My only regret is that I won’t get to be your strategist, sister, friend, mentor, equal in another life.
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🌌Rating:5/5⭐
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I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-arc since I'm part of the street team.

Well, where do I even begin? If you guys know me well, I'm a very picky reader (we don't add classics to the equation because classics are classics for a reason). I thought that I was growing out of the YA section since I'm getting older and the protagonists are getting more and more dull with every passing year. In recent years, I thought that the quality of writing had drastically decreased. There was something missing from these books even if I gave them 4 or 5 stars. So what was it then? What was it that was missing from the other books except for this one? It was the combination reinvigorating something old along with the deep understanding of nuances when it comes to being a human.

You like being around the humans, because among them, you feel like a god.

Since this was a ROTTK retelling, I had some advanced knowledge beforehand. Like all previous books trying to retell a certain tale or story, I had initially thought that STG is also going to faithfully follow the original plot. But no, Ms Joan took the reins and made it her own. She managed to create something that was still ROTTK while also imparting some of her own artistic take on it. The pacing was well done in my opinion (even though some might argue it's too fast), it managed to keep the tension high throughout the book just like in The Poppy War trilogy. It's also this momentum that keeps you reading, wanting to learn the fates that are awaiting the characters.

However what made me like this book more than The Poppy War or any other war cantered books or YA is the nuances in the characters. Zephyr's determination to succeed in her goal hits home way too hard. Her willingness to sacrifice everything for her goal is something that I rarely see in protagonists. Oftentimes they would succumb to the 'by the power of romance' as a plot device to resolve the story. However in this case, Zephyr carved something out for herself. It was her being able to acknowledge that she has the ability to change her own fate and the others around her. Plus, Zephyr is actually smart? So I don't really have to deal with dumb characters trying to come up with idiotic plans that are bound to fail. Maybe I just love my smart and determined characters (some might call them crazy but shush) like Moriarty, Lelouch and Makima. And the thing is, these characters acknowledged their actions. They were able to understand the consequences of their actions but still carried out their plans. And I think that's what makes them compelling. Them actually stepping onto the grey line as they pursue a seemingly altruistic goal while leaving pools of blood behind them. And I think that's what many ya books these days failed to do. Oftentimes, authors label their books as morally grey but the characters often end up downright evil or just…dull and doing…nothing! Even though Zephyr had a strong voice, the book still managed to strongly display other characters as well. Crow's presence throughout this book was noticeable even though something happened (iykyk). His cunningness, humour and consumption are evident throughout the book till the end. I also really enjoyed the character arc for each character like Ren and Cicada. War wears people down and it changes people. Rarely do we ever get to become our former self after a war and I think that's what other books lacked. The characters just become stagnant. But STG allowed the characters to grow and reshaped their beliefs which made the readers feel lots of things like happiness, anger and loss.

The ending was the best ending I have ever read recently. It's the perfect melancholy feeling that I crave for. It leaves you lingering in your mind as the characters set out on a new journey. The ending broke me perfectly. I was so lost in the scenes as I empathised with Crow so much. His anger and yearning for the people he had lost. I rarely get to feel this way because books often end up on a happy note. But no, that's often not the case for life even less so for a war that just took place. The ending perfectly encapsulated the feeling of loss but it somehow felt right at the same time. Kind of like what I had felt after watching Spirited Away.

Anyways, I can't wait for the book to come out next year so that everyone gets to read it. I promise you, that the wait will all be worth it.

i>I received this ARC thanks to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley as a part of the street team in exchange for an honest review.</i>

DO remember Sound the Gong is a sequel to Strike the Zither, which I assume you're already familiar with writing this review. If you're not yet done with first part of Zephyr's adventure, please be aware I've warned you reading this text might spoil the fun of experiencing it yourself.

