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The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Singing Hills Cycle, Book 1

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The Empress of Salt and Fortune

By: Nghi Vo
Narrated by: Cindy Kay
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With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.

Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

©2020 Nghi Vo (P)2020 Tantor Action & Adventure Coming of Age Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Marriage
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I'm not a fan of buying short books but for this one I'll make an exception! beautifully written, sympathetically read, and stirring in a way that never goes too far. I'd have loved to meet rabbit!!

Short but oh the gut puch!

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This is a short but very well written story which is brought to life by Cindy Kay. I found the listening experience quite relaxing

A beautifully written and narrated novella

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Really well done, what can i say. And super short so it doesn’t drag on for too long. I would definitely recommend everyone to pick this one up 8.5/10

Short but a banger

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wish it was longer! listened on .8 speed just to prolong the experience. beautifully crafted.

beautiful, calm and engaging

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​Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a breathtakingly beautiful novella that proves the most impactful stories are often found in the quiet moments between the grand battles. This book is a masterpiece of world-building through implication, relying not on sweeping epics, but on the intimacy of memory and the power of things left behind. The story centers on Chih, a non-binary cleric and historian, who travels to a decaying, isolated palace to record the history of the late Empress In-yo. Chih’s primary source is Rabbit, the Empress’s elderly, pragmatic servant and confidante. As Rabbit guides Chih through the abandoned halls and crumbling ruins, she narrates the life of In-yo—a foreign princess sent into a political marriage and exiled to this desolate corner of the Empire. What makes this novella so brilliant is its focus on the hidden power of women and the marginalized. Vo flips the narrative convention: we don't witness the political maneuvering in the imperial court; we see its devastating effects through the eyes of the women who endure it. Rabbit, the seemingly insignificant servant, is the true keeper of the Empire's secrets, subtly wielding influence and preserving the Empress's dignity through acts of quiet devotion and strategic resourcefulness. The central themes are memory, survival, and historical agency. Vo shows us that history is not just made by kings; it is written in the mundane details: a hidden letter, a carefully stored jar of jam, the loyalty of a few trusted hands. The novella’s atmosphere is steeped in melancholy and beauty, with every recalled moment, however small, building toward a powerful understanding of how In-yo ultimately carved out her own strength from her isolation. The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a profound, meditative, and necessary read. It is perfect for those who appreciate lush, sensory writing and narratives where the greatest revolutions are born not of a sword, but of a witness determined to remember the truth.

An Empire Built on Quiet Secrets

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