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Kingdom of Three #1
Strike the Zither
An epic YA fantasy about found family, rivals, and identity, from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, inspired by Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Classics of Chinese Literature.
The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves.
But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.
Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.
The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves.
But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.
Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2022
528 people are currently reading
46089 people want to read
About the author
Joan He
7 books8,214 followersJoan was born and raised in Philadelphia but still will, on occasion, lose her way. At a young age, she received classical instruction in oil painting before discovering that stories were her favorite kind of art. She studied psychology and Chinese history at the University of Pennsylvania and currently writes from a desk overlooking the city
waterfront. Descendant of the Crane is her young adult debut.
For updates, please sign up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c5rvdL. For business related inquiries, please contact her literary agent, John Cusick of Folio Lit.
waterfront. Descendant of the Crane is her young adult debut.
For updates, please sign up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c5rvdL. For business related inquiries, please contact her literary agent, John Cusick of Folio Lit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,505 reviews
March 19, 2025
TEN PLOT TWIST WHAAAAAT
co to za seria jest halo potrzebuje drugiego tomu
Jeśli lubicie militarne (ale nadal młodzieżowe) inspirowane chińskim klimatem fantasy to spróbujcie tego serio
co to za seria jest halo potrzebuje drugiego tomu
Jeśli lubicie militarne (ale nadal młodzieżowe) inspirowane chińskim klimatem fantasy to spróbujcie tego serio
May 4, 2022
Rich with intrigue and epic in scale. Strike the Zither grows tall on the heroic classics it draws from, yet beats powerfully with a heart of its own. Joan He aims ambitiously and lands true each time.
January 4, 2025
this is JHs best book so far! and, honestly, i know nothing about the original tale of the three kingdoms, but this retelling is canon as far as im concerned. so glad its going to be a series!
i love the themes this story explores - the rise and fall of fortunes, how closely fate is tied to individual lives and choices, and how greed and ambition are inherent human qualities. and its all set in an ancient history full of war, secrets, betrayal, scheming, and magical qi. its very much an action-packed story.
also, the character illustrations included in this are stunning! we need more art to be published in books, so heres hoping the sequel will have more!
a big thanks to macmillan/roaring brook press for the ARC!
↠ 4.5 stars
i love the themes this story explores - the rise and fall of fortunes, how closely fate is tied to individual lives and choices, and how greed and ambition are inherent human qualities. and its all set in an ancient history full of war, secrets, betrayal, scheming, and magical qi. its very much an action-packed story.
also, the character illustrations included in this are stunning! we need more art to be published in books, so heres hoping the sequel will have more!
a big thanks to macmillan/roaring brook press for the ARC!
↠ 4.5 stars
Read
November 14, 202210/25/22 and that's my 3rd book, the book of my heart, out in the world ;~; huge thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read the book early. if you feel up to crossposting your review on retail sites such as amazon, that's always a big help and I'm grateful if you choose to <3
per tradition, going to answer some FAQs I've seen floating around here where readers can easily find them!
is this a duology or trilogy? duology! the sequel will conclude zephyr's story. when it comes out, I highly recommend reading the 2 books back to back since I originally envisioned both books as fitting into as one epic 700pg tome, which means a lot of the events in book 1 foreshadow story elements in book 2, and the arcs of events, character growth, and relationships are very continuous.
what was your reasoning behind the names? you can read about the use of sobriquets and pinyin names here. I will link to the detailed character intros once they exist!
do I need 3kingdoms knowledge to read the book? the short answer is that you do not; people like my editor with zero 3kingdoms knowledge have read the book and enjoyed it enough to publish it. the longer answer is that reading 3kingdoms may give you some additional context to certain story elements, such as the midpoint twist, which is my textual response to how Luo Guanzhong, the frequently accredited author of the classic, elevated real historical figures to characters of mythical proportions, with names such as Zhuge Liang looming large in the Chinese consciousness to this day. understandably, YMMV with the twist (here's why I chose to write it to the audience I did). If you are looking to get into the classic, I would highly recommend the abridged translation by Moss Roberts. It covers about 80% of the plots involving the main cast in a fraction of the words, compared to the 800k unabridged text.
for other insights such as inspo and gender breakdowns... I'd recommend giving this interview a read. For a more granular breakdown of similarities and differences between my book and the classic, please look to my author's note in the back of the book
I'll close this out with a gentle reminder that THREE KINGDOMS/三國演義 is a work of historical fiction veering on fantasy (see the wacky elements such as summoned mist, moving rocks, and faces that snarl post-decapitation). It is not the same as 三國志, a historical record of the era. STRIKE THE ZITHER reimagines the former rather than the latter.
6/28/22 ARCs are now out on netgalley and edelweiss! CWs are below; please take the care you need while reading <3
CWs (may not be exhaustive): war, blood, violence, deaths, major character death, animal death (non-graphic), eye horror, death of parents (off page), vomiting, verbal and physical abuse from a guardian figure, starvation and famine, body shaming (in the context of an ancient era that glorified warriors), xenophobia (in the context of regional prejudices between the North and South), offensive language in dialogue*
*Please note that the arc is not final. While the story doesn't differ, during edits some language and translations from Chinese were changed to be more mindful of the English context in which they will be read. This will be reflected in the finished copy! Thank you for understanding <3
4/28/22 "How do you reimagine a story that’s largely unknown to your market? How do you pay homage to legendary figures such as Zhuge Liang when the name doesn’t ring the same bell for everyone?"
This is an excerpt of the letter that I wrote when we subbed this book to my publisher. It's a question that I've asked myself every time I've come back to the story, which I first drafted from 2017-2018, hoping that it'd be my follow up to DOTC (and in a turn of events, it will be, if you count the DOTC paperback release :)
Whereas DOTC and TOWMTF build off of YA tropes that I grew up reading about (royalty and siblings in dystopia, respectively), I took a leap with STZ and grounded it in a less mainstream, though no less significant, part of my childhood. STZ draws from the energy of epics such as 水滸, 康熙王朝, and, of course, the Three Kingdoms books themselves--which, I should note, not even my mom has read :') And so I've always known that this book won't quite resonate with everyone. There will be references that won't strike a chord, and others removed, reimagined or transposed in such a way that diehard fans of the original might go ??? (e.g. there is no Cao Zhi in STZ, so my lady Zhuge Liang gets to be the one who composes a poem in 7 steps!).
Of course the most notable difference is the removal of the Confucian patriarchal system. As with DOTC, I have no interests in exploring female agency from the lens of traditional Chinese lit and media, especially not in the name of "accuracy." The most accurate thing in STZ with regards to the original source is probably Zephyr (my Zhuge Liang) and Xin Ren's (my Liu Bei) relationship of undying loyalty--for no romantic, personal, concrete or otherwise easily-understood-by-a-western-audience reason. It's this 天命 relationship that's the beating heart of Three Kingdoms, and probably the most poignant illustration of the Confucianism that scaffolds the source. So I honored it as much as I could. The rest, I wrote for me, and I can only hope that some of the joy and love I have for this story transfers over to you, the reader. Thank you for taking a chance with my heart book <3
per tradition, going to answer some FAQs I've seen floating around here where readers can easily find them!
is this a duology or trilogy? duology! the sequel will conclude zephyr's story. when it comes out, I highly recommend reading the 2 books back to back since I originally envisioned both books as fitting into as one epic 700pg tome, which means a lot of the events in book 1 foreshadow story elements in book 2, and the arcs of events, character growth, and relationships are very continuous.
what was your reasoning behind the names? you can read about the use of sobriquets and pinyin names here. I will link to the detailed character intros once they exist!
do I need 3kingdoms knowledge to read the book? the short answer is that you do not; people like my editor with zero 3kingdoms knowledge have read the book and enjoyed it enough to publish it. the longer answer is that reading 3kingdoms may give you some additional context to certain story elements, such as the midpoint twist, which is my textual response to how Luo Guanzhong, the frequently accredited author of the classic, elevated real historical figures to characters of mythical proportions, with names such as Zhuge Liang looming large in the Chinese consciousness to this day. understandably, YMMV with the twist (here's why I chose to write it to the audience I did). If you are looking to get into the classic, I would highly recommend the abridged translation by Moss Roberts. It covers about 80% of the plots involving the main cast in a fraction of the words, compared to the 800k unabridged text.
for other insights such as inspo and gender breakdowns... I'd recommend giving this interview a read. For a more granular breakdown of similarities and differences between my book and the classic, please look to my author's note in the back of the book
I'll close this out with a gentle reminder that THREE KINGDOMS/三國演義 is a work of historical fiction veering on fantasy (see the wacky elements such as summoned mist, moving rocks, and faces that snarl post-decapitation). It is not the same as 三國志, a historical record of the era. STRIKE THE ZITHER reimagines the former rather than the latter.
