I love these characters and their little adventures. The author's writing always pulls me into each story and I can feel the atmosphere through the page.

Brilliant. Brilliant brilliant brilliant. Wonderful and raw and did I mention brilliant? I will say I think I preferred When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain to this iteration, but still absolutely loving these novellas.

Been meaning to read this series because the covers are so BEAUTIFUL. Some are hits, some are misses, and some are meh. I'd have to say this one was a miss for me. I liked how it started and the ideas behind the stories for this book, but it just didn't hold my attention as well as some of the previous stories. I'm curious what stories will be told in the next novella

I may not be the right reader for this series (though I LOVED Siren Queen). Perhaps I need to read them back to back, rather than allowing time between them?

This is the third novella in the Singing Hills Cycle, which is one of my favourite series. I have loved all three books that I read so far, though I have to say that this one was my least favourite. Which doesn’t mean much as you can see by my rating.

The writing style in these novellas is gorgeous. It pulls you in immediately and captures your attention throughout the story. The stories that cleric Chih listens to and records feel like fairy tales and folk tales. There is something so magical about these novellas. I love learning about the world this series takes place in. The reason that this one is my least favourite so far is due to the fact that I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I did in the first two stories. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked them and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I just didn’t connect to them fully, which lowered my enjoyment slightly. As you can see by my 4.5 star rating I loved this novella as well.

I would highly recommend this novella series to everyone. They are beautiful and magical stories. I can’t wait to pick up the next instalment in this series!

Gorgeous and strange, this was another delightful addition to the Singing Hills Cycle. I had missed Almost Brilliant, and it was great to see them return with Chih, This series is incredible & I can’t get enough - nor can I stop recommending these books to others!

I adore this series so much. I like the significance of storytelling, handing down of folktales and significant occasions from one person to another in order to preserve their accomplishments and heritage. Furthermore, the reader is given an excellent grasp of how an individual's perception—or desired perception—determines the stories that will stick in their memory in this part. It's impossible to truly tell what someone knows or has experienced in the past when you just look at them. You can never know everything about someone, and discovering a secret about them is a surprise and a gift. This is laid out here in such a beautiful and effortless way that it instantly captured my attention. Truly fabulous! Can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

Wandering cleric Chih of the Singing Hills travels to the riverlands to record tales of the notorious near-immortal martial artists who haunt the region. On the road to Betony Docks, they fall in with a pair of young women far from home, and an older couple who are more than they seem. As Chih runs headlong into an ancient feud, they find themselves far more entangled in the history of the riverlands than they ever expected to be.

Accompanied by Almost Brilliant, a talking bird with an indelible memory, Chih confronts old legends and new dangers alike as they learn that every story—beautiful, ugly, kind, or cruel—bears more than one face.

I didn't know what to expect from this book and I definitely am glad I went in not knowing. I loved it and wish I had read it sooner. I will be reading the other books in the series next!

Nghi Vo returns in this Singing Hills installment with rent to pay and a statement to make, though subtle but echoing clearly throughout the whole Into the Riverlands with lushfulness and wit filled proses.

And Chih, this time, despite being obstructed from hearing the whole story, doesn't come back empty handed but rather has a taste of the myths themselves along with random people (or are they) doing side quests as they walks along the vietnam/china inspired riverlands.

Personally even when I have yet to be mindblown by any Nghi Vo works, my appreciation for her writing only grows with time, and she has never failed to be a powerhouse of queer asian fantasy, so what's not to love?

I just love this series and Nghi Vo's writing. I will read a million of these novellas, This one in particular started off with quite a bang! Every book is as good as the last and I can't wait to see where else we follow these characters!

I was hoping to love this novella series more than I did. I love fantasy stories influenced by cultures outside of my own, but unfortunately that is my favorite part of this. I wish they were a bit longer so I could get more attached to the characters, or to just understand who they are and what their intentions are. I will continue this series with hope that I'll eventually rate them over a 3 star.

I didn't love Into the Riverlands as much as I loved the second book of this series, but it was very enjoyable all the same. (Though I always want more of the neixin, Almost Brilliant, who travels with Chih and records what they do. Sure, Almost Brilliant is there to record what happens, but there's a personality there too, and I enjoy that aspect of their interactions.)

This one is full of little details that slowly build up, and you have to keep your eyes open to collect the stories and put them together -- just as Chih does. I found that process really enjoyable -- though I wish, like Chih, that they'd been able to collect the story in the subject's own words...

