The beautiful cover caught me attention but I said for the elegant prose. This authors describes setting so well!

For fans of Princess Mononoke. Magical world building and a moving story packed into a tiny novella.
For fans of T Kingfisher and Nghi Vo.

Liu Lufeng is the eldest princess of the Feng royalty, people who live in the clouds and are known as Winwalkers. She is the next bride, the next sacrifice, to the human king following her sisters and mother.
This wedding gives her people more time to stop the expansion of the humans so that the Feng can keep their lands, people, and culture intact from the crass and cruel Land Wanderers.

Lufeng desperate to return home, to save her mother and sisters, to kill the King if she has to. This is a story about having to learn, unlearn, and relearn everything you think you know. A repositioning of your world view.

The world was rich (bark people, wind talking), however I think too much was packed in and this failed to deliver a coherent, well-rounded story.
it felt too-overcrowded. A full-length novel would struggle to unpack the magic, culture, politics, history of the world that is only hinted at.

The characters did feel slightly flat, but with such a short page count, this is to be expected. However, I did feel empathy for Lufeng and recognised her emotional response and sense of duty and obligations.

A peak into an imaginative mind. I felt satisfied and whisked away by this story but needed more.

Physical arc gifted by Titan books.

OK, I have mixed feelings about this book... I really liked the premise and the beginning! I loved the whole theme of nature VS technology that appeared on the first half.
However, I found it a bit rushed. I couldn’t engage with the characters much and while the setting was beautiful, I felt we didn't get to explore as much as we needed.
Overall, not a bad book though!

I couldn’t understand this at all - I couldn’t picture these tree people and it stunted my enjoyment of the story. I couldn’t make it make sense in my head. I’m sorry - it’s definitely a book that others will love, but it’s not for me.

The description and cover for this book caught my eye and I wanted to give this author a try. I got about 31% in and couldn’t keep going. It found the main characters to be unappealing. She doesn’t seem to have much agency in the book and there is quite a bit of doing as she was told and never questioning it. I found that I couldn’t connect with her and the driving force of the story wasn’t compelling enough for me to keep going.

Ai Jiang once again has shown why she is one of the best new voices in literature with her new novel A Palace Near The Wind. Lefung is due to marry the king as tradition of the Feng people in order to keep the peace and balance of their land. As she prepares to wed the King she learns that her people (the Feng people) will never truly be safe from the humans and she must let go of the traditions she holds dearly in order to save herself and her family.

This is the first novella in a sci-fantasy doulogy by Ai Jiang.
Wind Walkers are tree-like creatures that have the ability to command the wind. The main character, Lufeng is the next in line to marry the king as part of a treaty between her people and their human rulers.
I’m enthralled by Jiang’s world building and story telling.. There is an ambiguity in this tale that may be frustrating for some. I personally enjoyed the journey and I’m excited for where the next book will lead!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the eARC!

Of the three stories by Ai Jiang that I’ve read so far– “I am AI” and “Linghun” are the two others–this was, unfortunately, by far my least favorite. “Linghun” was my favorite, the most well-balanced between premise and execution; “I am AI” was more ambitious, but still fairly satisfying. A PALACE NEAR THE WIND, which is much more fantasy than the other two, is probably the most ambitious, but lacking in crucial world-building elements that would have dispelled my confusion and enabled me to be more invested in the story.

Reading A PALACE NEAR THE WIND felt like looking at a painting that lingered too much on certain pretty details while forgetting to sketch out the crucial outline that the audience needs in order to contextualize what’s going on. Lufeng was much more interested in describing the wonders of the palace in which she is held (hostage? I am unclear) as well as the market in which she comes in contact with human (?) goods for the first time. I found some of her thoughts interesting and reminiscent of A Memory Called Empire’s MC’s struggles over liking certain aspects of her colonizer’s culture while also acknowledging the precariousness of her position in her colonizer’s eyes.

BUT WAIT! Who is human and who is not? Why does she feel like the palace is a prison? (Is it a prison?) I pictured the Wind Walkers as sapient tree creatures, and I am guessing that the inhabitants of Gear and Engine (the evil colonizers?) are human, but this is totally a guess as I feel it was never clearly explained. I THINK that this story could be an allegory for indigenous cultures being exploited by human populations for profit, but there are also biological experimentation, and community traitors, and family drama, and cartoonish villains, confusingly dramatic chase scenes that ended abruptly and successfully, and more.

