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An Empire in the Clouds
Not yet published
Expected 8 Sep 26Riveting and highly inventive Chinese-inspired science-fantasy of a royal family torn apart, painful betrayal and deadly secrets. Set on a drowning continent full of corruption and deception and strange technology this is richly envisioned and powerful
On Piāo, the floating empire of lotuses, Xīlián discovers the royal advisors' ploy to overthrow her brother, Yún, the emperor, in the same way they had murdered their parents, by creating a deadly flood that will make Yún's death seem as though an accident. She flees to the drowning continent of Opera, a place of high tech and near environmental collapse where companies vie to sell a chance at immortality. There Xīlián seeks out her exiled brother Làng to help in her efforts to disrupt the advisors' plans and remove them from court.
Also residing on Opera is the outcast, No Face. Abandoned by the empire of Piāo, they plot to destroy those who tore their family apart. When Xīlián is caught and imprisoned and No Face discovers the shocking truth about their past, the two must work together to stop the advisors and unify their two lands or lose everyone they love to flood and revolution.
On Piāo, the floating empire of lotuses, Xīlián discovers the royal advisors' ploy to overthrow her brother, Yún, the emperor, in the same way they had murdered their parents, by creating a deadly flood that will make Yún's death seem as though an accident. She flees to the drowning continent of Opera, a place of high tech and near environmental collapse where companies vie to sell a chance at immortality. There Xīlián seeks out her exiled brother Làng to help in her efforts to disrupt the advisors' plans and remove them from court.
Also residing on Opera is the outcast, No Face. Abandoned by the empire of Piāo, they plot to destroy those who tore their family apart. When Xīlián is caught and imprisoned and No Face discovers the shocking truth about their past, the two must work together to stop the advisors and unify their two lands or lose everyone they love to flood and revolution.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 8, 2026
About the author
Ai Jiang
107 books495 followersAi Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, Ignyte, Nebula, Bram Stoker Award winner, Hugo, Astounding, Locus, Aurora, and BFSA Award finalist, and an immigrant from Changle, Fujian currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can be found in F&SF, The Dark, The Masters Review, among others. She is the recipient of Odyssey Workshop's 2022 Fresh Voices Scholarship.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 4, 2026
3.75 rounded up for Goodreads and Netgalley.
An inventive and impressive novel. I can confidently say I’ve never read anything like this before. The narration made this novel unique and memorable. I don’t want to spoil anything, obviously, so I won’t say what it was that made it so different. But it was definitely something that was disconcerting at first, and compelling. The atmopshere was fantastic, the blend of fantasy and science-fiction (with an emphasis on technology) was really engaging and I loved that. Opera was truly a marvelous place, richly described. The characters were intriguing and well-developed, even though I personally did not feel connected to any of them at all. The writing fit the atmopshere very well, it was superbly written. And the plot was full of betrayals and schemes and its pace was steady. I highly recommend this remarkable novel.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
An inventive and impressive novel. I can confidently say I’ve never read anything like this before. The narration made this novel unique and memorable. I don’t want to spoil anything, obviously, so I won’t say what it was that made it so different. But it was definitely something that was disconcerting at first, and compelling. The atmopshere was fantastic, the blend of fantasy and science-fiction (with an emphasis on technology) was really engaging and I loved that. Opera was truly a marvelous place, richly described. The characters were intriguing and well-developed, even though I personally did not feel connected to any of them at all. The writing fit the atmopshere very well, it was superbly written. And the plot was full of betrayals and schemes and its pace was steady. I highly recommend this remarkable novel.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
August 15, 2026
I may or may not finished this poolside at a fancy hotel I am not staying at. If any one asks I am here for Education conference visiting from uh Ohio I mean I am not lying if I say I am Indiana.
Ok this novel and the first part are really one big fantasy novel. It is a bonkers combination of Peking opera, Wuxia fantasy hints of far future SF all mixed with princess Monoke feel. Not my thing normally but well done.
Ok this novel and the first part are really one big fantasy novel. It is a bonkers combination of Peking opera, Wuxia fantasy hints of far future SF all mixed with princess Monoke feel. Not my thing normally but well done.
Want to Read
July 31, 2025a tale of royal siblings striving to survive in a world of murder and corruption.
July 29, 2026
An incredibly unique, beautiful, and mind-expanding blend of fantasy and sci-fi. There’s a clear Chinese cultural influence painted all over this thing in vivid watercolor. We need more of that, more Eastern influence in our fantasy and sci-fi worlds. Not everything needs to be knights with swords, and this is such a wonderful example of that.
At its core, *An Empire in the Clouds* is a story of political intrigue, as three siblings try to restore the dynasty they are heirs to and return it to the glory their mother envisioned for it.
This book has one of the most unique and interesting worlds I have ever experienced. The world-building, from the rip, drops you in with no handholding. Figure it out the way you would if you were dropped into a different culture. After reading the author’s notes, it’s clear this was an intentional choice.
Is there fighting? Sure. But more than anything, opera is the primary mode of conflict. That choice is so interesting from a storytelling perspective because the entire story becomes about stories told, stories untold, and the way stories can be modified for a cause.
Four stars because it takes about 20–25% of the book to really get going. That’s also around the time I started feeling super comfortable with the world, though, so it could be a me thing.
Also, I would love to check out an audio version of this. I know I butchered a bunch of pronunciations as I went.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.
At its core, *An Empire in the Clouds* is a story of political intrigue, as three siblings try to restore the dynasty they are heirs to and return it to the glory their mother envisioned for it.
This book has one of the most unique and interesting worlds I have ever experienced. The world-building, from the rip, drops you in with no handholding. Figure it out the way you would if you were dropped into a different culture. After reading the author’s notes, it’s clear this was an intentional choice.
Is there fighting? Sure. But more than anything, opera is the primary mode of conflict. That choice is so interesting from a storytelling perspective because the entire story becomes about stories told, stories untold, and the way stories can be modified for a cause.
Four stars because it takes about 20–25% of the book to really get going. That’s also around the time I started feeling super comfortable with the world, though, so it could be a me thing.
Also, I would love to check out an audio version of this. I know I butchered a bunch of pronunciations as I went.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 10, 2026
Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review.
2.5 stars, rounded up.
Ai Jiang has created a world with fascinating technology and culture. I loved the Chinese inspiration and blending of sci-fi and fantasy. It took me way too long to piece together the masks and dances were references to Chinese Opera (Peking Opera and Min Opera, more specifically).
I highly recommend readers to check the Index at the back of the book before reading. I wish the Chinese words and characters used were included as well. This would be really helpful for readers who aren't familiar with Chinese to see the creativity as well as better understand what the world looks like! For example, Ou means roots, but this is not made clear within the text.
