Into the Riverlands is the third in Nghi Vo's series of novellas about Chih, a cleric who wanders the world with their highly intelligent not-quite-bird companion, collecting stories and histories for their monastery. Each of the novellas experiments with genre, contrasting the shape of the way a story is told with the ways people frame their own experiences. The Riverlands genre is wuxia: the Riverlands are beset by bandits, but they also provide a place where weird, stubborn people with startling martial talents can find a way to flourish.

Into the Riverlands pairs well with Zen Cho's Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water, another novella influenced by both wuxia and queer American fantasy. Both stories feature members of religious orders who aren't saintly in the ways one might expect. Chih is polite, but not always socially deft, despite their skill at extracting stories. They have no trace of martial skill, and are unnerved by death the way ordinary people often are and fantasy protagonists often aren't. But they take their new and strange traveling companions in stride, and their companions return the favor, protecting them with casual grace.

I’ll remember what it was like to see a battle between people who don’t fight like people, who are what legends come from.

ARC provided by the publisher Tordotcom through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Into the Riverlands is a novella that is dedicated to wuxia martial arts dramas that is filled with legends and fun banter.

Nghi Vo is back with yet another instalment to a beloved and award nominated series The Singing Hills cycle. This is the third book to the series continuing Chih’s journey throughout the realm for stories with their recording bird, Almost Brilliant. Into the Riverlands is set in the Riverlands, a land famed for its lawless and brutal residents especially the legendary martial artists that have walked through the forest and along the river. Chih finds herself in a tavern where she decides to join four martial artists on their way to a different town. Along the way the martial artists shares stories about famed fighters and elusive bandit groups that haunts the Riverlands.

“This is why all the great fighters come from the riverlands,” she said, slapping Wei Jintai companionably on the shoulder. “Breathe this every day of your life, and you’ll fly where others have to crawl.”

When Into the Riverlands was first announced around the end of 2021 I was really excited because The Singing Hills Cycle is one of my favourite series of all time. The Empress Salt and Fortune & When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain blew me away with Nghi Vo’s imaginative, vivid, and beautiful writing. Reading Into the Riverlands it is no different if you are a fan of Nghi Vo’s writing. Chih’s characterization slowly blossoms with every book I read in this series. Their personality really shines through the page and with every new book they have grown to become a wonderful character. Almost Brilliant is snarky and snappy with their one liners. I have to admit that Almost Brilliant is the most sassy bird I’ve read in fantasy.

What made Into the Riverlands so unique is the homage to a wuxia Chinese drama trope of legendary martial artists and their distinctive fighting styles. Reading this book feels like a throwback to those series or movies about stories of a specific fighter, their amazing feats, memorable fights or conquest, and their memorable personalities. The stories that are told by the characters that Chih meets on this journey are all about legendary fighters. The character themselves are skilled fighters as well that left a huge impression from their first introduction.


Singing Hills knew that the truth showed up in its own time, often late and sometimes entirely unlooked for.

Final thoughts, Into the Riverlands is another hit in The Singing Hills Cycle series that is as strong as it’s predecessor. Nghi Vo never fails to amaze me with their story telling ability and writing. Though Into the Riverlands didn’t have that same melancholic fantastical wonder as The Empress of Salt and Fortune & When The Tiger Came Down the Mountain it is more action packed, intense, and unapologetically queer. There is a polyamorous relationship depicted in the story and another sapphic couple that shares a cute dynamic.

Anyway, pre-order this book if you haven’t or get in line at the library asap to read this amazing book. I highly recommend it ! And if you haven’t read The Singing Hills Cycle before go read it immediately if you love an Asian inspired fantasy that short, fast paced, and is written with beautiful prose.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

A gentle exercise in worldbuilding through storytelling. This is the perfect novella to keep you company on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Detailed review to come.

Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle is probably one of my favourite series at the minute. Part of this is the writing, part of it is how well I think these self-contained stories work within the whole. And Into the Riverlands is no different from the previous two novellas in that respect.

