A review by metafiktion
Altered Straits by Kevin Martens Wong

4.0

Wonderfully inventive and difficult to put down. Kevin Martens Wong weaves together two Singapores: one that could have been, had colonial history taken a significantly different path (with the assistance of some regional mythical creatures, because why not) and one that could be, with our patented blend of state authoritarianism, capital punishment, and natalism in a post-apocalyptic world. It features a cast of characters so unapologetically Malay there are two Naufals and military rollcalls that take forever (y’all, I loved this detail so much), female characters doing y’know, things that women do — including being dicks — and one of the cutest gay romances I’ve read ever. The bar is set so low for all of these things and yet Wong aimed so high (and scored!). The plot does get a bit convoluted at the end and I bought less into Titus’ relationship with his sister than with the others, but otherwise, I’m really looking forward to Wong’s future works.