I had a hard time picturing the world through the descriptions, and I was left confused throughout the story. I have a basic understanding of Mandarin and Chinese history and culture, so I was able to understand the meaning and significance of many of the names and Hanzi (Chinese characters) that were used. Without this knowledge, though, I would have been utterly lost. Even with my knowledge, I almost DNF'd this book.
The chapter names were long and took me a while to understand. They include the specific place within the empire/continent, the empire/continent, and the year/time that the chapter takes place.
The cultures within Piao and Opera are extremely well thought out, but the descriptions were not very balanced. For example, each place has their own vocabulary for time (one droplet = one second, etc.), but somehow Opera used feet and inches for height (only to describe Okwi and Abdi's heights once even though Gubao's stature is constantly pointed out). No Face also used very modern slang at one point that really took me out of the setting.
Things started getting much more interesting after the halfway mark. The most exciting parts felt a little rushed, though, which was disappointing. I also didn't feel like Xilian and No Face were fully developed.
Some other little nitpicks that I didn't particularly like:
Jiang very explicitly tells us how to pronounce YOU (character's name) in the text, but some of the more mundane things we are left to figure out for ourselves. Like the occupants of Opera are called "performers." This is really cute considering the continent's name, but since the opening scene in Opera is of No Face actually performing, I was under the impression that only people who performed are called performers until much later in the book.
I thought it was cool how the inhabitants of Opera all used they/them pronouns, but it wasn't until the middle of the book that YOU explained to Xilian that the inhabitants of Opera didn't have gender as a construct (as opposed to the present 21st century view of being non-binary).
I'm still not sure what the point of Pop-Ups are. They're like live streams where participants are ranked, but I still don't really understand why people are ranked or how they came about.
I don't understand the sign language that Xilian used with only certain people. It seemed like it was a secret language between only trusted individuals, but we don't know anything about when it was created.
Xilian frustrated me as a character. She's 99 years old but she's only been writing letters to Lang and swapping masks with Wen for decades. Even when she was younger, she didn't pay any attention to her lessons or seem to care about anything.
The Opera masks make sense because of the smog and need for an air filter, but I don't know why people on Piao also all have to wear masks. I wish I got more insight into the cultural reason why they wore mask on Piao.
The prose was somewhat rambly, which made it hard to follow sometimes.
TLDR:
While the world building felt clunky and confusing at many points, I still loved the ingenuity and creativity in the cultures of Piao and Opera. I think the book could have used a few more rounds of editing to fully convey these concepts and paint a clearer picture of what was in Jiang's imagination.
If you love Chinese culture, futuristic technology, and revolutions against corruption, I think you'll find An Empire in the Cloud very intriguing!
2.5 stars, rounded up.
Ai Jiang has created a world with fascinating technology and culture. I loved the Chinese inspiration and blending of sci-fi and fantasy. It took me way too long to piece together the masks and dances were references to Chinese Opera (Peking Opera and Min Opera, more specifically).
I highly recommend readers to check the Index at the back of the book before reading. I wish the Chinese words and characters used were included as well. This would be really helpful for readers who aren't familiar with Chinese to see the creativity as well as better understand what the world looks like! For example, Ou means roots, but this is not made clear within the text.
I had a hard time picturing the world through the descriptions, and I was left confused throughout the story. I have a basic understanding of Mandarin and Chinese history and culture, so I was able to understand the meaning and significance of many of the names and Hanzi (Chinese characters) that were used. Without this knowledge, though, I would have been utterly lost. Even with my knowledge, I almost DNF'd this book.
The chapter names were long and took me a while to understand. They include the specific place within the empire/continent, the empire/continent, and the year/time that the chapter takes place.
The cultures within Piao and Opera are extremely well thought out, but the descriptions were not very balanced. For example, each place has their own vocabulary for time (one droplet = one second, etc.), but somehow Opera used feet and inches for height (only to describe Okwi and Abdi's heights once even though Gubao's stature is constantly pointed out). No Face also used very modern slang at one point that really took me out of the setting.
Things started getting much more interesting after the halfway mark. The most exciting parts felt a little rushed, though, which was disappointing. I also didn't feel like Xilian and No Face were fully developed.
Some other little nitpicks that I didn't particularly like:
Jiang very explicitly tells us how to pronounce YOU (character's name) in the text, but some of the more mundane things we are left to figure out for ourselves. Like the occupants of Opera are called "performers." This is really cute considering the continent's name, but since the opening scene in Opera is of No Face actually performing, I was under the impression that only people who performed are called performers until much later in the book.
I thought it was cool how the inhabitants of Opera all used they/them pronouns, but it wasn't until the middle of the book that YOU explained to Xilian that the inhabitants of Opera didn't have gender as a construct (as opposed to the present 21st century view of being non-binary).
I'm still not sure what the point of Pop-Ups are. They're like live streams where participants are ranked, but I still don't really understand why people are ranked or how they came about.
I don't understand the sign language that Xilian used with only certain people. It seemed like it was a secret language between only trusted individuals, but we don't know anything about when it was created.
Xilian frustrated me as a character. She's 99 years old but she's only been writing letters to Lang and swapping masks with Wen for decades. Even when she was younger, she didn't pay any attention to her lessons or seem to care about anything.
The Opera masks make sense because of the smog and need for an air filter, but I don't know why people on Piao also all have to wear masks. I wish I got more insight into the cultural reason why they wore mask on Piao.
The prose was somewhat rambly, which made it hard to follow sometimes.
TLDR:
While the world building felt clunky and confusing at many points, I still loved the ingenuity and creativity in the cultures of Piao and Opera. I think the book could have used a few more rounds of editing to fully convey these concepts and paint a clearer picture of what was in Jiang's imagination.
If you love Chinese culture, futuristic technology, and revolutions against corruption, I think you'll find An Empire in the Cloud very intriguing!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for a review. This review contains my honest thoughts and personal opinions on the book.
In the empire of floating lotuses, Piāo, Xilián finds out that the royal advisors are plotting to kill her brother Yún, the emperor. Unable to stand by and watch them murder her brother like they did her parents, Xilián decides to rebel against their authority. However allies on Piāo are few and far between, so she flees to the drowning continent of Opera to find her exiled brother Làng.
On Opera we also meet No Face, an outcast from Piāo with plans of revenge. When Xilián and No Face’s plans come into conflict, they must decide whether to work together or to pursue their personal ambitions at any cost, even if it means the destruction of their homes.
Empire in the Clouds by Ai Jiang is an innovative science-fantasy novel that mixes the mythical feeling of fantasy with futuristic technology with inspiration from Chinese Opera.
I appreciated Jiang’s commentary on the arts through the use of Chinese Opera. While each empire uses the art for different purposes, the author uses both to highlight the importance that the performing arts has to carry one’s culture and history as well as being a means of storytelling. However, while these meanings carried within art can provide a positive understanding of the self and the world, these stories can be changed to serve those in power for selfish purposes. In this book, characters use their performances to rebel and bring to light hidden truths, which was overall a thoughtful theme and tool to blend culture with plot.
