My review of this book will appear in the February 2023 Historical Novel Review; thanks for your patience.

This was such an exciting read! This reimagining of Three Kingdoms is filled with complex characters and plot twists, and I enjoyed every single one of them. I loved the constant scheming and how it kept me constantly eyeing the characters as far as their motives and relationships. I can't wait for book two!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Finally, Joan He’s getting to publish the epic duology her readers knew she had the potential to write! Strike the Zither is everything her debut (an unfinished duology, b/c big publishing sucks sometimes) promised to be and more. While I liked her foray into sci-fi in between, I love He’s reimagining of Chinese classics, so despite not knowing much about the Three Kingdoms, I went in prepared to be wowed.

And it is absolutely worth the hype. I love court intrigue and political maneuvering, and there’s a lot of that here. I was immediately pleased upon starting the ARC to see a geographic breakdown of the different factions and their ranks. It helped immensely as I made my way into the story, figuring out the relationships hierarchy, as well as how Zephyr fit into the pecking order within her own faction. It also helped set me up for the interfactional conflicts, which were illustrated impeccably and with such tension and stakes throughout the book.

And while I don’t know a ton about that time period, I do know that various time periods of Chinese history were notoriously patriarchal (ie the harem system, foot binding), and I like how the book uses the “historical fantasy” label as an excuse to distance itself from that, instead of going the route of many mainly white fantasies *coughGameofThronescough* Women are in positions of power, from the empress to various warlordesses to even Zephyr herself.

I also love the fact that Zephyr is the strategist for her faction, and her cunning and intelligence is something that is explicitly shown. She’s also somewhat flawed, being overconfident and conceited. But she’s also easy to sympathize with, because she’s incredibly loyal to those she’s sworn to serve and because of her willingness to do what she must.

I appreciated the nuance in how the lines were drawn in terms of the dynamics among characters, illustrating how far people would go to fulfill their own ambition. It sets up high stakes and intrigue, which are maintained throughout with brisk plotting and pacing.

This is a fabulous start to a debut, and I am already eager for the sequel. If you’re looking for a more feminist take on a Chinese classic, I recommend picking this up!

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Joan He, so when I saw that her newest book was a YA fantasy centering a brilliant strategist—a trope that usually hits nicely for me—it was an easy decision to request an ARC. Strike the Zither is inspired by the Chinese classic story of the Three Kingdoms, with a few important changes. Most obviously, most of the key figures are cast as women. It is written to be accessible for those who are not familiar with the original, as I am not, and so I will be reviewing it on its merits as a distinct work, and not on its merits as a retelling. 

Strike the Zither opens in a fantasy analogue of China that has been split into three territories—the Empire itself, with its base of power in the North, and territories of varying loyalty in the South and West. But our heroine doesn’t belong to any of these factions, rather attaching herself to a landless rebel leader trying to restore the power of an empress who has become nothing more than a puppet of the Empire’s lead warlordess. And it will take every ounce of guile she possesses for the brilliant teen strategist to deliver her warlordess to victory. 

As is so often the case, the first impression here is the prose, and it impresses from the get-go. That’s not by being stunningly beautiful or exceptionally ornamented—this is aimed at younger audiences, after all—so much as simply describing both action and introspection in a clear, fluid manner that makes the story both easy and pleasurable to read. She writes in a way that fosters investment in the story while generating plenty of forward momentum to keep the pages turning. It’s clear, but never simplistic, evocative without being bogged down in description. It’s a difficult balance, and the storytelling walks it admirably. 

Also worthy of note was the complexity of the main character, fiercely loyal to a leader whose strict ethical code doesn't align especially well with a strategist's willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve victory. Unfortunately, the second half of the story introduced a supernatural element that distanced the lead from many of the relationships that were so valued at the outset, making for a second half that didn’t have the interpersonal intrigue of the first. 

But while He’s reputation as a writer made me expect a quality interpersonal plot, the thing that drew me to this book was the strategizing. And that’s the one place where Strike the Zither never really managed to deliver. After an opening gambit undercut by someone else's failure, we move to another whose success relies on an opponent’s baffling underestimation of the heroine. And this is followed by a plan that any veteran reader will see coming a mile away (admittedly, the presence of this one in the original Three Kingdoms story may be part of the reason that it was so predictable). The book never convinced by that the lead was in fact a brilliant strategist, which made it hard to immerse in what was supposed to be a key aspect of the story. If the interpersonal storylines were good enough, perhaps Strike the Zither could’ve underwhelmed on the strategizing and still been a terrific read. But with underwhelming strategy and interpersonal conflict that fizzled in the back half, it took skilled storytelling to maintain any tension at all. That quality of storytelling still made for a decent read, but not one that has me lining up to grab the sequel. 

Recommended if you like: Non-Western YA.

