The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
by Nghi Vo
A servant tells the story of her empress to a non-binary cleric. Two linear timelines, novella. Much is hinted at, little is spelled out. Fantasy novella with hints of China and further north.
“The abbey at Singing Hills would say that if a record cannot be perfect, it should at least be present. Better for it to exist than for it to be perfect and only in your mind.”
It‘s well written, but I never connected to any of the characters. Lyrical writing and good worldbuilding are important—I am a very plot-driven person. However, I need relatable characters. We never got much insight into their thoughts. On an emotional level I did not care what happened to any of them.
There was a lot of telling and very little showing, it was a pretty dry affair. By the end of the story I just shrugged and moved on. Pretty cover though.
I am the odd one out here in my usual reading circle, they all seem to have loved it.
Cathy's Reading Bonanza 
I did like this one, but I’m pretty sure I liked the second book better. (And I’m looking forward to the third one, coming out soon!) But I can see where this one would leave you a little flat if you were looking to properly connect to the characters. It seemed the focus was more on the past than the present.
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I have the next one as well. Maybe next month…
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At least they’re novellas, so should be quick reads.
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It’s true that the characters aren’t well developed, but I loved the way the plot came together so much that I forgave the rest.
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I wouldn‘t necessarily say that they weren‘t well developed, I just never connected emotionally with any of them.
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