Beyond that, there are other cool ideas and concepts in this book, but for the most part, the execution fell short for me.
For both main characters, the author chose to switch between first and second person narration. Where I hoped this choice would allow me to feel closer to both Xilián and No Face, I only felt removed from the characters. This made it really difficult to empathize or connect with either of them. Additionally, Xilián felt very contradictory as she comes across as very naive and childish, lacking maturity despite her immortality and being almost a century old.
While the cultures of the empires were well done, much of the world-building was poorly introduced and explained. For example, on Opera, time is measured by water terms like droplet for second and ripple for one minute. Moreover, inhabitants of Opera are called performers, which can get confusing to differentiate when characters also perform as an art form and are also performers. Much of the technology and terminology that was used felt abstract to me in ways that I struggled to understand like Pop-Ups, which are live-streams that allow participants to gain items and favours (but I’m not fully sure if that’s correct). There was also the use of “x” to replace certain letters and change the spelling of certain words; it felt just put in there and lacked purpose for me.
There were other things that were like this as well, but those are just a few examples. This book had lots of creativity and ideas, but it might have been executed better with less ideas crammed together or more time to flesh out concepts and characters as the book came across as fast-paced.
In the empire of floating lotuses, Piāo, Xilián finds out that the royal advisors are plotting to kill her brother Yún, the emperor. Unable to stand by and watch them murder her brother like they did her parents, Xilián decides to rebel against their authority. However allies on Piāo are few and far between, so she flees to the drowning continent of Opera to find her exiled brother Làng.
On Opera we also meet No Face, an outcast from Piāo with plans of revenge. When Xilián and No Face’s plans come into conflict, they must decide whether to work together or to pursue their personal ambitions at any cost, even if it means the destruction of their homes.
Empire in the Clouds by Ai Jiang is an innovative science-fantasy novel that mixes the mythical feeling of fantasy with futuristic technology with inspiration from Chinese Opera.
I appreciated Jiang’s commentary on the arts through the use of Chinese Opera. While each empire uses the art for different purposes, the author uses both to highlight the importance that the performing arts has to carry one’s culture and history as well as being a means of storytelling. However, while these meanings carried within art can provide a positive understanding of the self and the world, these stories can be changed to serve those in power for selfish purposes. In this book, characters use their performances to rebel and bring to light hidden truths, which was overall a thoughtful theme and tool to blend culture with plot.
Beyond that, there are other cool ideas and concepts in this book, but for the most part, the execution fell short for me.
For both main characters, the author chose to switch between first and second person narration. Where I hoped this choice would allow me to feel closer to both Xilián and No Face, I only felt removed from the characters. This made it really difficult to empathize or connect with either of them. Additionally, Xilián felt very contradictory as she comes across as very naive and childish, lacking maturity despite her immortality and being almost a century old.
While the cultures of the empires were well done, much of the world-building was poorly introduced and explained. For example, on Opera, time is measured by water terms like droplet for second and ripple for one minute. Moreover, inhabitants of Opera are called performers, which can get confusing to differentiate when characters also perform as an art form and are also performers. Much of the technology and terminology that was used felt abstract to me in ways that I struggled to understand like Pop-Ups, which are live-streams that allow participants to gain items and favours (but I’m not fully sure if that’s correct). There was also the use of “x” to replace certain letters and change the spelling of certain words; it felt just put in there and lacked purpose for me.
There were other things that were like this as well, but those are just a few examples. This book had lots of creativity and ideas, but it might have been executed better with less ideas crammed together or more time to flesh out concepts and characters as the book came across as fast-paced.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is the first book I've read by Ai Jiang, so I can't say whether the writing style in An Empire in the Clouds is consistent with her previous works.
Although the book isn't particularly long, I have to admit that I struggled to stay engaged with the story. It's fast paced maybe too fast paced, which resulted in underdeveloped world-building and one dimensional characters. Because of this, I found it difficult to become invested in what was happening in the story.
What I loved:
The premise is refreshing and novel. While the story incorporates fantasy elements, it also weaves in science fiction in a way that feels natural rather than forced. The novel explores sibling relationships, responsibility, family, and art specifically Chinese opera. I really appreciated its unique take on the importance of art in preserving civilisation through oral storytelling and its role as both a cultural force and a tool of resistance. The commentary on art censorship was particularly brilliant. I also loved the character No Face and their role in the story.
What didn't work for me:
- The different narrative styles for the two protagonists were more distracting than effective. I'm not particularly fond of either 1st person or 2nd person narration, so having each protagonist use a different narration style made the reading experience feel unnecessarily jarring.
- The use of capitalised words and replacing letters with "x" in certain words (which I assume was done to distinguish American and British English spellings) became quite annoying over time.
- Although I'm somewhat familiar with stories set im worlds inspired by China, I still found some of the untranslated phrases difficult to follow. They were often introduced without any explanation or context, which made parts of the book feel inaccessible to readers who may be less familiar with Chinese language or literature.
- The characters felt emotionally distant to the reader. There were moments when characters were in danger or even died, yet I felt very little emotional impact because I never became attached to them.
- While the novel is meant to centre on the relationship between the siblings, I felt it lacked the emotional depth needed to make that bond believable. The story tells us they're incredibly close or were once upon a time but it rarely shows us those moments and we are only told. Spending more time developing their relationship would have made those emotional moments more impactful.
- The world building also felt underdeveloped. I often struggled to visualise certain locations, concepts, and scenes. I think many of these issues could have been addressed if the novel had been slightly longer, allowing the author more room to flesh out both the setting and the characters.
I genuinely wanted to love this book because the concept sounded so intriguing and refreshingly. Unfortunately, despite some fantastic ideas and interesting themes, the execution didn't quite work for me.
Thank you Titan books for an eArc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Although the book isn't particularly long, I have to admit that I struggled to stay engaged with the story. It's fast paced maybe too fast paced, which resulted in underdeveloped world-building and one dimensional characters. Because of this, I found it difficult to become invested in what was happening in the story.
What I loved:
The premise is refreshing and novel. While the story incorporates fantasy elements, it also weaves in science fiction in a way that feels natural rather than forced. The novel explores sibling relationships, responsibility, family, and art specifically Chinese opera. I really appreciated its unique take on the importance of art in preserving civilisation through oral storytelling and its role as both a cultural force and a tool of resistance. The commentary on art censorship was particularly brilliant. I also loved the character No Face and their role in the story.
What didn't work for me:
- The different narrative styles for the two protagonists were more distracting than effective. I'm not particularly fond of either 1st person or 2nd person narration, so having each protagonist use a different narration style made the reading experience feel unnecessarily jarring.