Overall rating: 12 of Tar Vol's 20. Three stars on Goodreads.

Thank you Netgalley, MacMillan Children's Publishing Group and Joan He for providing me the Arc <3

I NEED BOOK 2 ASAP!!

Seriously, i need to calm myself for DAYS after finishing the book. I couldn't stop thinking about the story and the characters are so well written.

Strike The Zither is a reimagining story of Three Kingdoms where the broken empire divided and the warlordesses fighting for control over whole land and bring the chaos of war. Zephyr is a strategist for the 'charity' warlordess Xin Ren who has no land or hope to win. So Zephyr took a twisted turn to go to the enemy's camp and 'work' for them where then she met Miasma, the other warlordess, and Miasma mysterious strategist, Crow.

I love how well the characters are written. I like following the story from Zephyr's POV. I think she's an interisting character. Brave, smart, confident, and cunning. Sometimes she can full of herself and think that she's the smartest one in the room without even guess what was actually happened around her. That's when my anxienty grew as i turn the pages waiting for something to come. Not only Zephyr, the other characters also well-written with their own unique trait too.

The relationship and the complexity of human placed in the middle of the war always bring me such a thrill to read especially when it written in such a beautiful way like Joan He did. The dynamic between Zephyr and Crow. The sisterhood between Xin Ren, Cloud and Lotus. Zephyr and Xin Ren relationship. Painful and beautiful.

But to be honest i was a bit turned down in the middle of the story. Nothing happened and i could guess everything Zephyr did because maybe i've read Three Kingdoms before and watched the Red Cliff too. Well i thought i knew what is going to happen, i am not :)

That's just how good Joan He pulls the string and play with my heart. Days after finishing the book, i keep coming back and trying to recall certain moments from the book and connect the dot. It all makes sense now.

I can't wait for the sequel to come out especially after reading the ending ❤️

“Some say the heavens dictate the rise and fall of empires. Clearly, those peasants have never met me”

This book frankly blew me away. It was magical, transporting me completely inside its pages, and I absolutely cannot wait until the sequel.

Joan He reimagines a classic work of Chinese literature, The Three Kingdoms, here with a more female oriented cast and a simplified story. Unsurprisingly, I’m not familiar with this story, so I can’t speak to this book as an adaptation, but as a story, and as a YA fantasy, I think it’s brilliant.

Each prominent character here is layered and complex, the court politics and military strategies are remarkably nuanced for a YA fantasy, and the writing is just stunning.

I enjoyed every twist and turn here, many of which I did not see coming at all, and I am so impressed by He’s storytelling power. I know this is one I’ll be obsessed with for years to come.

The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves. But Zephyr knows it’s no contest. Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged―while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one―and not all of them are human.

Strike the Zither is a retelling of the classic Chinese tale of the Three Kingdoms. But this version is full of strong, morally gray female characters!! Since I'm not very familiar with the original story, I can't speak to Strike the Zither's success as a retelling, but the author's notes helped me see the basis of the story somewhat, which was great. I can say Strike the Zither is a wild ride. Zephyr is a force and I absolutely loved her. Joan He gives us a main character who fights with her wits more than her body and takes the story in directions I couldn't have possibly seen coming. (Maybe someone familiar with Three Kingdoms would have seen it coming though?) I loved the strong and varied cast of women in this story! I didn't care that much about the romance (even though I did like Crow), but it's such a minor part of the story that it didn't matter. Check out Strike the Zither if you're looking for unique YA fantasy!!

What an adventure I can honestly say I have never read such a different and surprising twist in a novel. I thought it was well done and can’t wait to see the continuation of the book. I love the FMC setting like what a power house of characters and storylines. Also THE ENDING OMG . You are in for such a ride with this book.




Shoutout to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy ❤️

This book was... a whirlwind. And not in a really good way. But also not in a bad way by any means. I just ultimately felt let down, as I've heard many good things about Joan He's books, but this was just a bit confusing to me. Never once did I understand how the relationship between Zephyr and Crow developed, because it felt like we barely saw them together. A lot of it was all over the place on pacing, and then the big "plot twist" (aka the necessary plot device for the rest of the book/series) felt like it took too long to happen in my opinion. I wanted to like this so much more, as I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings/inspired books, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

That's it, folks: Joan He is a must-read author for me. Third book I read, third book I loved.

I've seen people love The Ones We're Meant to Find and dislike Descendant of the Crane, and the other way around, claiming the books are too different. They are, but, also, i would say the conducting motif of all Joan's books is what is means to be human, and how greed and hunger for knowledge can affect one person. This one doesn't differ.

In this retelling of the Chinese classic Three Kingdoms, Zephyr is one skilled strategist playing a very dangerous game, where her loyalty lies with the underdog warlordess without land, fighting to bring her family back into power against the prime Minister, who controls the current empress and the kingdom. This story is even more political than her debut, Descendant of the Crane, told through the lens of someone who would do anything to assure her side is winning.

