Reality Merges With Illusion In This Novel Of Northwestern China.winner Of The 2024 New York City Big Book Award In The World Literature Category Finalist For The 2023 Foreword Indies Book Of The Year Award In The Multicultural Fiction Category Xue Mo's Novel Curses Of The Kingdom Of Xixia Presents A Rich Tapestry Of The History, Religion, Lore, And Customs Of A Region In Present-day Northwestern China. During Its Heyday, The Sino-tibetan Kingdom Of Xixia (pronounced See-sia; 1038-1227), Also Known As The Tanguts, Rivaled The Song Dynasty (960-1279) Of China And Boasted A Cavalry So Formidable That The Chinese Paid Tribute To It To Maintain Peace. Using The Discovery Of Lost Manuscripts As A Frame, The Novel Presents Historical Events And Tales Of Semifictional Characters, Including The Avatar Of A Local Tantric Buddhist Goddess, A Dakinivajrayogini Named Snow Feather.