This was another brilliant addition to the Singing Hills Cycle series.
This instalment was less action driven than the previous one, instead Nghi Vo went with a more emotional plot that focuses on grief.
I loved this novella and I wish I could read the next one already. And the one after that. And… okay, I’ll stop here.

Another stunning edition to the Singing Hills. Mammoths at the Gates focuses on loss and love, and how people are a composite of stories that you can't truly know. Overall a beautiful tale of loss and grief told through Vo's amazing story telling ability.

Another great entry in the Singing Hills series, made even better by finally giving us a glimpse of Chih's home monastery. They return home to sad news however, their mentor has died, and their granddaughters are at the gates demanding their body be returned to the family. The focus this time is on Chih's mentor and their life and ties to those around them, and how things change. Chih is often thrown off in this book, their best friend has changed a lot and it seems like the four years Chih was gone has made a much bigger difference than they expected. Alongside this crisis, the aviary, home to the neixin birds that help record history and stories, is in a state of anxiety due to the grief of Myriad Virtues, companion to Chih's former mentor. I enjoyed this entry, it was an interesting change of pace given how fast-paced the previous entry was, and I look forward to seeing more from this series.

Mammoths at the Gates is a deeply moving, beautiful, and all too relatable story of the grief caused by losing a loved one. The characters expressions of sorrow and anger left off the page!

As with all the titles in this series I felt all the emotions. Joy at Chih and Almost Brilliant's reunion, sadness over their losses, pain over the grief felt by Myriad Virtues, and laughter over the beautiful and infectious innocence of Chiep. I was thrilled to finally see inside the Abbey after all the mentions of it in the earlier books. Nghi Vo continues to right these books in a way that pulls in the reader, embeds you in a world with just the right amount of detail, yet leaves you craving more.

4.5 stars. I adore this series. I could read a dozen more novellas set in this world, so I hope that Vo doesn’t see an ending point anytime soon. We finally learn more about Singing Hills and the neixin! After Cleric Chih recording the stories of his travels for the last three installments, it was deeply moving for the story to occupy a place closer to home. Bring tissues because I cried buckets.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.