I have been loving this series and cannot wait to see what happens next!
This is the fourth book and as we’re slowly gaining more lore about the world I find myself falling deeper in love with it.
There was a bit of a tone change in this compared to the others as cleric Chih returned to the Singing Hills and learnt of the death of a well loved teacher. Vo weaves together beautiful stories and reflections of the characters life whilst giving us a more somber tale.
Though the second book remains my favourite this was excellent and Nghi Vo continues to prove her incredible skill as a storyteller.

Even though they're short stories each one is its own story so I never feel dissatisfied. They should be read in order of publication date so as not to be spoiled and to see the character growth.

Another great adventure with Cleric Chih! I have sped through the inventive novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle in just a couple of weeks, and can't believe I didn't know about them earlier. I'd recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a fascinating and unique Asian-based fantasy world.

The best in the series. I didn’t think I could love this one as much as I did but returning to Singing Hills and getting more of the backstory for all the characters was incredible. 5 stars!

🏳️‍⚧️🇻🇳 BOOK REVIEW

Are you looking for the book you didn’t know you needed set in an Asian fantasy world with non-binary clerics? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Cleric Chih comes home to their abbey after travelling to find that the elder Cleric Thien has passed away, the whole abbey is mourning and two mammoths and their riders from the army are waiting at the gates. It is not the peaceful return they had hoped for…

I just love the lyrical writing of Vo’s and the mystique and magic of the world. Her novellas speak thematically of memory and story and the significance of it all. This one in particular is great if you’re a fan of the series because we finally get to see a story happening in real time and an insight into Cleric Chih’s world and how their order works and what their home is like and the history behind the neixin (accompanying bird people). You can’t help but be drawn in by the author’s writing because every single sentence feels so purposeful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one releases 12/9/23. Thanks to @tordotcompub and @netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNFed at 40%

I was very lost with the storyline when I started the book. I knew the characters are animals but wish we got in introduction. I later realized that I was confused because this is book 4 in the series and I don't believe you can read it as a standalone. I have heard of good things so I will start with book 1.

This is the fourth entry into the Singing Hills Cycle series and it is just as good as it's predecessors. This novella in particular ist poetic and heartbreakingly beautiful as it tackles loss and grief in a manor that only Vo can.

I received an advance digital copy in exchange for
an honest review. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher.

Full disclosure, but I adore this novellas, and this one was as good as the previous ones!

This one differs from the other novellas though, as this is more of a homecoming rather than a new adventure for Chhih. We see how their journey has changed them, and how they clash with their home after being away for so long. They have changed, and so has their home, so they'll have to adapt to this new reality.
It is also about grief, and what constitutes a person - in the end, a person is the stories we remember of them, and everyone will have a different story that paints a wholly different picture of a person. The novella explored this in a gorgeous way, thus keeping up with the themes of story and the importance of them. I loved every second of it!

Mammoths at the Gates is the fourth in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle series. Vo uses this novella to tackle grief and loss in a poetic, heartwrenching way that will definitely stick with me for a while. It is much more emotional than the first three and, as always, Nghi Vo's prose considerably adds to Cleric Chih's character despite the short length of these novellas.

This was gorgeous! So utterly breathtakingly heartbreakingly beautiful! I haven't cried so much in ages and I haven't loved a story this much since The Empress of Salt and Fortune. I'm so grateful for this story, because I've been craving stories about Cleric Chih themselves! Chih and Almost Brilliant are my favourite parts of these stories so I'm thrilled we got so much of them and their stories.
The Mamoth at the Gates is such a deep and moving tale. I was bawling through most of the second half, I was miserable (but in a good way?) If you've enjoyed any of the Singing Hills cycle you'll no doubt love this as well. The characters, story and lore were all so well interwoven into a masterful tale.

Thanks to Tor Books/Netgalley for my review copy. Thoughts all my own…

Mammoths at the Gates is the fourth novella in the Singing Hills Cycle, which can be read in any order (I haven’t read all of the others). They centre around Cleric Chih and are set in a fantasy world with ghosts, spirits and fantastical beasts. In Mammoths at the Gates, Cleric Chih arrives home to the Singing Hills Abbey for the first time in years, only to find that their mentor has recently died.

The book is beautiful. The writing is deft and the characters are richly imagined, nuanced and completely loveable. The story explores grief and memory in such a gentle, lyrical way. A novella, so it’s a quick read, perfect for a quiet weekend afternoon with a cup of tea.

As soon as I finished it I went in search of the other books in the series, and I can’t wait to read them. I feel like they’ll be the type of book I’ll reread every so often, and think about frequently.

Mammoths at the Gate isn’t out until September, but you can read the other three while you wait!

I want to devour this series.

While Mammoths at the Gates can be read as a standalone there were moments that lacked just enough context that I wish I had read part of the series previously. Despite this, this novella really pulls you in. The world building is beautiful and the book explores difficult concepts like grief and death in a meaningful way. The writing in this book reminds me of Becky Chambers (one of my all time favorite authors) who has explored similar concepts. I look forward to reading more from The Singing Hills Cycle.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I love Nghi Vo and this series! Her writing is so beautiful and heartfelt. This installment was no exception - Chih returning to Singing Hills only to see how things can change. I loved the exploration of grief and lost. How the people you know can change and be multifaceted. There is something about this series that I just love.

My only critique is that the beginning seemed a little long but was worth it for the emotional discussions.

