Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo

Title: Mammoths at the Gate

Series: The Singing Hills Cycle #4
Author: Nghi Vo
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Novella
Publisher/Publication Date: Tordotcom Publishing; September 12, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The wandering Cleric Chih returns home to the Singing Hills Abbey for the first time in almost three years, to be met with both joy and sorrow. Their mentor, Cleric Thien, has died, and rests among the archivists and storytellers of the storied abbey. But not everyone is prepared to leave them to their rest. Because Cleric Thien was once the patriarch of Coh clan of Northern Bell Pass--and now their granddaughters have arrived on the backs of royal mammoths, demanding their grandfather’s body for burial. Chih must somehow balance honoring their mentor’s chosen life while keeping the sisters from the north from storming the gates and destroying the history the clerics have worked so hard to preserve. But as Chih and their neixin Almost Brilliant navigate the looming crisis, Myriad Virtues, Cleric Thien’s own beloved hoopoe companion, grieves her loss as only a being with perfect memory can, and her sorrow may be more powerful than anyone could anticipate... 

I was very excited to be approved for an ARC of Nghi Vo’s latest installment in The Singing Hills Cycle. This adventure sees the traveling cleric, Chih, return to Singing Hills abbey, and I was all for the change of scenery. It meant getting back to one of my favorite characters, the neixin named Almost Brilliant. And, while the world at large in this series is fascinating, I’ve always kind of wanted a story set at the abbey—since it was a pivotal part of Chih’s background.

This novella was everything I was hoping it would be. It still had the nested story format, but I liked how Chih was far closer to this conflict and some of the history—rather than only an observer—since the focus was on a fellow cleric who they were once close to (who had passed away). It was a messy and sensitive situation, especially where tempers and mammoths are involved. In spite of its short length, I appreciated the emotional depth that was present in the story. It’s one of the aspects that the series has excelled at since its beginning. Again, there weren’t the most pages here. But it wasn’t necessary, since, like the other novellas in The Singing Hills Cycle series, it was easy to care about and understand the perspective of even the new characters that were introduced.

Mammoths at the Gate, has reaffirmed my love for this series, its characters, and the stories within the story.

About the author....

Nghi Vo is the author of the acclaimed novellas The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. The Chosen and the Beautiful is her debut novel.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Tordotcom Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!