The Empress of Salt and Fortune
by Nghi Vo
What is it about:
With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama 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. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side. This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy.
What did I think of it:
This novella was mentioned a lot on my social media feeds, so I finally got so curious I had to get my trotters on it.
And what a beautiful bittersweet story.
The story starts with a cleric who visits the house where the Empress of Salt and Fortune was once exiled to. They're there as a historian to catalog the house, but once they arrive they encounter Rabbit, an old woman who once was a servant to the Empress. From there on out the story switches between the 'Now' and the past as Rabbit tells about her years with the exiled Empress.
I was hooked from the start and more than curious to find out more about Rabbit and the foreign Empress she served. Slowly Rabbit reveals more about their unusual relationship and about the years they spend in exile. It was beautifully told and atmospheric, while also heartbreaking and bittersweet. I couldn't put this book down, I wanted to see if there was even a little bit of a happiness for both women.
All in all a wonderful read that I'll treasure while invstigating what more Nghi Vo has written.
Why should you read it:
It's a magical and beautiful Fantasy novella.
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