The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Asian-inspired fantasy is an increasingly popular subgenre. Have you read any other books that fall under this category (such as The Poppy War or The Jasmine Throne)? If so how did those titles compare to The Empress of Salt and Fortune? If not, did reading this subgenre surprise you in any way?

2. Did you find Rabbit’s story challenging to understand? What areas, if any, were points of confusion in the narrative?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Rabbit tells the story of In-Yo’s life through her belongings. If a historian or archaeologist were to study your life in several centuries, which of your personal objects would you want them to look at, and why?

2. Did you empathize with In-Yo, or did you find her unsympathetic as a character? What moments in the text made you feel that way?

3. How do the mother-daughter relationships explored throughout the text compare to the mother-daughter relationships you have experienced or observed in real life?

4. Colonial trauma is a central force in determining the course of events in the book. Have you or your family been impacted by colonialism? Did you find Vo’s portrayal of that experience to be realistic?

5. Do you have experience with being separated from your home for long periods of time? How did your relationship to the concept of home or homeland inform your reading of the book?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Discuss the book’s view of monarchy and tyranny. How does the book’s portrayal of government and oppressive systems apply to the current political climate?

2. Vo chose to feature a nonbinary character, Chih, as one of her protagonists. How does this decision respond to or engage with the prominent discourse around gender identity in the 21st century?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What do you think happens to Rabbit at the end of Chapter 11? Do you think her disappearance has anything to do with the motif of ghosts that reappears throughout the text? Why or why not?

2. What is the nature of Rabbit and In-Yo’s relationship? How did the subtext that lies beneath Rabbit’s story add to your understanding?

3. The Emperor of Pine and Steel never appears in the story, existing as an unseen, peripheral character. What is possible to infer about him from the brief glimpses Vo offers? How might including him as a more three-dimensional character have altered the book’s tone and impact?

4. Lake Scarlet is a setting that has many possible symbolic meanings. How did you interpret the significance of the glowing lake?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Recreate one of the artifacts that Chih catalogues at Thriving Fortune using your preferred artistic medium. What did replicating the object add to your understanding of the text?

2. Vo presents fortune-telling as an underestimated art form in The Empress of Salt and Fortune. Explore one method for fortune-telling to share with the group. 

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