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Mammoths at the Gates (The Singing Hills Cycle Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Nghi Vo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 367 ratings
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The Crawford and Hugo Award-Winning Series

Finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novella; shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Locus Award, the Ignyte Award; One of Book Riot's Best Fantasy Debuts of All Time; A Milwaukee Journal Best of 2023 Pick; A Recommended Reading List Pick for Locus; A Powell's Best of 2023 Pick

"Both tear-jerking and gut-punching. . . . Entirely accessible on its own, it is an excellent place to start if you haven’t read any of Vo’s novellas yet."—The Washington Post

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. . .

"A remarkable accomplishment of storytelling."—NPR on The Empress of Salt and Fortune

"Nghi Vo is one of the most original writers we have today."—Taylor Jenkins Reid on Siren Queen

The Hugo Award-winning Singing Hills Cycle

The Empress of Salt and Fortune
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
Into the Riverlands
Mammoths at the Gates
The Brides of High Hill

The novellas of The Singing Hills Cycle are linked by the cleric Chih, but may be read in any order, with each story serving as an entrypoint.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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  1. Book 4 of 5
    The Singing Hills Cycle
  2. Print length
    123 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Tordotcom
  6. Publication date
    September 12, 2023
  7. File size
    5036 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Hugo Award-winning Series | Crawford Award-winning Series | Locus Award-finalist Series | Ignyte Award-nominated Series

"This fourth entry in the “Singing Hills Cycle” series, after Into the Riverlands, is every bit as beautiful and thought-provoking as its predecessors. Highly recommended for fans of the previous books in the series and for anyone who loves their fantasy colored with myth, legend, and bittersweet truth."―Library Journal, starred view

"Both tear-jerking and gut-punching. . . . Entirely accessible on its own, it is an excellent place to start if you haven’t read any of Vo’s novellas yet."―The Washington Post

"Hugo Award winner Vo’s lovely standalone fourth Singing Hills Cycle fantasy is the most personal adventure yet for travelling Cleric Chih. . . . This timeless story of grief and growth is sure to resonate."―Publishers Weekly

“[T]he novella is short but meaty, with rich language and small details and stories that flesh it out into feeling much longer than it is. It’s a quick, satisfying read.”―Booklist

"With its themes of friendship, loyalty, continuity, and loss, [Mammoths at the Gates's] main strengths derive from an appealing cast of characters, some of whom, like Chih, have grown more complex over the four volumes of the series. . . . Adds considerable emotional resonance to an already impressive series."―Locus

"This moving novella handles different methods of grieving with care and love. Not everyone is remembered the same by the living, and it is a beautiful reminder of how loved ones live on through memory and story."―Powell's, Best of 2023

"This brief fable explores love, grief, guilt, atonement, memory and transformation. In spite of the deep wounds various characters carry and the serious nature of the themes, this is a gentle tale. . . . I enjoyed it―I think you will too."―FantasyLiterature

"An exceptional fantasy novella."―Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Praise for the Singing Hills Cycle

"A delicious bonbon of a novella about stories and their unreliable narrators, who wink at their listeners (or readers), fully expecting us to catch on."―The Wall Street Journal

"Dangerous, subtle, unexpected and familiar, angry and ferocious and hopeful. . . . A remarkable accomplishment of storytelling."―NPR

"Spellbinding. . . . Vo expertly weaves myths and histories of this fantastical land throughout, while also offering readers a deeper understanding of Chih themself, a character who may have been left as a framing device in lesser hands. The result is a pitch-perfect series installment."―Publishers Weekly, (starred review)

"Rides the knife edge between telling a story and being in the middle of it and explores how tales become legends. . . . Highly recommended for . . . anyone who likes high fantasy inspired by Imperial China or wuxia movies and stories."―Library Journal (starred review)

"Vo's debut has it all: from sapphic love to cruel betrayals; from political intrigue to lakes that glow red to ghosts that continue to walk old paths."―Booklist, starred review

"A stunning feminist fantasy."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Gorgeous. Cruel. Perfect."―Seanan McGuire

"So good I want to marry it."―Martha Wells

"A quiet, wrenching tale of resistance, resilience, and court intrigue."―R. F. Kuang

“A stunning gem . . . celebrates the wonder of queer love. I could read about Chih recording tales forever.”―Samantha Shannon

"A glorious, beautifully-written tale that is both tragic and triumphant, unfolding a secret history through the ordinary artifacts of everyday life."―Kate Elliott

"An epic in miniature, beautifully realised."―Zen Cho

"At once epic and intimate, this story of revenge, power and the weight of history is a small, masterful jewel."―Aliette de Bodard

"Resides in the intimate margins of its (beautifully imagined) world's history, portraying how the marginalized may yet shape those narratives and harness the power of stories."―Indra Das

“Uncovers a nuanced history of how the disenfranchised shape history, and can come to rule it, though at great cost."―Buzzfeed

"A thrilling, wuxia-style addition to the series."―BuzzFeed News

"A masterpiece of understatement and implication. . . it gives the impression of effortlessness while being quietly meticulous in every stitch."―Nerd Daily

"[A] gorgeous debut novella."―Paste

"Rich details and emotional prose captures readers from the first page of this imaginative and powerful novella. "―Library Journal

“Those familiar with the Singing Hills Cycle know by now to expect marvelous little novellas like perfectly cut jewels, dense with facets and brilliance. Into the Riverlands, Nghi Vo’s third installment, is of course no different….buy this book, because you’ll want to revisit these particular stories again and again.”―Geekly, Inc

"The novella is written in Vo’s rich, lovely language, and it’s nice to have such a wonderful fantasy series be totally accessible in standalone volumes. . . . Fans of folklore-inspired fantasy will eat this one up."―Booklist