6/28/22 ARCs are now out on netgalley and edelweiss! CWs are below; please take the care you need while reading <3
CWs (may not be exhaustive): war, blood, violence, deaths, major character death, animal death (non-graphic), eye horror, death of parents (off page), vomiting, verbal and physical abuse from a guardian figure, starvation and famine, body shaming (in the context of an ancient era that glorified warriors), xenophobia (in the context of regional prejudices between the North and South), offensive language in dialogue*
*Please note that the arc is not final. While the story doesn't differ, during edits some language and translations from Chinese were changed to be more mindful of the English context in which they will be read. This will be reflected in the finished copy! Thank you for understanding <3
4/28/22 "How do you reimagine a story that’s largely unknown to your market? How do you pay homage to legendary figures such as Zhuge Liang when the name doesn’t ring the same bell for everyone?"
This is an excerpt of the letter that I wrote when we subbed this book to my publisher. It's a question that I've asked myself every time I've come back to the story, which I first drafted from 2017-2018, hoping that it'd be my follow up to DOTC (and in a turn of events, it will be, if you count the DOTC paperback release :)
Whereas DOTC and TOWMTF build off of YA tropes that I grew up reading about (royalty and siblings in dystopia, respectively), I took a leap with STZ and grounded it in a less mainstream, though no less significant, part of my childhood. STZ draws from the energy of epics such as 水滸, 康熙王朝, and, of course, the Three Kingdoms books themselves--which, I should note, not even my mom has read :') And so I've always known that this book won't quite resonate with everyone. There will be references that won't strike a chord, and others removed, reimagined or transposed in such a way that diehard fans of the original might go ??? (e.g. there is no Cao Zhi in STZ, so my lady Zhuge Liang gets to be the one who composes a poem in 7 steps!).
Of course the most notable difference is the removal of the Confucian patriarchal system. As with DOTC, I have no interests in exploring female agency from the lens of traditional Chinese lit and media, especially not in the name of "accuracy." The most accurate thing in STZ with regards to the original source is probably Zephyr (my Zhuge Liang) and Xin Ren's (my Liu Bei) relationship of undying loyalty--for no romantic, personal, concrete or otherwise easily-understood-by-a-western-audience reason. It's this 天命 relationship that's the beating heart of Three Kingdoms, and probably the most poignant illustration of the Confucianism that scaffolds the source. So I honored it as much as I could. The rest, I wrote for me, and I can only hope that some of the joy and love I have for this story transfers over to you, the reader. Thank you for taking a chance with my heart book <3
September 17, 2022
"Blame me, or blame the heavens for placing us on different sides of this war. May we meet in another life."
sleeping on the highway tonight. it was nice knowing you guys. JOAN HE WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME??
thank you Macmillan for the arc!
you can find my STZ aesthetics video here ✨
(also i listened to this song a lot while reading this book! so here is my song rec lol)
you know what we don't get enough in fantasy? girls who get along and work together to conquer the world. it's my favorite thing in the whole wide world. AND THIS??? A THREE KINGDOMS REIMAGINING BUT ALL GIRLS ?? SO PERFECT. almost every single person in power is a woman. SLAYYYY
it has the perfect amount of war politics, found family, and action. if you loved the poppy war series, specifically kitay and his brilliant mind, you'll love STZ. one of the things i dislike in fantasy books is, for example, when they advertise the mc as a "deadly assassin" but she never does anything in the book to show for it. STZ PULLS THROUGH !! Zephyr is an amazing strategist who will go to lengths to serve her warlordess Xin Ren. you can tell she is really smart and earned her place. i love getting inside her mind
also, forced to infiltrate an enemy camp? i was already sold in the synopsis.
to my tgcf lovers: it reminded such much of tgcf's writing style. as well as xie lian's time serving in the yong'an army. there are other tgcf bits similar but are spoilery so i won't say! (and tiny bits of mdzs but can't say what either) ALSO THERE IS THIS ONE SCENE THAT LOOSELY REMINDS ME OF THE COFFIN SCENE. WITH THE LOVE INTEREST. SCREAMING !! THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY ABOUT IT. YOU'LL HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️) you can take a peak of the scene here (it's an artwork) that the author shared on her ig! you can actually receive the art print if you preorder and send your receipt. trust me it is worth it😭
for my fantasy romance lovers: (LISTEN TO ME)
i was not expecting romance since it was not tagged here but there is a tiny bit of it! i believe 1000% that we will get more of it in the next book. IT WAS SO GOOD THOUGH. FUCK. the love interest is the strategist for the enemy. so is it enemies to lovers? I HOPE SO. PLS I NEED BOOK 2 RN. without romance, i would have loved it just as much bc the plot and characters are so well written, you will find yourself rooting for them on page one !!
sleeping on the highway tonight. it was nice knowing you guys. JOAN HE WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME??
thank you Macmillan for the arc!
you can find my STZ aesthetics video here ✨
(also i listened to this song a lot while reading this book! so here is my song rec lol)
you know what we don't get enough in fantasy? girls who get along and work together to conquer the world. it's my favorite thing in the whole wide world. AND THIS??? A THREE KINGDOMS REIMAGINING BUT ALL GIRLS ?? SO PERFECT. almost every single person in power is a woman. SLAYYYY
it has the perfect amount of war politics, found family, and action. if you loved the poppy war series, specifically kitay and his brilliant mind, you'll love STZ. one of the things i dislike in fantasy books is, for example, when they advertise the mc as a "deadly assassin" but she never does anything in the book to show for it. STZ PULLS THROUGH !! Zephyr is an amazing strategist who will go to lengths to serve her warlordess Xin Ren. you can tell she is really smart and earned her place. i love getting inside her mind
also, forced to infiltrate an enemy camp? i was already sold in the synopsis.
to my tgcf lovers: it reminded such much of tgcf's writing style. as well as xie lian's time serving in the yong'an army. there are other tgcf bits similar but are spoilery so i won't say! (and tiny bits of mdzs but can't say what either) ALSO THERE IS THIS ONE SCENE THAT LOOSELY REMINDS ME OF THE COFFIN SCENE. WITH THE LOVE INTEREST. SCREAMING !! THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY ABOUT IT. YOU'LL HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️) you can take a peak of the scene here (it's an artwork) that the author shared on her ig! you can actually receive the art print if you preorder and send your receipt. trust me it is worth it😭
for my fantasy romance lovers: (LISTEN TO ME)
i was not expecting romance since it was not tagged here but there is a tiny bit of it! i believe 1000% that we will get more of it in the next book. IT WAS SO GOOD THOUGH. FUCK. the love interest is the strategist for the enemy. so is it enemies to lovers? I HOPE SO. PLS I NEED BOOK 2 RN. without romance, i would have loved it just as much bc the plot and characters are so well written, you will find yourself rooting for them on page one !!
December 8, 2022
This is not my favorite book by the author, but I'll admit that no one does a shocking twist like Joan He. Part of my struggle might have been that I had a difficult time connecting with the audiobook due to the narrator's style, which was completely personal preference and not in the least bit objective on my part. The beginning of the novel begins with lots going on; action, excitement, and a bit of confusion with the massive cast from the first page. The hardcover has character art and maps and such which would have been so helpful for me while reading, and are truly just a gorgeous addition to the material.
The pacing continues for the first half at a breakneck speed, and then The Twist™ occurs, which blew my mind, but the story then did not follow the arc I thought it might. Instead of taking full advantage of this new information after catching the reader off guard, it just sort of... continues the way its been going in a generic form. Everything is set up nicely for book 2, so please note that things are not completely wrapped up in this installment. I'm still trying to work through if I buy the budding romance, and will look forward to seeing how things play out in the sequel.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my audio review copy.
The pacing continues for the first half at a breakneck speed, and then The Twist™ occurs, which blew my mind, but the story then did not follow the arc I thought it might. Instead of taking full advantage of this new information after catching the reader off guard, it just sort of... continues the way its been going in a generic form. Everything is set up nicely for book 2, so please note that things are not completely wrapped up in this installment. I'm still trying to work through if I buy the budding romance, and will look forward to seeing how things play out in the sequel.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my audio review copy.
January 3, 2024
⊹ 𓏲࣪ 4 stars ★ 𓄹 ࣪ .
⤿ no spoilers in this review
⤷ “ blame me, or blame the heavens for placing us on different sides of this war. may we meet in another life. ”
so hello ?? that was really good and i ate up the politics. and i have nothing else to say except, this series is rivals to lovers to sworn enemies ?? gimme the second book rn 💳
love interests on opposite sides of the war + an ambitious fmc are some of the best things ever to be given in a book 🤭🤭 whenever i find a book with that trope, i just know the angst is about to be heavenly. and best believe the angst was angsting in this book !!
+ the plot twist at the ending ??? sleep with one eye open tonight joan he.
pre-review
this will either be my last read of 2023, or my first read of 2024 🤭 but i am excitedd !! after reading so many romance palate cleansers, i am back to my asian fantasy books <3 happy new year everyone 🥂
thank you to my favourite person for helping me pick out what to read next 😣💓🌻
⤿ no spoilers in this review
⤷ “ blame me, or blame the heavens for placing us on different sides of this war. may we meet in another life. ”
so hello ?? that was really good and i ate up the politics. and i have nothing else to say except, this series is rivals to lovers to sworn enemies ?? gimme the second book rn 💳
love interests on opposite sides of the war + an ambitious fmc are some of the best things ever to be given in a book 🤭🤭 whenever i find a book with that trope, i just know the angst is about to be heavenly. and best believe the angst was angsting in this book !!
