The Red Threads of Fortune

Tensorate #2

by Neon Yang

The Red Threads of Fortune is one of a pair of unique, standalone introductions to Neon Yang's Tensorate Series, which Kate Elliott calls "effortlessly fascinating." For more of the story you can read its twin novella The Black Tides of Heaven, available now.

Fallen prophet, master of the elements, and daughter of the supreme Protector, Sanao Mokoya has abandoned the life that once bound her. Once her visions shaped the lives of citizens across the land, but no matter what tragedy Mokoya foresaw, she could never reshape the future. Broken by the loss of her young daughter, she now hunts deadly, sky-obscuring naga in the harsh outer reaches of the kingdom with packs of dinosaurs at her side, far from everything she used to love.

On the trail of a massive naga that threatens the rebellious mining city of Bataanar, Mokoya meets the mysterious and alluring Rider. But all is not as it seems: the beast they both hunt harbors a secret that could ignite war throughout the Protectorate. As she is drawn into a conspiracy of magic and betrayal, Mokoya must come to terms with her extraordinary and dangerous gifts, or risk losing the little she has left to hold dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2017

About the author

Neon Yang, formerly J.Y. Yang, is a Singaporean writer of English-language speculative fiction. Yang is non-binary and queer, and uses they/them pronouns.

Yang has written a series of "silkpunk" novellas, and has published short fiction since 2012. Their novella The Black Tides of Heaven was nominated for the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the 2018 Kitschies Golden Tentacle and the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novella.

Yang's work revolves around "the human body as a vessel for storytelling", and is based on their background as a molecular biologist, journalist and science communicator.

Reviews

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo que más amo de esta saga (además de todas las cosas sobre las que me ha hecho reflexionar), es lo original que resulta.
Esta no es la típica saga de fantasía del camino del héroe en el que cada volumen vamos a ver cómo nuestro protagonista sortea un nuevo problema hasta alcanzar el momento final épico. No, con cada entrega, Neon Yang juega con sus personajes, pero también con el tiempo, con la propia narración y las maneras de contar una historia.
En esta segunda parte conocemos más a Mokoya y además se nos presenta a Rider (grandísimo personaje), aprenderemos más sobre la remancia, descubriremos más entramados políticos, echaremos de menos a Akeha (aunque sigue siendo el rey del saber estar xD) y tendremos más velocirraptores.
Pocas veces me lo he pasado tan bien leyendo, sorprendiéndome, saltando del asiento... para mi estos libros son puro disfrute, y sí, algo más también, porque es un disfrute que perdura y deja poso.
Yo es que no le puedo pedir más a un libro.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the events after the first Tensorate novella, we deal with healing and grief from a different PoV. The other twin.

Point of fact, I got into this one a bit more than the previous one because more time was spent inside the skin. Internal dialogue and a very limited time-frame, as well as a more direct plotting, drove this particular novel away from the experimental and into the normal realm of modern storytelling. You might say it's more Aristotelian.

That being said, I really enjoyed not only the monster hunting bits *naga!* but the nice aside into the subconscious and what drives (or doesn't drive) the power to prophesy.

Above all, since it is told from a female PoV but with some heavy reservations about BEING female, for various reasons, it gives extra flavor... but perhaps not quite as much as the first novella. Still, well worth the read.

[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievably beautiful – and better than the first of this novella series in my humble opinion.

Sanao Mokoya is a fallen prophet working to protect the rebellious from her old home in the Capitol of the Prectorate. But on a quest to save the city of Bataanar from a mysteriously powerful naga dinosaur, she meets Rider, a mysterious rider of their own naga.

There is a lot of praise to give to the Tensorate’s incredible worldbuilding, strong writing, and compelling character dynamics, but to be completely honest: Mokoya’s character just blew me away. I grew so incredibly close to this character, and their relationship with Rider, in just 200 pages. We get far more into Mokoya’s head than we did in the previous novella, and I genuinely adored every second.

Mokoya has been running ever since the death of her daughter with Thennjay. In order to save Bataanar, she needs to process her own grief. I found myself understanding every word of her experience.

I can't wait to read the next book.

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[Repellent Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de lo mucho que me gustó "Las mareas negras del cielo", me moría de ganas de leer la segunda parte del Tensorado, "Los hilos rojos de la fortuna". En esta segunda entrega, la historia se va a centrar más en el personaje de Mokoya, justo al contrario de la primera entrega que seguía los pasos de le otre gemele, Akeha. Veremos que ha sido de la vida de Mokoya justo después de los sucesos del anterior libro.

Una de las cosas que más me gustaron del universo que crea la primera parte es ese mundo donde las personas al nacer no vienen ya con un género asignado, este es elegidio por cada persona en función de como se sienten, y cuando lo sienten. También nos encontrábamos con relaciones homosexuales normalizadas. En este segundo libro añaden el tema de las relaciones abiertas. Me gusta mucho ver como se relacionan los personajes sentimental y sexualmente, en un mundo donde no existen tabúes o estigma hacia la identidad o la condición de cada uno. Es una cosa que me sigue asombrando mucho, porque no es fácil encontrar esto en ficción, y creo menos aún encontrarlo en un género como la fantasía, por eso que una saga fantástica trate estos temas me parece una maravilla.