I think there is the potential for a rich and compelling story, but unfortunately I feel like it is buried by authorial choices that I don’t understand. I wanted fewer pretty descriptions of markets and fabrics, and more explanation about the political (?) situation between the Wind Walkers and the… other people. Fewer twists, fewer secondary characters with questionable usefulness, and more about the history of what would compel the main characters to make the decisions they made.

Sadly, A PALACE NEAR THE WIND failed to meet my expectations due to insufficient world-building and an under-explained main conflict, which meant that I unfortunately was not able to emotionally invest in the story and the characters’ fates.

DNF at 62%

Everything else is falling secondary to the setting. Although I like the descriptions, it's making for a slow and boring tale. I've decided to choose peace and not continue.

Upon receiving my physical ARC, I will need to re-read and annotate. There is a small bit of confusion, but I'm very into the story, just like I've been into Ai's other stories, I AM AI and LINGHUN.

I pictured the Wind Walkers as Ents. My other buddy readers picture them differently. Liu Lufeng, eldest princess of the Feng, is the next bride to the human king. Why? What happened to his other brides? Her sisters? Her mother?

This is a beautifully woven tale that I'll be happy to explore again. I think it's one of those that will make more sense upon re-read. Looking forward to the second part of the duology.

🥡 Take a shot every time you picture an Ent
🥡 Take a shot every time Zana says tree fucker
🥡 Take a shot every time you want to steal the earth-toned clothes and jewelry

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books

How did I not realise it was part of a series T_T I need the 2nd book rn because how can the author leave me hanging like that. I was so invested and all my emotions were peaking and I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you Netgalley, the publishers and the author for the e-arc of this for a review.

This is a nature focused fantasy with our main character and their family being personified tree-like beings who have their own lingo, using 'moons' instead of days and having sap instead of blood or tears - it was so interesting to read from the view of our main character who was foreign to human inventions and technology, and the contrast with nature and how it was breaking apart her family (almost like what we do to the Earth, I wonder why it's like that...).

The pacing was great, especially because I didn't expect it to be this short as a fantasy. It didn't feel rushed or dragged out at any points and the story was constantly progressing foward.

Ai Jiang, give me the 2 nd book rn please, I don't have the patience to wait a year to see what happens next😭

*I will keep this review relatively spoiler-free, but I will be talking about a lot of the thematic content of the story with a few minor plot points from throughout the text*

The story of Ai Jiang’s A Palace Near the Wind, to be released April 8th, 2025 by Titan Books, follows Liu Lufeng, a Wind Walker who is forced into an arranged marriage in order to save her people and land from the ever expanding threat of the Palace. This novella has multiple subplots that deal with family, tradition, technology, imperialism, and more. This is a lot for a relatively short work, but they all fit together quite well. Lufeng receives some wisdom, or perhaps a warning, from her grandmother early on in the story when she says that the beauty of nature will exist as long as the gods, but in a world that changes at an ever-increasing pace, how long will people recognize and value either of them? Lufeng does not plan to sit around and find out, thus beginning her journey to protect who and what she loves, but in parallel with countless historical examples, sacrifices made to an imperialist system in an attempt to protect one’s home and family are not an easy solution to combat expansion, assimilation, and destruction.

One of the most striking elements of A Palace Near the Wind is the continuous use of nature imagery. Jiang establishes Lufeng’s point of view most clearly through her perception of the world, most strongly through her sense of estrangement as she transitions from the land of Feng to the Palace, where she is to wed the King. Our introduction to the world, beginning in Feng, is full of flowers and trees, the light of the moon, gusts of wind. We then travel alongside Lufeng and are confronted with the unnatural and destructive Palace. Jiang continues to contrast these two opposing, though not completely dichotomous, worlds through Lufeng’s sense of self as someone who has moved from a land full of life to one that appears to be built on the dead.

