You know when you find a book that checks off everything you've been looking for and it's like the clouds of a reading slump have been parted and you can finally see the light? Yeah, that's exactly how I felt about The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo.
I was originally drawn to the book when I saw it's gorgeous cover on twitter, and more intrigued by the description of a non-western fantasy novel, one of my favorite genres. In a desperate attempt to have the motivation to read again, I'd started combing through my tbr for novellas I wanted to finish, and managed to find the audiobook from my library website.
It was perfect. It was a fantasy novel with simultaneously a huge, expansive world and story, but reduced to something still and calm, somehow both low stakes and high stakes at the same time.
Suffice it to say I'd recommend this book to everyone, so my review will be spoiler free, since I want you to read it!
Writing/Structure
This book has such a unique premise and container for the story. The story itself is told through the recitation of Chih, a cleric whose job it is to record and remember the stories and history of the land and its people along with their hoopoe bird Almost Brilliant. When they meet an old lady called Rabbit at the Lake of Shining Waters, they find that she was a deep insight to the late Empress In-Yo.
This storytelling style is gripping because the point of view character, Chih, knows the broad strokes of the story. They know how the story begins and ends, and want the finer details filled in. The audience knows nothing, and the slow reveal as the stories keep coming, and the moment all the pieces click into place is absolutely delicious.
The readers get insight into the politics alongside the revealing of the character of the Empress and those she was surrounded with. The customs of the kingdom of Anh are slowly revealed to us and the weaving in of magic into the world feels natural and commonplace enough to be believable.
This structure allows for the story to both have intense stakes, as we don't know the fate of some characters and the politics being presented, but also very low stakes, since it takes place far after the fact, while knowing the fate of characters we're especially attached to, like Rabbit. It's done brilliantly.
Worldbuilding
I've always been a sucker for worldbuilding, especially non-western worldbuilding. The imagery created in this story are absolutely gorgeous and beautifully done. The establishing of magic and ghosts is done very early into the book and weaves seamlessly into the historical fantasy imagery.
The set up of each chapter, beginning with a catalogue of items that give a glimpse into the daily life in the world, and then proceeds to give the story behind the items, also helps me with worldbuilding and solidifying the nature of Chih's work and the premise of the novel.
Politics in fantasy are my favorite things to explore (as you probably know considering The Queen's Thief is my favorite series ever) but they only work when the world and the dynamics of it are established, and the stakes seem real. The fact that Nghi Vo was able to get me this invested in the politics of this country and its rise and fall within 112 pages is incredible and speaks to how well crafted this story is.
Characters
The interesting part of this story format is that my main attachment wasn't to Chih, the narrator, or even Empress In-Yo, the subject of the stories. Instead, most of my attachment was to Rabbit, the person whose emotions we really felt through the stories. She is fiercely loyal, wonderful, and loving, and she felt warm and real, human rather than the more otherworldly figure of the Empress, and I wanted her and all her loved ones to be safe and happy.
However, even Chih managed to become real to me, rather than just a mouthpiece for the story. Their thought process, their simple earnest dedication to their work and getting the whole story was really endearing, and they were a very calm presence. I'm really excited for the next book in this series because I know they're a central character again and I'm so excited!
Feelings
When I first finished the book, I said this about it on twitter:
The way this book makes feel is so important, it's so lush and calming and still. Truly, it feels like I've been allowed to listen in on a wonderful story being passed on from a parent to a child. The environment sucked me in, and I devoured the whole story in a way I hadn't been reading since the pandemic started.
The idea of soft fantasy, the kind that makes me feel floaty and like I'm trying to grasp politics and stories beyond my grasp but still loving them, I didn't even realize was a niche I wanted to fill until recently. I adored the style and how this book made me feel, and I cannot wait to read more from Nghi Vo and other books in this specific subgenre!
Overall
rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
Did I mention I think everyone should read this book? 5/5, 10/10, 100/100 in my opinion. If you've been looking for lowkey fantasy, check out this book! If you've been looking for interesting fantasy politics, check out this book! If you've been looking for beautifully executed non-western fantasy, check out this book!
Add the book on goodreads here, and check it out on amazon here, only $3.99 for kindle!
If you've read the book let me know what you think? Also if any of you have recommendations for other non-western fantasy or just books that capture this feeling, please give me recommendations! Thank you for reading!
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