We follow Liu Lufeng, the eldest daughter and the next in line to lead the people of Feng, as she is to enter a sacrificial marriage with the King and enters the Palace to ensure her land survives and the Palace stops its expansion.

But soon Lufeng realises that nothing is what it seems, and she must learn how to make allies and who to trust.

The story is full of twists, intrigue, family loyalty and betrayal.
The world Ai Jiang created is truly fascinating. It's a shame this book is just a novella, but I hope we'll get more from this world in the next novella.
Truly, the only downside for me was the beginning. It felt too slow and too much information in too few pages.

Overall, an incredible work with beautiful prose and an interesting world.

“A Palace Near the Wind” by Ai Jiang

A princess from the kingdom of the wind is forced to leave her home and enter a new empire of modernity for the sake of protecting her people from its expansion.

While the idea and premise is solid, I wish I had more time with the larger world building before the author threw some curveball plot twists later in the novella. I love the idea of nature rebelling against human consumption and "progress" that ultimately ends up being destructive for everyone, but it feels a little underdeveloped in this iteration.

I wonder if reading the second book in the duo-logy might help with that, which then begs the question of why make this into a novella of it had the capacity to be a fully fledged, standalone novel. looking forward to the next one.

A Palace Near the Wind is a short but dense novella following Lufeng, a tree person who can ride the wind, as she travels to the Palace to marry the human king in the footsteps of her mother and sisters. The most interesting aspect is its peoples, which include the tree folk and their gentle, pacifist ways, and the machine-using land wanderers who build palaces out of bone. Lufeng reacts to her new home and its relationship with death with extreme revulsion, and her sympathy for the felled creatures that prop up the landscape is compelling. But I found the setting itself and its technologies difficult to visualize, and found it hard to get attached to any of the characters, as the short length and high pace of startling revelations made it hard to really settle into the idea of who anyone was or linger on the relationships.

The prose is pretty, and I think it worked best when it leaned into being otherworldly—a tree person would have a different perspective than me, and it's fun when I can feel that in the way things are described. But it struggled at describing the mundane: I still cannot picture the Travelers, which are some sort of legged vehicle, but we sure got a very detailed account of the buttons on the console to drive them; I could not put together the actual setting landscape either time it was described (either a literal map or out a window) and have no sense of scale (we can see a place called Gear from the window, are we city-sized? is this a product of the wind walkers extreme far-vision? I'm uncertain); the descriptions of people are at once extremely distinct (the wind walkers have bark and nettles, a man named Geyser appears to be actually made of liquid) and ambiguous (without spoilers, some people are described one way and revealed to be another).

I confess to reading this while ill, which certainly had some effect on my understanding, but I'm not ordinarily someone who struggles to follow what's going on, and there were multiple times where I was confused.

Much of the plot also hinges on other characters' unwillingness to explain the situation to the protagonist, which I find somewhat cheap. There are times where there were not obvious consequences for trying to explain, such as being observed or under a time crunch, and honestly I think it would do a better job to build the characters if they tried to explain but Lufeng didn't understand or wouldn't listen because it didn't match her expectations. Instead we get little pieces at a time without reason for the withholding (as we're told explicitly at one point that her sisters knew more).

I think I wanted more complexity from the moral questions—technology vs nature, the ethics of meat-eating, why someone would leave home and become someone different, there's hints of something about the idea of luxury that don't quite manifest—and less from the actual machinations of why she's here and who lied about what political thing. I like politics, but here it was cramped, and crowded out the more interesting themes.

I don't know if I will pick up the sequel. I have some lingering questions I'm curious about, but I'm not confident they will stick with me to see the next volume come out. Despite a number of interesting things in the prose and the setting, I would hesitate to recommend this right now.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.
In this science-fantasy novella, we follow Liu Lufeng. She’s a Windwalker (a tree-like creature that airbends) who is betrothed to the human king. Determined to protect her people, she plans to assassinate him. But while trying to do that, she uncovers some truths that put her on a difficult path.

This story has all the elements I typically love. It’s very imaginative—I mean, SHE’S A TREE CREATURE! This gave me Princess Mononoke undertones, which I love so much. The narrative explores compelling themes such as the conflict between nature and technology, the weight of duty and tradition, and also focus on family.

Despite these promising elements, the novella didn’t reach my expectations. While the world-building is unique and engaging, the pacing felt a bit off, particularly given the novella format.

This was such an interesting read and quite outside my usual comfort zone. I fell in love with the cover first. The blurb sounded really good and I’m glad that I asked for an ARC of this. Cannot wait to see more of this world

i loved it, however i would've liked it more if it were a full novel, nonetheless the setting was gorgeous and so were all the characters, so fully fleshed out. i really enjoy it as a whole

When I started reading *A Palace Near the Wind* by Ai Jiang, I was immediately struck by its vivid imagery and imaginative world-building. The story whisked me away to the ethereal lands of the Feng people, tree-like beings who walk on wind and live in harmony with nature. Their existence contrasts starkly with the industrialized world of humans, who threaten their lands and traditions. This novella captured my attention with its poetic prose and poignant themes, even if it left me yearning for more depth.

The protagonist, Lufeng, is the eldest princess of the Feng people, burdened with the duty of marrying the human King to ensure temporary peace for her people. Her journey was captivating, and I found myself sympathizing with her desperation to protect her homeland and her family. She’s a strong character, but what resonated most with me was her vulnerability—the way she struggled with the weight of tradition, duty, and the fear of losing her identity. Her love for her younger sister, Chuiliu, added an emotional layer that made her fight even more compelling.

The world Jiang created is nothing short of fascinating. I was enchanted by the descriptions of the Feng people—their bark-like skin, needle-threaded hair, and their ability to harness the wind. These details made their connection to nature feel tangible. On the other hand, the human world, with its cold machinery and metallic names like Copper and Zinc, felt oppressive and alien. The clash between these two worlds mirrors real-life struggles between Indigenous cultures and industrialized societies, which made the story feel both relevant and timeless.

That said, the novella’s short length was both its strength and its weakness. While it allowed for a tightly woven narrative, it left so much unexplored. I wanted to spend more time understanding the magic, culture, and history of the Feng people. The themes of assimilation, cultural erasure, and resistance were powerful, but they felt rushed. Similarly, the ending arrived too quickly—it felt like reaching the climax of a much larger story, only to have it abruptly cut off.

The prose was beautifully written, but at times it became so dense that I struggled to fully grasp certain descriptions. This occasionally pulled me out of the story, though I appreciated the lyrical quality of Jiang’s writing. The characters, too, while intriguing, didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I connected with Lufeng, but I wished I had more time to understand Chuiliu and even the human King. Their motivations and arcs deserved more exploration.

Despite these shortcomings, the themes of family, cultural preservation, and the fight against colonization deeply resonated with me. Lufeng’s unwavering love for her homeland and her family reminded me of the importance of standing up for what we hold dear, even when the odds seem insurmountable. The story’s underlying message—that progress and tradition don’t have to be at odds—lingered with me long after I finished reading.

Reading *A Palace Near the Wind* was an emotional and thought-provoking experience. While the novella’s brevity left me wanting more, its lush world-building and poignant themes made it a story worth reading. If you enjoy atmospheric tales that explore the clash between nature and industry, tradition and modernity, this book is for you.

I would recommend this novella to anyone who loves *Princess Mononoke*, Nghi Vo, or T. Kingfisher. It’s a beautifully written story that offers a glimpse into a fantastical world while reflecting on real-world struggles. Though it left me wishing for a full-length novel, I’ll definitely remember the haunting beauty of the Feng people and Lufeng’s courageous journey.

4.5/5

A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang is a hauntingly beautiful science-fantasy novella that blends lush, poetic prose with a powerful story of cultural preservation and rebellion. The tale of Lufeng, a tree-like princess forced into an arranged marriage to save her people, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Jiang’s vivid worldbuilding and exploration of themes like industrialization, imperialism, and identity make this a standout read. While I wished for more depth in some areas, the emotional impact and imaginative storytelling left me deeply moved. Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibl!

*A Palace Near The Wind* is a wonderfully crafted sci-fi fantasy novella that captivated me from start to finish. This is my first time reading work by Ai Jiang, and her prose, along with the imaginative concepts in this story, have definitely inspired me to check out her other books.

Liu Lufeng is such a well written character but I found myself wanting to spend more time with the other characters in the story as well. I was expecting this due to the length of the novella but I do wish it was a full-length novel so we can dive deeper into the world. I loved the nature vs technology themes and the world-building, particularly the descriptions of the Feng world was stunning and one of my favorite aspects of the novella.

I’ve already reread this story twice and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the second part of the duology to get the resolution I’ve been craving. I highly recommend this novella for anyone looking for a beautiful yet quick read.

A Palace Near the Wind is a fantasy/sci-fi novella. This is a beautifully written story and the world building is fantastic, unlike anything I've read before. The story is compelling throughout and the characters are well written. I hadn't read anything by this author before but I will definitely be checking out her other books.

