“How do you forget someone who’s carved themselves into your bones?” 

 

I cried at that end. I didn’t think Joan He’s words could blow me away any further than it had before but they have, and this was a poignant and bittersweet conclusion to the Three Kingdoms duology. Somewhere in the middle, I wasn’t sure what path the plot was taking but it all came together in the end. This story was by no means mainly a love story, but the love story aspect of this was just an extra bonus that didn’t take away anything from the core message of the book. Zephyr herself isn’t meant to be the heroic player, she’s meant to mess up and do some unhinged shit. There are no ultimately good guys or bad guys but everyone is thoroughly complex and flawed. It was all so beautifully done, and has solidified Joan He as one of my favorite insta-read authors. 

Best read directly after its predecessor, Sound the Gong continues the story of Zephyr and the Three Kingdoms.  Again filled with incredibly brave, badass warrior women, this book sees Zephyr navigate strategy by inhabiting the bodies of others.  The characters in this story will do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals in a (sometimes literally) cutthroat environment, and yet, the chess pieces they manipulate in order to do so are not only pawns but also friends, allies, rulers.  Zephyr’s powers are put to the test as she tries to change fate to get what she wants, but history is cyclical and destiny powerful.  Will her choices have been worth it?