I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It has been far too long since I devoured a book in less than a day, and I should have known Joan He would be the one to heal me. I'm reading Strike the Zither and Sound the Gong back to back (yes, yes, I know I should have read it before now, I'm kicking myself just as much as you are, fake fan behavior, etc etc) and let me tell you, I am beyond excited that I get to keep going after that cliffhanger. 

STRIKE THE ZITHER is a tense yet joyful reimagining of the Three Kingdoms story crafted with clear love for not just the original but epic scope, found family, and crafty stories with an entire cast fighting to move their pieces before the other characters can get their hands on them. This story follows Zephyr, military strategist, at a breakneck pace as she fights to bring victory to her upstart lordess Xin Ren against all odds as she faces down friends, family, and enemies alike to see her stratagems through. 

What really shone about this book for me was the action-packed plot and friendships. Slightly relatedly. I can't believe I was lulled into thinking I'd finally guessed a patented Joan He plot twist ahead of time, but to return to the topic: I loved the bond between the swornsisters, I greatly enjoyed Zephyr and Crow's rivalry, and I loved seeing Zephyr's hautiness worn down by the bonds she creates over the course of the story. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the characters continue to grow and how the story concludes!