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craftygiant's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting short story that left me wanting to read more about the world and the characters. I feel that I might get more out of the story if I knew more about south east asia and the cultures there but it's enjoyable even with what little context I have.
I think that if it had been a longer story I would have enjoyed it even more, I find it hard to get into short stories, but I know that's just my preference. It stands alone well, I would definitely read more by this author in the future.
I think that if it had been a longer story I would have enjoyed it even more, I find it hard to get into short stories, but I know that's just my preference. It stands alone well, I would definitely read more by this author in the future.
tani's review against another edition
4.0
I was immediately drawn to read this story when I saw a human ansible mentioned in the summary. Anything that mixes my two favorite genres into one is worth a shot in my book, and boy, did this story deliver! Yang creates a dazzling mixture of genres that has the grandeur of epic fantasy with the wonder of science fiction. If the story had only given me that, I would have been quite a happy girl. But Yang also delivers on romance, with a lovely relationship between two women, and social upheaval. That they manage to do so convincingly in such a short span was nothing less than amazing. Yang is definitely an author that I will want to follow!
bethtabler's review against another edition
3.0
Waiting on a Bright Moon is a short story written by author J.Y Yang, and they are known for their Tensorate series.
This isn't a bad story at all. It is about Xin, an ansible. In this story, an Ansible is a person who is using song and music magic can connect vast distances. It is a role forced upon some woman who a talent for music magic. There are some intrigue and romances. Honestly, though, the issue I had with the story is that in this short story format, the worldbuilding and story did not have a chance to develop a clear picture in my mind. I was often confused and detached from the story, and had to go back and read multiple passages so that I understood what was going on.
I do commend the author on their use of language, though. They have a way of describing moments in a lush prose-like style that I appreciate. The lyrical style of it flowed from line to line.
Even now, the role of an Ansible is vague to me. I think with an extended format into novelette size; this would be a much more intriguing story. As it is, it was only midgrade for me.
This isn't a bad story at all. It is about Xin, an ansible. In this story, an Ansible is a person who is using song and music magic can connect vast distances. It is a role forced upon some woman who a talent for music magic. There are some intrigue and romances. Honestly, though, the issue I had with the story is that in this short story format, the worldbuilding and story did not have a chance to develop a clear picture in my mind. I was often confused and detached from the story, and had to go back and read multiple passages so that I understood what was going on.
I do commend the author on their use of language, though. They have a way of describing moments in a lush prose-like style that I appreciate. The lyrical style of it flowed from line to line.
Even now, the role of an Ansible is vague to me. I think with an extended format into novelette size; this would be a much more intriguing story. As it is, it was only midgrade for me.
owl83's review against another edition
2.0
Main Character: ⭐⭐⭐
Supporting Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐
Beginning: ⭐
Middle: ⭐⭐⭐
End: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My opinion: ⭐⭐⭐
Supporting Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐
Beginning: ⭐
Middle: ⭐⭐⭐
End: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My opinion: ⭐⭐⭐
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The issue with this novella is that it tries to achieve too much for a work of short fiction. We start out following a servant of an empire, and finish with the final battle in the rebellion against that empire, all within 44-odd pages. If Yang had confined the scope to a portion of that story, or written a full-length novel, it would have worked a lot better. As such, everything (plot, character, theme) felt rushed, despite being really interesting.
I’ve already pretty much covered what went wrong with the plot: there was too much of it. In terms of characters, I think the retrospective introspection highlighting the MC’s past was effective in giving explanation for her current actions. But I wish we had gotten a better feel for her overall. The LI was, unfortunately, a shadow of a character. Consequently, the romance felt hollow. I actually thought this might have been intentional, as the MC seems to get passionate about her lovers really quickly, then quickly moves on.
I love the theme Yang chose to explore here, which was empires and expendability; how people are expendable to empires, how they’re treated as resources instead of human beings. Again, I just wish it had had more room within the narrative.
The world-building was the one aspect that really stood out to me. There were so many cool elements, like shapeshifting magic, light as a tangible force, and singing to open portals across space. I also really liked the use of the 2nd person.
I did enjoy my time with this novella despite my qualms. It was a quick, fast-paced read that kept me hooked. Again, I just wish it had been longer or had had a narrower scope.
Rep: sapphic Chinese (?) MC, lesbian (word not used) Chinese LI
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, and Body horror
Minor: Addiction, Blood, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Grief, and Vomit
Major: capital punishment Moderate: forced separation from a loved one Minor: gamblingpetitpoucetreveur's review against another edition
4.0
It's a short story, but so much happens! We're given a lot of informations on this fantasy world, but it's not confusing or overwhelming, it's progressive and efficient. The story is narrated at the second person, using "you", which I thought was orignal and really efficient for the story. There is not much I can tell without spoiling, but I do recommend this novella to you, it's really worth the read ^^ I now have to read more of this author for I'm intrigued by their writing and the world they managed to invent.
bookishgoblin's review against another edition
4.0
Read this three days ago and I can’t stop thinking about it, a beautiful short story for any lover of speculative fiction