Es bastante diferente al anterior sobre todo en el periodo de tiempo que comprende, mientras que el primero abarcaba mucho a través de constantes saltos temporales, en este nos encontramos con que la historia sucede en un tiempo limitado, y esto nos permite indagar mucho más en el personaje de Mokoya y que quede bastante desarrollado su carácter. Me ha gustado mucho descubrir en Mokoya a esta mujer activa y fuerte que es, y que aunque sufre, no duda en lanzarse a la acción. No sé cual de les gemeles me gusta más ahora.

Otra cosa que me encanta es que aparecen mucho velocirraptores y yo, fan absoluto de los dinosaurios, lo he agradecido encarecidamente. En el primer libro salieron muy brevemente, me quedé con ganas de que tomaran protagonismo, y vaya si lo toman en esta entrega, principalmente a través de una velocirraptora gigante. La relación de esta con un naga (bestia alada) es una de las cosas más tiernas de la historia. También apareceren nuevos personajes como Rider, le cual me ha parecido super interesante.

La única mini pega que le pongo, y por eso le quito la media estrella, es que el final se me ha hecho muy apresurado, con 20 o 30 páginas más para darle mayor intensidad al momento cumbre de la historia, hubiera sido redondo. La saga del tensorado se está convirtiendo en una de mis sagas favoritas, y es curioso que pese a que los libros son tan cortitos, nunca me resultan poco profundos o con universos poco definidos, más bien al contrario. Creo que son tan particulares y originales, que tienen ese algo que los distingue completamente de cualquier otra cosa. El resumen es que me ha encantando y necesito el tercero ya.

[K.J. Charles]

I read this in a sitting with its companion novella. They're very different: book 1 covers the best part of 40 years, 2 focuses in on Mokoya after she's lost her child, left her husband, and gone hunting naga (dragons ish) in the desert.

All the joys of the first book: set in alt Asia, nonbinary characters, loads of strong women, positive queer and nontraditional relationships abounding, just none of the routine assumptions of so much fantasy, plus a great tale of treachery and monsters and bereavement and healing. I love a book with as much heart as brain.

Also the covers, my god. Triumphant.

I am completely sold on this series, can't wait for more.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took the promise of the first novella in the series and advanced it in a manner that felt more grounded and resonant. Yang is a wonderfully imaginative writer, whose commitment to exploring the emotional depths of their characters I find very admirable. Much like with their first book, I find myself liking — more than loving — this work, but I’m also glad to spend time in the world that’s been lovingly created here

[Shaun Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first. This is really a wonderful story of dealing with grief and learning that we're capable of changing even things that seem set in stone.

[Acqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it even more than the first one.

The Red Threads of Fortune is set after The Black Tides of Heaven, and it follows Mokoya's PoV. She has left her husband Thennjay in the monastery, and now she's chasing a giant Naga trough the desert with the help of a pack of raptors.

Yes, that's not what I expected (giant raptors?), but it works.
I loved how this book focused more on the magical creatures. There were some in Black Tides too, but they were never really developed and they definitely weren't the focus of the story. This time, we saw a lot of magical, terrifying beasts.

This is not only a fast-paced adventure, however. It's also a story about grief. Mokoya wants to stop running away, but at the same time she can't - she lost her daughter a few years ago, and living won't ever be as easy as it was before. As it turns out, she's not the only one grieving, and grief is a monster in his own right.
It's a story that also shows how life doesn't end there, even if it may seem that way. Nothing will be the same, but life it's worth it. (Mokoya considers suicide, so trigger warning for that.)

I loved Rider. When Mokoya meets them for the first time, they're on the back of a Naga. The two get close really quickly, but it felt natural. The romantic relationships in the first book felt rushed, and I was never really invested in them. This time? I liked Mokoya and Rider as a couple after a chapter of their interactions.
I wasn't expecting to love Mokoya so much. I liked her in the first book, but reading in her PoV was a totally different experience. This time there were no time jumps to disconnect me from her or the story. And she changes so much in a short span of time, but it never felt forced.

In Red Threads, the magic system is slightly more explored and explained, and now that I understand it more, I love it.

Know the ways of the five natures, and you will know the way of the world. For the lines and knots of the Slack are the lines and knots of the world, and all that is shaped is shaped through the twining of the red threads of fortune.

I want to see more of this world. While I think that the novella format is right for the story, sometimes I wish there was more of everything - the magic, the creatures, the characters. Because I loved everything I saw, and I can't wait for the next two books.

Edit 08/14/18: not much to add, I loved this just as much, but this reread really made me realize how much I love Akeha.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is the second in the series, and it's more of a monster-hunt than the first book which is a coming of age and resistance story. I think for me personally the monster-hunt element wasn't my favourite, but the themes of the story are still super interesting and there's some great sections which deal with leniency, judgement, and trust. I really enjoy that this is an LGBTQ+ storyline, and I look forward to seeing more of the world in the future novellas too :) 3.5*s for this one from me.