Mammoths at the Gate was just as beautifully done as the rest of this series and I hope she continues this series for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I have mixed feelings about this little book I read. Although he says that it can be read independently and that any of the four (soon five) books can be the beginning or kickoff to continue with the others... I felt a little lost.

Maybe a bit of context at the beginning would have been interesting. But beyond that, I really liked it, it's super dynamic and interesting. I like the simple and captivating way that Nghi Vo writes and I hope to be able to read more of his authorship because if he managed to hook me with these few pages, I can't even imagine with other stories!

An interesting universe, which I suppose develops more in each book and in a different way. And at a certain point it reminded me of how The Witcher is written where sometimes we came across chapters that seemed loose but when put together, it makes sense.

Thanks NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo is the fourth book in the Singing Hills Cycle which follows Chih, a non-binary cleric and their neixin, Almost Brilliant as they travel around collecting stories. In this installment, Chih is heading back to the abbey for the first time in years only to find out that their mentor has died.

This novella tackles grief and sorrow in a very unique way that I was not expecting and I found it to be a very emotional entry in this series overall. Chih is such an interesting character to follow and seeing this story through their eyes, you really get a sense of what it is like to lose someone suddenly.

This novellas are short but they do take time to get through as they are written in a way that isn’t necessarily super easy to read. To me, it is worth it to just go through slowly and really immerse myself in the story but I have seen complaints that these books are confusing so know that before going in. But if you want something that is very unique and touching and that is about the different connections we make through life and the different stories we pick up along the way, this series is an excellent one to pick up.

A gorgeous and explorative short story about death and love that will stick with me for a long while.

Nghi Vo once again transports us back to the Singing Hills in what feels like a seamless transition between dreamy novellas. Chih (they/them) has finally been called home to the Singing Hills Abbey to be met with the unfortunate news of the passing of their beloved childhood mentor, the growing pains of their best friend, and the pull between grief and belief. Once again, Nghi proves their mastery of the fantasy novella genre.

Thumbs up: As always, Vo pulls you into a poetic and fantastic story featuring beloved characters, adding layer upon layer of the Singing Hills lore. Although short, you feel like no time has passed in the standalone series with Chih the cleric, exploring the intricacies of life, death, and the grief that is left for the living to hold. An absolutely fantastic addition to the series and a must-read for anyone looking to get catapulted out of a reading slump.

Thumbs down: No notes for this novel. My only hope is that one day Vo treats us with a full-length, sprawling adventure about Chih and their storyseeking.

Was it a nail-biter? Although low-stakes, it is not without its moments of pulled emotions and the (relatable) reality-check of growing up, and that bereavement is a lesson for the living. 5 Stars!

I read this so slowly because I absolutely did not want it to end. This series is so close to my heart and I would gladly live in it forever.
After three books spent in various lands in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle world, it was so lovely and interesting to get a peek inside Singing Hills itself. It felt like a warm hug, returning home even though I've never been there and it exists only on pages. Vo is a master at telling a story at the micro level while giving us glimpses at a sweeping, sprawling fantasy land. This instalment gave context to a lot of questions I previously had about Chih and Almost Brilliant's lives, while still feeling like it was playing in a much larger story. Getting to see Chih and Almost Brilliant in an environment where people already know them, and how they interact with their lifelong friends was as fascinating as seeing them converse with tigers and travel into the riverlands. The Nexin getting a bigger role and their story given more context was incredible, as it was something I had wondered about often. But, as always, there is no explicit answer given to the "whys" and "hows"; we are given multiple explanations and histories, because no one story is more correct than another when everyone remembers it differently. The exploration of grief made my heart ache, and the familial love made it swell. It was beautiful to see more glimpses of Chih's character; their stubbornness, softness, loyalty, and determination to learn. As always, Vo's writing style hypnotizes and sweeps me away like no other author. Each novella feels like a love letter to storytelling, and leaves me feeling like I just took the first full breath of air I've managed in ages.
I will absolutely be encouraging people to pick up this novella, as well as continuing to praise the rest of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Another strong contribution to 'The Singing Hills Cycle', Vo again packs an emotional punch with a novella about grief and loss.

Cleric Chih returns home to the Singing Hills Abbey after travelling for a long time collecting stories and histories in their role as cleric. When they return, they are surprised to find the Abbey almost deserted, with a pair of mammoths at the gate. Chih is reunited with their childhood friend, Ru, now acting head of the abbey, and Almost Brilliant, their beloved neixin. They are shocked to hear about the loss of a mentor, and find out that the mammoths at the gates have been brought by a pair of sisters looking to take their grandfather's body away from their chosen resting place and identity as cleric. Additionally, Chih is asked to help represent the neixin, Myriad Virtues, in her own search for inclusion in the rituals to lay the cleric to rest.

I loved reuniting with old characters, and I really enjoyed reading more about the daily lives of the clerics. The quiet moments when Chih had to hold up their memories and expectations of home and compare them with the new, emptier reality, made me ache for them. I loved meeting more mammoth riders, and I had goosebumps at the end. Vo's prose is always a treat to read, easy to become immersed in with haunting descriptions. I would highly recommend this novel for fantasy fans looking for a slice-of-life novella that deals with deeper themes of loss and mourning

After a somewhat boring third book, Nghi Vo reminds us readers why we fell in love with this world and these characters. The stakes are high and there's no clear moral path forward. Chih is back home at The Singing Hills Abby and has new hurdles they must overcome to help all those around them. And the ending packs a kick!

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.