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The Singing Hills Cycle #7
A Long and Speaking Silence
Not yet published
Expected 5 May 26From USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo comes a beautiful new tale in the Hugo Award-winning Singing Hills Cycle, drawn from the earliest days of Chih's career as a wandering cleric.
"Nghi Vo is so good."—NPR on The Brides of High Hill
Every story begins somewhere.
On the banks of the Ya-lé River, the town of Luntien gathers to celebrate the start of the rainy season, but the celebration is marred by the arrival of refugees from the sea. Everyone has a story about the foreigners newly in their midst—lazy, violent, unwanted—while the refugees themselves grieve the loss of the home they loved.
Cleric Chih, very recently still Novice Chih, is also a stranger in Luntien. A moment of carelessness and bad luck leaves them waiting tables as they struggle to establish themself as a real cleric. A cleric’s job is to listen and record, but the stories emerging in Luntien are ugly and violent, as hard to predict as the river itself. With their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant by their side, Chih must help the refugees while also unraveling a mystery that may have roots in their own faraway home in the abbey of Singing Hills.
In the seventh entry of the award-winning Singing Hills series, we meet Chih and Almost Brilliant just beginning their journey together as Chih assumes their place on the road and in the world.
The novellas of the Singing Hills series are standalone stories linked by the Cleric Chih, and may be read in any order.
"Nghi Vo is so good."—NPR on The Brides of High Hill
Every story begins somewhere.
On the banks of the Ya-lé River, the town of Luntien gathers to celebrate the start of the rainy season, but the celebration is marred by the arrival of refugees from the sea. Everyone has a story about the foreigners newly in their midst—lazy, violent, unwanted—while the refugees themselves grieve the loss of the home they loved.
Cleric Chih, very recently still Novice Chih, is also a stranger in Luntien. A moment of carelessness and bad luck leaves them waiting tables as they struggle to establish themself as a real cleric. A cleric’s job is to listen and record, but the stories emerging in Luntien are ugly and violent, as hard to predict as the river itself. With their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant by their side, Chih must help the refugees while also unraveling a mystery that may have roots in their own faraway home in the abbey of Singing Hills.
In the seventh entry of the award-winning Singing Hills series, we meet Chih and Almost Brilliant just beginning their journey together as Chih assumes their place on the road and in the world.
The novellas of the Singing Hills series are standalone stories linked by the Cleric Chih, and may be read in any order.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 5, 2026
2392 people want to read
About the author
Nghi Vo
41 books4,398 followersNghi Vo is the author of the acclaimed novellas The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. The Chosen and the Beautiful is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Want to read
August 16, 2025OMG A PREQUEL STORY ABOUT YOUNG CHIH!!!! Look at that cover those hands are making me cry, can’t say why, I just know this is gonna be amazing. I need this in my hands asap!!
//Anyone else periodically checking if any new info about the upcoming 3 books released or is it just me with Chih and Almost Brilliant living rent-free in my head??
//Anyone else periodically checking if any new info about the upcoming 3 books released or is it just me with Chih and Almost Brilliant living rent-free in my head??
Want to read
October 14, 2025I love the fact that the sixth installment hasn’t come out yet and we already have the title, cover, synopsis, and release date for the seventh one 💙
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune ★★★★
2. When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain ★★★
3. Into the Riverlands ★★★
4. Mammoths at the Gates ★★★
5. The Brides of High Hill ★★★
6. A Mouthful of Dust ★★★
1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune ★★★★
2. When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain ★★★
3. Into the Riverlands ★★★
4. Mammoths at the Gates ★★★
5. The Brides of High Hill ★★★
6. A Mouthful of Dust ★★★
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
General Thoughts:
Another stellar edition to the singing Hills Chronicles. This is Book 7/7 of the interconnected standalone series and it did not disappoint.
I really enjoy our main character as well as their snarky animal companion Almost Brilliant. Every time one of these books comes out. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. The whole series is just phenomenal. While this book definitely was one of the lighter books, it still had it darker elements. I'm always enthralled by the slow build up to an interesting reveal at the end of these stories.
If you haven't started on this series of interconnected Novella's, I highly recommend. They're a great way to get a quick and fruitful read into your log.
Book Stats:
📖: 144
Genre: fantasy
Publisher: Tor dot com
Format: eARC
Series: interconnected standalone
Things to Love:
* Non binary main character
* Vivid storytelling
* Animal companion
Things to Question:
* pacing was a little slow for me
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Another stellar edition to the singing Hills Chronicles. This is Book 7/7 of the interconnected standalone series and it did not disappoint.
I really enjoy our main character as well as their snarky animal companion Almost Brilliant. Every time one of these books comes out. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. The whole series is just phenomenal. While this book definitely was one of the lighter books, it still had it darker elements. I'm always enthralled by the slow build up to an interesting reveal at the end of these stories.
If you haven't started on this series of interconnected Novella's, I highly recommend. They're a great way to get a quick and fruitful read into your log.
Book Stats:
📖: 144
Genre: fantasy
Publisher: Tor dot com
Format: eARC
Series: interconnected standalone
Things to Love:
* Non binary main character
* Vivid storytelling
* Animal companion
Things to Question:
* pacing was a little slow for me
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews