[BWF] Red Threads of Fortune by Neon Yang - 3 stars

[Theresa]

It opens a few years after the events of The Black Tides of Heaven. Mokoya is in the desert hunting winged nagas (bearded dragons with bodies of serpents). Mokoya is running away from all - her grief, her special powers and the curse of prophecy, her husband, her twin. But now, there is an abnormal naga terrifying the world, one turned into a true monster by Tensor (essentially master wizards) experimentation, and Mokoya needs to find it and stop it. In the course of this hunt, Mokoya must come to grips with her own losses, and embrace her own powers, especially the curse of prophecy. Most of all, she learns to embrace life.

This is filled with more action and adventure than I recall in Black Tides. I was a bit confused at first, mostly because it's been a couple of years since I read the first, but quickly realized everything I needed to know was being presented. I still believe a glossary would be very helpful. The political story is here sidelined, it being little more than a support around which wraps the story of a woman mourning the death of her daughter leading her to, for all intents and purposes, abandon life. Will I read the next 2 novellas in the series? Maybe. I don't feel compelled to find out what happens next. I feel satisfying closure with this second novella as to the twins' respective stories. However, this is a wonderful East Asian influenced universe with some wonderful fantastical beasts that could be a lot of fun to continue to explore.

BWF tag 16x Letter 'R'

[Joanne]

I feel the same about continuing on, though I have added the 3rd novella as a "maybe" for this month.