While I admire Ai Jiang's work and will undoubtedly continue with this series, The Palace Near The Wind left me feeling underwhelmed compared to her previous books. Jiang’s signature beautiful prose is present, weaving themes of family, tradition, technology, and progress into a fascinating world filled with unique races and an intriguing magic system. However, none of these elements are explored in sufficient depth.

The novella’s brevity ultimately works against it. The worldbuilding, which brims with potential, feels rushed, and the family at the heart of the story—apart from the MC, Lufeng—comes across as underdeveloped. There’s a rich tapestry of cultures, politics, and conflicts here, but the limited page count doesn’t allow these aspects to fully unfold.

This story would have greatly benefited from being expanded into a full-length novel. With more space to explore the characters, their relationships, and the intricacies of the world, it could have been truly impactful. As it stands, The Palace Near The Wind is a beautifully written story that hints at greatness but doesn’t quite deliver the depth or satisfaction one might hope for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an early digital copy of The Palace Near The Wind in exchange for an honest review. This 192-page novella, releasing on April 8th 2025, marks the first installment in the Natural Engines duology.

Ai Jiang is one of the most inventive and unique voices in SFF. Her stories are thought-provoking and wildly entertaining. Her exquisite prose oozes poignancy. She somehow manages to write fiercely original concepts in an accessible way, and there’s an eerie comfort to her style. She’s carving out quite the niche, and I’m delighted to confirm that A Palace Near The Wind only intensifies her reputation as an unmissable storyteller.

I’m a huge fan of Chinese period dramas. The lush production design, patient approach to plotting, perfectly timed rug-pulls, and intense focus on character usually adds up to a really great watch. This novella has all the best aspects of a c-drama. For the vast majority of the book, I was imagining it as episodes of a new show set in a palace where political intrigue and vying for the throne is done in the shadows. Except, the thing that really sets this story apart is that the princess at the heart of it all is made of wood.

Liu Lufeng is a princess from a race of trees, forced to marry a human king to protect and preserve her people. She has all the trappings of a Pinocchio-type character, and wants to free her nation from the strings of oppression that are holding them down. The Feng people are treated more like puppets than people, and the concept acts as a fascinating take on colonialism, nationalism, and identity. It’s also a really impressive allegory for how humans treat the environment, watching how these anthropomorphic trees are commodified by the nobility.

The character-work is stunning. The way Ai Jiang has breathed life into a woman made of bark is so impressive to see. Fantasy fans will crave more world-building to explain the long history of the Feng tree-people, but this story’s not about the cool world on show. It’s about the people in it. And the laser-focus on Liu Lufeng and her family means that details about the Feng nation are carved in hints and implications rather than paragraphs of exposition. It’s refreshing and brave to see a fantasy world depicted in this way, and it helps to keep the intrigue on the characters and their journey to the palace, rather than the palace itself.

In terms of the story, the royal wedding marks a turning point for Liu Lufeng, and for the entire world. It’s brilliant to see how this bride-to-be responds to the different imperial court machinations, and to the twists and turns thrown her way. The stakes are always personal for Lufeng, and this woman made of bark grows so authentically through the story that it’s a delight to see her overcome her own prejudices and perceptions, and to witness her become so much more than what the world tries to force her to be.

There’s a compulsive quality to the book. I finished it in a single sitting, and would happily have kept going for more. The timing of each big reveal is expertly done — it really was impossible to look away. Just when you think you’ve got a handle of what’s going on behind the scenes, something will come along to reshape the picture you’re building, and it makes for a satisfying experience.

A Palace Near The Wind is very much like a tree. It’s quiet, but powerful. On the outside, it’s beautifully rendered, but it also reaches deep below the surface, and the seeds it plants will grow inside your heart.

This is c-drama-esque fantasy done right, and I cannot wait for the sequel to this unique and stylish duology.

3.5

A Palace Near the Winds is a lush, fantastical and imaginative exploration of nature versus technology and the dangers of progress and modernization without thought. Following Liu Lufeng, a princess and part of the Wind Walkers who peacefully coexist in nature, as she becomes the next bride for the human king and enters into the Palace intent on killing the king. However, in the Palace, Lufeng realizes things are not what they seem and that the secret to her people’s existence lies at the centre of this strange new world she finds herself trapped in.

While I thought that Jiang’s prose was beautifully crafted and poetic, the overall structure and execution of this novella seemed to bring down the otherwise great writing and ideas. Perhaps it is due to the shorter nature of a novella, but Lufeng’s character development seemed rushed as many plot points and twists only happened near the last third of the story and made it hard as a reader to actually understand and connect the decision she makes in the latter half. While I am anticipating the second installment to this series, there does seem to be a bit of confusion that I wish to see solved and explored, particularly with the other Feng family members.