- The use of capitalised words and replacing letters with "x" in certain words (which I assume was done to distinguish American and British English spellings) became quite annoying over time.
- Although I'm somewhat familiar with stories set im worlds inspired by China, I still found some of the untranslated phrases difficult to follow. They were often introduced without any explanation or context, which made parts of the book feel inaccessible to readers who may be less familiar with Chinese language or literature.
- The characters felt emotionally distant to the reader. There were moments when characters were in danger or even died, yet I felt very little emotional impact because I never became attached to them.
- While the novel is meant to centre on the relationship between the siblings, I felt it lacked the emotional depth needed to make that bond believable. The story tells us they're incredibly close or were once upon a time but it rarely shows us those moments and we are only told. Spending more time developing their relationship would have made those emotional moments more impactful.
- The world building also felt underdeveloped. I often struggled to visualise certain locations, concepts, and scenes. I think many of these issues could have been addressed if the novel had been slightly longer, allowing the author more room to flesh out both the setting and the characters.
I genuinely wanted to love this book because the concept sounded so intriguing and refreshingly. Unfortunately, despite some fantastic ideas and interesting themes, the execution didn't quite work for me.
Thank you Titan books for an eArc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received this ARC from Netgalley for free in exchange for unbiased review.
There was so much promise in the blurb of this book - the fantasy of a empire of floating lotuses meeting the science fiction of technology granting immortalith from a drowning neighbouring empire - that I had hoped fervently it would deliver on, but sadly for me it did not.
The author barrelled through the story, leaving world-building and character development in their dust. There could have been so much richness to Piao and Opera, but I was left with only a vague sense of these two empires and their history. Everything in their past could have happened five minutes ago or five hundred years ago, and I'd have been none the wiser. I think part of this was because of the serum that made people functionally immortal, as it left me a little unsure when in Xilian's life the drowning had occurred (or even if it was before).
I think I could have accepted this if I hadn't found myself completely unable to connect with the characters. I think Xilian has been alive for almost a century, and she seemed no more than a child to me. I think this was partially intentional, due to her sheltered existence, but it felt a little too much to me that she would be so naive. In part because - wouldn't it be so boring to just live like that for so long? Her relationships were hampered by both her brothers being largely absent from her life, but even her friendship with Wen felt rushed over, and especially the friends she supposedly makes later on in the novel. Her reaction when these people get hurt or worse seemed extremely intense for how short a time she had known them and for how little we'd seen them interact. It was just odd, and I dearly wish I had felt more as characters got hurt and even died. No Face's relationships touched me a little more, but not enough.
The final sequence was confusing for me to follow where things were happening, though as someone who can in general struggle to picture things, I can't entirely say if this is just an issue for me.
I didn't enjoy the 'x's in place of the British/American spelling of words (theatex, centex - manxuvex even?). At first I thought it was just an ARC thing and it would be changed in the final version, but there was an in-text reference on a sign to this so I think it might have been intentional. I also did not get along at all with all the contractions in No Face's POV. Sometimes you should just write out "is" and "are" - I stumbled too many times.
I do think it was interesting starting No Face's POV in second person and ending it in third person. There is something poetic about that with their character arc, which was also handled alright.
I also enjoyed the opera elements and think these should have featured more strongly in the book. The oppression of Piao through altered opera, the freedom of Opera through their stories - I think this was a nice idea and could have been the focus of the book, instead of a bombastic showdown that didn't quite land for me.
There was so much promise in the blurb of this book - the fantasy of a empire of floating lotuses meeting the science fiction of technology granting immortalith from a drowning neighbouring empire - that I had hoped fervently it would deliver on, but sadly for me it did not.
The author barrelled through the story, leaving world-building and character development in their dust. There could have been so much richness to Piao and Opera, but I was left with only a vague sense of these two empires and their history. Everything in their past could have happened five minutes ago or five hundred years ago, and I'd have been none the wiser. I think part of this was because of the serum that made people functionally immortal, as it left me a little unsure when in Xilian's life the drowning had occurred (or even if it was before).
I think I could have accepted this if I hadn't found myself completely unable to connect with the characters. I think Xilian has been alive for almost a century, and she seemed no more than a child to me. I think this was partially intentional, due to her sheltered existence, but it felt a little too much to me that she would be so naive. In part because - wouldn't it be so boring to just live like that for so long? Her relationships were hampered by both her brothers being largely absent from her life, but even her friendship with Wen felt rushed over, and especially the friends she supposedly makes later on in the novel. Her reaction when these people get hurt or worse seemed extremely intense for how short a time she had known them and for how little we'd seen them interact. It was just odd, and I dearly wish I had felt more as characters got hurt and even died. No Face's relationships touched me a little more, but not enough.
The final sequence was confusing for me to follow where things were happening, though as someone who can in general struggle to picture things, I can't entirely say if this is just an issue for me.
I didn't enjoy the 'x's in place of the British/American spelling of words (theatex, centex - manxuvex even?). At first I thought it was just an ARC thing and it would be changed in the final version, but there was an in-text reference on a sign to this so I think it might have been intentional. I also did not get along at all with all the contractions in No Face's POV. Sometimes you should just write out "is" and "are" - I stumbled too many times.
I do think it was interesting starting No Face's POV in second person and ending it in third person. There is something poetic about that with their character arc, which was also handled alright.
I also enjoyed the opera elements and think these should have featured more strongly in the book. The oppression of Piao through altered opera, the freedom of Opera through their stories - I think this was a nice idea and could have been the focus of the book, instead of a bombastic showdown that didn't quite land for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley for an early arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m an atheist but I am choosing to believe this book came to me through some sort of divine intervention.
I’d been mourning The Spear Cuts Through Water and the unique, immersive, largely second person narrative that offered me. I read it way too quickly and fell in love. Then - like a light through a tunnel, I open Netgalley and this glimmering gem is on my suggested page.
and goddamnit I read it way too quickly again.
The Empire in the Clouds was simply stunning. I can’t begin to describe with remote adequacy just how beautiful I found everything in these short pages. The prose is lush and mythic, this absolutely incredible blend of decadent Chinese inspired fantasy that invokes this almost fairytale feel, mixed with such incredible Sci-Fi and hypertechnological world. I’ll be so honest I didn’t think it would work and would like to sincerely apologise to Jiang for ever doubting her. It really really worked, and so many of the details like the Mimics were both highly inventive and honestly creepy af 😂.
We follow Xīlán and No Face in a world where corruption has rotted the roots of the world and immortality is a commodity bought and sold. Everything about An Empire in the Clouds was engaging and addictive. The plot is disorienting in a way I honestly really enjoyed, it kept my guessing and my heart racing to the very last page. This is truly a book you can’t decide who to trust even yourself sometimes, and it worked so well in this plot’s favour.
