Strike the Zither

Strike the Zither by Joan He is an entirely new retelling of the Chinese classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." At its heart, it is about Zephyr, a cunning tactician and right-hand man to Xin Ren, who works as a warlord to restore a fallen-apart world to peace. Zephyr is now being stretched to her limit of allegiance, for she has to enter enemy lines and pursue a network of lies and treachery amidst political intrigue and bloody battles. Zephyr finds herself entangled in her mission to save her people and give a future to her native land; hence, she has to be sharp-witted and cunning. She has come across some unexpected allies and enemies on this journey. This becomes quite a heady brew of power play, loyalty, and strategy.

What captured me most in Strike the Zither by Joan He was the acrobatic balance of history and characters. I loved Zephyr, who is razor-sharp, intelligent, and businesslike just a very great hero. The plot is complicated in this novel, which succeeded very strongly in depicting vivid political maneuvering. I also liked how subtle and complicated the moral dilemmas of the characters were. It is in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" where Joan He does, renewed and resettled, deftly accessing modern readers to the classic tale. Themes of loyalty, power, and resilience deeply resonated; I reflected many times on leadership and sacrifice. Strike the Zither is, in sum, at once engrossing and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression.