Scale-Bright

The title novella is the longest published work to date from Sriduangkaew, a talented writer of short fiction; here it joins three previously published short stories, all set in the same mythic Chinese universe. As Julienne rides the train to work in modern Hong Kong, she is accosted by a man whom no one else sees. Later she notices a strange-looking woman, also invisible to others, bleeding in the street. Others might doubt their sanity after these events, but Julienne is intimately familiar with the supernatural, largely because her aunties, a happily married lesbian couple, also happen to be Houyi, the Divine Archer, and Chang’e, the Goddess of the Moon, major figures in the Chinese pantheon. The bleeding woman, Olivia, is actually a demon out to steal Julienne’s life force. Julienne survives the encounter, and the two find themselves oddly attracted to each other. Later, aided by Julienne’s aunties, they set out on a quest to free Olivia’s older sister from her centuries-long confinement. Fine writing, fascinating sexual politics, and well-developed, quirky characters make this tale a resounding success. [em](BookLife) [/em]