The story relies on Lufeng’s experience as a Wind Walker against the life of the Land Wanderers, which for her comes down to a sense of rootedness vs freedom. For Lufeng and her people, movement is life. The “progress” of those in charge in the Palace is shown through an expansion of control and pinning things down in place. In Lufeng’s view, to be static, motionless, is to die. When we are first introduced to the Palace, it is compared to a grave, still and dead. We soon find that this stillness is both literal and metaphorical; the Palace and life within is defined by limits and boundaries, keeping things in their place as determined by the powers that be, reinforcing the idea that true freedom cannot be attained through this type of “progress.”

Everything from the Palace itself to the machines is made from death. Early on we see that many things in the Palace, including structures themselves, are literally constructed with bone. Unlike the Wind Walkers, the Land Wanderers do not revere or even truly value nature; instead, they worship their machines. They put their own creations in the place of gods, commodifying the natural world. This is quite obviously a problem that Jiang is asking readers to confront, as we have done this in our own world as well.

Jiang also questions the idea of productivity itself through the land and people of the Palace. This story is a bit of a reverse Walden, with Lufeng torn from her relatively secluded and natural world and thrust into the bustling commercial and political center. The story is not only focused only on her personal experience, but offers broad views of the systems in which she is forced to participate, and like in Thoreau’s work, much of what the Palace society deems productive is superfluous. As is the case with much of modern capitalist society, the continuation of the system itself is the reason for its own existence. The Palace needs to constantly expand regardless of the cost, only because it will collapse upon itself without constant growth. This society is producing just to produce, it is defined by greed without limits; Lufeng does not encounter anything that she truly needs or that drastically changes her life for the better, rather the output of this economy ranges from minor conveniences at best to the seemingly more common tools of oppression at worst.

Continuing the critique of globalization and late-stage capitalism, the Palace is preserved and expanded by those it has already conquered; the ones who suffer from its growth are used to perpetuate the system. They are allowed to participate on the fringes of this seemingly monolithic power while at the same time being threatened with destruction if they prove to be an obstacle. This system relies on dehumanization of its ‘participants’, with many major characters introduced and referred to by titles rather than names. Tasker helps guide Lufeng when she first arrives in the Palace, but the title is seemingly no different than the Travellers that Lufeng is forced to ride. Living beings or machines, all things are reduced to what value they provide to those in power.

Lufeng, who now has to live in this world, is consistently struggling to understand the allure of consumerism, but at the same time she is slowly seduced by the lifestyle it offers. She finds satisfaction in art, food, and clothing, but it all feels ephemeral; it is temptation without true fulfillment. Since she has been thrust into a world nearly opposite of her home, she is acutely aware of these challenges and changes within herself, and none of these are depicted more explicitly than her relationship with food. She is coerced into eating meat as part of the rituals at the Palace, and the vivid and grotesque experience is painfully drawn out, highlighting the pleasure the society of the Land Walkers takes from death, and the tantalizing allure that threatens to overcome Lufeng as she struggles to stay true to herself. These scenes are one of the primary ways that we get to learn more about our protagonist, but despite this characterization, I think her growth often takes a backseat to the worldbuilding, a bit to the detriment of the story. I would like to see more character development, of Lufeng primarily but also others. She grows to an extent, but this is more commonly a vehicle to show the reader something else about the world and reinforce the polarity between nature and industry, equilibrium and progress.

Progress, what drives it and what that idea even means, is another thematic focus of the novella. What actually drives “progress,” and how is it determined what beneficial progress means? Is this controlled by the decisions of rulers or those who rebel against them, or are individuals merely caught up in historical forces, representatives of the will of society at large? Throughout the story, Lufeng is trying to fight back against those responsible for the destruction of her home, but she quickly finds that it is not that simple. Overthrowing the King may not actually save her people, and by herself she might not be able to affect the change she desires. To fall back on a literary great for another perspective, Tolstoy’s commentary on great men of history is that they are insignificant in comparison to the larger forces at work. In War and Peace he uses the foils of Napoleon and Kutuzov to show the importance of understanding what one’s role in the world actually is. In his novel, one of these men understands his role and is redeemed; the other sees himself as a great man with the ability to influence the world as he desires, and he is destroyed. Reflecting on the idea of greatness, Tolstoy says “When actions are clearly contrary to all that humanity calls right or even just, the historians produce a saving conception of ‘greatness’... and there is no greatness there where simplicity, goodness, and truth are absent.” That so often the success of empires, the destruction of one’s enemy, the achievements of one people at the cost of others are called “great” lends credence to his thoughts. Who was the reign of Napoleon great for? A few at the top of society, perhaps; maybe those who found ways to take advantage of the chaos, warfare, and death; but “greatness” is more often a justification in retrospect for deeds so terrible we refuse to confront them truthfully. Can one person be “great”? I should hope not, if this is what it means.