I also enjoy that though Chih is kind and wishes people well, they're not particularly brave or practical. They sort of comfortably go along expecting that, as a cleric, others will look after them. Which doesn't sound like something to like, but it is actually enjoyable to follow a character who is flawed like this, but still overall a good person. Lots of us are good more in intent than execution, after all.

Nghi Vo does it again. The third installment in The Singing Hills Cycle follows Chi in another bout of storytelling. I love how this series follows small glimpses of life but also how they intertwine with the magical parts of the world. I love listening to these stories as they tell Chi, creating the atmosphere that captured my attention initially in this series. In this narrative, we start to see more of Chi, which is new in comparison to the other books. I love the small nuances that show Chi's growth while each being a standalone.

Although I still love the immersive world-building and elegant prose that Nghi Vo brings to the table, "Into the Riverlands" felt like the least engaging installment in the Singing Hills Cycle so far. While the story introduces some interesting new characters and settings, the plot itself lacked the same level of intrigue and tension that I found in the previous novellas. That being said, Vo's talent for crafting vivid descriptions and imbuing her characters with depth and emotion still shines through. If you're a fan of the Singing Hills Cycle, this book is worth reading to continue exploring the rich world that Vo has created. However, if you're looking for a standalone story that packs a punch, this might not be the novella for you.

This was my favorite of The Singing Hills Cycle so far! For such a quick read, it was action packed! We witness the region’s Southern Monkey Style of fighting, hear about the intimidating Hollow Hand gang, and fight our way through these bandits with Wild Pig Yi, Gravewraith Chen, and Beautiful Nie. The embedded narrative trope is just so enchanting in this series and this book, in particular. I also loved the new characters and how they all had their own abilities and skills despite appearances and the way Nghi Vo explores the idea that some things always get changed in the telling of stories. The revelation at the end of Into the Riverlands is quite satisfying and I’m very eager for the next book!

I’m a big fan of the Singing Hills Cycle, but now I think I need to start over before reading any further. Starting to confuse the characters and plot a bit. That being said, these are beautiful and lyrical stories that are so different and enjoyable.

Into The Riverlands was such a delight. I have enjoyed all of the novellas in this series and Nghi Vo's prose and imagination did not dissapoint. Filled with lore, the story continues richly descriptive with wonderful characters as charming and wondrous as the the previous novels.
Perfect for a rainy afternoon read and a moment of complete immersion into the lush and forestry world of the Riverlands!

I enjoyed how this Novella was written.
I really like how the author manages to point out or mention a lot of true real life elements or things that are noticeable throughout history but just bring it up in casual conversation and without there being a debate about it or a discussion of if its true or false.
For example in this book there is a brief mention while sharing stories about women, that one character says something like "there are only stories about beautiful or ugly women and no mention of any other women in history" (not directly quoted!), and its not something that doesn't fit in with what is being said or talked about buts it fits very well since the characters at that moment talk to each other about the stories they know or the other one doesn't, and one of them mentioned that they know a lot more stories about ugly women, than beautiful ones and than makes that comment.

This entire Story, and the other ones as well, are sprinkled with those little truths that the reader can either notice or choose to ignore. But i always enjoy it if an author mentions something very true to real life and real history in a completely fantasy and fictionalized story. It shows in many ways that all stories -true or fiction- do have the same foundation.

What i am trying to say with this - with too many words as always- is that i really love the writing and the words the author choose and how it feels with the few pages and compared to other fantasy stories few words the author chooses to use, that they really made sure to think about how and what they are saying.
(Or i am readying to much into this entire thing. Which is also possible.)

I also like that each of the Stories/Novellas in this series can be read as a Standalone and start to this series, or just be its own individual read in itself. But it also works together very well as a series overall, since we do have the connecting factor of the Clergy that tries to keep and learn all the stories and history that is being shared in the books. But since each of them takes place at a very different section of this fantastical place, each book is very much its own contained story.

I think the author is doing a fantastic job with how they are telling and writing this series and i am very happy i continued after enjoying but not loving the first one and really enjoying the second and now this third one!

I highly recommend this book and the series overall if you want something a bit different, but easy and quick to read, but still something that sticks with you and you enjoy the writing and the chosen language and can be amused by the sometimes a bit outlandish stories that are being told.

(i received an e-arc from tor and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

yet another fantastic installment to The Singing Hills Cycle, one of my favorite Asian fantasy series (and in my opinion, severely underrated)! it's always a joy to read about cleric Chih and the adventures they go on.