NNO Book Club: The Tangleroot Palace

In August we read short story collections and I’m very excited about this month’s selection. Marjorie Liu is better known for her writing for her graphic novel series, Monstress, where she has crafted a complex and interesting world. If you are into graphic novels and a “Steampunk meets Kaiju”, grimdark epic fantasy set in a matriarchal world inspired by early 20th-century Asia where a teenage girl shares a mysterious psychic link with a powerful monster sounds up your alley – I would encourage you to check it out.

This anthology contains six short stories and a novella. Liu has a deft hand with strong, complex female leads and weaving in familiar themes from fairy tales and legends. I guess I am just going to end this with a quote from a reviewer:

Do you want to read a short story collection exploring voodoo magic, Amish vampires, a wannabe superhero villain, a princess that does not like others to decide her future and more? Then I can recommend The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie Liu.

***Book summary from Goodreads***
New York Times bestseller and Hugo, British Fantasy, Romantic Times, and Eisner award-winning author of the graphic novel, Monstress, Marjorie Liu leads you deep into the heart of the tangled woods. In her long-awaited debut story collection, dark, lush, and spellbinding short fiction you will find unexpected detours, dangerous magic, and even more dangerous women.

Briar, bodyguard for a body-stealing sorceress, discovers her love for Rose, whose true soul emerges only once a week. An apprentice witch seeks her freedom through betrayal, the bones of the innocent, and a meticulously-plotted spell. In a world powered by crystal skulls, a warrior returns to save China from invasion by her jealous ex. A princess runs away from an arranged marriage, finding family in a strange troupe of traveling actors at the border of the kingdom’s deep, dark woods.
Concluding with a gorgeous full-length novella, Marjorie Liu’s first short fiction collection is an unflinching sojourn into her thorny tales of love, revenge, and new beginnings.

***This month's restaurant selection***
This month we are visiting the USF/Fowler location of Doodle Noodle Bar – a fun, inventive concept with Thai/Vietnamese-inspired menu offering lots of soups, noodle and rice dishes with tons of customization possibilities and options for meat-lovers to vegans and everything in between. You can check out their menu here: https://www.doodlenoodlebar.com/usf-fowler-menu.

***Not sure about book club or never been to one before? ***
Read the book (or some of the book). Come to the Meetup. Eat yummy food and chat with folks about what you thought about the book. REPEAT!

***Not sure where to get the book? ***
All books we select have a decent number of copies (at least 3-4 across all formats) at both the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Library. And, of course, you can always buy a copy.

***Didn’t finish/hated this book?***
Come to the Meetup anyway! If you didn't finish - just be aware, there will be spoilers. If you hated it, come and rant! In my experience, the books that generate the best conversations and the books we really love are rarely the same books.