“Continues the magical, mythical and memorable adventures of Chih . . . . The series . . . can be read in any order―and you don’t want to miss them!”―Ms. Magazine

“This is a beautiful, cozy, fantasy tale. . . . gentle, soothing, whimsical, feminist.”―Fantasy Book Critic

“Novelist Nghi Vo has a fantastic gift for creating sweeping epics that weave together history and myth.”―Arlington Magazine

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Nghi Vo is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The series entries have been finalists for the Locus Award and the Lambda Literary Award, and have won the Crawford Award, the Ignyte Award, and the Hugo Award. 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. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BQGJ8J78
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tordotcom (September 12, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 12, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5036 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 123 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1250851432
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 367 ratings

About the author

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Nghi Vo

Nghi Vo

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NGHI VO is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain and The Empress of Salt and Fortune, a Locus and Ignyte Award finalist and the winner of the Crawford Award and the Hugo Award. 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.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
367 global ratings
Excellent addition to the series!
4 Stars
Excellent addition to the series!
4.5 stars “The grief rose up like a tide. Chih let it rise, let it wash over the top of their head and into their mouth, their throat, and their lungs, and then it drained away, leaving them spent and exhausted.”Returning to the Singing Hills world is always a breath of fresh air for me, and this fourth installment was every bit as wonderful as the previous novellas! This one brings Cleric Chih home to the Singing Hills abbey, where they reunite with old friends and encounter new obstacles in the form of royal mammoths and the empire advocates who control them.This story, though short, packs a punch with themes revolving around grief, familial vs. professional duty, generational change, honoring traditions, and how bittersweet it is to come home after a long time away. Vo’s writing has continued to engage me from beginning to end, and I look forward to the next Singing Hills Cycle novella!
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Top reviews from the United States

Rachel
5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
A lovely installment in the always excellent Singing Hills cycle. This was a poignant, thoughtful read that eloquently dealt with grief, sorrow, and change (both how people change and how home changes).

I'd never been particularly interested in Chih and seen them as a vessel for more interesting characters. That changed in this work. I felt I truly got to know them and love them.

As always, I recommend this series to any and all. That being said, while you can technically read these in any order, I'd recommend reading it after the first three.
2 people found this helpful
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kindle_addict53
4.0 out of 5 stars I'm a little bit disappointed.
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
As always from Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle, A wonderfully unique story, beautifully told. I ordered this immediately after finishing the last book in the series, and also ordered the first three in paperback for my mom - who has no internet or Kindle. I've been waiting for months!

But I'm a bit disappointed about the length of this book. I paid for a full length book, but only got a short story that I finished in a little over an hour.
I probably would have paid even if I'd known, because I love these tales so much, but I do have to complain. Especially since other stories were hinted at! I want to know about Almost Brilliant and Chiep's "Baba"!
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Courtney M Rayle
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent as usual!
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
I’ve come to expect high quality from Nghi Vo and was not disappointed! Wonderful new addition to the Singing Hills books!
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Laia
5.0 out of 5 stars Grief and friendship
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was so beautiful, so cozy and so poetic. Like a magical meditation on grief. I really enjoyed this one.
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LA in Dallas
5.0 out of 5 stars Home and a funeral
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Mammoths at the Gates is the fourth book in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills cycle. By now I have it down to a routine. I preorder the book as soon as that becomes possible. Shortly after midnight Eastern Time on a Tuesday morning it appears on my kindle. I read it -- this takes less than two hours. Then I write a quick review and am ready to post it when Amazon is ready to accept reviews at 3:00 Eastern.

Mammoths felt different. Chih and Almost Brilliant (she's back, and we meet her cute new chick Chiep) are not just recorders. They are participants in the story. The story begins when Chih returns home to Singing Hills Abbey to find, you guessed it -- Mammoths at the Gates. It transpires that one of the elder clerics has died, and since they were a prominent man before becoming a cleric of Singing Hills, there is some dispute about the disposition of the body.

There is a funeral and stories are told about the cleric who is gone. The question of how his remains are to be handled is resolved in an unusual way.

This story is less fun and more affecting than the previous entries in the Singing Hills cycle. And when it's done we understand much better what Singing Hills is, how it works, and who Chih is and where they came from.
3 people found this helpful
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Chelsea Reining
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.25/5 stars - amazing insight into the story keepers, not just the stories
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
4.25/5 stars

This was unexpected, refreshing, unique, impactful - in very few pages. At roughly 100 pages, this novella packs a powerful punch that will leave you feeling fully satisfied and yet thoughtful. This is a story you have to experience - my words or descriptions would be far insufficient.

I adore the concept of a scholar monk travelling to gather stories to add to the archives, and using that knowledge to survive situations that should not be survivable. But, I especially loved that this one gives us insight into where Chih comes from as they return to their abbey. It was a completely different setup from the first 3 books and captured my attention in a new way. We learn more about the monk sand the Order of the Singing Hills - about the story keepers more than stories themselves. It was fascinating and leaves me hungry for more about the world!

It's just so well done and extremely obvious that Vo knew the story she wanted to tell and had a passion for it; it takes a special kind of skill to write so much in so few words.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful addition.
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
I am too tired to write a full review, but I loved the book. Wonderfully thoughtful, and a great reminder of what the story of a life can look like from the outside.
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Tracey L.
5.0 out of 5 stars As all of the Singing Hills stories are this is excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
If you who are reading this have ever lost someone you loved, really loved for many years then this book will bring on the tears. Let them fall because this book will also remind you of all the good memories you have of your loved ones.
In fact I would not be surprised if this book was not inspired by the loss of a loved one.
It is well worth reading, like all of the books of Singing Hills.
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