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A review by mary_soon_lee
The Descent of Monsters by Neon Yang
4.0
This is the third of Yang's Tensorate novellas, which I would classify as silkpunk science fantasy, if I had to pin a label on them. It's very well written. Yang succeeded fully at making me care about their characters, and this despite the fact that the story is largely conveyed via official reports, interview transcripts, and diary entries. I found it compelling, intelligent, distinctive, and original.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Spoiler
The voice of the piece is clear and damning, menace building as we gradually learn more and more. It reminded me of the feeling I had as a child when I read "The Hound of the Baskervilles" -- something about the combination of the precise diction with a sense of dread. Although the novella avoids wallowing in the unfolding horror, it is grim. I didn't precisely enjoy it, butAbout my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).