Zephyr is an amazing protagonist. She's loyal, smart and ruthless, with a dry sense of humor and a surprising affection towards her peers, even though she claims it's just honor and morals. The cast is mainly female, which I adore, and all of them stand out on their own. Like all Joan's books, morality is a grey area, the plot twists are jaw-dropping, the open ending is a certainty – this time, though, we're getting a second book!!!!!

I haven't read the story from which the author drew inspiration, but I could still immensely enjoy this book. Definitely one of my favorites of 2022. If you seek complex politics, sisterhood and morally grey characters, I would very much recommend this one to you.

A big thanks to Joan and the publisher for this e-ARC!

omg i didn't expect to love this but turns out i loved it???????

STZ is easily JH's best book by far. It's smart, it's intriguing, it's full of deception. i'm not familiat with Three Kingdoms tale but it's no problem because I still could follow the story in this book. the characters are fascinating. i was skeptical of Zephyr at first but I grew some respects for her along the way. Crow was the perfect mysterious ambiguous morally gray man who would be able to stole everyone's heart if he wanted to.

the layer of twists in this book are insane. and the book ended with an "intermezzo" instead of "epilogue" to makes us even more curious about what will happen next. it's genius actually. i cant emphasize enough how brilliant this book is. wow.

there's only one thing that bugged me but i cant say it because it's a spoiler. but it's ok i guess. cant wait for the next book!

There is nothing more exciting to me than a book that completely upends my expectations. When I started Strike the Zither, I thought I understood the type of fantasy novel I was reading. But the story takes such a delightfully shocking turn that I refuse to say more here so as not to spoil the surprises for others. The strength of Strike the Zither doesn't just lie in the fun of a truly unpredictable twist though, but in what Joan He does afterwards. The world-building is fantastic and the character development is rich, complex, and always evolving. The story itself is also filled with suspense, secrets, and schemes, and I can't wait to find out what unexpected turns Joan He has in store for Zither next.

Joan He has struck gold here. I've been a fan since the debut, but this has been my favorite work thus far. Something about the way it mixes everything together is perfect for me.

Strike the Zither, a gender-bent retelling of the Chinese Three Kingdoms myth, focuses on Zephyr, brilliant 18-year-old military strategist to Xin Ren, the honorable one of three female warlordesses seeking control of the kingdom. To advance Xin Ren’s cause and service to the reigning Empress, Zephyr fakes defection to ruthless warlordess #2, Miasma, while engineering Xin Ren’s alliance with warlordess #3, Cicada. Complications and plot twists abound: Miasma’s enigmatic strategist, Crow, who admires Zephyr but questions her fealty; the challenge of serving an honorable leader in a world of feints and betrayals; the fact that Zephyr isn’t who she thinks she is.

While I found the secondary characters a bit thin, I think the author builds major characters and plot well. I wasn’t sold on Miasma’s ready acceptance of Zephyr’s defection or the big reveal about Zephyr’s identity. But with its spotlight on strong female characters, the developing enemies-to-lovers subplot, and a cliffhanger that sets up the second book of the duology, Strike the Zither will appeal to YA fantasy lovers, especially teenage girls.

Zephyr is who I want to be when I grow up. She is clever, intelligent and just a tad ruthless. I seriously am so in awe not only of her mind - and the way she calculates necessary sacrifices - but also He for crafting her! If you're a fan of those situations and characters who are backed into corner after corner and need to cleverly escape - this is for you! From the beginning, I loved the way He talks about this idea of protecting someone even when it seems like we're hurting them.

When the ultimate act of protection is betrayal. All the times in which it feels like mercy and cruelty all wrapped into one. At the same time, while I loved Zephyr's intelligence, you always have to wonder if this might just be the cat's final life. If there's a limit to the scrapes our favorite heroine can escape from. I have no knowledge with the Three Kingdoms which is an inspiration for Strike the Zither, so I could not predict ANY of the twists. And what twists they were.

Joan He's Strike the Zither begins immediately in the middle of a battle. It's exhilarating, being thrown into action right away. I get worried for the characters without knowing too much--I already respect and admire Zephyr, our main character. She's bold, strategic, and quick.

Moving on, the plot is easy to keep up with, though I did have some questions. Since part of the book is lore, legend, and based on gods and goddesses, I get a little lost and confused with it. But I'm hoping it'll clear up in the sequel. Aside from this, I did enjoy the quality of writing--getting lost in Zephyr's head and seeing from her perspective was unique and ruthless.

If you enjoyed R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War, I think you'd definitely like this. It has similar vibes but each author has their own writing style and the characters have their unique qualities.

