A review by justabean_reads
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think this is my favourite in the series so far! Chih and Almost Brilliant head into the riverlands, which sounds a bit like the Three Gorges region of the Yangtze River, and is also stepping into wuxia-augmented reality. Travelling with a group for protection from bandits, Chih tries to collect everyone's favourite stories and put together different versions of the region's history, frequently interrupted by other party members and actual bandits. I don't want to spoiler too much, but I loved how the stories fit together here, which felt more deft than the second book, and a little more down to earth than the empire-shattering events of the first book. All of these novellas are meta commentary on the meaning found in stories, and the handling here was excellent. Also A+ queer content.