Thank you to the author and Titan Books for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts in this review are my own.

ꕤ◞Thank you, NetGalley, for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

𝔄 𝔭𝔞𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔢 𝔫𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔫𝔡┆☆☆☆┆08.04.25
ꕤ ˚. ⌒ “𝔉𝔬𝔯 𝔐𝔬𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔑𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔲𝔫𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔰𝔞𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔢𝔰”

⚔️ ✩◞⸝⸝ i. : summary
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.

💌 ◞ ⸝⸝ ii. : my thoughts
i. the cover and the description of the book is one of the reasons i applied for this e-arc. the cover is absolutely ethereal and really sticks out because of the multi-cultural nature and aspect.
ii. I loved the whole theme of nature VS technology that appeared on the first half, but I will admit that towards the end of the novella, the ending seemed a bit rushed and speed-written.
iii. the setting of the novella was ethereal, elegant and empyreal towards the feng culture and you see glimpses of this through the cover and the detailed descriptions of the feng world and people.
✧◞ ”𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔢𝔫𝔤 𝔭𝔢𝔬𝔭𝔩𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔟𝔞𝔯𝔨 𝔣𝔞𝔠𝔢𝔰, 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔳𝔢𝔡 𝔩𝔦𝔪𝔟𝔰, 𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔟𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔡 𝔟𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔰, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔥𝔞𝔦𝔯 𝔬𝔣 𝔫𝔢𝔢𝔡𝔩𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔰”.
iv. I did feel slightly disconnected with the characters, but with such a short page count due to it being a novella, this is to be expected. Overall, I really enjoyed this novella and can’t await to read the second novella to the Duology.

✩◞⸝⸝ iii. : tropes/ categories:
⊹ sci-fi / fantasy (sci-fantasy).
⊹ multi-cultural interest and nature.
⊹ nature vs technology.
⊹ steampunk v nature concept.
⊹ princess mononoke vibes.
⊹ low fantasy.

💐 ✧◞ iv : author
⊹ writing style:
ꕤ ˚. ⌒ i absolutely loved her literature writing style, it was easy to comprehend and imagine. her writing style was elegant and smoothly written the first 100 pages but like stated above, her writing started becoming rushed in the last 20-30 pages which was disappointing as i felt her writing style was engaging me into the story and the world-building. overall, I will definitely be reading more literature novels and novella’s by Ai Jiang.

⊹ other books of hers:
ꕤ ˚. ⌒
A palace near the wind┆☆☆☆.
Linghun┆ghost suspense novella┆tbr.
I am AI┆sci-fi novelette┆tbr.

🎧 ✧◞ v : playlist
⊹ back to black ; Amy Winehouse.
⊹ west coat ; Lana Del Ray.
⊹ love story ; Indila.
⊹ salvatore; Lana Del Ray.
⊹ young & beautiful (orchestral ) ; Lana Del Ray.

ᝰ.ᐟ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ── ᝰ.ᐟ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ── ᝰ.ᐟ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ── ᝰ.ᐟ⊹ ࣪ ˖
🌬️ | pre - read

☞ started : 25.01.25
⠀⠀⤿ this is a short novella in an upcoming duology. this book is between 100-125 pages so perfect for a short read.

This novella was quite disappointing. It felt like the author wasn't used to writer shorter novel: it didn't have the right pacing, structure and focus for a novella. It was full of useless repetitions that made the writing feel clunky and bland, and every thought, emotion, intention and plot point was painfully spelled out. The plot was a bit farfetched and incoherent, relying on plot twists instead of an actual story, and full of contradictions and plot holes. The concept was interesting but the execution doesn't do it any justice; it really wants to "Say Something" but whatever message there supposedly was ended up being swallowed by a lot of unnecessary details and poor character and plot development. The characters were very one-dimensional and their personality changed from one chapter to the other just to suit the next plot twist, which rendered the politics and dynamics of the world completely meaningless. This read like a 2009 dystopian ya.

It's not easy to write from the point of view of the 'other' - someone so fundamentally different in terms of body, mind, upbringing and perception that there is virtually no overlap between their world and yours. That and the fact that there were pretty creative bits of world-building here and there made me give the story the benefit of the doubt, even though I was not initially impressed by the pacing or taken in by the alien setting that I personally struggled to comprehend and imagine.

I'm sorry to say it got worse: the melancholy and slow beginning I could almost get on board with, provided a decent development, but from there on it was always either pure confusion or plot twists that came from absolutely nowhere.