<b>"Some think the gods walk this realm.
For once, the peasants are not wrong."</b>
Hear ye, hear ye, Sound the Gong is coming your way soon, and you are NOT ready for the emotional rollercoaster it brings. You thought everyone was doomed with Zephyr's action in STZ? Well, who could beat her existing war crimes if not Zephyr the god herself.
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<b>"I told you before," he says, "I like ruinous things. And you were the death of me. So, you win. You're all I can think of."</b>
Zephyr's a perfectionist to the point where even death can't stop her from achieving her goals. Heavenly principles? Nah, nothing will stand against mortal desires of her immortal heart. As she just knows plans of her Lordess won't suceed without her help, all she needs is a spare body to command so she could lead west troops to the victory. Or maybe two, actually three... where there's war, there are plenty of bodies available to choose from. If not, one can simply... free up the desired one in less conventional matter.
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<b>"How do you forget someone who's carved themselves into your bones?"</b>
If you've loved gods shenanigans in interfering with mortals world in 香蜜沉沉烬如霜 (Ashes of Love, 2018) or the soul-jumping between bodies in 환혼 (Alchemy of souls, 2022), Sound the Gong will make you feel like you're home -- a little bloody one, but still a home. I do not want to spoil you much of what exact events are taking place in this sequel, because that's the fun this book delivers in its own unique way. Imagine entering a scary rollercoaster. In a huge fog, so you can'tsee past the seat in front of you. In the middle of Chicago so the weather could change from extreme sun to a terrible storm within few minutes (I'm from Poland, but got to experience this... magic of Chicago's weather myself ten years ago -- hence the graphic comparission). Sounds even more scary, right? Because it is. You have no clue what emotions will flood you with each new chapter --- happiness, grieve, love, need of giving a start to justified arson? You can't literally be sure for your own life, let alone all beloved characters of yours. All that, and Joan's amazing approach to retelling <i> Three Kingdoms </i> in her own breathtaking way.
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<b>"We're all chess pieces to the heavens."</b>
Reading STG made me realise how much I did miss the whole crew, and how awesome of a near psycho Zephyr is. But that's what I love about Kingdom of Three duology? It feels like a mashup of my favourite tropes, to be exact reading Sound the Gong brought me back so many emotions I felt reading R. Kuang's "The Burning God" (TLDR, this book broke me in a very beautiful way) -- and being broken by just reading a book is a thing I rarely get to experience, if it could tell you something about how impactful it was. You, as a reader, are just so immersed in this story you're getting all the emotions multiplied by the fact that they all just feel real. Another example, is how this story brings closure to the duet of strategists story -- some may don't like this kind of ending, but in my opinion they're one of the most beautiful ones characters deserve to get spinned for them. If you want to know what kind of >ending< I'm talking about, well take a hint of some of the other titles I've mentioned before and wait patiently till Sound the Gong releases to public in April next year. Because this book is soooo worth waiting for, just as some people in our lives, or in our books. As even though the wait may seem like it would never end, once it does you'll get to answer yourself in peace to the question you've asked yourself all along -- Was it worth it?

I couldn't rate this finale less than my special 6 stars rating <3

PS. After withstanding all the things the Author put you through reading Sound the Gong, you can claim your very sweet reward (sugar overload guaranteed by yours truly) on her official page ~

An angsty, bittersweet, tense, epic bulldozer of a conclusion to an excellent duology retelling an incredibly hefty and famous classical Chinese novel. In STG, the main crew barrel towards the inevitable clash that Zephyr has been so desperately strategizing for since she began working for Xin Ren. Faced with difficult choices and the knowledge she'd hurt and disappoint those around her, Zephyr goes to the extreme to defend her choices and forge her own destiny.

Kept on my toes due to the first novel's ending, I managed to foresee the story's main twists and the conclusion of our main characters' arcs. That made the reading experience even more better. Once again, Joan does a beautiful job simplifying the original's long backstories and weaving in allusions and iconic imagery into new contexts that capture the whimsy grandness of the original while making it her own. While many key characters of ROTTK have direct counterparts in Joan's duology, one doesn't have to be familiar with the original to love her iterations—who become their own.

Out of all of Joan's current set of pubbed books, Zephyr and Crow are my favourite leads. Zephyr's strong character voice, Crow's tragicness, their cunning intellect, chemistry and unwavering determination makes them an addicting duo. Also, Joan: Crow is the best boi.

Amidst the violence and dramas of war, betrayal and immortal meddling, you'll find several key messages. The most personal is that that rings clearest with Zephyr: we have the power of choice. In the time that we have, to live a life with no regrets, we must find the courage in ourselves to walk our own paths, even when we are challenged on the journey to find ourselves.

Thanks to Netgalley and Roaring Brooks for providing the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to Kelsey Marrujo for linking us street team members with the invites 🙃

After the exciting twists and turns that Strike the Zither revealed, Sound the Gong delivers an equally exciting and stunning conclusion. War is chaotic, the human condition is fickle, and it is up to Zephyr to maneuver these pieces the way only a strategist can. With every turn of the page a new setting, a new challenge, and the same determined Zephyr awaits you. The epic blends war, the human condition, and the heavens that goes beyond good and bad and challenges the fates.