Continuing to follow Chih, we now find them in the Riverlands, crossing paths with two women far from home, and a mysterious older couple who offer that all three accompany them on the next leg of their journey. Obviously, this is the entry point into discovering another tale for Chih to tell.

As with the previous novellas, this one is vibrant and compelling. You feel somehow like you’re being welcomed home, meeting Chih, Almost Brilliant and this world again. I could read a lot of novellas in this world (which is good, given that two more are coming!). Which I also find kind of funny, since I haven’t got along nearly so well with Nghi Vo’s full length books.

I think what works better here is the lack of plot, or minimal plot if I’m being nicer. This is really a series about Chih collecting stories so, outside of those stories being told, there’s not much happening. But that really works at novella length, because they’re short enough that you couldn’t fit much more in, not without rushing it.

In general, I think if you haven’t yet picked this series up, you need to do yourself a favour and rectify that. It’s one I feel you shouldn’t be missing out on.

Personally not a fan of wuxia novels, so that might explain why this didn’t quite appeal to me with its more action-based plot, so book #1 definitely felt more compelling to me. Objectively, it's amazing how the author managed to establish such vivd characters in the span of 100 pages. I loved how the story began; it was unconventional and set the tone of the story in a fun way. Yet, the things that happened seemed a bit random and lacked a single point of focus. Random not in a sense that the events didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t tell what’re the main messages. I think it would be a great book for rereading though!
(Review on insta page will be posted closer to release date :) Thanks for providing me with an e-arc!)

Incredible thanks for an egalley from Macmillan/Tor-Forge and NetGalley. 💙

I love the Singing Hills Cycle! And ‘Into the Riverlands’ just anchored my obsession. Really, truly, absolotutely.

I discovered ‘The Empress of Salt and Fortune’ at the very end of 2021 and immediately binged ‘When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain,’ at which point ‘Into the Riverlands’ became one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 (and I may have cried a little when I saw the release date). But is was sooooooooooooo worth the wait!

Building on the themes, patterns and momentum established within the first two novellas, this third leg of Cleric Chih’s journey returns Almost Brilliant to their shoulder and introduces a whole new host of companions—all of whom are given the opportunity to share a regional story or personal perspective thereon… Though Kahn’s arguably provides the centrepiece around which the others rotate. And as an added layer, there is the suggestion that not only are these stories based in truth—but connected, though warped by time and the game of telephone that happens with oral traditions wherein nothing is written, just told and retold, details lost and changed through the imperfections of memory and perception and even societal values.

I particularly loved the reflection of this in Sang’s discussion of beauty and preference for ‘ugly woman stories’—as well as Chih’s own observations on the fickle nature of beauty as impacted by wealth, grooming, fashion, age…

Ultimately, I could read ‘Into the Riverlands’ over and over and over again. Absolutely recommend: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

(Also, shameless plug here, but if you preorder this instalment, the publisher is offering the darlingest incentive ever—a pin depicting Almost Brilliant. 🥹)

I’ll remember what it was like to see a battle between people who don’t fight like people, who are what legends come from.

ARC provided by the publisher Tordotcom through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Into the Riverlands is a novella that is dedicated to wuxia martial arts dramas that is filled with legends and fun banter.

Nghi Vo is back with yet another instalment to a beloved and award nominated series The Singing Hills cycle. This is the third book to the series continuing Chih’s journey throughout the realm for stories with their recording bird, Almost Brilliant. Into the Riverlands is set in the Riverlands, a land famed for its lawless and brutal residents especially the legendary martial artists that have walked through the forest and along the river. Chih finds herself in a tavern where she decides to join four martial artists on their way to a different town. Along the way the martial artists shares stories about famed fighters and elusive bandit groups that haunts the Riverlands.

“This is why all the great fighters come from the riverlands,” she said, slapping Wei Jintai companionably on the shoulder. “Breathe this every day of your life, and you’ll fly where others have to crawl.”

