121 pages
Published 2020
Read from June 6 to June 7
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The very best short stories are delicate constructs that say more with a handful of deftly-rendered scenes than some novels manage to express in their entirety. This novella is a dazzling puzzlebox that folds over itself in intricate short story intimacy for its entire length. At a wordcount where some fantasy tomes are just barely finding their footing, Empress builds a breathing, hauntingly familiar yet bewilderingly magical world, populates two generations of memorable characters, strikes an ideological sword into the heart of monarchy, and does so with brilliant aplomb. Nghi Vo makes it all feel effortless. An amazing work.
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