Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I did not realize this book was part of a continuing series, so I definitely did struggle a bit in the beginning of the story just not knowing the backstory. However, it was very easy to read and VERY short as well. It was a very intriguing story with a super interesting writing style. I will most definitely be reading the prior books in the collection as well.

Once again Nghi draws you in to an adventure with Chih and Almost Brilliant. This was interesting as Chih tags along with the Pham family as they journey and visit Doi Cao where Nhung Pham is to be married off to the ruler of the town. Things may not seem as they appear and you’ll find this out over the coming days. Such a great addition to the Singing Hills series.

These Singing Hills novellas feel ancient and traditional while also new and trailblazing. These standalone tales have all been very enjoyable for me.

The style of storytelling is unique. Exploring feminist themes through the dialogue of another time. Rituals and traditions paint a picture of a different world but all too similar to ours and familiar when we take a closer look. Wealth, influence, and power revered above all.

The things we fear, and the things we *should* fear aren’t always the same. Happiness isn’t always certain and guaranteed. Duty and honor are constantly pulling us away from what we want. Things are valued and appreciated are drastically different from class to class.

I hope more people give these tales a chance and discover the beauty of the writing.

I love this series! I don't know what Nghi Vo does to these books but I just eat them up. I could read twenty more of them with no hesitation!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Nghi Vo returns again with another entry to her lovely Singing Hills Cycle series! This is definitely one of those stories you need to read twice (something I feel like I say a lot with these novellas). The story starts on a joyous occasion, as Chih and Almost Brilliant accompany a young bride-to-be and her family to her to-be-husband’s house. The occasion one of joy, and yet something about the way the story is being told just feels off. I can’t say more without leading into spoilers but the twist in this one was delightful. I adore how with each entry in this series, Vo embraces a different style of story structure, yet seamlessly integrate each of them into the series. I also loved that we get more Almost Brilliant. After a couple entries without her, her presence was thoroughly welcome. Overall, I rate this book a 4/5.

The Brides of High Hill is the fifth installment in Nghi Vo’s SINGING HILLS series of novellas. I found it a solid enough of a story if a bit slight, though it’s possible that if, unlike me, you’ve read the others you might have a more positive response.

Cleric Chih is accompanying a young bride, Nhung, and her parents to the estate of Lord Guo, where Nhung is to be wed to her wealthy but far older husband-to-be. Upon their arrival, while everything seems fine on the surface — nice quarters, the usual ritual series of banquets — as Chih and Nhung spend more time there more and more disquieting elements crop up: a son who seems to be suffering from some sort of illness (or curse)that sees him locked away and on occasion sedated; strange containers of foul-smelling herbs, ominous warnings, oddly reticent staff, and hints that something untoward has happened to the estate owner’s prior wives (think a hint of Bluebeard’s Wives).

Vo shows a deftly precise hand in constructing the book’s pace: the story moves smoothly along, opening relatively slowly with quiet conversations, time spent vividly detailing physical settings, clothing, and food (particularly food), all so the reader can settle in comfortably before a creeping sense of dread begins to emerge, disturbing that comfort as the narrative slowly begins to pick up the pace until exploding into action towards the end. The details/worldbuilding are relatively sparse as accords the novella form, but more than adequate and sharply vivid at all the right points. A gothic sort of atmosphere is nicely conveyed via shadows, an isolated estate, signs of rot and decay, the “crazy in the attic character”, odd dreams, and more. The twist at the end is mostly well handled and set up with enough sign posts that I’d say you can see an idea of what’s coming but not enough so that the close doesn’t come as a surprise in its details.

All in all The Brides of High Hill The Brides of High Hill is a well-crafted, well-constructed tale that shows an author in complete control, even if I can’t say I was emotionally engaged or felt wholly compelled by it. Those with a more long-lasting connection to this world/character may get both the appreciation of the writing and the emotional bonus.

I liked the gothic vibes of this one. I really like how each installment in this series manages to fill fully unique from each other. Can't wait to see what Nghi Vo does with the next one!

I´ve said multiple times that I do not enjoy short stories and novellas that much, and this series is the exception. I love Cleric Chih and how they navigate all their adventures, and this one became my favorite very fast. It´s a bit different than the others and Nghi Vo’s atmospheric writing shines in this entry bringing you right in the story. I love the creepy vibe it had and how everything started unraveling slowly, so slow I was confused for a hot second but then everything made so much sense. I devoured the last fifty pages or so, holding my breath through every revelation. This is, as always, full of contesting gender roles and female rage with a slightly gothic vibe to it. I highly recommend this whole series to anyone wanting a quick but impactful read.

