Strike the Zither: 1 (Kingdom of Three)

Product Information

Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honour draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.

Strike the Zither | Joan He | 9781250258588 | NetGalley Strike the Zither | Joan He | 9781250258588 | NetGalley

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close He’s] poignant voice transcends genre…Strike the Zither delivers an exploration of identity in the latter half, touching upon the heartstrings of many who grew up straddling the line between cultures.’ Miasma may still yet, at this rate, but there’s no arguing with our warlordess Xin Ren’s benevolence. Most strategists wouldn’t be able to cope with it.

Advance Praise

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close Alas, there isn’t. Even if I were to write more books, they wouldn’t be from Hesina’s point of view. Her story and character arc were always meant to be 80% wrapped up in one book; any future books would have been closer to companion novels. They’d follow the points of views of characters you haven’t yet met (while bringing in the old cast), and complete the bigger story that’s introduced in the epilogue of DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE. My gaze cuts from Lotus to Cloud, Ren’s other swornsister. She’s helping evacuees farther up the muddy slope, her ultramarine cloak rich against the muted greens of the firs. But even the universe is subject to unseen forces. The next night, a meteorite punched my mentor and his outhouse clean into the ground.

Strike the Zither | Joan He | 9781911231417 | NetGalley Strike the Zither | Joan He | 9781911231417 | NetGalley

The narrator pronounced zither oddly and it was distracting. And the word sobriquet was so over-used I felt like I should've been taking shots every time it appeared. In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match? Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started CloseJoan was born and raised in Philadelphia but still will, on occasion, lose her way. At a young age, she received classical instruction in oil painting before discovering that stories were her favorite kind of art. She studied psychology and Chinese history at the University of Pennsylvania and currently writes from a desk overlooking the city Don’t you dare, I think to my body as I ride farther down the line, shouting until I’m hoarse. I pass a girl shrieking for her sister. He] has crafted a world immense scope, artfully tweaking history to create a story where the fate of a realm lies in the hands of unapologetically fierce women…Unique and intelligent.’ Also this book was clearly going to include one of my biggest book pet peeves ever and I simply can’t read another book with that storyline. Tread of Angels killed me.

STRIKE THE ZITHER’s Epic Female Fantasy Joan He Talks STRIKE THE ZITHER’s Epic Female Fantasy

Joan He always has an incredible one at the 50% mark, and then an ending that reminds you that you always need to expect more. This is definitely a heavily political book, with a lot of warring factions and regions and scheming. However, there was definitely more action than I ever would have expected, and it all worked for me! Strike the Zither reimagines the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a way never seen before, with intense twists and turns that pay homage to its inspiration while being refreshingly different. A brilliant exploration of destiny and identity!’ Rich with intrigue and epic in scale. Strike the Zither grows tall on the heroic classics it draws from, yet beats powerfully with a heart of its own. Joan He aims ambitiously and lands true each time.’—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the These Violent Delights Duet

I can predict meteors now. Trace the paths of all stars, foretell weather patterns nine times out of ten. The environment, as it stands, is our only ally. Using it to our advantage has earned me the sobriquet of Fate Changer. But the work I do isn’t magic. It’s memorization and analysis and application. It’s limiting the factors I can’t control, and reducing our reliance on miracles.

Strike The Zither by Joan He | The Nerd Daily Review: Strike The Zither by Joan He | The Nerd Daily

Boisterous Bruiser: Lotus, a warrior who loves nothing more than drinking and fighting. She consistently gets on the nerves of the calm strategist Zephyr.I cannot emphasize how excited I was for this book. A YA genderbent adaption of the incredibly famous historical Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Hell yes, give me all of it. And of course, there’s also Kuri Huang’s gorgeous cover, which only stoked my excitement even more. So you can absolutely believe that the moment I got approved for this book on Netgalley, I put everything down to read it. Sadly, while I can’t say this was a perfect five-star read, there was a lot to love. I found it hard to emotionally connect with any part of Strike the Zither. For some reason, I felt very distanced from the story, like a far-away viewer of unknown people rather than an active participant. I don’t feel like I know Zephyr that well, or anyone else for that matter. I wasn’t emotionally invested when betrayals or deaths or big events happened, and that saddened me. My abilities as a strategist have earned me many sobriquets, from the Dragon’s Shadow to the Tactician of Thistlegate. Rising Zephyr is my personal favorite. “Zephyr” will do, if you please. idk what i just read. this was the most confusing shit ive ever read. maybe i don't have zephyr's infinite IQ level that she so graciously reminds us of to compute what goes ON The story is told from first person, which is brilliant for seeing more of how Zephyr’s mind actually works whilst ensuring that we’re treated to as many comments as possible about those around her!