So I actually know the history of the three kingdoms. Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao, Zhou Yu and Liu Bei. Although I’ll be honest I’ve actually reread and rewatched things about it because the battles between the warlords can be confusing. I just find World History really interesting. I however have never read the novel The Three Kingdoms or played the game. (I don’t what the game is called)

First off, I just absolutely love Joan He’s writing style. It’s just something that my brain clicks with and I’m not even sure the best way to describe it. It has this way of being matter of fact but still conveying a story in a creative way. There is never a point where I think the story has more information then it needs.

I really enjoyed the plot and I can only look at it from what I know of the history and not the novel it also draws inspiration from. I felt like it was very unique and I absolutely loved the characters. Things moved at a very good pace and even though I think the historical events can be complicated. As warfare and strategizing can be. I felt like the plot for Strike the Zither was very easy to understand and follow. Understanding the dynamics between what is happening with the empress, and the different lordesses.

Something happens in the book that I did not expect and it was pretty awesome. Also another trait that I have found in Joan He’s writing. It manages to throw me off of predictability. I love it.

I really enjoyed the characters. You have a lot of different dynamics and personalities going on here. I also really liked that there are drawings at the beginning of the book because I did refer back to them. There was a particular part I needed to in order to get my brains straight. Which was perfect. Plus the way things are flipped so that women play a very strong role in the empire. As we know history is not very often kind to women.

I would say love is a part of the book but I think it showcases all different types. Love, trust, belief and fate are all themes that definitely apply.

It was a great book and I can’t wait to read the next one. Although the end of this one had me a little fired up.

Zephyr is not just a common orphan forever regretting losing a beloved sister. Zephyr is the genius strategist aiding Xin Ren in a deadly game of power against the evil Miasma. But to save her people from a misstep, Zephyr ends up in enemy lines working as a spy. For Zephyr this would be easy, but she didn't count on meeting a strategist who can be at par with her: Crow. Now Zephyr is caught in a war of the minds as she tries to save what she loves most, but discovers that not all she lived for is what it seems.

Joan He has mesmerized us with a beautifully executed story that dives into Chinese folklore and culture. Each page, word, and paragraph poetically describes a fast-paced story of a strategist who is constantly surrounded by people and yet, we feel her loneliness. As the book is written by Zephyr's point of view, it gives us a clear understanding on how she views others, rather than how we can feel or perceive others view her. In the end, you see the world through Zephyr's eyes.

The usage of the zither to bring about military tactics, conversations, emotions, and even thoughts was beautiful. As a musician myself, seeing music woven into an intricate way of story-telling is always pleasing to read and makes the story have a unique kind of depth. Strike the Zither is more story and plot driven than it is charatcer-driven, mostly because we see the world as Zephyr does. In a way, this left for relationships between Zephyr and other characters to feel about short or probably insufficiently explored. But the way the story ends gives us a strong hint that these relationships could be better explored in book 2.

Overall, Strike the Zither is a thrilling yet solemn story of war, loneliness, sacrifice, and friendship that gives us a refreshing look to Chinese folklore and mythology. This is my first Joan He book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I cannot wait to see what Book 2 has in store for us.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan, and Roaring Brook Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book swept me off my feet from page one and threw me around like a tornado, but in the best way possible. With an intricate plot and a main character whose close first person pov we get, I knew very quickly that this was going to be a special read.

Joan He has fabricated an intoxicating story of political intrigue reimagined from the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms. I flew through this book, drinking in every word like a warrior gluttonous on wine. I never wanted it to end.

Our leading girl, Zephyr, is exactly how I love my protagonists. She is the best strategist in the land and can be stopped by nothing to see her warlordess at the top, not even the mysterious Crow- an opposing strategist that is worthy of being called her match… and her enemy.

There is war and deceit and death. There is music and camaraderie and a place beyond the human world.

There is Zephyr, in all her forms of glory.

I will be talking about this book for years.

Thank you to the publisher for approaching me with the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Joan He's newest work!

Strike the Zither is such an unexpected piece of writing. I'll admit that initially, I found myself unable to truly connect to the story and the protagonist, Zephyr. It took some time to adjust to the narration style and, being unfamiliar with the inspiration, Three Kingdoms, getting into the happenings of the story.

But oh boy, if you've read this book, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say that it took a turn into a direction I would never have anticipated. Not that I'm complaining: actually, quite the contrary. I was very fond of He's last piece of work, The Ones We're Meant to Find, and now with Strike the Zither, she truly proves that writing engaging and surprising stories is well within her repertoire. This twist took the story in such a different direction, it explained things that previously didn't make any sense whatsoever to me, and added so much more spice and fun to the story itself.

I am very excited to see how Zephyr (&company's) journey continues and am already excited for the sequel.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate this GORGEOUS cover? Truly out of this world.