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Regrettablyyours

29 | She/Her | Bisexual | AuDHD | Illustrator! 🎨 Fantasy, Gothic Lit & Horror, and basically anything that makes me feel like I'm playing DnD 🙂‍↕️

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In the Dream House: A Memoir
Starling House
I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (Ravenloft, Book 1)
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Regrettablyyours commented on Regrettablyyours's review of The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)

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  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
    Regrettablyyours
    Jul 01, 2026
    The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
    3.5
    Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 3.0Characters: 2.5Plot: 3.5
    🐇
    🕊️
    🧧

    I don't know how to describe it, but this read more like it should have been a graphic novel than a novella on its own, weirdly enough? Which implies the imagery is evocative, but the prose is actually quite simple and to-the-point. It felt more like the transcript of a comic/graphic novel, and was thus missing that other half of the medium's visual language and storytelling that would have gone with it and made the story "whole". But I guess it was successful nevertheless because I could picture it so clearly in a graphic novel way?

    Regardless, I wasn't blown away, and I found it a little confusing at times, BUT enjoyed it well enough nonetheless. I'll also give it props that it was interesting enough that it makes me curious about the other standalone novellas, and if they expand on the world, but they aren't high priority reads for me at this time. I think it's worth giving a chance if the book sounds intriguing to you, since it's a pretty quick read!

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  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
    if your feeling confused this may help you 🤗 ch1

    Hi Boundlings!

    I enjoyed this book and the forum and noticed also quite a lot of posts stating a sense of confusion - I thought it may help to have a post early on in the forum (spoiler free - all of what I am mentioning is introduced in the very first 15 min/first chapter) to help you along the way if you are feeling that way.

    The first character introduced (one of the main characters) is Chih: A non-binary cleric from the Singing Hills Abbey who records history.

    They are traveling with Almost Brilliant: A talking hoopoe bird with a perfect memory who is Chih’s companion.

    At this point of the book, they have now met with Rabbit: The old woman who was once In-Yo's servant and loyal handmaiden, and who tells the story in the later parts of the book. Chih often addresses Rabbit by "grandmother" (likely a translation for what I imagine is a type of honorific and respect for the elder woman).

    This book switches between the two narrators (Chih and Rabbit) and two separate time periods.

    I hope this helps and that you enjoy this tale!

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  • Regrettablyyours wrote a review...

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  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
    Regrettablyyours
    Jul 01, 2026
    The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
    3.5
    Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 3.0Characters: 2.5Plot: 3.5
    🐇
    🕊️
    🧧

    I don't know how to describe it, but this read more like it should have been a graphic novel than a novella on its own, weirdly enough? Which implies the imagery is evocative, but the prose is actually quite simple and to-the-point. It felt more like the transcript of a comic/graphic novel, and was thus missing that other half of the medium's visual language and storytelling that would have gone with it and made the story "whole". But I guess it was successful nevertheless because I could picture it so clearly in a graphic novel way?

    Regardless, I wasn't blown away, and I found it a little confusing at times, BUT enjoyed it well enough nonetheless. I'll also give it props that it was interesting enough that it makes me curious about the other standalone novellas, and if they expand on the world, but they aren't high priority reads for me at this time. I think it's worth giving a chance if the book sounds intriguing to you, since it's a pretty quick read!

    5
    comments 3
    Reply
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  • Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert
    Regrettablyyours
    Jul 01, 2026
    Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert
    3.0
    Enjoyment: 3.5Quality: 3.0Characters: 3.5Plot: 2.5Audiobook: 4.5
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  • Sister Wake
    Regrettablyyours
    Jun 27, 2026
    Sister Wake
    5.0
    Enjoyment: 4.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 5.0
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