Another wonderful entry in the Singing Hills Cycle!! The Brides of High Hill brings us Cleric Chih out on pilgrimage, collecting stories, as usual. This time they are accompanying a beautiful bride they met along the way. Almost Brilliant isn't with them this time, but Chih is faithfully attending the young lady who is soon to be married.

Unlike many of the other books in the Cycle, Chih feels unmoored here. They know there are mysteries surrounding them, and they want to protect the bride, but they also feel forgetful, they miss Almost Brilliant (their hoopoe familiar), and they feel uncomfortably out of place. Something is wrong, but they can't figure out exactly what it is...

The different books in the Cycle usually take on narrative, how the stories we tell define our lives and give meaning to our actions. That theme is present here, but this novella is more claustrophobic, the closest to horror the series has gotten up to this point. There's never a pat ending, but this one felt especially open ended. You can definitely start here, but the series really benefits from reading them all to get a sense of the different situations Chih finds themself in! Recommended.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

This series is great. I love the little dips into Cleric Chih's adventures, kind of like the fact that they (and of course Almost Brilliant) are keepers of stories. This one was interesting with the young bride and the mystery surrounding her wedding, groom, etc. I miss Almost Brilliant a bit, but Cleric Chih is a gem. I hope this series keeps going.

Rating 4/5

Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo was a delightful fairy tale - and you know how fairy tales can turn. It's a novella and part of a larger series but I was able to jump in even though I have yet to read the previous installments. Cleric Chih is escorting a young bride to her much older husband, but it's soon clear all is not as it should be. There are signs of rot and decay where there shouldn't be, and the groom's son wanders about in a restless trance. The bride doesn't seem too worried, though, and I don't want to spoil the ending. Just know I will be reading the first four novellas because this is a world I want to be utterly immersed in.

In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Beyond its compelling storyline, the book stands out for its insightful commentary on the human condition, weaving philosophical questions into the fabric of its narrative. The author's skillful use of language not only enriches the text but also elevates the reader's experience, offering new perspectives on familiar themes. Whether it's the intricate dynamics of relationships, the exploration of identity, or the confrontation with ethical dilemmas, this book tackles complex issues with sensitivity and intelligence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the nuances of life, making it a valuable addition to any book lover's collection. Regardless of genre, this is a work that resonates on multiple levels, affirming the enduring impact of well-crafted literature.

Yet another fantastical adventure of Cleric Chih! In a mysterious and creepy installment, Chih accompanies a beautifully nervous bride to her wedding. Without their trusted neixin, Almost Brillant, Chih must uncover the secrets of High Hill by themselves.

I was truly impressed with Vo’s writing, as always! The prose is gorgeous and well thought out, and the interactions between characters are so vivid I could almost be there with them. The last quarter of the novella had me hanging on to every word, desperate to reach the ending but sad to finish another of Chih’s chronicles.

Book Review | THE BRIDES OF HIGH HILL by NGHI VO

4 ⭐’s |  PUB DATE: 7 May 2024
5th book in the Singing Hills Cycle

Read if you're looking for:
- A fantasy, folktale novella
- Written by an AAPI & queer author
- Gender non-binary & queer rep.
- Gorgeous setting & atmosphere
- A world where spirits are real
- A touch of horror & gore

As always, this new novella from Nghi Vo was enchanting! I have read all of the previous books in this series, and have enjoyed them all. If you haven’t read any of the Singing Hills Cycle yet, the author intends for them to also be read in any order.

We follow the main character of the series, Cleric Chih, who is gender non-binary. They travel across Asia (without specifying a country) collecting stories for their order. Each novella in the series has Cleric Chih on a different adventure, oftentimes encountering animal spirits. In this one, Chih encounters a bewitching young girl and her parents on the road, and accompanies them to a nearby city to marry off their daughter to Lord Guo. After arriving at the city, more and more unsettling events occur, revealing that Chih is surrounded by monsters on all sides.

This series is generally cozy-ish fantasy, but this is the first book in this series that includes more horror elements and violence. Since I am a horror fan, I appreciated the series dipping its toes into another genre. However, the charm of Cleric Chih still comes through along the way. The novella explores some themes of misogyny, generational trauma, and revenge. Vo writes beautiful prose with a deft hand, and always includes interesting characters. The author also has a wonderful way of describing the setting, making you feel that you are there. It was a delightful read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys folktales, fantasy, magical realism, or horror.

CW: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement

NOTE: I received this ebook for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a series that, for me, peaked at the second book. While The Brides of High Hill is still a fun read, there’s just a sense that the world has been somewhat exhausted (while, clearly, not being so. I said it was a sense). I think the books that have worked better for me have been in the format of someone telling Chih a story, which hasn’t been the case for the previous two. That being said, this was still an enjoyable read. I’d have liked it to be just a tad longer, but overall it was good.

Atmospheric from the first few pages, and filled with beautiful writing and super effective worldbuilding, this book (and series) is such a treasure!

Cleric Chih finds themself in the middle of another high stakes adventure, this time escorting Nhung, a young bride-to-be, and her family to meet her mysterious new husband. Chih and Nhung come to find that beneath the grand exterior of the husband's estate, Do Cao, there is mystery, neglect, and a mysterious secret about what happened to the man's previous wives.

Cleric Chih is a easy character to return to, even though I've only read one other novella in this series by Nghi Vo. They're extremely earnest and strong, yet empathetic and they do make mistakes. Such a human character sets off the imhumanity of Vo's creative, and AMAZING, monstrous twists. I really enjoyed this bite-size story, and I will be returning to these books in the future!

This is my first reading Nghi Vo's work, and although the novellas can be read in any order as standalone stories, i still found myself missing some necessary context or background information. As a result, the overall narrative was rather confusing to me.