One of the things I loved best about this was the emotional core of the story. Yes there’s plenty of action and adrenaline, tonnes of truly beautiful prose. But where it shone the best for me was the emotional bits. The discourse around fragmented identity and unusual familial relationships was done fantastically by Jiang. I’d be in the middle of something action packed then get hit by a brick wall with emotion that did universal even in this truly unique world.
Praise to the chef, truly.
Yes the second person narrative can be a bit throwing, but let yourself get used to it. Here it’s done so well and in such an immersive way I’ll bet money you’ll struggle to read anything outside of second person ever again.
If you will excuse me I’m running to buy the rest of Jiang’s repetoire, asap.
I’m an atheist but I am choosing to believe this book came to me through some sort of divine intervention.
I’d been mourning The Spear Cuts Through Water and the unique, immersive, largely second person narrative that offered me. I read it way too quickly and fell in love. Then - like a light through a tunnel, I open Netgalley and this glimmering gem is on my suggested page.
and goddamnit I read it way too quickly again.
The Empire in the Clouds was simply stunning. I can’t begin to describe with remote adequacy just how beautiful I found everything in these short pages. The prose is lush and mythic, this absolutely incredible blend of decadent Chinese inspired fantasy that invokes this almost fairytale feel, mixed with such incredible Sci-Fi and hypertechnological world. I’ll be so honest I didn’t think it would work and would like to sincerely apologise to Jiang for ever doubting her. It really really worked, and so many of the details like the Mimics were both highly inventive and honestly creepy af 😂.
We follow Xīlán and No Face in a world where corruption has rotted the roots of the world and immortality is a commodity bought and sold. Everything about An Empire in the Clouds was engaging and addictive. The plot is disorienting in a way I honestly really enjoyed, it kept my guessing and my heart racing to the very last page. This is truly a book you can’t decide who to trust even yourself sometimes, and it worked so well in this plot’s favour.
One of the things I loved best about this was the emotional core of the story. Yes there’s plenty of action and adrenaline, tonnes of truly beautiful prose. But where it shone the best for me was the emotional bits. The discourse around fragmented identity and unusual familial relationships was done fantastically by Jiang. I’d be in the middle of something action packed then get hit by a brick wall with emotion that did universal even in this truly unique world.
Praise to the chef, truly.
Yes the second person narrative can be a bit throwing, but let yourself get used to it. Here it’s done so well and in such an immersive way I’ll bet money you’ll struggle to read anything outside of second person ever again.
If you will excuse me I’m running to buy the rest of Jiang’s repetoire, asap.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m afraid I found getting to the end of this book quite a chore. I thought it very imaginative and well written but it really didn’t grab me and to be honest I found myself getting bored pretty early on in the novel.
The story is set in a drowning world in two locations. In the empire called Piao which seems to exist on top of mechanical lotus flowers. The author’s world building was a bit opaque on this detail or I didn’t get it! The other city being called Opera.
In Piao, the main protagonist, Xilian overhears a plot by “the advisers” to overthrow and kill her brother Yun, the emperor. The advisers, of which there seemed to be only two it’s revealed later in the book, seem to have an iron hold over the whole of the populace and they plan to create a great flood which will kill most of the population in order to make the killing of the emperor look like an accident. This seems somewhat OTT in my opinion and mis-directed! Xilian escapes to Opera, where her exiled other brother lives, in the hope that he will gather support and help her foil the plot and save lives.
Opera is different to Piao in that it is a city in total decline from environmental destruction. Smog lies over the city like a blanket and the populous need sort of respirators to breathe. These come in the form of masks which everyone in both places wear. The masks are worn all the time in both Opera and Piao, and they seem to be like a hi tech screen which changes according to what the wearers wants to convey. I didn’t get why these were necessary or why they were compulsory but I guess it tried to convey the idea of duplicity, and secrets and lies.
So the novel has the makings of an exciting race-against -time thriller but it was dragged down by seemingly endless “Performances”. These took on the role of oral histories. Used by the advisers to tell the stories they want to tell regardless of truth or accuracy and I found it difficult to concentrate on them or to get through them so maybe I missed out on a lot of detail. Also the characters did not appeal. I found them under developed, disappointing considering it’s a fairly long novel.
I maybe was expecting a different type of tale but perhaps the novel will appeal to readers who enjoy colourful slow paced stories.
Thanks to NetGalley for the kindle ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The story is set in a drowning world in two locations. In the empire called Piao which seems to exist on top of mechanical lotus flowers. The author’s world building was a bit opaque on this detail or I didn’t get it! The other city being called Opera.
In Piao, the main protagonist, Xilian overhears a plot by “the advisers” to overthrow and kill her brother Yun, the emperor. The advisers, of which there seemed to be only two it’s revealed later in the book, seem to have an iron hold over the whole of the populace and they plan to create a great flood which will kill most of the population in order to make the killing of the emperor look like an accident. This seems somewhat OTT in my opinion and mis-directed! Xilian escapes to Opera, where her exiled other brother lives, in the hope that he will gather support and help her foil the plot and save lives.
Opera is different to Piao in that it is a city in total decline from environmental destruction. Smog lies over the city like a blanket and the populous need sort of respirators to breathe. These come in the form of masks which everyone in both places wear. The masks are worn all the time in both Opera and Piao, and they seem to be like a hi tech screen which changes according to what the wearers wants to convey. I didn’t get why these were necessary or why they were compulsory but I guess it tried to convey the idea of duplicity, and secrets and lies.
So the novel has the makings of an exciting race-against -time thriller but it was dragged down by seemingly endless “Performances”. These took on the role of oral histories. Used by the advisers to tell the stories they want to tell regardless of truth or accuracy and I found it difficult to concentrate on them or to get through them so maybe I missed out on a lot of detail. Also the characters did not appeal. I found them under developed, disappointing considering it’s a fairly long novel.
I maybe was expecting a different type of tale but perhaps the novel will appeal to readers who enjoy colourful slow paced stories.
Thanks to NetGalley for the kindle ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Advanced copy courtesy of NetGalley and publisher.
3 stars.
I'm afraid I struggled quite a bit with this one. I love east Asian inspired novels, though I felt completely out of my depth here. From different pronunciations and similar looking names to a plotline I fundamentally didn't understand, I suffered from not being east Asian. I didn't know what Chinese operas were, despite them being a core part of the novel. I was confused by the character named YOU and also the second person narration in the dual POV. I had a hard time imagining the setting, stuck between a drowning continent and an empire in lotuses.
What I liked: This story really was beautiful, even if it went completely over my head. For someone more familiar with the subject matter, I can see this working wonderfully. I also liked Xilian's characterisation, and how she was far from perfect and rather cowardly. She's a princess, but she doesn't have any hidden talent or assassination abilities. It was refreshing. I also liked that there wasn't much duality in gender, but it did get confusing at times (he/she vs they).
