From the Publisher:
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
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
My Thoughts:
I sat on this book prior to its release in October 2022 because the cover, and the girl on the cover, did not grab me as a devour worthy tale of Asian female bad assery. However, I was looking through this blog and was reminded that He's first novel, Descendent of the Crane also did not have a cover that I liked, but her power to build worlds and plot twists in that book was phenomenal.
Suffice it to say, I came to the Strike the Zither party unfashionably late, however, I'm glad I came. Unlike Descendent (2019) that has no sequel (which is quite maddening, I must say), Zither is part of a duology titled (ironically) Kingdom of Three. Yes, I know there are three warlordessʻ, but it is still funny.
This story is not helmed by any of the three warlordesses. In fact, after getting through 45% of the book according to my e-reader, and without giving anything away, something very Game of Thrones-ish happens. Gah!!!!
He's talent as an author is her ability to drop surprises and twists in her novels, and then move on from those twists in a way that does not break the flow of the story, even for the other characters. The twists are dealt with almost with a sense of stoicism or even Zen. I donʻt know how to explain it without giving too much away. If you love plot twists and Chinese classics turned into tales that imagine a world where of course women are stronger, smarter and more badass than many of the male characters, then this will strike your fancy.
Middle grade readers or YA readers who read Asian fantasy retellings like The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh need to read this next. This book will get readers to YA fantasy authors like Elizabeth Lim and Xiran Jay Zhao.
Publication Details:
Author: Joan He
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (October 25, 2022)
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