Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to receive this ARC. I’m a big fan of the Singing Hills Cycle and of Nghi Vo as a whole—she’s firmly on my autobuy list. I was beyond excited to dive into this prequel featuring Chih and Almost Brilliant and to see where their journey began. One of my favorite aspects of this story was seeing Chih set out for the first time as a full cleric. Watching them stumble and find their footing was a refreshing change from the previous books, where they’re already confident in their role. It’s a great reminder that everyone starts somewhere, and that growth comes through mistakes and persistence. The exploration of “home” is another standout element. The story thoughtfully examines what it means to leave a home behind and build a new one elsewhere. Through Chih’s interactions—collecting stories from villagers, refugees from Muyi, and other immigrants—we see how community shapes identity. The tensions between these groups are handled with nuance, ultimately reinforcing the idea that home isn’t just a place, but something created together. This theme feels especially relevant in today’s world, and I appreciated the hopeful lens through which it’s presented. There are struggles, certainly, but also resilience and forward movement. As always, Nghi Vo’s writing is absolutely gorgeous. There were so many lines I found myself highlighting and sitting with long after reading.

In need of a switch of genres (having read a handful of cozier feel good books) I turned to The Decagon House Murders. I’m newer to reading mystery books and I have found that I quite enjoy them. Trying to piece all the hints and clues together and guess who might be the murderer is probably my favorite part. The only other mystery I’ve really read recently was the Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. I was unsuccessful guessing the murderer that time, but in this book I was surprised to have guessed it before the reveal.

The characters being named after famous mystery authors was an interesting touch, and I really liked the in-world reasoning behind it. Our characters were easy to understand, not necessarily to connect to but to understand their motivations and attitudes. The hints and clues that were given, including the red herrings, were clever and well thought out. I never felt like I was hand fed information or had my hand held during the telling of the story or the reveal at the end. I was truly on the edge of my seat once the killings began and was loath to put the book down, I was eager to keep going to find out more. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and branching out some more into the mystery genre.