I love Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle. Even though this one is marked as the 5th in the series, it is actually a standalone novella and much darker than the previous books in the series. This time we find protagonist Cleric Chih escorting a young woman and her family to an estate, Doi Cao, where the young woman's betrothed awaits her. She has never met her fiance, but she has been promised to him. When they arrive at Doi Cao, they are greeted with extravagant banquets, but there is something sinister lurking beneath the facade. What Cleric Chih eventually learns is that monsters are where you least expect them.

This was a deliciously chilling story. I love Cleric Chih and look forward to the next in this series! ( )

this is not my favorite book in this series - however, I think its the one with the biggest twist so far. Luckily, these books are novella length, only taking a few hours to read through. On second reading, things became more clear on what was happening.

While not my favorite book - there were some plot aspects that needed to be cleared up, but besides that, the story is wonderfully written, with a nod to stories and tradition, but also touches on love and infatuation. The characters were well written, with hints to who they are - if you pay attention. On second reading, this novella had a very different story. ( )

Vo's characters are rich with complex histories but the amount we see of them is exactly what Chih is able to see in their short time, yet it is clear that each thread could be followed deeply into another story. This book was a credit to the series and the author, and an excellent use of an unreliable narrator. The twist was very well executed and the whole story was delicious. ( )

Cleric Chih of the Singing Hills abbey accompanies a young woman and her parents with their lengthy but poorly fitted baggage train to marry her off to a rich older nobleman and save themselves from poverty. Chih misses his neixin, Almost Brilliant, the hoopoe shaped spirit that remembers everything, but is fascinated by the young Pham Nhung and reluctant to see her given to Lord Gao, especially after the appearance at the first banquet of his disturbed son. And their wanderings about the estate raise even more concerns. From the beginning, this story is told with an air of uneasiness that raises questions, and ready explanations from countless stories are unsatisfactory answers. ( )

Having read this book, I am now immensely curious what Nghi Vo would do with a completely standalone gothic horror novel, something not set in the Singing Hills universe. Because while I loved seeing more of Cleric Chih, it was a bit weird having the setting for this story so much darker than the rest of the series. Also, with the focus in this book on the gothic horror / mystery aspect, there was less of the story & memory trope that I'm used to in this series. (Though there are still some great quotes about stories.)

Most of what I want to say about the book involves major spoilers (and it's best to read this book knowing as little as possible about the twists involved—even saying that there are twists feels like it might be saying too much) so I will just say that I enjoyed the book, even though it doesn't feel quite like the rest of the series in tone. This is not my favorite of the series (that honor remains with Into the Riverlands) but it is still a very enjoyable book and would be a great book to read for a creepy (yet not too scary) Halloween-time read. ( )