What I didn't love: If second person POVs have no haters, I am dead. It has never worked for me, and this continues to this day. I understand the choice behind it - the character of No Face is every person reading the book, and really has no face (until the end, when the POV changes as well as her accepting her name). The setting was confusing to me, and the way the continent of Opera operated - especially with the words including x instead of s and other strange spellings. One example was 'theatex towardx the centex.' It felt unnecessarily complicated. And the explanation came far too late in the book, leaving me scratching my head for about 40%. I also found the dual point of view unnecessary, especially because the characters have completely different stories for most of the book. They don't interact until the final climax. I think it could have been more useful to have the secondary POV as Lang, Xilian's brother, than No Face, though No Face was an interesting character.
Overall, this book had amazing potential but my lack of understanding of Chinese Operas and spelling derivatives pulled it down for me.
3 stars.
I'm afraid I struggled quite a bit with this one. I love east Asian inspired novels, though I felt completely out of my depth here. From different pronunciations and similar looking names to a plotline I fundamentally didn't understand, I suffered from not being east Asian. I didn't know what Chinese operas were, despite them being a core part of the novel. I was confused by the character named YOU and also the second person narration in the dual POV. I had a hard time imagining the setting, stuck between a drowning continent and an empire in lotuses.
What I liked: This story really was beautiful, even if it went completely over my head. For someone more familiar with the subject matter, I can see this working wonderfully. I also liked Xilian's characterisation, and how she was far from perfect and rather cowardly. She's a princess, but she doesn't have any hidden talent or assassination abilities. It was refreshing. I also liked that there wasn't much duality in gender, but it did get confusing at times (he/she vs they).
What I didn't love: If second person POVs have no haters, I am dead. It has never worked for me, and this continues to this day. I understand the choice behind it - the character of No Face is every person reading the book, and really has no face (until the end, when the POV changes as well as her accepting her name). The setting was confusing to me, and the way the continent of Opera operated - especially with the words including x instead of s and other strange spellings. One example was 'theatex towardx the centex.' It felt unnecessarily complicated. And the explanation came far too late in the book, leaving me scratching my head for about 40%. I also found the dual point of view unnecessary, especially because the characters have completely different stories for most of the book. They don't interact until the final climax. I think it could have been more useful to have the secondary POV as Lang, Xilian's brother, than No Face, though No Face was an interesting character.
Overall, this book had amazing potential but my lack of understanding of Chinese Operas and spelling derivatives pulled it down for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 rounded up to 4/5 masked stars 🎭🎭🎭🎭
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy.
An Empire in the Clouds follows the POVs of two individuals fighting against the iron fist of the Piaoren Empire--an advisor-led dynasty forcing the split of two continents for their own greed.
The first POV follows Xilian, daughter of the late emperor and empress--who wished to unite the floating lotuses of Piao with the drowning continent of Opera before their untimely deaths. The second follows No Face, a piaoren who escaped to Opera and found a home within the House of the Water Sleeves. No Face was forced away from Piao due to the advisors, and wishes to exact revenge on them. We see both Xilian and No Face reckon with their pasts and hopes for the future as they separately plot to take down the advisors.
While a beautifully written and imaginative story, I found myself struggling with the POV switches. No faces's were particularly off putting being in the first person while Xilian was in third.
I appreciated the author's attempt to convey Opera's slang, but the lack of explanation for the sudden spelling changes made me think there were printing errors until the "x" slang was mentioned halfway through the book. This should've been explained the first time the reader encounters it.
Additionally, I wish we could have better understood the motivations of Advisor Liang and REBOOT's leaders. Their malice would've been more convincing if we had more of an explanation behind their actions. I found the REBOOT vs REVIVE dichotomy ineresting and would've loved to see more of how each faction headbutted and which would lead Opera in its new era. The inclusion almost felt too ambitious since it wasn't fully fleshed out.
I also found many of the characters endearing (Gubao, Lang, Yōu, and Uncle Lian), however, some like Gael and Okwi were introduced so quickly it was hard to tell them apart and I felt little when they were in danger.
Overall, An Empire in the Clouds is a beautifully written, hopeful, and reflective read that is a little difficult to get into, but worth the leap.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy.
An Empire in the Clouds follows the POVs of two individuals fighting against the iron fist of the Piaoren Empire--an advisor-led dynasty forcing the split of two continents for their own greed.
The first POV follows Xilian, daughter of the late emperor and empress--who wished to unite the floating lotuses of Piao with the drowning continent of Opera before their untimely deaths. The second follows No Face, a piaoren who escaped to Opera and found a home within the House of the Water Sleeves. No Face was forced away from Piao due to the advisors, and wishes to exact revenge on them. We see both Xilian and No Face reckon with their pasts and hopes for the future as they separately plot to take down the advisors.
While a beautifully written and imaginative story, I found myself struggling with the POV switches. No faces's were particularly off putting being in the first person while Xilian was in third.
I appreciated the author's attempt to convey Opera's slang, but the lack of explanation for the sudden spelling changes made me think there were printing errors until the "x" slang was mentioned halfway through the book. This should've been explained the first time the reader encounters it.
Additionally, I wish we could have better understood the motivations of Advisor Liang and REBOOT's leaders. Their malice would've been more convincing if we had more of an explanation behind their actions. I found the REBOOT vs REVIVE dichotomy ineresting and would've loved to see more of how each faction headbutted and which would lead Opera in its new era. The inclusion almost felt too ambitious since it wasn't fully fleshed out.
I also found many of the characters endearing (Gubao, Lang, Yōu, and Uncle Lian), however, some like Gael and Okwi were introduced so quickly it was hard to tell them apart and I felt little when they were in danger.
Overall, An Empire in the Clouds is a beautifully written, hopeful, and reflective read that is a little difficult to get into, but worth the leap.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3/5 stars rounded to 4 stars 🌟
The stunning cover of An Empire in the Clouds was what first caught my attention and ultimately convinced me to request an ARC. When I learned it was set in a unique floating world and blended speculative and literary fiction, it became an easy yes for me.
An Empire in the Clouds follows a young woman navigating a city in the clouds shaped by political conflict, identity, and hope for a better future. The premise is incredibly intriguing, and the prose is beautiful throughout. Ai Jiang has a wonderful way with words, and there were several lines that really stood out to me, especially:
“Kindness, it seems, is as much a weapon as it is a virtue.”
“Sometimes people must die for others to live.”
My biggest struggle was with the storytelling itself. The POV alternates between first and second person, and I personally really dislike second-person narration. The constant switch between the two pulled me out of the story and made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself.
I also found the worldbuilding a little difficult to settle into. There were so many fascinating ideas, but I often felt like I was dropped into the world without enough context or lead-up. I wanted a little more explanation of the setting, politics, and terminology before being expected to understand them. I loved the concept of the world, but I felt the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential.
