#56 A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo

[missingvolume]

 

Chih and their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant are traveling to the city of Baolin to collect stories about the famine for their monastery. After eating a bowl of a pork dish the city is famous for, Chih is called to visit the local magistrate and is put under guard while there.  Chih still does their work collecting stories from people in the home even as they can see there is a secret hiding in the house that is llinked to the famine.  The 18 year old mystery is solved by the end and the story gives insight to just what people will do when there is nothing to eat and they are being hunted by a famine demon.  As with most of these stories they can be read in almost any order and no real need of backstory to enjoy it.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss