Sound the Gong by Joan He

I bought "Sound the Gong" by Joan He as it was the sequel to "Strike the Zither" which I have read before and loved.  Though it is a sequel, it is meant to be read right after "Strike the Zither" and should probably be considered one book broken up into two parts and read together.  I would not read "Sound the Gong" as a stand alone.  The series is roughly based off the story of the Three Kingdoms, but with a mainly female cast.  "Sound the Gong" starts off right after Zephyr makes the betrayal realization at the end of "Strike the Zither."  It follows Zephyr's journey as she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to get a chance to change fate and meet her goals to lead Xin Ren to victory.  Without giving too much away, it is a story of betrayal, forgiveness, hope, despair, and so much more in an emotional rollercoaster.  Will Zephyr ultimately get what she wants or will she have lost everything just for the chance?  Will she be able to create a better or longer future for the people who have become important to her?  You'll have to read it yourself to find out the conclusion.  I highly recommend the series if you enjoy fantasy and/or war stories.

I was lucky enough to pre-order the book and get a beautiful metal bookmark and the bonus story epilogue in physical form.  This epilogue should be read after finishing "Sound the Gong" and, without adding spoilers, it provides a little extra something for Crow's ever after.

As a teacher, I like this book because it showcases many flawed characters who don't always succeed.  It doesn't have your traditional happy ending where everything is solved and tied up nicely with a bow.  This is very reflective of real life and emphasizes how life goes on whether you succeed or not, but you have to keep moving forward regardless.

As a cosplayer, most of the outfits are gorgeous and the story comes with some lovely photo art for inspiration.  If you like more tradional Chinese clothing styles, or female warriors, this series has a lot to offer you.  Prop makers would have a lot of fun making the signature weapons of each of the characters as well.  It is a gorgeous story with gorgeous art.

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