Title The Black Tides of Heaven Author Neon Yang Cover Art --- Publisher Tor.com - 2017 First Printing Tor.com - 2017
	Title The Red Threads of Fortune Author Neon Yang Cover Art --- Publisher --- First Printing ---
	Title The Descent of Monsters Author Neon Yang Cover Art --- Publisher --- First Printing ---
	Title The Ascent to Godhood Author Neon Yang Cover Art --- Publisher --- First Printing ---
	Category Silkpunk Warnings None Main Characters Mokoya, Akeha Main Elements Wizards Website ---

The Black Tides of Heaven

I was so excited to read this, the asian setting, the LGBTQ characters, nominated for many awards, I thought I would love it, but somehow it just kind of didn't grab me, and I don't know why. I didn't get sucked into the world, even though it was an interesting one. One with magic, politics and family. The very things that made Dune one of my favorites, left me feeling, well, nothing much here.

I loved the idea children were born genderless (though the use of "they" to refer to one twin, when there are two of them I found very confusing since it could easily apply to both sometimes, like "They went for a walk"...was it just one or both together?) and then would choose when they felt ready. Intriguingly, they would then undergo an operation so their physical body would reflect their choice, as they were somehow in fact born without gender. One could also choose a gender but not get the operation. You could also choose to be male, but fall in love with another male. A lovely fluidity that no one thinks twice about in this tale.

But while the people have freedom of gender, they don't have much in the way of other freedoms, living under an absolute monarchy that is the twin's mother. She's, well, scary. Anyone who crosses her disappears...or ends up very noticeably dead, depending on the message being sent.

The rules of the world use magic, but there is an underground of Machinists that are using science and techology to counteract the magic. I liked this dynamic too, being someone who loves fantasy but went into engineering as a career. The mechanical weapons give the masses the ability to stand up to the magics of the nobility.

I should have loved this but I just didn't. I'll have to read the other novellas, maybe I just need to spend more time in the world for it to really click.

The cover art though...gorgeous.