Putting that aside, i found the story to be quite boring. The relationship between the bride and the cleric felt weird and and didn't make much sense to me, not to mention that the girl's spoiled nature made me dislike everything she did or said.

For the majority of the story, it seemed like they were just aimlessly walking around without much purpose.

The writing style seemed to unnecessarily prolong the story. It would have been better either with a shorter length, without the unnecessary wandering, or with a longer narrative that could properly establish the world, provide detailed descriptions, develop the plot, and build the characters.

Thank you to Tor for letting me read an eARC of this book!

I have been a long-time lover of Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle and The Brides of High Hill has, once again, proven just why I so adore her writing.
I particularly love this series for the variety of stories it's able to tell due to the format. Following our well-known and even better-loved cleric Chih while they're out collecting stories for the Singing Hills Abbey, we get to encounter a rich tapestry of tales, from heartwrenching to, finally, nightmarish.

Brides of High Hill pleasantly surprised me because it went in such a different direction than the mostly fantasy-forward earlier instalments. Instead, it veered in a direction that felt more like horror than fantasy - and honestly, Nghi Vo ATE with this one!
Deeply atmospheric, more akin to a fever dream than a fairytale once the story begins to unravel.
I was at the edge of my seat from start to finish, this was simply so masterfully done, honestly a standout even among a series that I deeply adore as a whole.

What a way to start the reading year!

nghi vo does gothic and DEVOURS, this was fantastic and had all the dark, genuinely creepy genre trappings while still being a recognisably singing hills book. I love how versatile this series is and this is definitely one of my favourites in it.

I read a few pages of this and found it impossible to follow. Maybe it made more sense if the reader has read other books in the collection, but I couldn’t make sense of what was going on, and I didn’t want to do intellectual labor to figure it out.

This has been my favorite out of all the novellas associated with The Singing Hills Chronicles. The sense of dread mixed with the beautiful prose really made the story pop for me. I was genuinely creeped out of the majority of this story and it really kept me on the edge of my seat.

I will always recommend The Singing Hills Chronicles as great and riveting work by Nghi Vo!

Holy fuck, this is terrifying?!? I was not expecting a gothic horror installment of the Singing Hills Cycle. Fantastic series; I would read a million more novellas. Not going to bother explaining the premise because frankly you should not know anything before reading.

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

The Singing Hills does a murder mystery/gothic tale. It was fun and at times intense, but it felt a bit hollower and less resonant than any of the earlier entries. I think if you liked Cassandra Khaw's "Nothing But Blackened Teeth" (which I did not), you'll probably really like this entry, though I think Nghi Vo's horror/thriller here is much better executed.

I really enjoy the Singing Hills Cycle, but this one I hard a hard time getting in to. For a good part of it, I thought I had forgotten something important or completely missed something from the previous entry, and even when I caught on to what was happening, I was still a little lost. I think my biggest issue was the length and the pacing, for a story like this, I feel like it needed to be a little bit longer for the kind of narrative gambit Vo is using to really play out. I think the setting and the plot are not fleshed out enough, though the actual bones of the story are really compelling and interesting. I did like that Chih felt like more of an active participant this time, they were a force the story was acting upon, instead of functioning like someone watching the story unfold. Had this story had a bit more pages to work with, I think it would've been fantastic.

Despite not enjoying The Empress of Salt and Fortune a few years ago, the description of this—gothic mystery with a murderous teapot!!!!—made me want to try the author again.

Even though this series is pitched as standalones that can be read in any order, I felt like I was missing too much context for Cleric Chih’s back story and character. I personally wouldn’t recommend this without reading the previous entries.

It took me until 70% to feel invested in the story, which is where the story went from zero to 100. It was haunting and chaotic in a way I didn’t see coming at all.

I did not notice this novella was part of a series, but it reads as a standalone. Only made me curious to read the other existing four previous novellas. I loved the main characters and how the author makes so much of their personality in such a short story. They are all very different and with strong traits and goals.

A cleric meets a family on the road that is taking their daughter to a lord to be his bride, but soon he discovers dark secrets and that he is surrounded by perils.

It reads as a legend and it remains in our minds with the same tone. Great rhythm and the plot twists make the end tense and exciting with a hint of magic.

I enjoyed it so much read in one sitting. Looking forward now to reading more works from the author. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the e-arc.

Nghi Vo’s latest Singing Hills novella starts off by setting you up with some expectations, right from the blurb, and skillfully leans on that to guide you through the novella to the crisis point. It feels darker to me than the previous novellas in this series, with a real sense of unease throughout — not that the others have no sense of looming consequences, but I was more frightened for Cleric Chih than I usually would be. Chih has been drawn into something they may not be able to get out of, where they’re not so much an observer anymore, or just interested in how things turn out, but a part of the tale and critically affected by whatever will happen. Which is not the first time, I suppose, but this just felt more immediate.

I think Vo does an amazing job at teasing things out, with some little hints along the way to help you catch on so that once it all becomes clear, it’s really clear. It’s difficult to say much about this story without spoiling that journey, so I won’t say any more on that.

I did find that once certain things started happening, it all unravelled really quickly and I almost stumbled. I guess that’d be my only critique, but the story caught me when I stumbled and rearranged the world so everything made sense, so maybe that moment is really just part of the experience.

I…did not see the twist coming at ALL. When you start the novella, everything seems fine, although the lord is much older than his intended bride. Gradually, as Cleric Chih and bride-to-be explore the grounds, you come to realize that something is off about the entire estate. Like unto the old library they stumble upon, something is rotten and decaying, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is.

The last quarter of the book will have you reeling. It’s jaw-dropping, truly.

I was also happy to see that there are four previous novellas by the author, and an additional two to be published after this one. Yay for new reading material!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I love pretty much everything that Tor publishes, and this is no exception!