+ the plot twist at the ending ??? sleep with one eye open tonight joan he.
pre-review
this will either be my last read of 2023, or my first read of 2024 🤭 but i am excitedd !! after reading so many romance palate cleansers, i am back to my asian fantasy books <3 happy new year everyone 🥂
thank you to my favourite person for helping me pick out what to read next 😣💓🌻
February 15, 2024
➵ 2.5 ✰ 🏹
- minor spoilers in this review (there's a warning before the spoliers)
this book was so mid. like it's not bad but it doesn't really stand out which makes me sad because it has sooo much potential. or maybe i'm just salty because qilinren didn't happen.
⤿ this book follows zephyr or 'rising zephry' who is the strategist under xin ren's troops who are fighting miasma and her troops to unite the late empire. but when ren and her troops are being jeopardized by a single mistake, zephyr is forced to infiltrate the enemy camp and pretend to be a loyal strategist for miasma. this is a game of "betray or be betrayed."
➶ now doesn't that sound like the most interesting concept ever? if only the execution lived up to it then maybe i would have liked this more. why? let me break it down;
1. the pacing was atrocious. the first part was so fast-paced that it was like a whiplash. literally the first 10 pages was them already thrown into some sort of raid and they were about to be attacked. this would be perfect if you're the type of person who likes that but it's not for me. i do prefer slower-paced books so maybe that's why. but you don't stay in a single scene or setting or event for more than a few pages.
in contrast, the second part was painfully boring and slow and was just so weird? like it felt like a whole different book. it was so bland and i barely even remember what happened during that time. it actually took me longer to read the second part than the first which never happens with me.
if i'm being honest, the second part felt like joan he was trying to salvage the "crazy" plot twist that she tried to pull of during the end of part one but it was just poorly done.
this part will contain minor spoilers so read at your own risk
2. qilinren. if you saw my updates then you would know how i feel about them but i just find it incredibly unbelievable that you are on the brink of death and your last thought was of this person and yet you're apparently in love with someone else? (i'm talking to you zephry). let me just show you what i mean
the totally platonic relationship in question :
there's more but i'm getting sad so that's all you guys get.
➶ had such high expectations for this book but it ultimately fell flat. will i still read the second book? yes because the ending was criminal and i want to know what happens next so bad.
⤿ bottomline. for what it's worth, it would still recommend this book. it's not offensively bad and most of the things that i disliked were personal preferences. i forgot to mention but there is a star-crossed lovers trope in this book so if you like that then you would love this.
# all reviews are opinions of my own and you should experience a book before giving your own. happy reading! 💌
꒰ 🧷 pre-review ˚. ⊹ ᵎᵎ
the ending was criminal and i need book 2 NOW
rtc! 💌
꒰ 🧷 pre-read ˚. ⊹ ᵎᵎ
i actually started this a month ago but completely forgot about it because it got lost in my countless book piles 😭 but i'm determined to make feb my fantasy month
- minor spoilers in this review (there's a warning before the spoliers)
🧷 ₊⊹ # “i'm not a star... i am the universe itself.”
this book was so mid. like it's not bad but it doesn't really stand out which makes me sad because it has sooo much potential. or maybe i'm just salty because qilinren didn't happen.
⤿ this book follows zephyr or 'rising zephry' who is the strategist under xin ren's troops who are fighting miasma and her troops to unite the late empire. but when ren and her troops are being jeopardized by a single mistake, zephyr is forced to infiltrate the enemy camp and pretend to be a loyal strategist for miasma. this is a game of "betray or be betrayed."
➶ now doesn't that sound like the most interesting concept ever? if only the execution lived up to it then maybe i would have liked this more. why? let me break it down;
1. the pacing was atrocious. the first part was so fast-paced that it was like a whiplash. literally the first 10 pages was them already thrown into some sort of raid and they were about to be attacked. this would be perfect if you're the type of person who likes that but it's not for me. i do prefer slower-paced books so maybe that's why. but you don't stay in a single scene or setting or event for more than a few pages.
in contrast, the second part was painfully boring and slow and was just so weird? like it felt like a whole different book. it was so bland and i barely even remember what happened during that time. it actually took me longer to read the second part than the first which never happens with me.
if i'm being honest, the second part felt like joan he was trying to salvage the "crazy" plot twist that she tried to pull of during the end of part one but it was just poorly done.
this part will contain minor spoilers so read at your own risk
2. qilinren. if you saw my updates then you would know how i feel about them but i just find it incredibly unbelievable that you are on the brink of death and your last thought was of this person and yet you're apparently in love with someone else? (i'm talking to you zephry). let me just show you what i mean
the totally platonic relationship in question :
⊹ “i wrench my thoughts away from Ren as a voice rises from the head of a table.”
⊹ “Ren will earn a mark on that map, and i'll be there beside her, as her strategist.”
⊹ “i shouldn't be thinking of Ren.”
⊹ “parents, sisters, mentors - they all left me first... but Ren is different.”
there's more but i'm getting sad so that's all you guys get.
➶ had such high expectations for this book but it ultimately fell flat. will i still read the second book? yes because the ending was criminal and i want to know what happens next so bad.
⤿ bottomline. for what it's worth, it would still recommend this book. it's not offensively bad and most of the things that i disliked were personal preferences. i forgot to mention but there is a star-crossed lovers trope in this book so if you like that then you would love this.
# all reviews are opinions of my own and you should experience a book before giving your own. happy reading! 💌
꒰ 🧷 pre-review ˚. ⊹ ᵎᵎ
the ending was criminal and i need book 2 NOW
rtc! 💌
꒰ 🧷 pre-read ˚. ⊹ ᵎᵎ
i actually started this a month ago but completely forgot about it because it got lost in my countless book piles 😭 but i'm determined to make feb my fantasy month
September 13, 2022
GIVE ME VOLUME 2 NOW
June 29, 2024
“We’re all so transient. We live and we die; we forget and we’re forgotten. The earth claims our bodies and strangers claim our names. Only empresses are remembered—and the ones who kill them. The ones who break empires, or restore them to their rightful rulers.”
4.25 ⭐️
first of all, let me just say i’m gonna rate this book in two parts because it’s fitting considering how everything went down. part (or stanza) one gets 5 full stars because it’s just perfect but stanza two gets 3.5 stars so according to my girl math, the overall rating this book deserves is a 4.25 stars. i rest my case 🫡.
i’ll admit i wasn’t all that impressed with this author‘s previous work Descendant of The Crane so i was skeptical about starting this one. i went into it with low expectations but was very surprised when it turned out to be totally different from what i had in mind.
THE PLOT
the story stunned me in every aspect, from the rich world building down to the intricate warfare. every element was thoroughly thought out and executed brilliantly especially in the first ‘stanza’. i could hardly guess where the plot was going which only heightened my interest and i was fully invested in the story. the pacing is just nice because despite it being fast, its not rushed. the author takes her sweet time carefully crafting out events that fit the narrative like a glove with well defined characters in place, smoothly urging the story forward. i’m in love with the way Joan He beautifully describes music, giving the readers an inkling of what zephyr’s zither sounds like. it made me look up videos of the instrument on youtube to understand what the author was trying to illustrate and good lord, the melody is hauntingly ethereal!
in the second stanza however, the story took an unexpected twist over which i have mixed feelings. i didn’t hate it but i didn’t love it as much as stanza one either. the abrupt turn in events was jarring to say the least, and came off as if the author just up and decided to completely change the flow of things. i’m all for crazy twists but this one sort of created a disconnect between the first and second half of the book. i felt as if i was suddenly reading a totally different story somehow. i so badly wanted this to be a military fantasy in a YA setting from start to finish but we kinda lost the plot halfway because not even the world’s best foreteller could’ve predicted that curveball. after the initial shock of that twist though, i warmed back up to the story and was once again rooting for zephyr’s unending strategies. she was the saving grace of this book, i think. nonetheless, the story held my interest in a firm grip and i couldn’t be more pleased.
THE CHARACTERS
speaking of whom, zephyr’s mind is as sharp as a blade and the way the cogs in her brain works are nothing short of impressive. i found myself marvelling at how cleverly her strategies worked out. she’s observant and perceptive while paying crucial attention to detail. her thoughts and feelings are intricate yet organised. for zephyr, war strategies and the people involved in them are like chess pieces on a board. scheming comes naturally to her. i was in awe with how well written her character is. i adored her fierce ambitiousness and resolve to serve her lordess. being inside her head was so fascinating that i could vividly imagine myself walking in her shoes. she reminded me of my most favourite character - fang runin from the poppy war - but if rin was a YA character that is. their personalities are quite similar yet unique.
crow was opportunistic but charming and i liked his easy banter with zephyr. granted, we only see him through her eyes so we don’t get to know him firsthand, which is a bummer and i would’ve killed for a crow POV but i’ll take what i can get. his complex dynamic with zephyr is what drew me in to his character the most. the more i saw him through zephyr’s perspective, the more intrigued i became. there was unspoken yearning between them that wasn’t not quite romantic but definitely not platonic either. it’s somewhere in between but never crossing the threshold. i hope it gets explored further in book 2 because i’d love to see where it goes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
overall, there are few authors that can fully transport me to the world of their creation simply through the power of words. the characterisation in Strike The Zither is amazing and the writing is simply masterful. it strikes a chord in the hearts of readers. the first person POV worked surprisingly well too and made me feel as if i was experiencing the characters’ journey firsthand. on the whole, i immensely enjoyed this book and am beyond excited to start the sequel! i have a feeling that it won’t disappoint 😌.