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Hm. Tough one to rate because in a handful of ways I liked this better than the first installment! But something about the connection between the two feels disjointed? It’s somewhat hard to explain.

Anyhow, this is still a creative & enjoyable series so far!

[Raquel Estebaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda novela de la Tetralogía del Tensorado. Se centra sobre todo en un personaje, Mokoya, resultando más intimista, y limita la acción a un solo día, sin tener los saltos temporales de la anterior novela.

El sistema de magia centrado en el control de los elementos resulta muy atractivo, y tiene una buenísima ambientación con bichos muy chulos.

Si en la primera novela resultaba muy original un mundo donde no existe la asignación de género al nacer, se añade aquí la falta de tabúes en las relaciones sentimentales de los personajes.

Una lectura amena que me gustaría que no fuese tan corta.

[Matt Quann · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I finished off the first book in the series, I took the opportunity to read what some other popular review sites had to say about the Tensorate saga. Just about every review had positive things to say about the novellas' unique structure, compelling world building, and exploration of sexual identity and orientation. So, I guess this series just isn't for me?

Certainly, The Red Threads of Fortune is my preferred of the two books. Instead of compressing 35 years and two POVs into 160 pages, this novella focuses its scope and limits the story to Mokoya's rebellious grief in the wake of The Black Tides of Heaven's conclusion. J. Y. Yang's story benefits from this focus as it makes the world-building feel more manageable than the rapid-fire pace of the first book.

Surprisingly, this book's primary effort seemed to be to guide Mokoya through her grief. It is all too often in fantasy and sci-fi that characters will experience extreme trauma only to move on to their ultimate goal, but Yang has the interesting distinction of flipping that trope on its head. Indeed, Mokoya's decision to hunt dragons on giant velociraptors often seems Sisyphean, and one reading of the novella would be that her actions are entirely motivated by her unspoken grief.

I think, for me, there's a disconnect between the serious interpersonal subject matter that the characters encounter and giant velociraptors. The juxtaposition between the real and fantastical often works in the genre because the reader is able to buy the world. Again, it's really unfortunate that these books didn't do much for me, but I wouldn't let that deter you from your own reading. I'm almost positive that a lot of you will be head over heels for Yang's world and story.

Sadly, these first two novellas just aren't my cup of tea!

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continuation of the Tensorate saga is even more engrossing and magical than The Black Tides of Heaven (of which there is an extract at the end of this one; the implication seems to be that the two are interchangeable and can be read in any order, but I would definitely begin with Black Tides first.)

What I loved about #2 is that we get so much more insight into slackcraft itself. There is a major plot twist I am loathe to divulge, suffice it to say that it takes the story (quite literarily) in an extraordinary direction. And just when you think that slackcraft is a lazy novum for wielding magic, Yang throws the following passage at the reader:

Force is mass times acceleration; pressure is force divided by surface area. The load-bearing capacity of ice is a factor of the square of its thickness. A running creature of Phoenix’s weight requires a yield of solid ice beneath for support. Volume is length times breadth times height.

We discover a very different Mokoya in this book. Having fled the world of the Protector and all it represents, including Thennjay the head abbot, her estranged husband, she is nevertheless unable to escape the memories of the accident that resulted in a significant death. Perhaps due to this trauma, Mokoya has also lost her prophetic capability, and can only relive the painful past.

Now she hunts deadly naga on the outskirts of the kingdom, which seem akin to dragons. This leads her to a deadly encounter with the largest naga ever seen in the Protectorate, a beast of mythical size and ferocity, which is hellbent on destroying the Machinist stronghold of Bataanarian.

And then Mokoya meets the mysterious Rider, which begins a delightfully nuanced and haunted love affair. Yang’s flirtation with gender, and how language empowers these arbitrary distinctions, is as subtle and as incisive as ever.

I think their writing here is even more confident than Black Tides. Mokoya is a deeply damaged individual, which leads them to make some terrible choices and decisions, but the reader continues to believe in the deep truth of their heart.

[Libros Prestados · Rating 4 out of 5]

Más que una continuación, este libro es una expansión del universo del Tensorado (y del Protectorado), cuyas bases se pusieron en "Las mareas negras del cielo". Encontramos no solo nuevos personajes y nuevas tierras dentro del Protectorado, sino que conocemos la existencia de otra tierra, llamada Terraignota, que no solo tiene un uso de la magia distinta, sino que incluso tiene menos gravedad, en el sentido de fuerza gravitacional.

En este caso nos centramos en Mokoya, dos años después de lo que ocurriera en el último libro. Y Mokoya va por ahí en su velociraptor emplumado cazando nagas y huyendo mucho de su pasado. En vez de una trama con muchos saltos en el tiempo para centrarnos en la acción, en este caso todo ocurre en un solo día (los días en este universo son distintos que en nuestro mundo, hay varias noches).

Lo del lenguaje no binario y elegir género en vez de imponerse uno al nacer sigue y ya no es sorprendente, así que Neon Yang va añadiendo matices y mete el poliamor porque aquí hemos venido a jugar. Pero en ningún momento parece artificial ni forzado. Por supuesto que aquí hay relaciones abiertas, es lo más lógico.