When Into the Riverlands was first announced around the end of 2021 I was really excited because The Singing Hills Cycle is one of my favourite series of all time. The Empress Salt and Fortune & When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain blew me away with Nghi Vo’s imaginative, vivid, and beautiful writing. Reading Into the Riverlands it is no different if you are a fan of Nghi Vo’s writing. Chih’s characterization slowly blossoms with every book I read in this series. Their personality really shines through the page and with every new book they have grown to become a wonderful character. Almost Brilliant is snarky and snappy with their one liners. I have to admit that Almost Brilliant is the most sassy bird I’ve read in fantasy.

What made Into the Riverlands so unique is the homage to a wuxia Chinese drama trope of legendary martial artists and their distinctive fighting styles. Reading this book feels like a throwback to those series or movies about stories of a specific fighter, their amazing feats, memorable fights or conquest, and their memorable personalities. The stories that are told by the characters that Chih meets on this journey are all about legendary fighters. The character themselves are skilled fighters as well that left a huge impression from their first introduction.

Singing Hills knew that the truth showed up in its own time, often late and sometimes entirely unlooked for.

Final thoughts, Into the Riverlands is another hit in The Singing Hills Cycle series that is as strong as it’s predecessor. Nghi Vo never fails to amaze me with their story telling ability and writing. Though Into the Riverlands didn’t have that same melancholic fantastical wonder as The Empress of Salt and Fortune & When The Tiger Came Down the Mountain it is more action packed, intense, and unapologetically queer. There is a polyamorous relationship depicted in the story and another sapphic couple that shares a cute dynamic.

Anyway, pre-order this book if you haven’t or get in line at the library asap to read this amazing book. I highly recommend it ! And if you haven’t read The Singing Hills Cycle before go read it immediately if you love an Asian inspired fantasy that short, fast paced, and is written with beautiful prose.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Another great tale added tot he Singing Hills books. I really enjoyed the characters, pacing, and how everything unfolded. Looking forward to the next one!

"Into the Riverlands" is a novella that is just as delightful as its predecessors, with a vibrant cast of characters and the perfect whimsical storytelling to follow.

In this continuation we got to see more from our leading voice Chih and their fabulous companion Almost Brilliant (who we will forever need more of). I particularly enjoyed the interactions between the pair we got to see in this one. Whilst I love the stories and intricate messages throughout, the presence of a non-binary cleric just living through the chaos of it all and wanting to share an honest depiction of events is so special.

They are a delight. And getting to see them admit to their flaws and grow and change is always so wonderful to see. They are just as human as the rest of us. I loved this book! I didn't enjoy the story aspect as much as I'd hoped this time as I feel that was lost within the other further developed regions (as expected) and this did feel like a filler but I am just as excited to see where Chih's journey leads.

Nghi Vo is such a talent! I devoured this novella and will definitely have to go and read the others now. It was brilliantly written, all the characters felt very natural, and the world was fascinating.

There is truly nothing I love more than being back in this world. As always, Nghi Vo's writing is incredibly lush and beautiful, and I think this book will be a favourite for many people in the series because of how action-packed it is compared to the first two.

In Into the Riverlands, we're following Chih and Almost Brilliant as they travel to the Riverlands alongside some martial artists. I love how Nghi Vo has given us a wuxia novella in the Singing Hills world - it's so nostalgic and comforting for me personally, as these are the types of stories that I grew up with. As with a classic wuxia tale, we are introduced to some villains and some heroes, but what I loved most is how we also got to meet and discuss the characters that are often overlooked by these types of narratives - those who are not conventionally attractive, who are smaller and perceived as weaker, but just as important to the story.

My favourite part about this installment in particular is that for the first time, we really got to see Chih be the main character of their own story. Don't get me wrong, I've loved their role in the first two books as well, but I think they definitely took a backseat in the grand scheme of the story. Here, we finally get a glimpse into Chih's backstory, as well as a closer look at their relationship with Almost Brilliant (one of the best animal companions!).

Once again, Nghi Vo has delivered a beautiful, cozy, fantasy tale. If you enjoy stories within stories, folklore, whimsical vibes, and feminist tales, you must check out this series if you haven't already. I personally still recommend reading The Empress of Salt and Fortune first since I do think that it sets up the world the best, but if you did want to start with another book, here's my recommendation: I'd say if you like love stories, start with When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, and if you like wuxia and martial arts stories, start with Into the Riverlands.