I love the self contained nature of each of the novellas in this series. Each story has its own cast, all of whom are quickly and vividly drawn, and fresh locations and histories. It's a beautiful exercise in deft worldbuilding, pulling together traditional folklore and fairytale inspirations to create a new patchwork mythology. This one is darker and bloodier than some of the others, really leaning into the sinister things underneath the whimsical tone. Very here for it

Review of ' The Brides of High Hill'


I got to know and appreciate Nghi Vo's writing by reading his debut novel 'The Chosen and The Beautiful', the Vietnamese/American revival of Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby”.

'A sparkling twist that makes the magic!'.

In January, Mondadori Italian Publishing House, published the translation.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Tordotcom which I thank, I had the pleasure of reading the latest novella of 'The Singing Hills Cycle' entitled 'The Brides of High Hill'.

The author, in this cycle of stories, immerses herself in the atmosphere and history of ancient Vietnam following the adventures of the cleric Chih of the Singing Hills Abbey and the fantastic and faithful companions: the Neixin. Talking hoopoes, spirits who possess a memory and can take the place of the monk. According to the Publishing House, each of these five novellas is independent from the others and therefore can be read even without taking into account the order in which they are published. I've decided to start with this one, the fifth, which was published on May 7, 2024.

In The Brides High Hill, a young bride named Nhung Pham, whose house has fallen into disgrace, is travelling with her family, with a particular teapot and with the monk Chih, towards the home of her future husband: she will soon become the lady of Doi Cao kingdom because of an arranged marriage with the old and powerful Lord Guò.

He lives in an estate made up of several buildings whose gray appearance recalls severe Gothic environments, instilling sadness and fear.

Once she arrives at her destination, Nhung will be hosted in the Eight Peony Pavilion. Banquets will be organized in her honor, one different from the other where we witness a change in the young girl's character. Lord Guò's son also lives in the house and he's considered crazy. Having made his acquaintance, Nhung shows no fear towards him, on the contrary, despite the strangeness of his behavior, she is always ready to appear available and maternal.

The presence and actions of that sad figure suggest that something dark is hidden in the castle.

Driven by this awareness, the girl and the cleric begin to wander about in the estate at night, discovering abandoned places and beautiful ones.

There are mysteries that require a solution, in particular:

How did Guò's wives disappeared?

What happened to Neixin called Almost Brilliant?

It will be the cleric's job to resolve them.

I’ve read a thousand times this novella: the first reading didn't convinced me, but in the end, the rosebud opened in its beauty.

I’m sharing the unanimous opinions that define Nghi Vo as very good at developing her narrative, thanks to her great imagination and ability to reinterpret classics and fairy tales. In particular, in this novella you can trace "Alice in Wonderland", "A Thousand and One Nights" as well as Bluebeard.

To the question, can 'The Brides of High Hill' be considered a standalone? I'm answering in this way: it is partly true, but it is always part of a cycle of short stories, and respecting the sequence allows you to get a general picture of the characters and the evolution of the events to which the five stories are dedicated. For example, I had a hard time understanding who the neixin were and why they are so important for Chih.

I recommend this book to all of those who enjoy reading fairy tales and gothic atmospheres.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange of an honest review.’

This is the fifth book in the Singing Hills Cycle. I’ve only read the first book before this, however this is the type of series where every book can be read as a standalone, and the order does not matter.

Each book features a story from the journeys of Cleric Chih, and their companion bird, Always Brilliant, as they travel recording the facts and stories of the region. In this story, they have joined a family as they bring their daughter to meet her future husband. But again, and again, and again, all is not as it seems, and the mysteries compound until the story comes to its eerie conclusion.

I’m very much enjoying Nghi Vo’s writing, and will absolutely be seeking out more of her works in the near future!

Absolutely charming, my thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Unlike many others, I wasn't crazy about Mammoths at the Gates, but I thought this was a return to form, with a wonderful re-working of the Bluebeard story, and with an excellent twist thrown in at the end. Can't say more without spoiling it, but the language is so evocative of the peril surrounding Chih and Almost Brilliant, and the plot works perfectly.
Definitely one for a re-read.

This is my first exposure to Nghi Vo and to the Singing Hills Cycle. I was worried about starting with entry #5, but I quickly caught on. Although the main character is recurring, the individual plotlines are separate for each book.

