Ai Jiang’s debut novella, A Palace Near the Wind, emerges as a poignant meditation on the collision between nature and industry, tradition and progress. Through the eyes of Liu Lufeng, the eldest daughter of the Feng people—tree-like beings who can borrow the wind—Jiang crafts a world where ecological preservation and industrial expansion battle for dominance. This slim yet powerful work challenges readers to examine their relationship with nature while delivering a story that resonates with both environmental urgency and familial devotion.
The Delicate Balance of Two Worlds
Set in a world where the natural and industrial realms exist in uneasy proximity, the novella centers on the Wind Walkers of Feng, who possess bark-like skin and needle thread hair, capable of commanding wind currents. Their lands face constant encroachment from the human-ruled Palace, whose bone-tiled paths spread like death across the landscape.
Jiang’s worldbuilding shines brightest in her depiction of this cultural clash. The Wind Walkers live in harmony with their environment, borrowing the wind rather than commanding it, residing in hollow homes among storm trees. In contrast, the Palace represents sterile industrialization—its bone walls, mechanical Travelers, and cruel experiments on other species reveal humanity’s relentless desire to conquer nature rather than coexist with it.
The conflict between these worlds isn’t merely geographical but philosophical. When Lufeng observes that “perhaps that was why they [humans] couldn’t survive in nature and must hide in palaces, why they couldn’t sense danger until it was far too late,” Jiang delivers one of many subtle indictments of humanity’s disconnection from the natural world.
A Heroine’s Reluctant Journey
Lufeng stands as a compelling protagonist whose initial passivity transforms into decisive action as the narrative unfolds. Her characterization begins with apparent weakness—she’s described by her sister Sangshu as “always the guided.” Yet this initial framing makes her eventual growth all the more satisfying.
Jiang skillfully portrays Lufeng’s internal conflict: her desire to protect her family constantly wars with her sense of duty to her people. Her plan to assassinate the King during their marriage ceremony showcases her desperation, while her eventual realization that “killing would only be a momentary solution” demonstrates her maturing perspective on systemic problems.
What elevates the novella beyond a simple good-versus-evil narrative is Lufeng’s complex relationship with the comforts of the Palace. Despite her ideological resistance, she finds herself unconsciously adapting to Palace life.
This nuanced portrayal of adaptation and assimilation adds depth to Lufeng’s character, suggesting that even the most principled resistance can be quietly eroded by convenience and comfort—a powerful commentary on our own relationship with environmentally harmful practices we find difficult to abandon.
Family Bonds and Betrayals
At its heart, A Palace Near the Wind is about family. The relationships between Lufeng, her sisters, her mother, and the surprising revelation of her father’s identity drive the emotional core of the story. Jiang explores how different family members respond to cultural assimilation: while Lufeng resists, her sisters Yunshu and Heshi embrace Palace life, even changing their names and appearances.
The familial discoveries—including the existence of Lufeng’s brothers Geming and Changqing—add compelling layers to the narrative. Perhaps most poignant is Lufeng’s relationship with her youngest sister Chuiliu, who represents both innocence and hope for a different future. Their bond grounds the story in tenderness amid political machinations and environmental devastation.
Stylistic Elegance and Imagery
Jiang’s prose shines through her imaginative, nature-infused imagery. The descriptions of the Feng people—with their bark skin, branch limbs, and sap tears—create a consistent and evocative aesthetic. Particularly striking is her portrayal of emotional states through natural imagery:
“I allowed the wind to carry me back towards Feng where the healers were already gathering as though they had heard their land’s silent weeping.”
Her writing style embodies the organic versus mechanical contrast that underpins the story’s themes. When describing Feng, the language flows naturally, rich with sensory details of wind currents, storm trees, and Moonglows. Conversely, Palace descriptions employ harsher, more clinical language—”bone floors,” “mechanical legs,” and “false light”—that emphasizes its unnatural quality.
Critical Assessment: Strengths and Limitations
Strengths:
- Imaginative worldbuilding that creates a fully realized environment with distinct cultures and physical characteristics
- Strong thematic resonance regarding environmentalism, colonization, and cultural preservation
- Evocative imagery that employs natural elements to enhance the emotional impact
- Complex protagonist who grows from passive acceptance to active resistance
- Nuanced exploration of assimilation that avoids simplistic good/evil dichotomies
Limitations:
- Rapid pacing sometimes rushes crucial revelations, particularly regarding Lufeng’s family connections
- Worldbuilding complexity occasionally overwhelms the narrative, particularly in the sections about Engine and Gear
- Some character motivations remain underdeveloped, especially regarding Zinc’s ultimate goals
- The resolution feels somewhat abrupt, leaving several narrative threads loosely tied
- Copper’s character shift from apparent antagonist to ally lacks sufficient development
Thematic Depth: Beyond Environmental Allegory
While environmental concerns form the backbone of the narrative, Jiang weaves in several interconnected themes that enrich the reading experience:
- Cultural assimilation and resistance: Through the characters who abandon or cling to their Feng identities
- Body autonomy and modification: Explored through the experiments and voluntary physical alterations
- Power dynamics and control: Seen in the contractual relationships and industrial domination
- Language as power: Highlighted by Lufeng’s realization that “languages, words, were truly powerful things”
- The ethics of progress: Questioned through the destruction required for technological advancement
The novel particularly excels in its exploration of how oppressed groups may become complicit in their own subjugation. When Lufeng discovers her siblings willingly participating in the system that harms their people, Jiang creates a nuanced examination of how privilege and comfort can erode principles.
Comparisons and Context
A Palace Near the Wind joins the growing body of Asian-inspired fantasy that examines colonialism and environmental degradation through speculative frameworks. Readers of Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune will recognize the delicate marriage of cultural specificity with universal themes, while fans of Neon Yang’s The Black Tides of Heaven will appreciate Jiang’s focus on familial bonds amid political manipulation.
As Jiang’s debut novella, this work establishes her as a thoughtful voice in speculative fiction. While the pacing sometimes suffers from ambitious worldbuilding compressed into novella length, her imaginative vision and thematic resonance mark her as an author to watch.
Final Verdict: A Thought-Provoking Ecological Fable
A Palace Near the Wind succeeds as both an engaging fantasy narrative and a meditation on humanity’s relationship with nature. Despite occasional pacing issues and some underdeveloped character motivations, Jiang’s evocative prose and imaginative worldbuilding create a memorable reading experience.
The novella doesn’t offer easy answers to the ecological and cultural questions it raises, which is perhaps its greatest strength. Like the wind that the Feng people borrow rather than command, the story’s impact lingers, shifting readers’ perspectives without forcing conclusions.
For readers seeking speculative fiction that balances inventive worldbuilding with meaningful contemplation of contemporary issues, A Palace Near the Wind provides a compelling journey into a world where nature fights back against industrial conquest—and where one young woman discovers that true change requires more than simply replacing those in power.
A beautifully imagined fantasy novella that asks difficult questions about our relationship with nature and the price of progress.