“People who abuse those smaller and weaker than themselves deserve the lowest, cruelest halls of the dead king!”

With a series like this that focuses on the same primary character, who travels and gathers stories for a living, it could be very easy for each installment to start blending into the next. Vo has created a world that is interesting and always has more to explore, though, and this novella was altogether different from each of the others in this regard.

We still follow Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant as they gather stories for the archives, but the plot and structure are unique and never felt repetitive. We are treated to a new cast of characters with secrets and stories and backgrounds of their own, and we join them on a journey into the Riverlands. I loved that we also got some glimpses into Chih and Almost Brilliant’s back stories! I continue to be intrigued about both of them and love getting tidbits here and there about their backgrounds.

As with the other installments, there is a present storyline in addition to folk tales and histories told to Chih for posterity. There are tales of heroism and belonging and friendship, and connecting the dots between the past and present was so satisfying!

I really enjoyed this installment and love that each one could technically be a stand-alone to be read individually or in any order. I’m excited to know there are at least two move novellas in this series to be released, and I can’t wait to read them!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced readers copy!

This ended up being my first foray into Nghi Vo’s “The Singing Hills Cycle,” and I was quite pleased with this introduction. Vo’s theme of making each one a standalone makes it easy for newcomers such as myself to hop in wherever and enjoy whichever novella in this growing series they chose. In this case, I found myself briefly joining a cast of curious characters making their way through a wild riverland region thick with legends and bandits, and it made for a wonderfully bite-sized helping of escapism.

Nghi Vo is on my auto-read list and as always, her latest novella Into the Riverlands is spectacular as always. Almost Brilliant is back as Chih ventures into the riverlands, a lawless place ruled by whoever is the current strongest martial artist, or so the stories say. This might be my favorite addition to this Singing Hills cycle yet because of the strong traditional wuxia element present throughout the entire story. The riverlands, or the jianghu, the various martial artists fighting for money and acclaim but also the element of bonds formed through shared combat. I found Into the Riverlands to be the coziest novella in the series thus far, despite any dead bodies that show up, and I enjoyed the greater insight into Chih and Almost Brilliant’s backstories. This series centers around the idea of the details in stories, and how a folktale relates to real life and naturally this book is no different. It definitely took me some time to “get” the twist, but I felt very rewarded for it. Overall, I rate this book a 5/5.

A delightful addition to the series. I loved seeing the cleric and her little bird again. A journey through bandit infested riverlands with lots of action and good folk tales make for an epic story.

Into the Riverlands is a great third entry in the Singing Hills Cycle series, it was just as strong as the previous two books and what I enjoyed about Nghi Vo's writing. The story was really well done and it was what I was looking for in this book. The characters were what I was looking for in this series and really appreciated being able to read this. I can't wait to read more from Nghi Vo.

"Lao Bingyi wasn’t joking about how much work there was to do. There had been deaths, and even as cheaply as life was reckoned in the riverlands, there were people left behind who needed to mourn and to figure out what came next. There were the wounded to tend and the dead to lay out, both the people of Betony Docks and the dead of the Hollow Hand."

Love this series so much — I could read dozens of adventures about Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant’s quest to preserve folklore. This isn’t as exciting as the tiger installment (unsurprising because what could be more exciting than tigers threatening to eat you?!), but the “aha!” moment where you connect the dots is still very satisfying.

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

Those familiar with the Singing Hills Cycle know by now to expect marvelous little novellas like perfectly cut jewels, dense with facets and brilliance. Into the Riverlands, Nghi Vo’s third installment, is of course no different. Following the further adventures of story-collecting historian monk Chih and their eidetically-inclined avian companion Almost Brilliant, this book takes us into the wilds of a politically-contested region called the riverlands. Chih gains some temporary traveling companions, and just in time, too, because the riverlands can be treacherous.