That said, I really enjoyed several of the minor characters, who brought warmth and heart to the story, and the prose remained consistently beautiful from beginning to end.
Overall, An Empire in the Clouds is an ambitious, imaginative novel with a compelling premise and gorgeous writing. While the narrative style and worldbuilding didn’t fully work for me, I can absolutely see this resonating with readers who enjoy literary speculative fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The stunning cover of An Empire in the Clouds was what first caught my attention and ultimately convinced me to request an ARC. When I learned it was set in a unique floating world and blended speculative and literary fiction, it became an easy yes for me.
An Empire in the Clouds follows a young woman navigating a city in the clouds shaped by political conflict, identity, and hope for a better future. The premise is incredibly intriguing, and the prose is beautiful throughout. Ai Jiang has a wonderful way with words, and there were several lines that really stood out to me, especially:
“Kindness, it seems, is as much a weapon as it is a virtue.”
“Sometimes people must die for others to live.”
My biggest struggle was with the storytelling itself. The POV alternates between first and second person, and I personally really dislike second-person narration. The constant switch between the two pulled me out of the story and made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself.
I also found the worldbuilding a little difficult to settle into. There were so many fascinating ideas, but I often felt like I was dropped into the world without enough context or lead-up. I wanted a little more explanation of the setting, politics, and terminology before being expected to understand them. I loved the concept of the world, but I felt the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential.
That said, I really enjoyed several of the minor characters, who brought warmth and heart to the story, and the prose remained consistently beautiful from beginning to end.
Overall, An Empire in the Clouds is an ambitious, imaginative novel with a compelling premise and gorgeous writing. While the narrative style and worldbuilding didn’t fully work for me, I can absolutely see this resonating with readers who enjoy literary speculative fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy
Beautiful writing, but the story was made complicated with the dual worlds, dual POV, and the strange spellings of inserting the letter x where there shouldn't be one. Honestly I thought all those unnecessary x letters were a misprint or error as I was reading an unproofed copy, but it turns out it was written that way. Words like towards is spelled like towardx, maneuvered is manxeuvex, center is centex, emperors is emperoxes etc. making it extra confusing or jarring.
The second person POV, which I don't like reading, also made it a challenge to get through this book. And while the fictional dual worlds made for an adventurous escape, it was too detailed sometimes that it felt like it was being overexplained to me and didn't let me as a reader interpret or imagine this world. Which, when you think about it, should have been helpful because this isn't a real world anyway and I'd at least need some guiding hand in imaging but idk it just deterred me for some reason and I couldn't connect to it deeply.
Sometimes it felt like this is a dramatic story trying to be bigger than it should be, like in the final 15%-20% of the book where it starts leaning into some Disney-levels of kumbaya. Everyone is at peace and everything works out in the end, with some dramatic and inspiring parting words.
There were bits of poetic prose that I liked, but they were few and far between. I couldn't help but wish the book focused more on the historical and Chinese opera aspect, or maybe the sibling/familial dynamics and political/royal court intrigue instead of having all those *and* with technology and climate change layers within. But maybe that's just me.
After struggling with most of my fantasy reads this month, I definitely need to take a break and go read something contemporary or cozy.
The second person POV, which I don't like reading, also made it a challenge to get through this book. And while the fictional dual worlds made for an adventurous escape, it was too detailed sometimes that it felt like it was being overexplained to me and didn't let me as a reader interpret or imagine this world. Which, when you think about it, should have been helpful because this isn't a real world anyway and I'd at least need some guiding hand in imaging but idk it just deterred me for some reason and I couldn't connect to it deeply.
Sometimes it felt like this is a dramatic story trying to be bigger than it should be, like in the final 15%-20% of the book where it starts leaning into some Disney-levels of kumbaya. Everyone is at peace and everything works out in the end, with some dramatic and inspiring parting words.
There were bits of poetic prose that I liked, but they were few and far between. I couldn't help but wish the book focused more on the historical and Chinese opera aspect, or maybe the sibling/familial dynamics and political/royal court intrigue instead of having all those *and* with technology and climate change layers within. But maybe that's just me.
After struggling with most of my fantasy reads this month, I definitely need to take a break and go read something contemporary or cozy.
July 16, 2026
What I liked:
- Sibling dynamics (Triplets! Yesssss!)
- The short, quick chapters.
- I like some of the cool unique climate world building in this, like the smog eaters.
Things I struggled with:
- Visualizing the world. Like Tron with masks but underwater for traveling? I need more artwork please. And then sometimes the details took away from the political court threads. So I often had to go back to see what was being talked about.
- I felt like we lost the focus on the siblings and I wanted more of them. I wanted a clearer more satisfying ending.
- This is probably because I’m dyslexic- but the changing of word spellings to have X in them hurts my brain. I also didn’t think certain things didn’t need to be in all caps. It draws my eye before I want to get to it.
I loved the dedication:
“For all those wearing a thousand faces and more. For those those wearing a single face without choice. It starts with the individual but ends with the community. It takes first an understanding of the past to change the future. It begins with ourselves before it spreads, like a drowning sea.”
And this part:
“Have you ever wished to simply let the world drown? Even if it meant you yourself’ d drown with it?”
…. “What I needed, I think, was simpler than I thought,” they continue. “Hope.”
Thanks Netgalley & Titan Books.
Even though I struggled with fully to connect, I know this will be someone’s jam.
3/5
- Sibling dynamics (Triplets! Yesssss!)
- The short, quick chapters.
- I like some of the cool unique climate world building in this, like the smog eaters.
Things I struggled with:
- Visualizing the world. Like Tron with masks but underwater for traveling? I need more artwork please. And then sometimes the details took away from the political court threads. So I often had to go back to see what was being talked about.
- I felt like we lost the focus on the siblings and I wanted more of them. I wanted a clearer more satisfying ending.
- This is probably because I’m dyslexic- but the changing of word spellings to have X in them hurts my brain. I also didn’t think certain things didn’t need to be in all caps. It draws my eye before I want to get to it.
I loved the dedication:
“For all those wearing a thousand faces and more. For those those wearing a single face without choice. It starts with the individual but ends with the community. It takes first an understanding of the past to change the future. It begins with ourselves before it spreads, like a drowning sea.”
And this part:
“Have you ever wished to simply let the world drown? Even if it meant you yourself’ d drown with it?”
…. “What I needed, I think, was simpler than I thought,” they continue. “Hope.”
Thanks Netgalley & Titan Books.
Even though I struggled with fully to connect, I know this will be someone’s jam.