November 17, 2024
2.5 stars.
DNF: 50%
Although I didn't finish the book, it felt like I had slogged through 800 pages. The writing comes off as overly childish, which is frustrating. The plot moves at such a breakneck pace that it gives the impression that you haven't read anything at all, yet it also makes the experience drag on endlessly.
I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book, especially given its inspiration from the Three Kingdoms, but it ultimately fell flat for me. The main character, Zephyr, is overly confident and looks down on everyone, which is initially intriguing but quickly becomes exhausting. It’s even more off-putting when you realize she frequently contradicts herself.
The romance is a complete letdown—there's no chemistry, it doesn't make sense, and it's barely present throughout the story. If anything, that's the sole redeeming quality.
DNF: 50%
Although I didn't finish the book, it felt like I had slogged through 800 pages. The writing comes off as overly childish, which is frustrating. The plot moves at such a breakneck pace that it gives the impression that you haven't read anything at all, yet it also makes the experience drag on endlessly.
I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book, especially given its inspiration from the Three Kingdoms, but it ultimately fell flat for me. The main character, Zephyr, is overly confident and looks down on everyone, which is initially intriguing but quickly becomes exhausting. It’s even more off-putting when you realize she frequently contradicts herself.
The romance is a complete letdown—there's no chemistry, it doesn't make sense, and it's barely present throughout the story. If anything, that's the sole redeeming quality.
November 1, 2022
DNF at 51%. This was...atrocious, and no one's more upset at that than me.
I'm familiar with elements of the culture here, but not familiar with the epics this is a retelling of. So perhaps the plot starting at a weird mid-action point, its veering all over the place, being stuffed with unlikeable, arrogant characters, and introducing a bonkers plot twist at the halfway mark makes sense to other readers. Some characters' names are translated, some not...This just read like a hot mess and I am wary of anything else the author has written now. Sad. I was hoping for an asian epic the likes of Iron Widow or She Who Became the Sun but I couldn't follow this at all.
The narrator pronounced zither oddly and it was distracting. And the word sobriquet was so over-used I felt like I should've been taking shots every time it appeared.
Wow. One big nope.
I'm familiar with elements of the culture here, but not familiar with the epics this is a retelling of. So perhaps the plot starting at a weird mid-action point, its veering all over the place, being stuffed with unlikeable, arrogant characters, and introducing a bonkers plot twist at the halfway mark makes sense to other readers. Some characters' names are translated, some not...This just read like a hot mess and I am wary of anything else the author has written now. Sad. I was hoping for an asian epic the likes of Iron Widow or She Who Became the Sun but I couldn't follow this at all.
The narrator pronounced zither oddly and it was distracting. And the word sobriquet was so over-used I felt like I should've been taking shots every time it appeared.
Wow. One big nope.
Want to read
May 25, 2022A reimagining of the Chinese military epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which a strategist must help her warlordess to victory against the rival kingdoms to the north and the south while overcoming her fate as written by the gods.
- manipulative characters
- backstabbing
- real stabbing and war
- rivals to lovers to 💔
- boy falls first, duty above all though
- found family
- remixed Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu and more
- manipulative characters
- backstabbing
- real stabbing and war
- rivals to lovers to 💔
- boy falls first, duty above all though
- found family
- remixed Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu and more
February 1, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an advance copy.
tl;dr
A beautifully written book with powerful characters and a rollercoaster ride of plot twists that's nearly impossible to put down.
About
In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match?
Thoughts
I'm already counting down the days to the sequel. The author's notes in the back state that this is her favorite book, and with good reason. It's an excellent book. War stratagems and human complexity clash beautifully and painfully in this retelling of The Three Kingdoms (although no familiarity with the original is necessary to enjoy this). The plot drives the story, but there's plenty of space for human interaction, including very thoughtful portrayals of the many different forms of sisterhood. Zephyr is an absolutely stunning main character. Bold, capable, confident, and utterly unshakeable. As much as I love a story where the MC learns to believe in themselves, getting to read one where they already do is truly exhilarating. Crow is a fantastic foil (and potential love interest?) - clever, moody, and full of secrets. I loved seeing him and Zephyr match wits. Writing is fast-paced, and evocative, with plot twists furling out with increasing urgency. And that ending! Ahhhh!
I'd also like to take the time to appreciate that notes in the back offer insight into the original Three Kingdoms story for curious readers, and there are a handful of gorgeous character illustrations in the front. (I, uh, wouldn't mind one for Crow in the second volume.)
Edit: My review for the second book is now available here.
tl;dr
A beautifully written book with powerful characters and a rollercoaster ride of plot twists that's nearly impossible to put down.
About
In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match?
Thoughts
I'm already counting down the days to the sequel. The author's notes in the back state that this is her favorite book, and with good reason. It's an excellent book. War stratagems and human complexity clash beautifully and painfully in this retelling of The Three Kingdoms (although no familiarity with the original is necessary to enjoy this). The plot drives the story, but there's plenty of space for human interaction, including very thoughtful portrayals of the many different forms of sisterhood. Zephyr is an absolutely stunning main character. Bold, capable, confident, and utterly unshakeable. As much as I love a story where the MC learns to believe in themselves, getting to read one where they already do is truly exhilarating. Crow is a fantastic foil (and potential love interest?) - clever, moody, and full of secrets. I loved seeing him and Zephyr match wits. Writing is fast-paced, and evocative, with plot twists furling out with increasing urgency. And that ending! Ahhhh!
I'd also like to take the time to appreciate that notes in the back offer insight into the original Three Kingdoms story for curious readers, and there are a handful of gorgeous character illustrations in the front. (I, uh, wouldn't mind one for Crow in the second volume.)
Edit: My review for the second book is now available here.
June 27, 2022
After reading Joan He’s debut Descendant of the Crane in one sitting, He quickly became an author to watch for me then becoming a must buy author when I enjoyed her next novel The Ones We’re Meant to Find in one night. When I found out her third book Strike the Zither was set to release in October I made my first ever ARC request. So I’d definitely say I was excited for this book despite the risk that maybe this time He didn’t write a banger (as is the risk for any author as they write more books).
I’m glad to say I was not disappointed.
Strike the Zither is based on the Three Kingdoms period and tales in Chinese history. Going into this book I didn’t really have much knowledge on the Three Kingdoms besides what was divulged in Chinese or Korean dramas set in that time period (so not a lot). That being said, STZ is more of a tale inspired by the Three Kingdoms than a strict retelling as it purposely does away with a lot of factors that defined the time like patriarchy. So if you’re about to go into this book expecting a historically accurate portrayal of the Three Kingdoms, that is not what you’ll be getting but that is not a bad thing. If the fact that this is not a strict retelling deters you from picking up this book, I’d urge you to reconsider because you’d be missing out on an amazing tale.
Strike the Zither was full of mind reeling plot twists, a distinct narrator, and unforgettable characters with complex relationships.
One aspect of Joan He’s writing that made her a must read author for me is her masterful execution of plot twists. There are a lot of them, they happen when you least expect, and most importantly when they happen your jaw is on the ground but it never feels like it was thrown in just for shock value. There were multiple times while reading STZ where I gasped out loud at something that was revealed not only because it was shocking but because I realized that what I had been reading previously had actually been foreshadowing. Joan He does a magical thing where exposition, character building, and setting can all double as foreshadowing but you won’t know it until the plot twist happens. Joan He further mastered this execution in STZ so that the story never felt like there was a lull and I always had a reason to keep turning the pages, trying (but never succeeding) in figuring out how everything fit together. The entire time I was reading STZ I had no idea how it would end, and that only made me want to read further.
The narrative voice of the main character, Zephyr, was clear and added to the overall experience of the story. Zephyr’s personality was distinct and the decision to use first person to capture it also aided in making me, the reader, aware of different relationship dynamics and gave insight into how other characters impacted and were perceived by Zephyr while making me question if everything is what it seemed. In short, Zephyr’s narration did a great job at engaging my mind throughout the story and making me more and more invested as I read.
Another compelling aspect of STZ were the dynamic relationships between a full cast of unforgettable and complex characters. There are depictions of both found family and blood family and the similarity and differences between the two are a major driving force for both the characters and the plot. In conjunction with the major plot twists, characters’ struggles with family and connections gives an added layer of complexity to the plot and gives major actions of war, violence, and betrayal a believable and compelling motivation.
I went into Strike the Zither not knowing what to expect, and I ended it being excited to see what comes next.
I’m glad to say I was not disappointed.