Vo infuses Into the Riverlands with wuxia tropes to give additional dimensions to her story, so of course it starts in a teahouse. Well, actually it starts in a barber shop with Chih getting their head shaved, to remind us that they are (nominally) a monk and, more importantly, that this is not just a story about the action.

I want to note, though, that the action is very fun. A beautiful young woman in silk robes with impeccable posture chastising brutes three times her size! A bickering married pair flirting between battles! The characters are perfectly realized, people with one foot in legend and the other in the everyday. And their stories, told over the course of a very short journey into the titular riverlands, help us to see that the dichotomy between legend and living person is a false one. Nobody in Into the Riverlands is just one thing, or even two things. Complexity is the point.

The way Vo treats the villainous Hollow Hand—or rather, a group of evil-minded idiots imitating a long-scattered gang called the Hollow Hand—is just really smart. (And topical, but let’s not get into that.) So often we see the good/evil dichotomy played out with either good and evil evenly matched, or with evil as some overwhelming force, against which only a determined band of underdogs have any chance of winning. Instead, Into the Riverlands features a cadre of evildoers who are as dumb as they are mean, nothing more than a pack of bullies imitating the bad guys they know from old stories, having learned all the wrong lessons from history. (See? Topical.) But bullies can still do a lot of harm, and Vo doesn’t let us forget that. From the first pages, Chih and their companions must not just defeat the bullies, but also deal with the far less glamorous work of cleaning up their messes. Whether paying for damages or doing the heavy work of giving last respects to a corpse, Vo makes sure we know that the good guys are really just the people who do their best to pick up the pieces.

Of course, the “good guys” here are mostly good in relational terms, not absolute ones. Wei Jintai, Mac Sang, and the others aren’t perfect, and neither, for that matter, are Chih and Almost Brilliant. They’re just people doing their best, and sometimes that “best” is a matter of context. We eventually learn that the effervescent Wei Jintai, so instinctively noble and protective, has left behind a cloud of rumors; her physical prowess was not necessarily so helpful in the past. And Lao Bingyi and Khanh—well. Suffice to say that they know very well that the truth and the telling are two different things.

The telling—and the tellers. Chih is no warrior, and neither is Sang, so their take on events is tinged with an awe that the warriors themselves do not feel. Chih and Sang likewise downplay their own roles as they very sensibly avoid battle and find other ways to help, while Almost Brilliant stays out of it entirely, fleeing to the branches or rafters and keeping uncharacteristically quiet.

In the same way it’s very easy to set up a good/evil duality, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of casting martial characters as brave and all others as cowardly, naïve, or just plain useless. Vo doesn’t let that happen. Chih has an important role to play, as does Sang, and Almost Brilliant might have the most crucial role of all. By fleeing far enough to be safe but close enough to observe, Almost Brilliant becomes—not a coward—but a witness. She can attest to the true narrative—or provide a counternarrative, should the other side win the day. She can also ensure that the stories of the people she loves and admires will continue on even if their lives are extinguished.

Or—some of their stories, from some perspectives. That’s the tricky thing, Vo never stops reminding us (gently!). But she doesn’t belabor the question of subjective truth too much, for which I’m grateful. This is a story about stories, not about philosophy, and it relies on a certain comfort with ambiguity instead of endless argument. Chih is certainly not there to pass judgment. And while their philosophy is well taken, I will say that my own judgment is quite clear: buy this book, because you’ll want to revisit these particular stories again and again.

I can't tell you how happy I was to hear we are getting more books in the Singing Hills Cycle! It is one of my favourite series, and Into the Riverlands is a fantastic new installment in the adventures of our favourite cleric.

We follow cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant (she's back!) into the riverlands - a region famed for stories of its legendary martial artists. Vo explores the duality of stories, their truths and lies, and how they are told, all while exploring new characters and a very old feud. Into the Riverlands felt a little more action-packed than her previous novellas in this series, but it still maintained the thoughtful characters, excellent dialogue, and immersive world we have seen in the previous books.

Fans of the Singing Hills Cycle will love Into the Riverlands - I think it may be my new favourite book in the series.