Sci-fi/Fantasy Book Club: The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Our sci-fi/fantasy selection for September is The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. If you haven’t already, please complete the form and be sure to purchase your copy at Scholar & Scribe to read beforehand…and get 10% off when you do!

With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.

Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She’s a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

This is a great opportunity to share your thoughts and connect with fellow book lovers. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you purchase the audiobook through Libro.fm, send your receipt to hello@scholarandscribe.com to be added to the club. Same, if you order through Bookshop.org!