Sigue pareciéndome más "space opera" que fantasía tradicional, básicamente porque la forma en que Neon Yang describe la magia y el Remanso tiene mucho que ver con la mecánica cuántica.

Me gustó la primera parte, sigue encantándome la historia en esta segunda y me muero de ganas por saber cómo sigue.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Los hilos rojos de la fortuna me ha gustado bastante, tuve mis conflictos con la primera entrega de esta saga, pero aquí se han diluido por completo. Ha sido una lectura que me ha cautivado desde el primer momento, que no me ha dejado soltarla porque a cada página me resultaba más y más atractiva; está envuelta en un halo mágico que a su vez envuelve al lector, me ha resultado preciosa. No ha llegado a enamorarme ni a marcarme, pero la he disfrutado.

En esta entrega, la magia está presente en todo momento y la conoceremos mucho mejor que en Las mareas negras del cielo, es algo que he agradecido mucho porque es tan bonita, original y profundamente evocadora que embellece todo a su paso. A mí, los sistemas mágicos que están profundamente relacionados con la naturaleza son los que más me gustan, y el de esta saga es uno de los más inspiradores que he leído. Si a esto le sumamos una ambientación igualmente buena y diferente, y que conocemos en mucha más profundidad en esta ocasión, tenemos los que son para mí los puntos fuertes de esta novela.

La historia de esta segunda parte no tiene nada que ver con la primera, obviamente tenemos todos los elementos que ya hemos conocido, pero en este caso es una historia más personal e intimista, centrada en un personaje en concreto: Mokoya. Hay muchos ingredientes más en la trama, pero para mí al final todo se reducía a ella, a su mundo interior y desarrollo personal.

Mi única pega es que no consigo conectar por completo con los personajes ni "creerme" las relaciones que los van uniendo. Para mí le autore tiene una fuerza y un talento increíble para crear un mundo tan bonito y original, que evoca y sumerge tanto, pero le falta garra al crear sus personajes y generar empatía. Sigo pensando que si estuviéramos ante novelas largas esto se vería solventado, pero esto forma parte de mi gusto personal y mi experiencia lectora.

[Iris ☾ (iriis.dreamer) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Neon Yang le autore singapurense creadore de la saga del Tensorado, publicó en 2017 la segunda parte y continuación de «Las mareas negras del cielo». Tras mi primera toma de contacto con la recién mencionada, supe que debía continuar leyendo esta inusual historia plagada de aventuras.

«Los hilos rojos de la fortuna» se centra en Mokoya (la hermana profetisa de Akeha), que tras lo sucedido en el desenlace de la primera parte de la saga, nos muestra su devenir y su cambio de vida radical. Su único propósito y motivación es cazar nagas, unas criaturas mágicas gigantes que amenazan a la población. En ello se vuelca continuamente tratando de huir de una realidad que resulta demasiado dolorosa.

Esta novela que forma parte del subgénero silkpunk, traslada a un mundo fantástico excepcional donde las tecnologías están presentes y cobran poder con rapidez. Envuelto todo en un ambiente mágico de lo más original, seremos partícipes en esta ocasión de un acercamiento a las criaturas mágicas que viven en ese universo, de una explicación y un desarrollo profundo de la remancia y de las intrincadas guerras políticas que se suceden a lo largo de la trama.

En cuanto a les personajes, debo decir que no esperaba que Mokoya sorprendiera (puesto que Akeha se lleva toda la atención anteriormente), pero conocer en profundidad su sufrimiento y su lucha, ha logrado que haya creado un vínculo especial con ella. Y es que Neon, muestra de una manera sencilla pero efectiva la incapacidad de seguir adelante tras sufrir una pérdida tan desgarradora. Aporta jovialidad y alegría con Rider, une personaje que logra conquistar de principio a fin.

En conclusión, vemos un registro narrativo distinto de Yang, la novela está plagada de acción, sorprende la capacidad que tiene de marcar un ritmo tan veloz y frenético y de mantenerlo hasta el final. Resulta en conjunto, sumamente adictiva, madura y reflexiva. Además debo destacar la visible evolución en la creación de relaciones amorosas/afectivas que he sentido mucho más maduras y en absoluto forzadas.

[Aneta · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing is, before reading these novellas I was, for some reason, sure I would enjoy this one more. Well...

I didn't like the relationships in this. Didn't like the instalove, and the rest of the characters were pretty much props in this one. If not for reading Black Tides first which gave me some background, this could have been 1 star? It just felt really flat in comparison.

There were good moments, though, as well. This novella deals with grief and anger, and isolation and I thought it was a good portrayal of these issues, frustrating as it may have been to read (people are messy). But the instalove really threw me? (Not that there weren't cases of it in Black Tides, but here it felt a lot more forced to me.)

Last point, the worldbuilding. The world is really interesting and I like the concepts presented, but they are never explained. Even things as seemingly simple as the day and night cycles. I was really confused about it until I saw somewhere on goodreads or the official page that the sun sets and rises 6 times during one day. Why was this not even ONCE mentioned in the text?

