A Palace Near the Wind — Review of an Upcoming Science Fiction Novella
Book cover of A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang
Juxtaposing a culture based in nature with another founded on industrialization, Ai Jiang’s forthcoming novella A Palace Near the Wind invites the reader to reflect on such concepts as identity, family, and home as innate to the heart instead of in a worldly manner.
Liu Lufeng has lived a largely content life in Feng, land of the treelike Wind Walkers. To her dissatisfaction, she is the next of her sisters to be married off to the king of a nearby palace in the hopes of mitigating additional destruction of Feng territory. As she discovers evidence that her people will never be safe from the humans’ sinister plans, Lufeng has no choice but to claim her future for herself if she hopes to ensure the safety of those she holds close to her heart.
Via a candid first-person narration, the reader is afforded a lived-in perspective that feels local to the mind, evolving throughout the read. Further, Lufeng’s story also teaches us about access, allowing us an opportunity to reflect on the power and potential danger that can result from acquiring knowledge.
Through imagistic prose that elicits impactful sensations, Jiang introduces us to a culture altogether different from Lufeng’s comfort zone in Feng as she experiences fear and awe of the outside world. The reader is further challenged to consider how culture shock can exist amidst people with values that shift and morph into ones unlike those of their kith and kin.
Ai Jiang, author of A Palace Near the Wind
The scientific and the fantastical are balanced with a levity that allows the world to operate by its own rules without feeling contrived. On a global level, the plot promises an adventure for the second installment of the duology, ending on a cliffhanger that instills both satisfaction and intrigue.
Fans of fantasy, sci-fi, or otherwise speculative fiction would enjoy the innovations within this book. With respect to the craft of the writing, those with a sensibility for poetic language would appreciate the evocative prose.
Ai Jiang’s upcoming novella A Palace Near the Wind is the first book of the Natural Engines duology and releases on April 8th, 2025.
