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A review by charlieleelee
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really wanted to like this book. It's written by a queer Asian author, a perspective I've been wanting for decades.
The worldbuilding is very interesting, and I'd love to see more of it, but my biggest problem is that there doesn't really feel like there's a story here. Instead, it reads like a series of events, fast forwarding through Akeha's life without taking any time to really delve into any of the consequences of what he's experiencing. The story skips so much time, it doesn't let you see any character development.
And each section is so limited that there's no stakes established to give any emotional weight to the rebellion going on. It's clear the Protector is a tyrant, but you only get hints at the societal unrest that's happening.
You also don't get the chance to see the characters' relationships develop. You see Mokoya and Thennjay meet, and next chapter they're married and have a child. Akeha saves Yongcheow, next thing you know they've been together 10 years.
This is already a series, so it's weird that this first book feels so rushed. It's really disappointing because there's hints at the potential for a really compelling story from a perspective you don't get very often, but it just falls flat.
The worldbuilding is very interesting, and I'd love to see more of it, but my biggest problem is that there doesn't really feel like there's a story here. Instead, it reads like a series of events, fast forwarding through Akeha's life without taking any time to really delve into any of the consequences of what he's experiencing. The story skips so much time, it doesn't let you see any character development.
And each section is so limited that there's no stakes established to give any emotional weight to the rebellion going on. It's clear the Protector is a tyrant, but you only get hints at the societal unrest that's happening.
You also don't get the chance to see the characters' relationships develop. You see Mokoya and Thennjay meet, and next chapter they're married and have a child. Akeha saves Yongcheow, next thing you know they've been together 10 years.
This is already a series, so it's weird that this first book feels so rushed. It's really disappointing because there's hints at the potential for a really compelling story from a perspective you don't get very often, but it just falls flat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Child death