Cleric Chih accompanies the bridal party of Pham Nhung to the estate of her potential husband, a man with monstrous secrets. For the first two acts, there are no stories-within-a-story, and no Almost Brilliant, in a way that indicates they’re connected—Chih keeps requesting to hear stories, but people refuse or prevaricate, until we miss the niexin as keenly as Chih does. Chih, however, falls helplessly into a crush on Pham Nhung, as do I, which makes the swift and brilliant third act twist all the more effective. One story is swapped for another, with a literal take on stories save lives. Dare I say this one ranks with Riverlands as my favorite entries in the series thus far?
“The world starts with a story. So do dynasties and eras and wars. So does love, and so does revenge. Everything starts with a story.”