The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang

The Black Tides of Heaven

JY Yang

Twins born to be raised as monks, but their destiny is to be parted. Starting off as a fantasy fairy tale, this novella draws you into a magical world where good and evil struggle for power. Gradually, the picture became clearer and guessing moved forward to a better understanding. The sometimes shrouded language and the fluidity of gender give it a mythical quality wherein basic human needs are still paramount. (#1 in a series of four).

Extract
'You lied to me,' Mokoya spat.
'I didn’t,' Thennjay said, 'I said nothing. There’s a difference. You never asked how much slackcraft I knew.'
'You should have said you were a Tensor.'
'I’m not.' He kept his voice gentle. 'The Tensorate and the Grand Monastery aren’t the only ones who know slackcraft. My father had books. Scrolls. He hid them. After we lost him, my mother taught me as much as she could.'
Mokoya’s anger hissed between their teeth, in and out. 'I trusted you.'
Thennjay looked apologetic. 'I didn’t trust you.' As Mokoya froze, the shock of this revelation wrestling across their face, he said 'I wanted to, I promise. But I couldn’t. You’re still the prophet. The Protector’s child. And I’m just some troublemaking Gauri boy.'
Parallels
  • I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
  • Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
  • Un Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon