Our wandering cleric Chih finds themselves headfirst into an ancient feud when they decide to travel through the riverlands with the intention of recording the story of a legendary martial artist. They join up with a pair of two young women and an older couple to risk the journey through the riverlands as there are safety in numbers. But Chih learns that their new friends are not what they seem, and the story that they wish to tell soon becomes their reality.
Nghi Vo’s third instalment of the Singing Hills Cycle is exactly like the others: multifaceted pockets of life seeming from the bursts of the short number of pages. Chih once again gains new temporary travelling companions, and this time, they may be the ones protecting them this time. Like the other releases, Chih is once again faced with a dichotomy between the stories they collect and the living person it reflect upon. They are faced with reality and, for the first time, question their position as a cleric, one that is unable to face headfirst into battle. They soon feel naïve and helpless but quickly learn they may not be the names history will remember, but there is power in their role, and that can be just as important as they can ensure the stories of the people, they admire will be remembered the way they truly occurred.
I learnt during my read of this book that the series can be read in any order, and I quickly realised that I really loved that aspect as we, as readers, are able to essentially create our own path for Chih. The way Nghi Vo creates complexity in her stories and characters within such a short number of pages is remarkable. These characters are not with us or Chih for long, but their impact means so much to me. You almost feel like Chih themselves as you finish off one story and move on to their next journey. I don’t think I mentioned it in the other reviews, but this series will be a hit for the low-stakes crowds.
Overall, a huge recommendation from me once again. I will always want to keep reading about Chih, and I hope Nghi Vo has the opportunity to keep going for as long as she can.
as told by zaheerah 