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The empress of salt and fortune6/27/2023 I found this to be a brilliant stylistic choice, because my desire to figure it all out pulled me along even before I quite understood what sort of a story I was reading. Chih knows at least something of Empress In-yo and the political and social history of this world, but we readers are left to piece it together. The text reveals precious little context. These items stir Rabbit’s memories, and she tells the young cleric stories that slowly come together to reveal long-buried secrets. Each chapter begins with a description of several related items, written up as if for a museum exhibit. We learn about Empress In-yo one story at a time, as Chih finds (and subsequently catalogs) various items within Lake Scarlet. The reader gets to piece together the story along with Chih. When Chih gets there, they find an old woman, Rabbit, who knew the empress during her exile. It has been inaccessible for years, and was only recently declassified after the death of Empress In-yo. On the way they stop at Lake Scarlet, where the recently deceased Empress of Salt and Fortune spent several years in exile, long ago. The story is lyrical and dense, a heartbreaking exploration of anger and love, and the lingering implications of history.Ĭhih is a cleric, sent from the abbey in Singing Hills to to witness the new empress’s first Dragon Court. The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo, is a surprising, compact story, taking place in an Asian-inspired fantasy setting.
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