Story-gatherer Chih returns to the Singing Hills in this fourth volume in the series, Mammoths at the Gates, by Nghi Vo. We previously visited Chih and their neixin companion Almost Brilliant on their adventures around the empire. Their mission was to gather as many stories and as much information as they could to bring back to the Singing Hills, to save for posterity. But every journey has to end someday and it’s been years since Chih was home.
Chih no doubt thought that a few things would change in their time away but they never would have pictured returning home only to find a pair of mammoths and representatives of the Empire at the monastery’s gates. Once they sneak make their way through the gates, with no little trouble, they learn why the Singing Hills has been graced with a visit. The imperial officials are on a family errand: to collect the body of their grandfather before Chih’s order inters him in the monastery. Years prior, this grandfather absconded from his family and joined the Singing Hills. Everywhere this elder went, they made an impression. Unfortunately, those impressions—and the elder’s long life—mean that both parties have a good claim to be his resting place.
Chih plays peacemaker for the acting head of the monastery (the official head and most of the rest of the order have taken off on a rare archaeological opportunity) and the imperial visitors, while grieving the beloved elder and also trying to figure out what is going on with the elder’s neixin and the fractious colony of birds. It’s a lot but Chih is no stranger to either diplomacy or dealing with emotions and mysteries.
Mammoths at the Gates is brief (like all the books in this series) and (also like all the other books in this series) packs a big emotional wallop along with a rich history and culture inspired by medieval China and southeastern Asia. I’ve really enjoyed this series; my only complaint is that I want more of everything! Each book makes me wish that I could sequester myself in the Singing Hills archive and read anything I could get my hands on. I very much appreciate the order’s philosophy that all knowledge is worth having.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.