SPOILERS: From a mental note that wearing shoes felt wrong and unnatural to the main character we go to "I haven't even noticed I put them on" - was there a time skip when she got used to those? There must've been, but you won't really be able to tell from the text. From "the Palace destroys the natural world to develop technology" we go to "actually, there is a place called Gear and Engine that is much more technologically advanced" - so much so, apparently, that no one in the main character's land heard of it or what? From "the King is pure evil and I need to kill him" we go to "btw the King is your dad, there are more powerful puppet masters and incidentally one of them is the tailor you went to in the market and who incidentally gave you pictures of your mother and siblings that helped you locate them" to "also your Gran is 4,000 years old and created your race from scratch" - what, why, how come, but more importantly, what on earth is this all even for?/END SPOILERS

The main character reaches world-shattering conclusions in leaps and bounds and often without any reasonable basis whatsoever, while the plot bounces around like a self-propelled yo-yo in a fairly large room, never hitting spots that are near enough to create a semblance of cohesions. No one's motivations make much sense, and the 2D characterization verges on painful. I did not initially notice this, but as there were fewer and fewer pages left and most things remained unresolved, it became clear that this is a set up for a series - which honestly might've benefited from being books rather than novellas.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

I like what the author tried to do here - the nature people are interesting, and I liked the conflict with the more technological and modern people. It was a good commentary on industrialization and it's effects on nature.
What I missed was an emotional connection to the story and main character. Sadly everything felt a bit flat, and I struggled with finishing it. Still, a good read and I will be on the lookout for future stuff the author writes!

I really liked the atmosphere and the beautiful writing style. I liked the different kinds of "people" and the hints at the other city that we will probably explore in the next installment. I thought some things were a bit too dreamy for my personal liking but I still appreciated the book as a whole.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by the cover and the fairy tale-like premise. In A Palace Near the Wind, the eldest princess of treelike nature spirits is bartered to a human king in exchange for delaying the destruction of her kingdom. But as Lufeng explores the palace, she begins to learn more about the fate of the sisters who preceded her--and to realize that Palace is very different from what she expected...

This novella executes in interesting genre blend through its unreliable narrator. From Lufeng's perspective, we get a dark, Bluebeard-like fairy tale with palaces and marriages to the king. But beneath her ignorance, we get glimpses of a world much more grittily SF than fantasy, set in a heavily industrialized country with business deals, worker revolts, and comscreens. However, the worldbuilding also tends towards capitalized proper nouns that are the bane of second rate fantasy novels--Tasker, Walker, The Word Searcher, The Healer. I was also put off by the near allegorical simplicity of the plot, with Lufeng as the sacrifice of nature to halt the path of evil development. The prose tends towards awkwardly over-ornate to the extent of obscuring meaning at times. Take this sentence from early in Lufeng's time in the Palace as an example: "The fourth photograph held images of someone I knew not, someone with barked skin unsmooth, dark needle threads hanging from their limbs were woven."

Lufeng herself is the only character given much depth beyond the archetypal simplicity of servant or baby sister. While her desire to free her family is relatable, she has few strong characteristics aside from hatred of Palace and loyalty to her people's culture. I was also surprised by the decision to have her spurn animal meat and products as if they were a type of cannibalism. The Feng kingdom is meant to be a realm of creatures particularly in touch with nature, and the total disgust with the concept of predation seems to be disconnected from that. This choice seemed to be out of step with the thematic messaging of nature resisting industry.

An interesting blend of genres, but I found the plot and characters to be rather flat.

I was so very excited for this one! The cover is gorgeous, the description is intriguing and the comps are just SO good. Princess Mononoke is one of my favourite films, after all.
First things first: While there are definitely similarities in theme, this does not come close to Mononoke. It doesn't have to, either. It's nature vs. technology, tradition vs. alleged progress, indigineous people vs. colonizing force.
I really liked Ai Jiang's writing. She writes beautifully, lushly and clearly enjoys playing with words and structures. It was a joy to read. I also liked the world this story is set in and especially how different the peoples are, with our protagonist's people having bark skin, for example.

I do feel like there was a little too much of some things and too little of other things, though.
The writing is beautiful, but also very dense and at times I couldn't really picture what she was describing because the prose got a little too flowery and convoluting. The world building is well done, but the world is simply too big for a short novella, so a lot of it lacks complexity. The characters are, on paper, interesting, especially Lufeng. But there is very little time to actually get to know them so I never really warmed up to any of them and didn't care much for the emotional beats pertaining to them. I think this story would have been so, so much better as a full length novel, with more time spent on developing the world and the characters. The plot also moves at breakneck speed at times because of the format and it felt lacking, empty even.

It's still a beautifully written book with a great setting and interesting premise, I just genuinely think the novella length did it a great disservice. There's too much and at the same time too little to really turn this into more than a three star read - but those three stars are well-deserved.