★★★☆☆ Average
(Fantasy Adventure; Tensorate) Mokoya and her brother use their powerful magic to defend Bataanar from external attack which her mysterious new love interest may be involved with. (37,277 words; Time: 2h:04m)
This novella is #2 in the series, and readers are strongly advised to start with the first one. See related articles on Tor.com.
"The Red Threads of Fortune," by JY Yang [bio] (edited by Carl Engle-Laird), published on September 27, 2017 by Tor.com.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The previous novella told Akeha’s story; this one tells how Mokoya recovered from the loss of her daughter and learned to love again. Superficially, of course, it’s how she tracked and destroyed the giant Naga. Where the previous story covered 35 years of history, this story narrates the events of a single adventure.
Con: The relationship between Akeha and Rider is difficult to suspend disbelief for. A big part of this is that Rider's character isn't developed enough to make us see what Akeha sees in them.
A number of other issues challenge disbelief as well, although they're minor annoyances. For example, when Mokoya first confronts Rider and their naga, she increases gravity by a factor of 10 to bring them down. That should kill them both, but they're only slightly disoriented. Characters walk away from two or three other events that ought to be fatal but, for no clear reason, aren't.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
JY Yang Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: The relationship between Akeha and Rider is difficult to suspend disbelief for. A big part of this is that Rider's character isn't developed enough to make us see what Akeha sees in them.
A number of other issues challenge disbelief as well, although they're minor annoyances. For example, when Mokoya first confronts Rider and their naga, she increases gravity by a factor of 10 to bring them down. That should kill them both, but they're only slightly disoriented. Characters walk away from two or three other events that ought to be fatal but, for no clear reason, aren't.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
JY Yang Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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