Napoleon I | Biography, Achievements, & Facts | Britannica
I mean, look at this guy. If this isn’t greatness, then what is? Just ignore the abandonment of his army and collapse of his empire…
Believing this, that greatness is both unattainable as an individual and not even a positive goal to aim for to begin with, is both reassuring and discouraging, as one individual cannot destroy what we love, but that also means that one person alone cannot save it. Lufeng contemplates this issue, as it increasingly feels like there are others pulling the strings in the Palace, always watching and controlling. These are systems of oppression and exploitation, not the will of one man. That being said, what is the role of free will in a world like this? If we put the influence of one individual life and their choices against the swarm of humanity, what choices does one really have? I like to think that even in extreme situations, we at least choose how we react to the world around us even if we often can’t change that world. The individual self does exist, and we, like Lufeng, just have to make the decision to exercise our will.

In spite of this challenge, Lufeng and others continue resisting. She recalls her mother saying, “If we could come to understand them, perhaps they would come to understand us.” Her mother believed the King would understand that balance between the new world and nature is necessary for the survival of both, and Lufeng believes this as well. I will not spoil whether or not this is true in this story, but I would say that Lufeng’s world view is rather naive based on the treatment of colonized peoples by nearly every empire in human history, as well as the others under the control of the Palace in her world. That does not mean that there is no hope; A Palace Near the Wind is positive in its outlook. This story is a mix of environmental as well as cultural preservation, as well as exploration of the self and one’s place and responsibility within family and society.

In Lufeng’s encounters with the other cultures brought together under the Palace, she focuses on what makes them unique despite the homogenizing forces that control them, finding expressions of their identities in food, art, and language. Cultural production, such as literature, is a denial of death. Culture survives even in the Palace. This denial is true of the individual as well as the group; they keep an aspect of themselves alive after the individuals are gone and the world has changed. Nothing is truly destroyed. This poses an interesting question about Lufeng and her goals: Will she be able to destroy the Palace or the forces it represents? Can she prevent its expansion? Perhaps her name gives us a hint as to what she is capable of. A representative from the Palace comments on her being named 綠鳳, which translates to green phoenix. I also wonder, will she be a symbol of rebirth, or one of destruction?

Lufeng’s journey is one that begins with a focus on death: worry over the death of her people and home, reluctant need to cause the death of the one she believes responsible. I wonder if we can use this story as a mirror to reflect on ourselves, to take a lesson from this cycle of destruction that she lives in, and focus on growth. Perhaps not “production,” at least not in the sense this is viewed by the Palace, not the creation and sale of commodities based on the exploitation of others and the destruction of our world, but growth of our values and our ability to share them. The development of empathy over greed, of understanding in place of fear or hatred. We, like Lufeng, should reflect on our power as individuals. We may not be able to create change alone, but we can use our art, our literature, to deny death and to share ourselves with others. This story might not be long enough for even Lufeng to find the answers to problems like this, but perhaps by the end of the duology there will be a sense of awareness that together we can create change, and we may even be able to create the positive future we desire.

Linghun by Ai Jiang | Goodreads
I definitely recommend this novella, which is a unique take on ghost stories, haunted houses, and the effects of grief.
Jiang works universal themes into her seemingly personal stories quite well (check out Linghun for a meditation on the effects of grief, or you could read my review of it here), and she does the same here with regards to family and tradition, progress and destruction, cultural preservation, and more. I really liked this novella, and obviously had plenty to think and talk about after reading it. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and I particularly enjoyed the scenes that were drawn out to focus on Lufeng’s experience through vivid imagery. I would have liked to see a bit more time given to character development, and some of the pacing made this feel like it would have benefitted from being expanded to a full-length novel. Thank you to Ai Jiang for the e-book ARC, and I look forward to the sequel!