Strike the Zither is based on the Three Kingdoms period and tales in Chinese history. Going into this book I didn’t really have much knowledge on the Three Kingdoms besides what was divulged in Chinese or Korean dramas set in that time period (so not a lot). That being said, STZ is more of a tale inspired by the Three Kingdoms than a strict retelling as it purposely does away with a lot of factors that defined the time like patriarchy. So if you’re about to go into this book expecting a historically accurate portrayal of the Three Kingdoms, that is not what you’ll be getting but that is not a bad thing. If the fact that this is not a strict retelling deters you from picking up this book, I’d urge you to reconsider because you’d be missing out on an amazing tale.
Strike the Zither was full of mind reeling plot twists, a distinct narrator, and unforgettable characters with complex relationships.
One aspect of Joan He’s writing that made her a must read author for me is her masterful execution of plot twists. There are a lot of them, they happen when you least expect, and most importantly when they happen your jaw is on the ground but it never feels like it was thrown in just for shock value. There were multiple times while reading STZ where I gasped out loud at something that was revealed not only because it was shocking but because I realized that what I had been reading previously had actually been foreshadowing. Joan He does a magical thing where exposition, character building, and setting can all double as foreshadowing but you won’t know it until the plot twist happens. Joan He further mastered this execution in STZ so that the story never felt like there was a lull and I always had a reason to keep turning the pages, trying (but never succeeding) in figuring out how everything fit together. The entire time I was reading STZ I had no idea how it would end, and that only made me want to read further.
The narrative voice of the main character, Zephyr, was clear and added to the overall experience of the story. Zephyr’s personality was distinct and the decision to use first person to capture it also aided in making me, the reader, aware of different relationship dynamics and gave insight into how other characters impacted and were perceived by Zephyr while making me question if everything is what it seemed. In short, Zephyr’s narration did a great job at engaging my mind throughout the story and making me more and more invested as I read.
Another compelling aspect of STZ were the dynamic relationships between a full cast of unforgettable and complex characters. There are depictions of both found family and blood family and the similarity and differences between the two are a major driving force for both the characters and the plot. In conjunction with the major plot twists, characters’ struggles with family and connections gives an added layer of complexity to the plot and gives major actions of war, violence, and betrayal a believable and compelling motivation.
I went into Strike the Zither not knowing what to expect, and I ended it being excited to see what comes next.
October 14, 2022
4.75 stars
rep: Chinese inspiration and -coded characters, sapphic side characters; (Chinese-American author)
cw: torture, blood, violence, full list here
I’m a huge fan of Joan He and her works, and this book was one of my most anticipated releases this year. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! A reimagining of Three Kingdoms, Strike the Zither follows a strategist who will do whatever it takes to change her fate amidst a war where betrayal is always around the corner.
The nation is split between three warlordesses who vie to gain control of the puppet empress. Zephyr is a strategist for Xin Ren, a warlordess without any land but one that Zephyr knows she can help win the war. When they’re backed into a corner, Zephyr infiltrates another warlordess Miasma’s camp, pretending to defect when in fact she’s busy gathering more support and allies for Ren. There, she meets Miasma’s strategist Crow, who soon proves to be Zephyr’s rival in every way.
Strike the Zither holds nothing back and makes the most of every page of the story. This book was shorter than I thought when I went into it, but that ended up working in its favor. The pacing was also amazing in that the official summary only describes part of the book. Of course, I can’t share what happens next because of spoilers, but I’m in awe of how Joan He manages to pack so much story in only part of the book itself and then completely pivot to something new.
This is a Joan He novel, so I already knew to expect plot twists and pain. However, while reading, I really never knew what would happen next. Even if I could predict one part, I had no idea how it would play out. At one point, I told myself it had to be a stopping point so I could sleep, but I couldn’t bring myself to put the book down.
The plot itself is a little difficult to talk about because, again, spoilers. Every moment of it is drenched in conspiracy though, as Zephyr continually navigates herself out of tricky holes. I enjoyed seeing how she overcame every new challenge and can’t wait to see how the sequel continues the story.
Each and every character had such strong characterizations. Zephyr herself proves to be a multifaceted protagonist, ambitious in every sense yet also loyal to certain things. She wants so badly to be great and be remembered that she’ll do whatever it takes to win. She thinks she’s above everyone else simply because she thinks she’s better than everyone else. It’s also obvious that she needs to be the smartest and cleverest person in the room; being outsmarted is not something she takes lightly, which becomes an issue when she meets Crow.
Crow as a mirror to Zephyr is fascinating. He’s the only one she sees as a rival (for now), and I loved reading about their dynamic. There’s also a hint of a romantic aspect that I believe we’ll see more in the sequel; the tension between them is thrilling! I can’t wait to see more of them, especially because of [redacted].
Other than Crow, we see a lot of Xin Ren, the warlordess who has Zephyr’s allegiance. Despite her weak position, she also holds true to her strong sense of loyalty and her code of ethics. Lotus and Cloud are her swordsisters, sworn to each other in a bond that runs deep. Neither of them understand Ren’s belief in Zephyr, which causes animosity between the three of them. Miasma is the warlordess who currently holds the empress’s ear and therefore controls the empire. She’s ruthless and strong, cutting down every enemy as soon as she can. The south is controlled by Cricket, a young ruler who proves that she is not to be underestimated.
I loved the writing! It’s definitely different in tone than the author’s other works, but that only adds to its appeal. Zephyr narrates from a first-person point-of-view, so we’re in her head and able to see how she plans and plots. This lens adds to her characterization, making her an even stronger character from the start.
I’m personally not familiar with Three Kingdoms at all, so I can tell you that knowledge of the original story is not necessary to read this book. The author’s note expands on certain aspects of the story that explains more background and her choices in adapting the original source. I found it very informative, as well as fascinating to see the amount of thought the author has put into writing this story.
Strike the Zither tells a tale of strength and loyalty, and the betrayal that comes in-between. This book made my heart pound. I loved the characters, and I couldn’t put it down! I can’t recommend Strike the Zither enough; please just trust me and preorder it today!
currently lying down and staring at the ceiling. brace yourselves for this one is all I can say 😭
but fr, joan he does it AGAIN. strong characterizations, plot twists on plot twists, and even more. this book was shorter than I thought when I first dove into it but I can definitely say it does not waste any of that time. you don't want to miss out on this book!
read on my blog
rep: Chinese inspiration and -coded characters, sapphic side characters; (Chinese-American author)
cw: torture, blood, violence, full list here
**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley (thank you, Fierce Reads!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I’m a huge fan of Joan He and her works, and this book was one of my most anticipated releases this year. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! A reimagining of Three Kingdoms, Strike the Zither follows a strategist who will do whatever it takes to change her fate amidst a war where betrayal is always around the corner.
The nation is split between three warlordesses who vie to gain control of the puppet empress. Zephyr is a strategist for Xin Ren, a warlordess without any land but one that Zephyr knows she can help win the war. When they’re backed into a corner, Zephyr infiltrates another warlordess Miasma’s camp, pretending to defect when in fact she’s busy gathering more support and allies for Ren. There, she meets Miasma’s strategist Crow, who soon proves to be Zephyr’s rival in every way.
Strike the Zither holds nothing back and makes the most of every page of the story. This book was shorter than I thought when I went into it, but that ended up working in its favor. The pacing was also amazing in that the official summary only describes part of the book. Of course, I can’t share what happens next because of spoilers, but I’m in awe of how Joan He manages to pack so much story in only part of the book itself and then completely pivot to something new.
This is a Joan He novel, so I already knew to expect plot twists and pain. However, while reading, I really never knew what would happen next. Even if I could predict one part, I had no idea how it would play out. At one point, I told myself it had to be a stopping point so I could sleep, but I couldn’t bring myself to put the book down.
The plot itself is a little difficult to talk about because, again, spoilers. Every moment of it is drenched in conspiracy though, as Zephyr continually navigates herself out of tricky holes. I enjoyed seeing how she overcame every new challenge and can’t wait to see how the sequel continues the story.
Each and every character had such strong characterizations. Zephyr herself proves to be a multifaceted protagonist, ambitious in every sense yet also loyal to certain things. She wants so badly to be great and be remembered that she’ll do whatever it takes to win. She thinks she’s above everyone else simply because she thinks she’s better than everyone else. It’s also obvious that she needs to be the smartest and cleverest person in the room; being outsmarted is not something she takes lightly, which becomes an issue when she meets Crow.
Crow as a mirror to Zephyr is fascinating. He’s the only one she sees as a rival (for now), and I loved reading about their dynamic. There’s also a hint of a romantic aspect that I believe we’ll see more in the sequel; the tension between them is thrilling! I can’t wait to see more of them, especially because of [redacted].
Other than Crow, we see a lot of Xin Ren, the warlordess who has Zephyr’s allegiance. Despite her weak position, she also holds true to her strong sense of loyalty and her code of ethics. Lotus and Cloud are her swordsisters, sworn to each other in a bond that runs deep. Neither of them understand Ren’s belief in Zephyr, which causes animosity between the three of them. Miasma is the warlordess who currently holds the empress’s ear and therefore controls the empire. She’s ruthless and strong, cutting down every enemy as soon as she can. The south is controlled by Cricket, a young ruler who proves that she is not to be underestimated.