On top of which, we never even find out what happened with their mother? Like, Akeha decided to spare her and then they just continue their rebellion and she's never mentioned again. She seemed important enough, in Black Tides at least? But what do I know.

Ultimately, I think these were just too short, and this one in particular. Not enough space to develop anything. And the potential was SO there! It felt like the author was showing only the top of the iceberg, throughout the whole thing. Nothing more. It's a bit strange because in their novellette Waiting on a Bright Moon, in much less space, the relationship rang much more true for me.

Or maybe novellas are just not my thing.

A point about Rider which had me confused. So in this world every child chooses their gender willingly or can just not choose it at all. Swallow chose to be confirmed and identify as female and then... what changed their mind? At one point Mokoya is annoyed with Tan Khimyan for using the wrong pronouns for Rider, quote: "You can't even use the right pronouns for them. You don't even know their real name." But Tan Khimyan obviously knew Rider/Swallow better than her, since they had been lovers for a long time. Was Rider forced to be confirmed as female?Since the entire concept of gender is so different in this world and transphobia does not exist, why would Tan Khimyan use wrong pronouns on purpose? The later revelations about the nature of their relationship aside, this had me confused, and I feel like there was an important piece missing that would clear things up, and it was never brought up. Admittedly, I know very little about the matter at hand, being nonbinary, etc. so this comes from a genuine place of not understanding and confusion.

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: grief, loss of child (in the past), suicide ideation, misgendering

I was not expecting to love this the way I did because I felt kind of lukewarm about book 1, but I absolutely adored this novella! I think a lot of the issues I had with book 1 were addressed here, and also fundamentally, I just prefer Mokoya to Akeha as a main character.

I loved Yang's writing in book 1, and this hasn't changed. Their writing is just so beautiful, and the world is really intricate. One of my main issues with book 1 was that the magic system just wasn't really explained at all, and I feel like we definitely got a lot of expansion in that sense in this book. The worldbuilding in general also just felt more organic, which was great to see. I'm a sucker for silkpunk fantasy (shoutout to Ken Liu) and this series is no exception.

The biggest improvement from book 1 is definitely the plot and pacing. I think the first book really suffered from the massive time skips that were needed to tell the story. There is a fairly big time skip between the end of the first book and beginning of this book - I know these are advertised as twin novellas that can be read in any order, but I definitely do not recommend reading Red Threads of Fortune before Black Tides of Heaven.

Honestly, my favourite thing about this novella is definitely Mokoya. I loved seeing her character development and growth, especially in how she deals with the grief of the events that happened at the end of the first book. I also adored her relationship with both Thennjay and Rider - this is such a wholesome, healthy, and supportive polyamorous relationship and I really hope we get to see more of them in the next two novellas.

I definitely think that this installment makes up for all of the issues I had with the first one (and more), and this series is officially one I would whole-heartedly recommend to fantasy fans!

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Treachery, monsters and magic. Oh my!

This installment of the Tensorate saga is paced very differently from the first one: “The Black Tides of Heaven” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) covered almost forty years in less than two-hundred pages and “The Red Threads of Fortune” takes place over a few days, which makes it feel a lot more focused (if a bit rushed: I wished both books had been longer). While the first book was more Akeha’s story, we now see the world through the eyes of his twin. And Mokoya’s world is not a happy place at the opening of this story: her gift of foresight has deserted her, her daughter is dead, she has left the confined of the monastery (and her husband) behind to go hunt nagas (big dragon-like creatures). On such a hunt, she meets the enigmatic Rider, who will help her and her fellow hunters to unravel a murderous plot.

This story is truly about grief, about the monster that such a thing can be, and about the human need to carry on even when it doesn’t feel like it makes sense. I enjoy the parallels between the Slack and Zen sutras, I feel like Yang approached the idea of undefined gender within their world-building with great skill, and I find said world beautiful and fascinating. But as mentioned, I wish both story-line and world-building had been fleshed out more: two hundred pages just doesn't seem like enough room to discuss Mokoya and Wanbeng's bereavement, the developing relationship with Rider and the struggle of the Machinists against the Tensorate. But the prose is so pretty, and the ideas so fresh that I am more than happy to gloss over that.

A great series of beautifully written silkpunk, set in a fantastic universe: I am very excited about the next two books!

[Allison Hurd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still very impressed with this world, how it blends so much that's so familiar and so many things that are novel in a way that makes it feel accessible and yet totally different. I think this was a stronger story in technical terms, but I'm definitely Team Akeha.

CONTENT WARNING: (just a list of topics) loss of a child, graphic violence, some body horror, domestic violence.

Things to love:

-The writing. I think it was much more fluid than the first book, the prose, pacing, and reveals much more organic feeling.

-The world. It just gets COOLER!!

-The magic. Okay, so this is really just another way of saying the world is cool, but it's so good I'm saying it twice. I love how steampunky the world is without falling into any of those tropes. This is amazing silkpunk with really wonderful spins on how we look at a world that has sporadic magic.

Things that didn't sit right with me:

-Needs more Akeha. I feel this is self-explanatory.

