Happy Thanksgiving to our North American listeners, and to everyone else, we hope things are going well for you! This month was Ian's pick, and he chose: The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. This novel is part of a series (which Ian didn't know at the time), and follows Cleric Chih who is visiting an abandoned palace known as Thriving Fortune. While there, they meet Rabbit, a former servant to the recently deceased Empress In-yo. Rabbit tells Chih many stories about the Empresses' reign and her life as the wife of the Emperor of Pine and Steel. The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tight, short novella that wont a Hugo. It deals with power, and vengeance, and ambition, and we had a great time reading and discussing it!
Next month's pick is Ronnie's (and the last of 2025). She chose: The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez!