Strike the Zither

Joan He

Oct 2022 · Kingdom of Three Book 1 · Sold by Roaring Brook Press

About this ebook

A dazzling new fantasy from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, Strike the Zither is a powerful, inventive, and sweeping fantasy that reimagines the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms.

The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions, and three warlordesses hope to claim the continent for themselves.

But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.

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 honor 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.

Featuring gorgeous map art by Anna Frohmann and black-and-white portraits by Tida Kietsungden, Strike the Zither is the first book in Joan He's riveting Kingdom of Three duology. Don't miss the epic conclusion in Sound the Gong!

Ratings and reviews

This epic fantasy novel is easily my favorite of this year, maybe of any fantasy I've ever read. The expansive and vivid world building is imaginative and felt so real. The characters are all unique and three dimensional. The writing is as gorgeous as the cover. I'm already highly anticipating the sequel. The plot has twists I never saw coming, one of which especially made me say out loud, "WHAT?" and I had to reread the passage to make sure of what I read. I'd never encountered such an imagina

I was really drawn to this book because of the cover and the illustrations of the main characters in the beginning was awesome. I like when that happens so that I can picture the characters better. It gave me high hopes for the story which sounded interesting too. I was really into the first half of the book with Zephyr the strategist working brilliantly to try and help her Lordess Ren to defeat Miasma and her army. The way she thought several steps ahead of what was obvious was cool.

At first, I was drawn in by the cover and reading the excerpt drew me in further. The beginning of the story confused me and was a little difficult to follow, but the more I read and began to understand, the more I began to enjoy the book. Zephyr is a strong character/heroine and can defend herself. It was interesting to see how she resolves the problems presented. The story ends in a cliffhanger, which I don't enjoy very much, but it is interesting and leaves you wanting more.

About the author

Joan He was born and raised in Philadelphia but still, on occasion, loses her way. At a young age, she received classical instruction in oil painting before discovering that stories are her favorite kind of art. She studied psychology and Chinese history at the University of Pennsylvania and now writes from Chicago. She is the bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find, and Descendant of the Crane, her young adult debut novel. Strike the zither is the first book in her Kingdom of Three duology.
joanhewrites.com | @joanhewrites