A Palace Near the Wind is a novella brimming with ambition, aiming to explore intricate world-building, layered narratives, and thought-provoking themes around women, power, and societal change. While the creativity behind the story is undeniable, the execution struggles to balance the sheer volume of ideas within its brief format.

The novella introduces a fascinating world of elemental tribes, including the mystical Wind People, the engineering-driven but oppressive Palace Builders, and the mysterious Water People. Each group’s culture is rich with spiritual undertones and intriguing lore, creating the impression of a larger world beyond the novella’s pages. The Wind People’s connection to air and their traditions, though evocative, sometimes tread too close to the "noble savage" trope, undercutting their uniqueness.

However, while the world is richly detailed, it is also overdeveloped and underexplored. The narrative introduces several compelling elements—the enigmatic fish-like being in a tank, political intrigue at the emperor’s court, and the disappearance of a mother and sister—but none of these ideas are given the space they deserve. By mid-novella, the story juggles at least five major plotlines, which causes the pacing to drag as the focus shifts from one mystery to the next, leaving little room for each thread to fully resonate.

The novella's ambition, while commendable, ultimately works against it. The resolutions of key plot points feel rushed and unsatisfying, with important narrative arcs sidelined in favor of new mysteries. Emotional beats, like the missing family members, lose their impact due to a lack of narrative depth, especially as the protagonist's often dismissive attitude toward others further complicates the reader’s investment.

Another challenge is the inconsistency in tone. The prose swings between lush, fantastical descriptions that capture the spirit of the Wind People and jarring modern slang that disrupts the immersive atmosphere. This tonal clash, coupled with the mismatched world-building, detracts from the overall cohesion of the setting.

Despite these flaws, A Palace Near the Wind is still an enjoyable read for those willing to overlook its rough edges. The tension between the naturalistic Wind People and the structured Palace Builders raises interesting questions about civilization, spirituality, and power, though these themes are underdeveloped. The novella offers a tantalizing glimpse into a world full of potential—one that might have benefitted from a longer format to more fully explore its complexity.

In conclusion, A Palace Near the Wind is an ambitious but ultimately flawed work. While it brims with promising ideas and creativity, its rushed execution and uneven pacing prevent it from reaching its full potential. A longer, more focused narrative would have allowed its intricate world and themes to shine.

A Palace Near the Wind is an ambitious novella that seeks to weave a lot interesting world-building, layered narrative threads, and thoughts on the role of women, power and societal change. While it brims with creativity, its execution stumbles under the weight of trying to accomplish too much within its short form.
The story builds an interesting world of elemental tribes—the titular Wind People, the engineering, oppressive (apparently) Palace Builders, and the enigmatic Water People. The setting feels alive, enriched with spiritual undertones and cultural lore that hint at a much larger world beyond the novella’s confines. The Wind People’s connection to the mystical elements of the air is cool - very air nomad from the Avatar series - their traditions thought border on very… noble savage tropey.

However, this world feels both overdeveloped and underexplored. The novella attempts to cram an abundance of lore, cultures, and histories into a limited space, making it difficult for any single element to shine. Readers are introduced to fascinating concepts—a fish-like being in a tank, the strained political tensions of an emperor’s court, and the haunting mystery of a vanished sister and mother, but none are really treated appropriately since they rush onto the next mystery thread. Halfway through, there are no fewer than five major plotlines fighting for attention, and the narrative momentum begins to slow badly under their weight.

By the conclusion, the novella’s ambition becomes its greatest weakness. Resolutions feel rushed and unsatisfying, as though the author simply ran out of pages to fully unpack the story’s depth. The plot against the emperor, which ought to carry significant narrative gravity is kind of sidelined throughout the bulk of the novella because of more mystery. The fate of the sister and mother which should carry huge emotional weight is kind of lost under more mystery, and also the fact the narrator is kind of an ass to a lot of people? The helper keeps trying to say “Your actions will bring consequences on me! Please just listen!” and she’s like “lol ok whatever.”

Compounding the narrative issues is the inconsistency in tone and language. At times, the prose is lush and fantastical, capturing the mystical qualities of the Wind People.. Yet, in the next breath, it veers into jarring modern slang, pulling readers out instantly. This dissonance mirrors the world-building’s clash leaving the novella’s overall setting feeling kind of overly mashed together in parts. Even though the ideas and presentations are often beautiful, it just feels a little thrown at the wall.