-Mokoya. This is mostly her POV and I gotta say, she's stone cold. Her friends, brother and husband don't need this ish. She's manipulative, passive aggressive, violent...I'm pissed at her for a lot of her decisions. I am conflicted as to whether she was intentionally portrayed as a flawed character or if I was supposed to give her a pass because of her past. I'm hoping it was intentional.

If you liked the first, this one I think adds quite nicely to the saga. I will be continuing!

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second novella in the world of The Protectorate. Our protagonist Mokoya, a fallen prophet, has left the city and monastery after the devastating loss of her young daughter. Mokoya lives among the Machinists and now is hunting and killing the deadly Naga.

Neon Yang is a talented writer and story teller. The world she has invited us into is fascinating.

It probably would be advantageous to read this series back to back. It took me a while to remember and catch on to all the happenings. I have a note to myself to pick up book three and continue the story now, before I forget again!

[Kaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are AMAZING. I read this back-to-back with The Black Tides of Heaven, the first book in the series, which is an approach I recommend. They are quite different and each could stand on its own, but I felt that reading them together and in chronological order really deepened my appreciation of the characters' emotional journeys, especially for Mokoya. I am impatient for the next books!

[Sahitya · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I finished The Black Tides of Heaven, I knew I was gonna read this novella soon because that world is magical and I didn’t wanna forget it so soon. And this book turned out to be even more impressive.

This time the plot had no time jumps, actually it takes place within just a few days but the amount of extensive world building we get here alongwith a deep dive into the different interpretations of the magic system, is amazing and I couldn’t stop reading at all. We also get gorgeous descriptions of magical creatures and I particularly loved two of them so much. In such few pages, we also get some jaw dropping action sequences and I was trying to picture them in my head but that turned out to be impossible.

This time we get Mokoya’s POV and after the events of the first book, it was quite painful to share her grief. This story is essentially about debilitating grief, feeling as if there is no point in being alive, but also finding the courage to try to live again when opportunity presents itself. The development of feelings between Mokoya and Rider might feel like instalove but it’s so beautifully written that I was completely invested and my heart was breaking towards the end. I just kept wishing that I could read more of them being together.

In the end, this may be a small novella but it has a lush and vivid world, an intricate magic system, and a gorgeous story of love in all forms. I can’t believe I’m so late in reading this series but I’m not gonna wait longer to finish the remaining two novellas.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book resolved almost all of my issues with the first book in the series!

One thing I want to address--this and The Black Tides of Heaven are described as stand-alone novellas. I would STRONGLY recommend reading Black Tides first, even though I think it's a bit weaker than this volume.

Now, just what I liked so much about this. Unlike the first book in the Tensorate series, this is a bit more static in its timeline. Where the first book jumped decades, this book is centered around one time and place. Since these are novellas, that works in the book's favor. It doesn't feel like you're zooming forward in time. You spend more time with the characters at this one particular point in time, which made them (in my opinion) much more compelling. You get the chance to really spend some time with them, and connect with them in more significant ways than the first book.

Additionally, I felt less overwhelmed by the world. This is set primarily in one city (and the surrounding desert), so the book has a more distinct and coherent sense of place.

It also felt more thematically consistent. This book explores grief, and because that theme is really the tentpole of this novella, Yang is able to dig in with more nuance. It creates an emotional centerpiece for the novella which works incredibly well.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this, and I'm excited to continue this series!

[Victorian Spirit · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐3,5

Segunda entrega de la saga del Tensorado. Con esta novela me pasó que, entre lo distinta que es a la primera y que habían pasado muchos meses entre la lectura de una y otra, me costó situarme. Y al ser tan breve y ser una historia tan ágil, eso me pasó algo de factura. Yo recomiendo a quien empiece con la saga que se la lea de corrido (sobre todo ahora que para 2022 estarán los cuatro publicados) porque son libros que no cansan, siempre te dejan con ganas de más, y seguro que leerlas seguidas les dará un poco más de hilo conductor.
Me gustó sobre todo el tema de cómo superar el duelo, cómo nos aferramos desesperados al recuerdo de personas que ya no están y también el del destino, lo que está prescrito y cómo de inamovible es el futuro.

RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__U57...

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mokoya and Akeha are back! I probably should have read this as soon as I'd finished Black Tides of Heaven, but life gets in the way. Yang weaves beautiful stories.

[bookstories_travels🪐 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y seguimos con la tetralogía del Tensorado, que en esta segunda entrega se ha puesto aún más interesante. He disfrutado mucho esta LC, y la saga me está sorprendiendo mucho. Cuando la empecé, estaba segura que me iba a gustar e incluso a enganchar, pero no creía que hasta el punto que lo está haciendo.

Tras los eventos del primer libro, Mokoya es un ser destrozado. Llena de pena y rabia, ha dejado su vida atrás y se enfrasca totalmente en la revolución Maquinista. Una de sus misiones será atrapar a un naga, una peligrosa criatura que amenaza a una ciudad fronteriza del Imperio. Pronto, Mokoya y les maquinistes se darán cuenta del extraño comportamiento de la criatura y de que su aparición esconde algo inquietante. Y que en ello está implicada Ryder, una extraña mujer con la que Mokoya establecerá un fuerte vinculo.