Our main character is Chih, a monk who is traveling with a bride (Pham Nhuang) and her parents to meet the Lord she is intended to marry (Lord Guo.) It becomes apparent fairly quickly that something is off - Lord Guo is far too old to be marrying a young girl, he has a son who acts strangely and is forbidden from socializing, and the servants seem frightened. This is a retelling of the Bluebeard legend, which has always been one of my favorites. Having said that, it definitely goes to some places that the original story does not!

I will not spoil the twists of the story because they were very unexpected for me. The writing has a high gothic quality to it that only increases as the intensity of the story builds. This novella is only 128 pages, but I felt entirely satisfied with where the story led. I definitely want to continue the series. Recommended, particularly for fans of folk lore and fairytales!

Arc provided by Tor in exchange for my honest review. Reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon, and Youtube.

An absolutely brilliant new installment for the series! After the previous one I couldn't imagine how any new book could surpass it but if Mammoths at the Gates is still my favorite, this one is absolutely incredible. Nghi Vo proved with panache that she mastered the ghost story genre which I usually hate. Here, it's so carefully crafted, so misleading, so horrific in the moment when everything is revealed that I have to say it was worth the nightmare-filled night that ensued. I loved the Spirited Away horror vibe and obviously, as we're now used to, the chiseled writing.
Absolutely marvelous.

BRIDES is a mildly gothic installment in the Singing Hills cycle that starts off very Bluebeard reminiscent, but happily goes in another direction. While I overall enjoyed where this story went and how we got there, I felt it lacked a bit of punch/impact, and isn’t the most memorable installment. I did like seeing Cleric Chih stumble a bit in their non binary, (presumed) ace/aro identity, and trying to find their footing without Almost Brilliant around.

This novella is absolutely fascinating. I went into this not having read the others in the series and I don't feel like it hindered or took away from the tale at all. I enjoyed the characters and thought that the writing was done really well. The world building was interesting and I liked the descriptions of the estate and its various buildings. The story line was a tad confusing at points but It was easy enough to get back on track and figure out what was happening. All in all this is a really solid story and I will be backtracking to the rest of the series.

I loved this book so much, as I have the series. I can't wait for the next installment! I hope there's dozens more adventures with Chih and Almost Brilliant.

Cleric Chih accompanies a young bride to the crumbling estate where she is to be the latest wife for Lord Guo. The bridal party is elaborately welcomed, but the servants are frightened and the lord's mad son implies that something is haunting the halls. Chih begins to investigate what happened to Lord Guo's previous wives and the history of Do Cao itself. But not all monsters are in the shadows after all.

The Singing Hills Cycle has been shortlisted for or won multiple awards for science fiction and fantasy writing, and with good reason. These novellas follow Cleric Chih on their travels and may be read in any order. (previous novellas reviewed at Girl Who Reads include The Tiger Came Down The Mountain and Into The Riverlands.) In accompanying Nhung to her future home at Do Cao, Cleric Chih is without their usual companion Almost Brilliant, the memory spirit in the shape of a bird. Nhung at first is almost childlike, and her parents often repeat how she'll be well off married to her new husband. The adult sleepwalking son and rooms with rot are present, with a curse in place. Chih does their best to collect story fragments, as they usually do, and everything in the household has a double meaning.

As with other novellas in this series, it's the collection of stories that leads Chih into and out of trouble. The clues are a little more hidden, and no one is really what they seem. It all comes together quickly, with danger present where others wouldn't have expected it. Not all stories are benign, and sometimes the conquerors don't look closer at what they expect to rule over.

Reading every book in this series is like coming home to an old friend. Tense & atmospheric, the latest installment in The Singing Hills Cycle was a gothic horror story with sharp teeth & soft edges. Hazy and immaterial, while also being bold and immersive, Vo’s world building is immaculate, and this series is a masterclass in fantasy writing. Full of magic and myth, and mystery, & murder, this was a delicious entry to the series, and one I won’t soon forget. In this installment, memories fail, and our cleric develops a crush, as we’re immersed in a world where nothing is as it seems. We’re thrown headlong into the story, & we settle in immediately before we remember to ask a single question or point of clarification. Lush, brilliant, and beautiful, every book in this series is a gift.

The Brides of High Hill which is what the 6th or 7th book in the singing hills cycle series. Ive actually lost count lol I’ve talked about them actually all on my YouTube channel in various book videos. It’s a series of novellas that can be read separately but they do all have interlocking stories and characters. This one has some gothic twist to it that makes it spooky which is cool and I loved it! We have some old manor house, a lord and his bride and a mystery at play. This might be my favorite one in the series actually!