve: she sends Lotus, one of Ren’s swornsisters, to convince Miasma that their forces are much greater than the prime ministress expected. For awhile, it seems to have worked—but that dolt warrior Lotus botches things, and soon, it looks like Ren will be on the run again. Zephyr decides to take matters into her own hands: she feigns defection to Miasma, using the prime ministress to take her to the allies Zephyr has always planned to secure for Ren.
Zephyr believes in very little, but she believes in Ren. In her heart, she feels Ren is her one path to being remembered through all history as a brilliant strategist: if Ren can restore the Xin Empire, then the strategist who guided her will become a hero.
From the opening pages, Zephyr’s personality shines so brightly it dominates the page. Her first-person narrative is told in present tense, giving every moment a sense of immediacy. Zephyr’s skeptical outlook on the world—a denial of gods and ghosts, which she claims to be superstitions of the less intelligent—reveals a rich, vibrant empire of political intrigue, alliances, and betrayals. As the first-third of the novel passes, a sudden shift in the status quo upends almost everything readers have learned, in a way that only serves to deepen just how fantastic Zephyr’s world is. He’s twist is beautifully done, completed in a way that only makes Zephyr more likable and sympathetic as the story unfolds. Watching a character who views the world as a strategic game grow to better understand and care for those around her, despite her own intentions, makes following Zephyr’s journey all the more worthwhile.
He also makes beautiful use of the zither throughout, blending music and the spirit with stratagems and gods. The way that the music flows in different scenes, and the way that it’s emotionally described, gives the novel its own sense of a soundtrack. There’s so much revealed about the characters, not only by how they act and what they say, but by how they play and what respect they give to music, that it’s almost an added sense, a key that grants both Zephyr and the readers access to other characters’ motivations and desires.

While readers who know Romance of the Three Kingdoms will be able to use their own knowledge of the source material to enrich their experience of He’s novel, familiarity isn’t necessary. Zephyr guides readers through all the trappings of the story seamlessly, emphasizing what parts are important to her own worldview while letting other details slide by. And He takes the world in a different direction almost immediately—that most of the main characters are women instead of men, in a story so traditionally masculine-dominated, sets a more modern-feeling tone. And He’s story notes at the end help readers identify where she’s made changes and why, especially where elements of the gods are concerned.

Because the novel ends with the expectation of a part two, readers may use Strike the Zither as their excuse to finally pick up a translation of Guanzhong’s saga (in her social media, He recommended the Moss Roberts translation) or sit down and watch Red Cliff to better understand the inspiration behind Zephyr and the others. But even if the story doesn’t whet the appetite for other versions of the story, it will certainly keep readers looking forward to more of Zephyr’s adventures.

In a divided empire, Qilin, better known by her sobriquet Rising Zephyr, serves as the strategist for Xin Ren. Though Ren is the weakest of the powers in the kingdom, she is the most honest, serving the empress faithfully when others, like Miasma, are only after power for themselves. Zephyr and Ren flee from Miasma’s forces, but Zephyr sees an opportunity. She pretends to defect, seeking to destroy Miasma and all she holds dear from within her ranks. However, all is not as it seems and more betrayal lies around the corner.

After following Joan He from The Ones We’re Meant to Find, which was a book that I appreciated even if the execution was not perfect, I was pleased that I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. I don’t know much about Three Kingdoms but that did not detract from my enjoyment. The story as a whole was entertaining and the pacing was snappy. Midway through the novel there was a twist that I did not expect; however, this created some interesting dynamics that propelled the novel to its conclusion. The epilogue was also unexpected and leaves a lot to be explored in the next installment.

Additionally, there’s much to commend here. The role of women was significant. All of the main characters were women, and even though there is a hint at romance, this did not detract from the Zephyr’s plans. These plans foreshadow many of the alliances that eventually come to pass. However, there were also some surprises. In many ways, this novel reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End: there are several shufflings of loyalty and it’s never clear how these pacts may influence events.

Overall, I don’t have a lot to say about Strike the Zither other than I enjoyed it and you should check it out and see if you do too.

3.75
Strike the Zither by Johan He is an historical fiction, a retelling from the chinese "Three Kingdoms" fiction from the omonimous name's era.
The majority of the characters are girls! The protagonist is Zephyr, an orphan girl that took control of her fate and become the best strategist serving under Xin Ren.
This is a political book, but the reader can found out themes like found family, love and power.
The first part of the novel is full of action, but while I was reading I thinked: "too much is up in the air". After a plot twist I was a little bit distracted.
The writing is descriptive and I liked the characters building.

This was an interesting novel, and I enjoyed reading it. Strike the Zither is historical fiction, based on older historical fiction from the Three Kingdoms era toward the end of the Han dynasty. If you have any interest in historical fiction of that era, you will, quite likely, enjoy this novel. Likewise, if you enjoy fantasy with gods and goddesses, egalitarian societies, sagas about war, and/or Asian mythology, you are also likely to enjoy this novel. The characters - particularly Rising Zither, the main character - are engaging, well-developed, and interesting, as is her situation, which is fairly unique - a female strategist, strategizing for a female warlord, trying to support the out-of-favor heiress to the Empire. And yet, if the characters were male, the story would be more commonplace.

This novel, in many ways, supports female empowerment, by having women in a traditional story taking the roles traditionally reserved for men. However, the use of the terms "lordess" and "ministeress" rather than "lady" (which is the more usual term) and "minister" (which is, itself, gender neutral), are somewhat jarring, and in that sense detracts from what should be a commonplace occurrence: men and women doing whatever jobs their skills are appropriate for. Still, this is a relatively minor issue in an otherwise enjoyable novel. I look forward to the sequel.

So my first intro to Joan was Descendant Of The Crane (which I still really want a sequel to because reasons) and loved that book so much so I was so glad when she announced this book, which is a fantasy like DOTC. This book was so good! The cast of characters were so great, an MC who is too smart for her own good with a cause that she believes in and a twist that I definitely didn’t see coming. I was biting my nails most of the time I was reading but enjoyed the entire experience. It also doesn’t help that I’m complete trash for a period book of any kind (it’s the nerd in me, what can I say?!)! I’m super anxious for book two (which I believe we get in 2023…it feels so far but in reality isn’t).

Strike the Zither has some excellent twists. Joan He always has an incredible one at the 50% mark, and then an ending that reminds you that you always need to expect more. This is definitely a heavily political book, with a lot of warring factions and regions and scheming. However, there was definitely more action than I ever would have expected, and it all worked for me!

I wish I had gotten to see just a little bit more of Zephyr’s scheming. When she came through, she came through. Her brain is very cunning whereas my own schemes are more about how to procure the last cookie in the jar. Anyways, this is actually a very easy-to-read book that has a rich world but never feels like it’s dumping information on you. If you want to try a fantasy that has some excellent political intrigue, I would definitely recommend picking this up!

Finally, I really didn’t love the romance. It was lacking in the chemistry department for sure. However, some of the other relationships were great! Every character is fun and brings something new to the table.

This was a stunning and poetic read, with a richly woven world and throughly engaging cast of characters. Pacing was smooth and lovely and I was hooked from start to finish.

I really, really enjoyed this. Zephyr was such an interesting perspective to read and I really enjoyed her character. The twist was shocking, I had to put the book down for 10 minutes until I picked it back up again. I think my least favorite was the romance. It wasn’t terrible, it was just very eh. I wasn’t that invested in it.