I do not have words for how awesome this book was. It’s about fate, and how you make your peace with it (or not). A girl from a rural village in China, so poor and unvalued that she was not even given a name, is told that her brother is fated for greatness. When he dies, she assumes his identity and goes on to doggedly pursue his glorious fate as well, disguising herself as a boy and getting admitted to a monastery. In time, she finds herself set against the Mongol conquerors that are ruling harshly over the land, one of whom is struggling to accept the fate that he has decided upon for himself. The book is just brilliant, full of piercing insights about gender, destiny, and self-determination, and characters who don’t let the other characters get away with anything. I loved every moment.