A review by williamc
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 An engaging mix of fantasy and sci-fi set in world that exudes the hierarchies and trappings of several unspecific Asian cultures (the publisher calls it "silkpunk"). Yang adds to this familiar-but-different setting an alternate view of gender recognition, in which children announce their affiliation, wherever it lie, when they come of age. This allows for a journey into twins' (Mokoya and Akeha) unity as children and the comforts and discomforts they begin to feel as each discovers their lifepath and political importance. It also gives the reader a way to engage with gender from a gradually clearer internal view rather than one based on the assumptions of presence or nomenclature. Yang's wonderful word economy keeps the pace quick and the turns sharp, making for an enjoyably dramatic and occasionally romantic ride as we follow the twins to the collision of populace and governance, sect and scepter, that have been simmering since their birth.