In-yo was a northern princess married to the Emperor of Pines and Steel as the empire solidified its control of the north.

At Thriving Fortune, Empress In-yo is isolated and under observation by her attendants, but she is eventually able to build a small communication network.

She effects the replacement of her original caravan of servants and staff with northern warriors, allowing her to throw off Empire custody.

Although In-yo might be considered the protagonist because her actions move the plot forward, Rabbit's life story is given equal prominence.

[5] An NPR review called it "a remarkable accomplishment of storytelling", praising the way in which it amplifies the voices of women as well as queer characters, including the non-binary cleric Chih.

[6] The novella also received praise for its layered narrative structure, in which Chih, Rabbit, and In-yo all dole out different pieces of the story.

[2] A reviewer from DVAN praised Vo for her evocative writing style and strong characterization, but felt that the worldbuilding and magic system were weak.