Buscando información de esta novela, me ha sorprendido mucho descubrir que le autore antes que su primera parte, “Las Mareas Negras del Cielo”. Es cierto que ambas obras cuentan dos historias independientes, pero considero que esta segunda se entiende mejor si has leído la primera. Mientras que la primera parte se centraba más en los conflictos y conspiraciones políticas, “Los Hilos Rojos de la Fortuna” es una historia más de acción y aventura. De todas maneras creo que el ver más de la revolución de les maquinistes y como es el gobierno del Tensorado y la vida en otros sitios del imperio es un acierto ahora que ya sabemos más como funciona el mundo de Neon Yang y conocemos mejor a les personajes. Y el que todo esto venga condimentado con la trama de intriga que es el centro de la novela también creo que es un gran acierto. El libro es corto y se lee muy rápido no solo por eso, también por el estilo directo de su autor y el buen ritmo narrativo de la obra. Es una lectura que hecho rápido y que he disfrutado mucho, que me ha tenido totalmente enganchada de principio a fin.

Aunque esta novela me gustó ligeramente más que eso antecesora, reconozco que lo mejor de ambas sigue siendo el rico y detallado mundo que Neon Yang compone, de clara inspiración asiática y en el que la magia y la tecnología se dan fuertemente de la mano. Me parece un acierto que le autire haya puesto en esta novela más el foco en cómo se usa la reminiscencia y en qué es exactamente. Teniendo en cuenta la importancia que tiene dentro de la historia, me parece muy importante que lo haya hecho. Además, me parece muy interesante que esta especto se haya empezado a trabajar en la segunda entrega, me llama mucho la atención y nos demuestra hasta qué tiempo el mundo que hay ideado tiene muchos matices y complejidades de las que nos presentaba en la primera novela, con un giro de guión respecto a las leyes del Remanso que seguro que dar�� que hablar en las dos siguientes entregas. Se nota mucho que le autore le ha cogido el pulso a la historia. Para mí ha mejorado mucho el ritmo. Respecto a la primera parte, noto que hay mucho más equilibrio entre la agilidad y la rapidez con la que va la narración y la forma en que no se es presentada, logrando que el lector pueda enterarse mejor de las cosas. No sé si es porque le autore le ha cogido el tranquillo o porque ya sabemos más cómo es la historia y ese mundo. Pero todo eso lo he valorado mucho mientras leía junto a la excelente ambientación y la forma en que le autore consigue sumergir al lector en elle.

Toda la lectura me ha parecido de infarto de principio a fin. Todos los hilos se han ido desgranando durante toda la narración con mucha acción, con buenos giros de guion que hacen avanzar la trama de una forma muy disfrutable. Me parece muy interesante la estructura que parece que va a tener toda la saga, como cada novela está enfocada en un personaje y todo forma un conjunto general de una forma que narrativamente es muy orgánico, no se nota impostado para nada. También me encanta la forma de escribir de Neon Yang. Me parece que tiene una pluma que siempre da en el clavo y que es muy acertada. Funciona muy bien tanto para los momentos de más acción, como para los más emotivos, tiene frases y momentos realmente bonitos que logran atrapar al lector. Y es algo que no esperaba encontrar en una obra de este tipo. Creía que iba a tener una prosa más directa y simple, y algo de eso hay, pero a la vez hay momentos más profundos que casan muy bien con todas las cosas que se manejan en esta obra, como el amor, la pérdida, el trauma, el dolor y la superación. “Los Hilos Rojos de la Fortuna”, no es solo una historia de acción y revolución. Esta plagado de personajes que resultan muy humanos, sienten, sufren y están condicionados por las cosas por las que pasan, tienen una patina muy humana. Es una historia de acción incesante, pero que Pepe de la explosión emocional de su protagoniste, una mujer destrozada por la perdida y marcada por una vida en la que podía ver el futuro pero no cambiarlo.

Tras los eventos del primer libro Mokoya no es la misma y a roto con todo, mientras que la revolución de les maquinistes sigue su curso. La premisa que se nos presenta en esta novela me está pareciendo muy interesante, ya que podemos ver cómo va evolucionando la revolución y les personajes. No me esperaba nada el giro que ha pegado le personaje de Mokoya respecto a lo que era en “Las Mareas Negras del Cielo”, pese a que me parezca comprensible. Si tuviera que ponerle un pero a lo que leído hasta ahora, es que la aparición del personaje de Ryder y la relación que desarrolla con Mokoya me han parecido muy precipitadas. Y eso me ha sorprendido, porque pienso, como os decia más arriba, que en la forma de narrar todo lo demás de la obra le autore ha logrado encontrar el equilibrio entre un ritmo rápido, pero no tanto como para que resulte abrupto. La relación entre les dos me parece que empieza de una forma muy precipitada y que va muy rápido al principio. Si que es verdad que si se contextualiza con el estado de ánimo de Mokoya y que ahora es un torbellino emocional puede tener sentido, y que a medida que va sucediéndose el libro se va estabilizando, pero sigue siendo precipitado. Además, para mí eso le quita mucha credibilidad a esa historia, aunque sea importante para la trama me resulta un tanto impostada. Con Mokoya me pasa que veo que ahora se parece mucho a como era Akeha en el primer libro, me cuesta ver diferencias entre la personalidad de ambes. Y eso para mí mata un poco el cambio de personalidad que le personaje ha pegado en este libro. Y es una pena, porque realmente arco evolutivo es muy intenso, y he sentido que si no fuera por eso, hubiera disfrutado mucho más de le personaje y en como se va desarrollando. Lo cual no quita para que le autore mueva con gran delicadeza todos los resortes este personaje, sepa sacar del alto voltaje emocional en que esta sumergida muchos elementos que serán importantes para la acción y componga un retrato psicológico de Mokoya tan colorido como su brazo, cuyo color cambia según sus emociones.