I loved the writing! It’s definitely different in tone than the author’s other works, but that only adds to its appeal. Zephyr narrates from a first-person point-of-view, so we’re in her head and able to see how she plans and plots. This lens adds to her characterization, making her an even stronger character from the start.
I’m personally not familiar with Three Kingdoms at all, so I can tell you that knowledge of the original story is not necessary to read this book. The author’s note expands on certain aspects of the story that explains more background and her choices in adapting the original source. I found it very informative, as well as fascinating to see the amount of thought the author has put into writing this story.
Strike the Zither tells a tale of strength and loyalty, and the betrayal that comes in-between. This book made my heart pound. I loved the characters, and I couldn’t put it down! I can’t recommend Strike the Zither enough; please just trust me and preorder it today!
original review:
currently lying down and staring at the ceiling. brace yourselves for this one is all I can say 😭
but fr, joan he does it AGAIN. strong characterizations, plot twists on plot twists, and even more. this book was shorter than I thought when I first dove into it but I can definitely say it does not waste any of that time. you don't want to miss out on this book!
Read
November 5, 2022uhhhhhh, idk. i’m conflicted. did i like this? i’m not sure.
update: after 15 minutes of intense deliberation, i have come to the conclusion that i did not like this. inform the press.
——
(adding the sequel to my tbr only so i can remember to read the synopsis- i don’t see myself reading it.)
update: after 15 minutes of intense deliberation, i have come to the conclusion that i did not like this. inform the press.
——
(adding the sequel to my tbr only so i can remember to read the synopsis- i don’t see myself reading it.)
March 4, 2025
— We’re all so transient. We live and we die; we forget and we’re forgotten. The earth claims our bodies and strangers claim our names
What I mean: Joan He’s words flow like water: you can’t help but follow the stream and get lost in the torrents. A well-known, well-loved historical tale now painted with strokes of mythology and sisterhood and shown from a new perspective: someone who has everything and nothing to lose. The relationships strain and weave like infinite threads in a bundle of string, and the ones I’m the most drawn to are the ones that are thickest and the most splintered. Strike the Zither is a dazzling, fantastical spin of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
What I say: crow, zeph. yay!
ˏˋ🤍ˎˊ now playing — fault line. by gracie abrams
ılılı i know you’re a fault line ／ but i’d break too ／ crashing at the same time ／ does it shock you?
Before the cynics jump me for being a romantic, let me explain: it’s not a love story, it’s a hundred times more painful and therefore about ten times better. It’s not “enemies to lovers” or even “academic rivals (war time edition)” When it starts off, well just maybe. Maybe they could be rivals at best, enemies at worst but they are so much more than that.
˚ ◦ ○ ˚ 📜 Before it all burns, I wanted to write to you. I wanted to tell you, for what it’s worth, that I don’t expect you to forgive me. Blame me, or blame the heavens for placing us on different sides of this war. May we meet in another life.
They were complicated, and loyalties were complicated, which made trivial things like basic human emotions naturally so much more complicated. Watching their relationship throughout this book felt dizzying because of how turbulent their dynamic is.
˚ ◦ ○ ˚ 🍵 “Does my thoroughness impress you?” ／ “No.” ／ “My zither playing?” ／ “No.” ／ “My good looks?” ／ “You certainly stare a lot for someone who says I’m ugly.”
／“I never said you were ugly.”
Zephyr as a Zhuge Liang variant was also so artfully executed. She's so driven: literally nameda god among strategists But the thing I loved most about her was her relationships with the other characters especially with her sister. Each time she talked to literally anyone, it felt like a battle, even if the exchange was amiable.
˚ ◦ ○ ˚ ☁️ I’ve won, as a strategist. I have lost, as someone else.
I adored stanza one. It was everything the blurb had pinky promised: little phrases and whatnot lifted right off 孙子兵法, some of my favorite 三国演义 scenes, seeing 曹操 (miasma),关羽(cloud)，刘备(ren)，张飞(lotus) as sworn sisters. It kept me thumbing through the pages at lightning speed with the emotions hitting me like waves.
˚ ◦ ○ ˚ 🏯 One ship sinks. Another catches fire. One lordess falls. Another rises.
While I also liked stanza two, the mythical elements made me slightly confused. Some events didn't exactly slide nicely together. That being said, I do feel like this is an ambitious story to tell. I was so swept away by the brilliant writing that I almost forgot how this story ends: in tragedy.
October 24, 2022
This book takes place in the year 414 and there is chaos in the Xin Dyntasty. The nation is fractured and three warlordesses each have plans to take over. One strategist, Zepher, knows she is backing the underdog but has no intention of failing for her lordess. Zepher’s mission is challenged by relationships she gains or had with people in the other two camps, but she remains a zealot in her belief of her lordess, and goes to every extreme imaginable to assist her. I loved that so many of the powerful and key characters in this story were female, I honestly wasn’t expecting that given the time period that this book takes place in. I did think the book moved slowly at times and I groaned when I realized there was not enough book left to finish the story, but also I can’t wait for the sequel. I listened to the audiobook of this one and I didn’t start out liking the narrator a lot, but by the end I thought she was absolutely perfect. She gave not only the narrator but the other characters voice in such an effective way.
October 28, 2022
idk what i just read. this was the most confusing shit ive ever read. maybe i don't have zephyr's infinite IQ level that she so graciously reminds us of to compute what goes ON
idk if its the style, im new to this author but something was extremely off. whole time i was confused as hell, trying to piece together Something. crazy thing is i couldn't stop reading. the story was just out of my grasp but i never caught on. the characters were like ghosts. there but also not? idk what happened but this really questioned my mind power lol
idk if its the style, im new to this author but something was extremely off. whole time i was confused as hell, trying to piece together Something. crazy thing is i couldn't stop reading. the story was just out of my grasp but i never caught on. the characters were like ghosts. there but also not? idk what happened but this really questioned my mind power lol
September 17, 2022
A lot of mixed feelings on this one.
I was looking forward to this a lot -- similar to how I was vibrating for the release of She Who Became the Sun. I loved the premise, the packaging, and the lovely illustrations. I didn't grow up with the RoTK, but I as someone who reads a lot about China, and watches a good deal of c-drama, I had certain expectations about the mix of things that a reimagining of the classic could be. By the end of the book -- which I read over a couple of days, so even my huffing and puffing about unescapable 1st person POV of a YA book didn't slow me down much -- I was in knots because the book was yanking my chain in too many directions at once. Despite having a strategist for a protagonist, a Nirvana in Fire it isn't.
The storys starts off pretty strongly, establishing the setting and the warring factions well, and the protagonist's character is sketched boldly and regonizably, a tribute to the archetype: cunning, sarcasting, arrogant, physically frail and running on the fumes of neuroses and delusions of grandeur. Aptly called Peacock by some, Zephyr carries the first half of the book in line with the expectations of the trope: desperate last-minute plans, ambitious stakes, moral compromises. My grumbling, at this state, was mostly about what I feel is dumbing down the scheming for the target audience: too much signalling ahead (seriously, NOTHING was subtle about the hundred thousand arrows plan), too much regurgitation of information and proclamations. But it was fine enough to read -- to be honest, this was probably an okay compromise in terms of accessibility to the audience who doesn't spend too much of their life inhaling multi-episode historical dramas full of convoluted plots. I'm fine, this is fine. It's fine. Shoehorned romances are also fine. FINE, whatever, I could put up with them as the YA trappings.
Come midway point though, I felt like the narrative train jumped off its railed and decided to start being a hovercraft instead, shooting lasers and tumbling headfast into strange directions. Pew pew!
With SPOILERS from here on.
I felt the god realm intermission, and the whole subplot of '"oh no I've been a god all along but i have developed feeligns for this mortal war, gotta go thanksbyeee" was DEEPLy unnecessary. Like, I do object to sticking Zephyr into Lotus's body for the second half of the story as well, but if the author really wanted to replay Mei Changsu's dramedy of mistaken identities in reverse -- more on that later -- then she didn't need the god subplot to frame it. Literally any other one-off magical mcguffin would have been fine, and less bewildering and undermining of the agency/urgency that drives the heroine, and ultimately, the narrative momentum. Gah. Now it feels like she has all the puzzle pieces for being superpowered beyond salvation, and the only thing that stops her form ascending into the next plane is uh. Lack of competence, actually.
So yes. Long story short, not a fan of this god identity subplot at all. It would have been much more interesting if Zephyr was who she was for the first half of the book, with the limitations and aspirations of a mortal. And without a sparkl fairy god floating above her shoulder, hinting at plot elements to shoehorn them into the 1st person narrative.
Now, the body swapping. LONG SIGH. You know why it worked for Mei Changsu, and doesn't really work here? Because MCS was limited by his own unfeigned frailty, and plagued by the knowledge that he couldn't join the fight on his terms as a warrior, and had to contend with court intrigure -- and because he didn't have to dumb himself down: neither in conduct, nor in consequence. Sticking Zephyr, who was known for her role as a strategist, into shoes of literally the mightest and most unthinking warrior of the army, and then fumble one thing after another: barely remembering to impersonate, forgetting how to scheme, doing a bad job of utilizing assets of her new body... That doesn't give her much credibility as a strategist, you know. BUT! Kick out the godhood, and there is so much you can do with this bodyswap: let Zephyr wake up to that change, scheme to make the most of it without knowing how she got there, let her utilize her brain to further her agenda with new variables! There were flashes of that story in that second half -- but only flashes, unfortunately. And when I'm given a hint of what I was looking for but ultimately don't get, I tend to be more disappointed than if I simply didn't care for the book.
