The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.
A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side. This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy.
Representation Includes
- Chinese-inspired fantasy world-building
- The frame narrator is nonbinary (Chih)
- The empress in the story-within-the-story is both queer and a parent
Reviews
- Utopian State of Mind’s review
- Maya Gittelman’s review
- Acqua’s review
- The Bibliophibian’s review
- Chai’s review