3.75⭐ ( )

I'm definitely interested in reading more of this quiet little series and seeing where Chih ends up traveling next, and what stories they encounter. I feel like there is a lot of room for them to grow as a protagonist and I'm curious to see their journey. The prose in this book fits the narrative so well! It's to the point and precise, but very elegant at the same time, and I think that one of the strongest aspects. On the whole, the worldbuilding is a little disjointed; I felt very disoriented for awhile, and considering the fact that this is such a short book that made for a bit of an off-kilter experience. ( )

Was this what I expected? No. Not even close. It was so much more. See the full review and more at MyBookJoy.com!

This was a short read packed with so much. This is a great example of what can be done in ~100 pages. This is something you have to think about, and savor, and should not read passively.

Recommended: yes
For a short read that packs a punch, for beautifully lyrical writing, for a story that emerges through clues and fog and whispers, for a surprisingly gorgeous depiction of a life through objects

Thoughts:
Do not make the mistake of thinking that since this is just over 100 pages that it is sparse in detail or not much happens or you would not have time to learn the characters. We get all of that and more, and in such an elegant way, that it's stunning to think how few times you actually need to turn the page.

The story is told by Rabbit to the cleric cataloguing the household items as is their duty. Each chapter begins with a spare examination of objects, and yet what's revealed in the items' descriptions and mere existences carves a story through time of the exiled Empress. From the very beginning In Yo told Rabbit to learn how to look from the side of her eye, rather than moving her whole head. The style of this story shows that she did eventually learn that lesson, as we hear the Empress's story through her past possessions and the words of another. Receiving her thoughts as understood by another lends a specific kind of warped knowledge of the empress; we know her, yet only as seen through the eyes of another.

Each set of objects also allows the progression to jump from moment to moment, highlighting changes and events that mattered most. There's no time for mundanity here. The mix of flashbacks, portrayed as stories Rabbit gives the cleric about each item, blends well with the current state by way of writing it as if it were an oral retelling. This keeps the timeline clear, with no jarring contrasts or abrupt changes.

You are left with some unexplained and ambiguous elements, like the lake's glow and ghosts and such around the magic of the world. Be willing to accept that you will leave with some unanswered questions. It's more beautiful for it's mystery, leaving you with a sense of quiet wonder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I wanted to like this more than I did. The story was intriguingly told and the world being built had many interesting elements. However, it felt incomplete, possibly because it was a novella rather than part of a longer work. The storytelling was the sort of thing I’d want in like a 500-page novel. ( )

I am reading this series out of order, and this is the second one I have read (I also really like that they can be read in any order). Just like with the first one I read, I finished it feeling satisfied with this story and wanting more stories from the world! I love how these books do so much in so few pages, which in my opinion is very difficult to do well in fantasy. I can't wait to read the next one! ( )