Por cierto, muy agradecida con el posfacio que acompaña el volumen. Es una de las mejores cosas de las ediciones del sello Duermevela. Había leído escuchado algunas veces el termino “Silkpunk” pero no sabía exactamente en que consistía exactamente. Así que he apreciado la claridad como lo describen y explican sus diferencias respecto a géneros similares.

Deseando leer las continuaciones de esta historia.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

I'm not sure why, but this novella just didn't connect for me the way other things I've read from Neon Yang have. It was okay, but I struggled to find a thread of the story that I was really invested in. The Red Threads of Fortune follows a woman traveling after the loss of her daughter, hunting a deadly Naga, and getting romantically involved with non-binary character who may or may not be trustworthy. I think her story arc is supposed to be about healing from grief and opening yourself back up to things, but it felt choppy. I'm wondering if listening on audio might be part of the problem, perhaps I would have done better reading it physically. I might try that for the next book in the series. This was fine, but didn't leave the impression I was hoping for.

[Manisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I could easily repeat my review for The Black Tides of Heaven and that would be sufficient.

To summarise:

• I enjoyed the world but thought it was undeveloped. I had hopes that with the second novella the world will be fleshed out more. However, I am still confused as to the magic system of the world.
• The question of gender was such a new and exciting way to read. However, following the story of multiple characters who prefer non-binary genderless pronouns made it difficult to follow the story without re-reading paragraphs to figure out who said what. The name of the character written often could have solved this issue easily.
• The story was action-packed and faster moving than the first novella, however, for a story focused completely on Mokoya, I feel like I never learnt anything more about that character. Characterisation was lacking, which could be due to the length of pages.

In conclusion, the concept is a brilliant one but the execution falls short. I cannot help but repeat myself by saying that this series could have benefitted greatly from being expanded to a full-fledged novel.

[Mangrii · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 / 5

Mokoya, le gemele profetisa, ya no lo es. Ahora tiene un brazo de lagarto y un cuerpo lleno de cicatrices, tanto por fuera como por dentro. Ya no tiene visiones, se dedica a cazar a los naga mortales que oscurecen el cielo en los duros confines del reino montada en su fiel velociraptor Fénix. Concretamente, se encuentra tras la pista de un enorme naga que amenaza la ciudad minera y rebelde de Bataanar. Lo que no sabe Mokoya, es que la bestia que caza guarda un terrible secreto que podría desencadenar la guerra en todo el Protectorado.

Aunque leyendo antes Las mareas negras del cielo tenga todo el sentido que sea la primera de la serie, cabe destacar que le autore Neon Yang concibió en primer lugar esta segunda entrega, llegando a poder leerse por separado. Sin embargo, y estoy completamente seguro de ello, su impacto emocional sería mucho menor. La primera es un drama familiar que abarca casi tres décadas mientras que la segunda, es más una aventura de acción que apenas dura tres días. Sin embargo, ambas están unidas por la historia de dos gemeles: Akeha y Mokoya.

Le protagonista ya no es une niñe fuerte, poderose y brillante, segure y confiade. Aquí es una madre afligida, que sufre un duelo prolongado por la pérdida de su hije. Es una mujer tratando de huir del pasado. Neon Yang yuxtapone aquí la clásica historia de búsqueda en la fantasía con el viaje emocional interno por el que pasa Mokoya.Neon Yang hace un tratamiento ejemplar de las enfermedades mentales y los traumas, equilibrando la conciencia de le protagoniste con la impotencia de muchas situaciones. El camino de Mokoya es sólido, brillante y fuerte, cobrando mucha más fuerza si se sigue desde Las mareas del cielo negro, llegando aquí al punto culminante y más vertiginoso de su desarrollo.

Los conflictos diplomáticos vistos en la primera entrega quedan un poco relegados, aunque Neon Yang sigue dejando pinceladas sobre la situación política y cultural de todo el Protectorado. Los hilos rojos de la fortuna es una historia de búsqueda y captura, de acción y aventura, envuelta como un caramelo por un profundo desarrollo personal. También, enfocada en dar una vuelta de tuerca al sistema mágico ya presentado y que abre nuevas oportunidades a la trama y a la serie.

Estoy deseando volver al remanso.

Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...