(no subject)

[skygiants]

The Empress of Salt and Fortune, an extremely recent novella by Nghi Vo, is more or less specifically targeted to appeal to me in several ways, being as it is:

- the secret history of an unwanted royal wife's secret rebellion and rise to power
- as told through the perspective of her most trusted handmaiden
- to a historian/archivist who is taking an oral history of the handmaiden's memories around various Significant Artifacts as they catalog them in the empress' home of exile!

'wait,' you may say, at this juncture, 'that sounds like two frame stories? that's a lot of frame story for one relatively small novella?' And: okay, yes, perhaps, but also, if what you're interested in is history and historiography and memory and narratives of empire, in my personal opinion it is fine and OK to have a high frame story::actual story ratio (see also: specifically targeted to appeal to my personal interests and enjoyment. If I could change anything I would add even another frame story and have a layer of scholarly commentary and footnotes and that's probably why I'm not in charge of changing things.)

Anyway, I enjoyed it very much and would absolutely recommend; it's a big scope for a little book but at this time, when I don't actually have much attention span for long and meaty books, I would actually rank the fact that it's a mosaic of a story told in curated glimpses and vignettes as more of a pro than a con. Also, beautifully written!

Comments

[kore]

AND it's four bucks on Kindle! //still guiltily using Amazon between RSI and lack of shelf space

[skygiants]

FOUR DOLLARS WELL SPENT

[dolorosa_12]

I really enjoyed this as well! I saw people on Goodreads griping that they found the frame narrative distancing, but I found it completely delightful and didn't have that problem at all.

I also really love stories about women exercising power undetected through 'women's work'/in women's spaces, so the novella was super appealling to me in that regard.

Did you hear there is going to be a sequel?

[skygiants]

Yeah, I loved it! I thought it was a really cool way to provide some interesting distance and commentary on the story.

... and I had not heard there was going to be a sequel, that's extremely exciting news! I know many of my friends are lukewarm on this trend of series-of-short-novellas but I personally am digging it.

[sophia_sol]

Ooh this sounds delightful!

[skygiants]

I really enjoyed it, I suspect you would as well!

[seekingferret]

I vote you in charge of changing things. Who do I talk to about that?

[skygiants]

I do not vote me in charge of changing things, that is far too much responsibility, so you're going to have to put it in as a write-in I think. >.>

[vass]

Have you read JY Yang's Tensorate series? Asking because The Ascent To Godhood, the most recent one, is about the late Protector's rise to power as told to a note-taking listener by her former most trusted handmaiden and lover who later fought against her.

[skygiants]

I've only read the first one! That actually was a book where the volume of plot it fit into the novella length did not work for me as well as I wished it to, so I never ended up hunting down the others despite hearing vaguely intriguing things about them.

[zulu]

YESSSS a layer of scholarly commentary! Especially if the footnotes are salty.

[skygiants]

Salty faux-academic footnotes in fiction ... a truly delightful luxury.

[shadaras]

ohhh I've heard goood things about this book but that description makes me extremely more into it than I had been previously!

[skygiants]

I'm glad, I really enjoyed it!

[osprey_archer]

Ooooh! That sounds excellent!

[skygiants]

I would definitely recommend!

[chestnut_pod]

It's on my holds list and I can't WAIT. I am actually even more excited to read it now I know of the extravagant framing!

[skygiants]

I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it! :D

[lannamichaels]

This sounds exactly up my alley.

[skygiants]

:DDD It was very much up mine, I hope you enjoy it if you read it!

[evewithanapple]

Are they, you know . . . handmaiden and feudal lord?

[skygiants]

I was actually somewhat surprised to discover that they are not! (The Empress is indeed gay, but not for her.)

[lirazel]

Oh that sounds lovely! I'm so excited to check it out!

[skygiants]

I hope you enjoy it when you do!

[holyschist]

Oh BOY this sounds super relevant to my interests!

[skygiants]

a.) yeah I think it would be!

b.) hey it's good to see you back on the dw! :D

[qian]

I don't know how you do it but your reviews always say such USEFUL things about books. It does have a high frame story to actual story ratio! In a very enjoyable way!

[skygiants]

aw gosh thank you, that is one of the nicest comments I've received!

[whimsyful]

I just read this last week! I really enjoyed it for the same reasons you did -- framing devices, the empress and the handmaiden's relationship, every instance of people and traditions unvalued/unappreciated by the empire being used in the rebellion. I *did* wish this was a whole novel instead of a novella, because some events would have hit harder given more page space devoted to fleshing out certain relationships, but it does mostly work and there is a sequel coming, so overall I'm pretty satisfied.

[skygiants]

lol yes I suspect I know the event you are thinking of and more space to making that rellationship significant would perhaps not have gone amiss. I'm so curious about what will be dealt with in the sequel!

[jinian]

Yay! I just got this and will move it up my list.

[skygiants]

I hope you enjoy it! :D

[asakiyume]

if what you're interested in is history and historiography and memory and narratives of empire, in my personal opinion it is fine --Agreed! I'll look for it and perhaps even overcome inertia and actually *get* it.

[skygiants]

I've actually been doing more impulse-purchasing of books than I otherwise would these days ... "it's supporting local businesses!" I announce cheerfully to myself, placing another giant order (and indeed that was how I acquired this book to begin with.)

[thawrecka]

This sounds delightful!

[skygiants]

I really enjoyed it!

[morbane]

If I could change anything I would add even another frame story and have a layer of scholarly commentary and footnotes and that's probably why I'm not in charge of changing things.

"The further scholarly discussion of the in-universe academic work": Exchange fic request?

[skygiants]

DEFINITELY a worthwhile Yuletide query.

[vintagewitch]

this sounds FASCINATING.

*adds to goodreads*

[skygiants]

I hope you enjoy it if you read it!

[merit]

I found the novella beautiful and spellbinding, so I'm glad I read the comments to find out there's a sequel!! :D

Considering the broad topics and great sweeps of history, I found the novella's spare but evocative prose perfectly suited. Loved, loved the worldbuilding and the characters.

I see Tor using silkpunk to describe it as well. Which was also used for JY Yang's Tensorate series which I can see has already been recced.

[skygiants]

Yeah, I thought it honestly did a really good job telling a large story in a small space, through outlines and anecdotes - much the same way any history is known fifty years later, when you've really only got the edges of it. I also am excited for the sequel!

[obopolsk]

I am generally one of those people who is meh on novellas, but considering the only literary novels I've been able to get through in the last two months are Jenny Offill's Weather and Dept. of Speculation, stories told in glimpses and vignettes are probably my speed right now.