3/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A safe haven's not always utopia, just as danger and instability may always be dystopia. - An Empire in the Clouds
This was an incredible book. There were so many beautiful things about it, that I was highly invested in just the language of the book alone. I did not expect the gorgeous blend of science fiction and fantasy with the Chinese cultural influence, but let me tell you, it was amazing.
There were quite a lot of things that I loved about this book, for one the obvious of the above mentioned, and two, I loved the characters. The majority of them were extremely mysterious, and I loved that about them.
With that being said, there were a few things that I think needed some work. While I loved the characters, it did feel like sometimes I was reading more about them in general then about the plot. The plot was fairly slow until about midway, and I was starting to get a little confused with everything going on.
Overall, this was a beautiful book, and I definitely will be continuing to read anything by Ai Jiang!
Thank you to Ai Jiang and Titan Books for the beautiful book!
This was an incredible book. There were so many beautiful things about it, that I was highly invested in just the language of the book alone. I did not expect the gorgeous blend of science fiction and fantasy with the Chinese cultural influence, but let me tell you, it was amazing.
There were quite a lot of things that I loved about this book, for one the obvious of the above mentioned, and two, I loved the characters. The majority of them were extremely mysterious, and I loved that about them.
With that being said, there were a few things that I think needed some work. While I loved the characters, it did feel like sometimes I was reading more about them in general then about the plot. The plot was fairly slow until about midway, and I was starting to get a little confused with everything going on.
Overall, this was a beautiful book, and I definitely will be continuing to read anything by Ai Jiang!
Thank you to Ai Jiang and Titan Books for the beautiful book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I struggled with this book! I'll start with the positive - I really enjoyed the concept of the setting. The concept of using giant koi for travel was pretty sick, and I thought the descriptions/imagery were really strong. The outfits and the idea of the masks were really neat and I appreciated them.
I'm wondering if the primary audience of this would be someone younger? but also didn't feel as though it was aimed at kids, like the book is labelled adult. My main concern is that the main character didn't particularly act like and adult, this woman is allegedly like 100 years old and I felt like her internal reasoning was more akin to a 14-year old.
I found the pacing quite poor, the information dumping to be excessive, and the characters shallow. I didn't really know what the primary character was going for, and the split POV didn't function well. As a stylistic choice, replacing letters in words with "X" was not enjoyable at all to read, it was just distracting. The motivations of the villains were cartoonish, and I could not bring myself to continue reading the book.
I'm wondering if the primary audience of this would be someone younger? but also didn't feel as though it was aimed at kids, like the book is labelled adult. My main concern is that the main character didn't particularly act like and adult, this woman is allegedly like 100 years old and I felt like her internal reasoning was more akin to a 14-year old.
I found the pacing quite poor, the information dumping to be excessive, and the characters shallow. I didn't really know what the primary character was going for, and the split POV didn't function well. As a stylistic choice, replacing letters in words with "X" was not enjoyable at all to read, it was just distracting. The motivations of the villains were cartoonish, and I could not bring myself to continue reading the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is for sure the most unique book I have read in a long while. 'An Empire in the Clouds' is a poetic, Asian-inspired blend of fantasy and sci-fi which experiments with language and form like I've never seen it before. This also means: it is absolutely in your wheelhouse, or just really not for you. Unfortunately, as much as I tried to get into it, I must confess that I firmely belong in the second category.
There were elements in the book I just didn't get (Why the pop-ups? Why are the advisors so feared when one drone could take care of at least part of the problem?), the characters didn't feel human or distinguishable (probably due to the masks, or the age-inappropriate behaviour), and half of the book was written in a style that I just couldn't connect with at all.
That being said, the things I struggled with are artistic choices I believe others might very well enjoy, and I hope that you give this book a try if you enjoy unconventional stories!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
There were elements in the book I just didn't get (Why the pop-ups? Why are the advisors so feared when one drone could take care of at least part of the problem?), the characters didn't feel human or distinguishable (probably due to the masks, or the age-inappropriate behaviour), and half of the book was written in a style that I just couldn't connect with at all.
That being said, the things I struggled with are artistic choices I believe others might very well enjoy, and I hope that you give this book a try if you enjoy unconventional stories!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is such an interesting sci-fi/fantasy read! The world is so unique, combining both a historical vibe with a futuristic high-tech setting. The two main settings, Piao and Opera, are so different, yet they complement each other so well.
The story is told from two POVs by Xilian and No Face. One of these POVs was in first person, and the other was in 2nd person, which was such a new and exciting experience for me. All the characters felt real, and I loved the various relationships explored.
I loved the way the plot progressed, and the twists and reveals were so engaging. There were many I definitely was not expecting. The ending was very intense, and I thought it fit the story and characters well.
I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before, and I really enjoyed it! Looking forward to reading more from this author!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.
The story is told from two POVs by Xilian and No Face. One of these POVs was in first person, and the other was in 2nd person, which was such a new and exciting experience for me. All the characters felt real, and I loved the various relationships explored.
I loved the way the plot progressed, and the twists and reveals were so engaging. There were many I definitely was not expecting. The ending was very intense, and I thought it fit the story and characters well.
I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before, and I really enjoyed it! Looking forward to reading more from this author!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.
August 16, 2026
I really really really wanted to like this book. The overview promises a detailed sci fi set in a rich environment and it just didn’t land for me. I did like the imagery in the book but the plot is where I struggled. The first 1/4 of the book is wildly slow and then all the sudden the pacing speeds up and then it becomes too fast and confusing. I think I could’ve been okay with the pacing, but I also struggled to connect to either of the main characters. The primary main character makes baffling decisions and has the reasoning of a toddler at times when they are allegedly nearing 100 years in age. Overall, I think the plot was ambitious but ultimately fell flat for me. 2.5/5 stars
Thank you Net Galley and Titan Books for the ARC
Thank you Net Galley and Titan Books for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
My blurb of An Empire in the Clouds:
“A lush and inventive tale exploring duality in its many forms, beginning with the clash between lands: the ancient beauty of traditionalist Piāo and the gritty neon of tech-obsessed Opera. Against this vibrant backdrop, Jiang deftly combines gorgeous prose, complex characters, and subtle commentary to build a powerful story about the ways we help and hurt each other—whether intentional or not. Don’t miss this heartbreakingly beautiful debut novel from a rising star in speculative fiction!”
“A lush and inventive tale exploring duality in its many forms, beginning with the clash between lands: the ancient beauty of traditionalist Piāo and the gritty neon of tech-obsessed Opera. Against this vibrant backdrop, Jiang deftly combines gorgeous prose, complex characters, and subtle commentary to build a powerful story about the ways we help and hurt each other—whether intentional or not. Don’t miss this heartbreakingly beautiful debut novel from a rising star in speculative fiction!”
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved every minute of reading this book the different worlds from modern to old. Enjoyed the charectors growth and adversity it is a very good read
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Full review to follow in September.
Full review to follow in September.
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