The way it's working out, I end up wishing the book was told from the pespective of the mortal frenemies instead: Crow the adversary, who brings an interesting backstory in addition to the shoehorned het, Cicada, Ku the sister who is unforgiving of the separation with her sister, OG Qilin. And yet.
Thanks to #Netgalley for an advanced copy of #StriketheZither. Happy to see more books that talk to the Chinese culture and narratives, examining it from a modern lense, but I didn't like this attempt as much as I would have hoped to.
I was looking forward to this a lot -- similar to how I was vibrating for the release of She Who Became the Sun. I loved the premise, the packaging, and the lovely illustrations. I didn't grow up with the RoTK, but I as someone who reads a lot about China, and watches a good deal of c-drama, I had certain expectations about the mix of things that a reimagining of the classic could be. By the end of the book -- which I read over a couple of days, so even my huffing and puffing about unescapable 1st person POV of a YA book didn't slow me down much -- I was in knots because the book was yanking my chain in too many directions at once. Despite having a strategist for a protagonist, a Nirvana in Fire it isn't.
The storys starts off pretty strongly, establishing the setting and the warring factions well, and the protagonist's character is sketched boldly and regonizably, a tribute to the archetype: cunning, sarcasting, arrogant, physically frail and running on the fumes of neuroses and delusions of grandeur. Aptly called Peacock by some, Zephyr carries the first half of the book in line with the expectations of the trope: desperate last-minute plans, ambitious stakes, moral compromises. My grumbling, at this state, was mostly about what I feel is dumbing down the scheming for the target audience: too much signalling ahead (seriously, NOTHING was subtle about the hundred thousand arrows plan), too much regurgitation of information and proclamations. But it was fine enough to read -- to be honest, this was probably an okay compromise in terms of accessibility to the audience who doesn't spend too much of their life inhaling multi-episode historical dramas full of convoluted plots. I'm fine, this is fine. It's fine. Shoehorned romances are also fine. FINE, whatever, I could put up with them as the YA trappings.
Come midway point though, I felt like the narrative train jumped off its railed and decided to start being a hovercraft instead, shooting lasers and tumbling headfast into strange directions. Pew pew!
With SPOILERS from here on.
I felt the god realm intermission, and the whole subplot of '"oh no I've been a god all along but i have developed feeligns for this mortal war, gotta go thanksbyeee" was DEEPLy unnecessary. Like, I do object to sticking Zephyr into Lotus's body for the second half of the story as well, but if the author really wanted to replay Mei Changsu's dramedy of mistaken identities in reverse -- more on that later -- then she didn't need the god subplot to frame it. Literally any other one-off magical mcguffin would have been fine, and less bewildering and undermining of the agency/urgency that drives the heroine, and ultimately, the narrative momentum. Gah. Now it feels like she has all the puzzle pieces for being superpowered beyond salvation, and the only thing that stops her form ascending into the next plane is uh. Lack of competence, actually.
So yes. Long story short, not a fan of this god identity subplot at all. It would have been much more interesting if Zephyr was who she was for the first half of the book, with the limitations and aspirations of a mortal. And without a sparkl fairy god floating above her shoulder, hinting at plot elements to shoehorn them into the 1st person narrative.
Now, the body swapping. LONG SIGH. You know why it worked for Mei Changsu, and doesn't really work here? Because MCS was limited by his own unfeigned frailty, and plagued by the knowledge that he couldn't join the fight on his terms as a warrior, and had to contend with court intrigure -- and because he didn't have to dumb himself down: neither in conduct, nor in consequence. Sticking Zephyr, who was known for her role as a strategist, into shoes of literally the mightest and most unthinking warrior of the army, and then fumble one thing after another: barely remembering to impersonate, forgetting how to scheme, doing a bad job of utilizing assets of her new body... That doesn't give her much credibility as a strategist, you know. BUT! Kick out the godhood, and there is so much you can do with this bodyswap: let Zephyr wake up to that change, scheme to make the most of it without knowing how she got there, let her utilize her brain to further her agenda with new variables! There were flashes of that story in that second half -- but only flashes, unfortunately. And when I'm given a hint of what I was looking for but ultimately don't get, I tend to be more disappointed than if I simply didn't care for the book.
The way it's working out, I end up wishing the book was told from the pespective of the mortal frenemies instead: Crow the adversary, who brings an interesting backstory in addition to the shoehorned het, Cicada, Ku the sister who is unforgiving of the separation with her sister, OG Qilin. And yet.
Thanks to #Netgalley for an advanced copy of #StriketheZither. Happy to see more books that talk to the Chinese culture and narratives, examining it from a modern lense, but I didn't like this attempt as much as I would have hoped to.
September 20, 2022
Strike the Zither is a YA fantasy based on a classic Chinese epic called the Three Kingdoms, mixed with inspirations from some other Chinese stories. This novel employs the classic trope of “pretend you’re defecting so you can join the enemy’s side and gain intel and then use that to turn around and destroy them.” We’ve all seen that done before but it was still enjoyable to read about here for the most part.
I struggled to follow the story a bit. Zephyr was supposed to be doing these grand things but I felt like I kept missing them happen and then the scenes would be over. For example, I’m still not sure how Zephyr convinced Miasma to let her join her side because I feel like it would have taken a lot to prove that she defected from her original leader, but she pretty much just walks up and is like “I’m on your side now” and Miasma believes her. It was very weird.
Zephyr conspires with different groups on different sides and I had a hard time gauging the layout of the land because these clans of people were battling and I didn’t think they were close in proximity but Zephyr travels back and forth like they are. I feel like the politics weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, which made it a little difficult keeping track of the relationships and scheming between everyone.
I found it hard to emotionally connect with any part of Strike the Zither. For some reason, I felt very distanced from the story, like a far-away viewer of unknown people rather than an active participant. I don’t feel like I know Zephyr that well, or anyone else for that matter. I wasn’t emotionally invested when betrayals or deaths or big events happened, and that saddened me.
The story takes a drastic turn when stanza two begins, at the 50% mark. It’s like the book turns into an entirely different story with different characters in a different setting that felt narratively very disconnected from the first half of the story. I was quite confused and really didn’t enjoy it from then on, if I’m being honest.
Also, I found the romance, if you can even call it that, to be quite unrealistic. Zephyr never really liked Crow, until she one day did? I never understood where the attraction came from, especially since he poisoned her and didn’t seem to like her all that much either. I didn’t understand their connection at all.
Overall, I don’t think I’m the quite right audience for this book, and I can’t say for certain yet whether or not I will be reading the sequel. Strike the Zither ends on a cliffhanger of sorts that does pique my interest in how the story will progress in the next volume, but I don’t know if I’m committed enough to continue on with a series that I found to be just okay.
I enjoyed The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He, which is why I picked up Strike the Zither. Even though I didn’t enjoy her newest book as much as I enjoyed her sophomore novel, I’m curious to see what other stories she’ll write in the future as I enjoy her writing style overall and the types of stories she writes.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
I struggled to follow the story a bit. Zephyr was supposed to be doing these grand things but I felt like I kept missing them happen and then the scenes would be over. For example, I’m still not sure how Zephyr convinced Miasma to let her join her side because I feel like it would have taken a lot to prove that she defected from her original leader, but she pretty much just walks up and is like “I’m on your side now” and Miasma believes her. It was very weird.
Zephyr conspires with different groups on different sides and I had a hard time gauging the layout of the land because these clans of people were battling and I didn’t think they were close in proximity but Zephyr travels back and forth like they are. I feel like the politics weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, which made it a little difficult keeping track of the relationships and scheming between everyone.
I found it hard to emotionally connect with any part of Strike the Zither. For some reason, I felt very distanced from the story, like a far-away viewer of unknown people rather than an active participant. I don’t feel like I know Zephyr that well, or anyone else for that matter. I wasn’t emotionally invested when betrayals or deaths or big events happened, and that saddened me.
The story takes a drastic turn when stanza two begins, at the 50% mark. It’s like the book turns into an entirely different story with different characters in a different setting that felt narratively very disconnected from the first half of the story. I was quite confused and really didn’t enjoy it from then on, if I’m being honest.
Also, I found the romance, if you can even call it that, to be quite unrealistic. Zephyr never really liked Crow, until she one day did? I never understood where the attraction came from, especially since he poisoned her and didn’t seem to like her all that much either. I didn’t understand their connection at all.
Overall, I don’t think I’m the quite right audience for this book, and I can’t say for certain yet whether or not I will be reading the sequel. Strike the Zither ends on a cliffhanger of sorts that does pique my interest in how the story will progress in the next volume, but I don’t know if I’m committed enough to continue on with a series that I found to be just okay.
