[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons, February 19, 2024

“The Three-Jeweled” by Kathy Chao

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

“The Three-Jeweled” by Kathy Chao takes place in China during the early days of the Ming dynasty, about the year 1400. A eunuch serves as a military leader for a contender for the throne. He adopts three orphaned girls as his daughters. (The narrator is one of the daughters, but always speaks of “we” instead of “I,” acting as a plural narrator.) The eunuch builds a flying machine and teaches his daughters how to operate it. When he goes off to war, he calls upon their aid. Later, they make use of the device in their own way.

This is mostly a work of historical fiction with a touch of speculation. Seen through the eyes of the narrator, the eunuch becomes an intriguing character. The daughters are ciphers, with no distinguishing characteristics. (We are told their names, but the narrator could be any one of them.) Readers interested in a vision of a past that might have been will best appreciate this elegantly written tale.

Victoria Silverwolf notes that this story is just barely long enough to be a novelette.