Despite its flaws, A Palace Near the Wind is fun! The ideas underpinning the story are intriguing, and the novella’s creativity is obvious. The tension between the naturalistic Wind People and the structured Palace Builders raises interesting questions about civilization and spirituality, even if these themes remain underdeveloped. For readers willing to overlook its uneven execution, the novella offers a glimpse into a world bursting with potential, albeit one better suited for a full-length novel where its complexity could be more thoroughly explored.

Ultimately, People of the Wind is an ambitious but flawed work. It offers promising brilliance but fails to deliver a satisfying whole, and likely would've been better as a full novel.

I don't think I've ever read anything like this story!
It was a very engrossing story, I kept wanting to continue! And even though this is a novella it really felt as a full story! It definitely did not need any more pages!
I really liked our main character, Lufeng, she really stands for what she beliefs and follows this throughout the story but also listens to the new things she learns along the way. We figure out these mysteries surrounding the king, the marriages and her sisters together with her which I really enjoyed.

2.5☆

as much as I wish I liked this book, i was quite disappointed. I was excited to read a fantasy book that was under 200 pages, however, there was too much world building needed for it to be this short.

the idea was interesting, and I think if this was made into a longer book, I would enjoy it much more. the author created a whole new world with original characters and backstory, but there was much more to the story that we needed to know.

the characters were flat, and I didn't care for any of them. the main character was unlikable and kind of annoying, we didn't get to see her express any real feelings, it felt like she was just there to observe (i blame this on the shortness of the book too). we were told that all these people have different anatomy than us, that they look completely different, but the author barely described them to us, and so I had a very hard time picturing them in my head.

there were many plot twists, which would be good if I wasn't so completely lost in the world. by the time I understood what was happening, the author gave us another new shocking information that I didn't know how to process.

overall, the book was okay, and i would still like to read book n.2 to see how the story turns out :))

Stunning world building. In fact, the worldbuilding alone is 5 stars but the characters really did not interest me at all.

I loved this! Its only flaw is that it’s too short. I would’ve liked have loved to dive deeper into the world. A new favorite author! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this chance to read this book.

*an advanced digital copy was received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang is a beautifully written sci-fi conversation between the natural world vs. an industrial one. We follow Liu Lufeng, the eldest princess of the Feng nation - a nation of people who have bark skin, needles for hair, and deep connection with nature. The Feng nation faces an existential threat from the human nation which seeks to expand into the natural dominion. In a desperate effort to protect their homeland, members of Feng’s royal family are forced to marry the human king one by one. This time, Liu vows to end the destruction by assassinating the King. However, life in the Palace reveals truths about her family, heritage, and the complex dynamics between the two nations.

This world-building is so rich and immersive. The division into four nations—Glace, Clay, the Palace, and Feng—adds depth, with each having its own culture, beliefs, and motivations. Each side thinks they are doing the right thing for their nation and people. The nuanced portrayal of these nations, especially the tension between the Palace (humans) and Feng (wind walkers), keeps the reader invested. The Feng’s deep connection to nature fosters empathy for their struggle, making them compelling underdogs in this narrative. A map would have been an excellent addition to help visualize the proximity and encroachment of the Palace on Feng lands.

Liu is a very in-depth character to read through, especially as she has very strong morals. Her rebellious spirit, strong morals, and deep familial loyalty shape her actions and decisions, making her a fascinating character to follow. Her interactions with other characters, especially her sisters who have also been married off to the King, offer a layered perspective on the Palace vs. Feng conflict. These varying viewpoints enrich the narrative and add emotional complexity.

While the novel excels in world-building and thematic depth, the pacing could be improved. There was a lot of telling and not showing, and in general not a lot of action. It is a good book for setting up a very interesting world, but still needs some work with keeping the reader engaged.

Overall, A Palace Near the Wind is a thought-provoking exploration of the conflict between nature and technology. It presents a vivid, imaginative world and leaves readers with much to ponder, even if the execution isn’t always seamless.

Thank you again NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a great book!! Wow I was not expecting a lot of it and it kept me so engaged! I can’t wait to get this into the hands of some of my students! I do think this will be a hit for many people!