The Ascent to Godhood

A rebel commander in a complicated fantasy world recalls her triumphs and struggles in Yang’s superb fourth Tensorate novella (after The Descent of Monsters). Lady Han, leader of the antimagic Machinist faction that has just assassinated the tyrannical Protector, drinks heavily while recounting her life to an unnamed listener. When she’s 12 years old, her desperately poor rural family sell her to a man who gives her the name Huarong. He delivers her to the capital city, where she proves herself a clever, industrious courtesan trainee. She catches the eye of Hekate, a secondary heir to the throne, who recruits her to help topple a political rival through minor espionage. Following their success, Hekate renames her Lady Han and invites her to join Hekate’s household, where she becomes a blend of servant, confidante, and lover for the calculating Hekate. Lady Han gets a close-up view of the personal tragedies that launched Hekate’s ruthless ascension to Protector—until the discovery that Lady Han, too, has been betrayed. This thrilling adventure stands alone, as well as providing moving, complicated backstory for the earlier books in the series. Both fans and newcomers will be enthralled. (July)