I enjoyed The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He, which is why I picked up Strike the Zither. Even though I didn’t enjoy her newest book as much as I enjoyed her sophomore novel, I’m curious to see what other stories she’ll write in the future as I enjoy her writing style overall and the types of stories she writes.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
Read
September 23, 2022DNF
Did not appreciate the style of this book at all. It reminded me of KJ parker at his worst, but stuffed into the mindset of a teenager who thinks they're better than everyone else. The Three Kingdoms inspiration was so blatant, which is fine for a retelling, but sometimes made me roll my eyes ("Red Phoenixes" instead of "Yellow Turbans") and it felt like the beginning of this book was so lacking in context if you are unfamiliar with the source (it basically starts in the middle of Changban, which is the middle of a conflict that starts a decade earlier).
Also the book gender bent everyone into women, which can do interesting things but even the soldiers were all women so I was just left wondering what all the men were up to.
Also the names were stupid. Why did some people have Chinese inspired names and others just have names like Cloud or Lotus.
Did not appreciate the style of this book at all. It reminded me of KJ parker at his worst, but stuffed into the mindset of a teenager who thinks they're better than everyone else. The Three Kingdoms inspiration was so blatant, which is fine for a retelling, but sometimes made me roll my eyes ("Red Phoenixes" instead of "Yellow Turbans") and it felt like the beginning of this book was so lacking in context if you are unfamiliar with the source (it basically starts in the middle of Changban, which is the middle of a conflict that starts a decade earlier).
Also the book gender bent everyone into women, which can do interesting things but even the soldiers were all women so I was just left wondering what all the men were up to.
Also the names were stupid. Why did some people have Chinese inspired names and others just have names like Cloud or Lotus.
June 4, 2023
4 stars, It was an enjoyable book. Book 2 will be released in 2024. There were some really nice scenes that had me smiling at the book. I LOVE the chemistry between crow and her. Hopefully they will have more scenes in book 2. I had some mixed feelings at some scenes near the ending
October 19, 2022
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ALC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating.
In this exciting first book in an upcoming series, Joan He reimagines Three Kingdoms, a Chinese lit classic. The gorgeous writing will draw you in and the story and characters will keep you eager for more!
Something I don’t see a lot of in fantasy is women in positions of power, which this had plenty of, and I’m so glad! Additionally, these characters weren’t all depicted as good people, and I love morally grey female characters!!
Also, some of the parts creeped me out a bit. Not going into too many details since the book isn’t published, but yeah, this was definitely a war story haha.
This book was excellent and I can’t wait for the next one. I highly recommend this to YA fantasy readers!
In this exciting first book in an upcoming series, Joan He reimagines Three Kingdoms, a Chinese lit classic. The gorgeous writing will draw you in and the story and characters will keep you eager for more!
Something I don’t see a lot of in fantasy is women in positions of power, which this had plenty of, and I’m so glad! Additionally, these characters weren’t all depicted as good people, and I love morally grey female characters!!
Also, some of the parts creeped me out a bit. Not going into too many details since the book isn’t published, but yeah, this was definitely a war story haha.
This book was excellent and I can’t wait for the next one. I highly recommend this to YA fantasy readers!
July 2, 2024
2nd read
3.5/5 stars
okay so, it was definitely somewhat better the second time around. i still feel like the middle part felt too abrupt and quick because we barely explored that afterwards, and some of the characters need to be delved into more, AND i thought we were going to get more crow... but alas, it does get me quite excited for the sequel now
1st read
this book is undoubtedly gorgeous. the description and the overall story are quite well done. i am, however, utterly FUCKING CONFUSED. so many things happened and i have a hard time following. not to mention that the characters felt very monotonous and lacking growth, which i find very frustrating. i'm still going to tune in for the sequel, i think
3.5/5 stars
okay so, it was definitely somewhat better the second time around. i still feel like the middle part felt too abrupt and quick because we barely explored that afterwards, and some of the characters need to be delved into more, AND i thought we were going to get more crow... but alas, it does get me quite excited for the sequel now
1st read
this book is undoubtedly gorgeous. the description and the overall story are quite well done. i am, however, utterly FUCKING CONFUSED. so many things happened and i have a hard time following. not to mention that the characters felt very monotonous and lacking growth, which i find very frustrating. i'm still going to tune in for the sequel, i think
November 23, 2025
We’re all so transient. We live and we die; we forget and we’re forgotten. The earth claims our bodies and strangers claim our names.
i'll admit it, strike the zither impressed me! in the beginning, i genuinely didn't like it, it felt very juvenile, i felt like i never got enough detail, and the pacing was messy- everything was moving far too quickly. the potential was 100% there, and it improved so much in the second half, but i think this would've been better split into two books, shifted from YA to adult, and from low to high fantasy...
and if zephyr and ren got together, because there is no way in HELL you're going to convince me those two are platonic. like wdym. "but ren and crow!!" listen buddy. heteronormativity is a thing and it cursed this book. every time zephyr thought about ren or ren spoke about zephyr i couldn't help but think they were in love, like goddamit GIVE ME THE WLW.
dnf
October 22, 2022Lol I lied DNF now at 25%
How DARE a DNF have such pretty art?! At the beginning of the book? The preorder prize? I could have made amazing book journal pages from this. But NO I had to hate it.
I was going to wait and try to give this book more of a chance. But then I read some 2 and 3 star reviews and I could already tell I was going to agree with them. I will also admit I intentionally spoiled myself for the twist at the 50% mark because everyone review mentioned it. And if I had made it to that point I definitely would have DNFed then.
Wow I hated Zephyr so much. She is arrogant and yet the book gives us no reason to believe she is as brilliant as she is constantly claiming.
None of the other characters have distinct personalities and as a character reader that really hurts my enjoyment of a book.
I’m assuming there’s going to be a romance between the two strategists if I stick with it but let me tell you there could have been an amazing sapphic romance instead. I bought the chemistry between the two women way more, even though they have very limited interaction in the part I read. But no we get the dark brooding guy again whatever.
Also this book was clearly going to include one of my biggest book pet peeves ever and I simply can’t read another book with that storyline. Tread of Angels killed me.
I see all of my friends on this app who are interested in this book so please don’t let my review stop you from picking it up!
How DARE a DNF have such pretty art?! At the beginning of the book? The preorder prize? I could have made amazing book journal pages from this. But NO I had to hate it.
I was going to wait and try to give this book more of a chance. But then I read some 2 and 3 star reviews and I could already tell I was going to agree with them. I will also admit I intentionally spoiled myself for the twist at the 50% mark because everyone review mentioned it. And if I had made it to that point I definitely would have DNFed then.
Wow I hated Zephyr so much. She is arrogant and yet the book gives us no reason to believe she is as brilliant as she is constantly claiming.
None of the other characters have distinct personalities and as a character reader that really hurts my enjoyment of a book.
I’m assuming there’s going to be a romance between the two strategists if I stick with it but let me tell you there could have been an amazing sapphic romance instead. I bought the chemistry between the two women way more, even though they have very limited interaction in the part I read. But no we get the dark brooding guy again whatever.
Also this book was clearly going to include one of my biggest book pet peeves ever and I simply can’t read another book with that storyline. Tread of Angels killed me.
I see all of my friends on this app who are interested in this book so please don’t let my review stop you from picking it up!
September 24, 2024
• ➻ 4.5/5 ✦
"enemy. friend. rival"
my favorite trope in any novel is rival to lovers, i feel like it's even more entertaining than enemies to lovers. just two people trying to one-up each other while falling in love is so enjoyable to me. bonus points for if they're from opposite sides, like zephyr and crow, and end up falling for each other anyway (though i doubt this will end well for them at all cries).
"blame me, or blame the heavens for placing us on different sides of this was.
may we meet in another life.
qilin"
it was also so interesting to read a novel where there isn't a gap between the agency a person gets with their gender. having read a lot of historical fiction, i wasn't used to it, but it was refreshing. the side characters were nice as well and i loved tourmaline sm <3 i hope there's more of her in the next book but i don't want to get my hopes up just in case ms. he rips out my heart and gives it back to me on a golden plate :') also i was really surprised when god just showed up like i guess i forgot that this was a fantasy lmao
"first lesson a strategist learns is to keep their enemies close, and there's no greater enemy than a rival."
"enemy. friend. rival"
my favorite trope in any novel is rival to lovers, i feel like it's even more entertaining than enemies to lovers. just two people trying to one-up each other while falling in love is so enjoyable to me. bonus points for if they're from opposite sides, like zephyr and crow, and end up falling for each other anyway (though i doubt this will end well for them at all cries).
"blame me, or blame the heavens for placing us on different sides of this was.
may we meet in another life.
qilin"
it was also so interesting to read a novel where there isn't a gap between the agency a person gets with their gender. having read a lot of historical fiction, i wasn't used to it, but it was refreshing. the side characters were nice as well and i loved tourmaline sm <3 i hope there's more of her in the next book but i don't want to get my hopes up just in case ms. he rips out my heart and gives it back to me on a golden plate :') also i was really surprised when god just showed up like i guess i forgot that this was a fantasy lmao
"first lesson a strategist learns is to keep their enemies close, and there's no greater enemy than a rival."
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