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An excellent book about a global machine that people don't often think about: the global ocean. A machine takes in energy and does work, and the author shows how the ocean does that. The ocean takes in the energy of the sun, stores it mainly as heat, and uses it to move water in great currents all over the world. This affects how organisms live, for those at the surface to those living in the depths.

The book starts with showing how the machine works physically. Light from the sun heats the surface, causing evaporation and currents to form as cold water moves in to replace the lost water. The earth's rotation swirls the currents as they move north or south, which are further affected by land masses in their path. The author goes from the equator to the poles, showing how the workings of the machine affect the local conditions in areas.

All of this, of course, affects how organisms will live, by taking advantage of the conditions caused by the machine, whether to move about, eat or to breed. Humans are not exempted, as sailing ships and other early vessels also took advantage of the currents. Reading the currents also allows humans to predict where good fishing ground might be located.

All this human activity has lead to disruptions in the global ecosystem, for marine organisms depend on a predictable machine in order to survive. As an example, whaling lead to a collapse in marine microorganisms because the microorganisms depend on iron to grow, and a major source of iron was whale poop, which is now in short supply. The changing climate has also led to warmer water temperatures and changing currents, which are disrupting the lives of organisms.

In closing, the author offers some thoughts on how to reduce such disruptions. But the major point of the book is to make people more aware of the ocean and the machine that is running in it, and not to treat the oceans as a 'blank spot' that we can all throw our troubles (and refuse) into and not consider the consequences.

This feels like two books stitched into one. The front half of the book has all of the vibes of a gothic romance: a young woman moves into an ancient opulent house, finds her husband-to-be cold and standoffish, and soon sees strange things out of the corner of her eye that everyone else insists aren't real. The deeper she digs, the more sinister things become, until her reality is shattered. And then suddenly we're in the second half of the book: an epic, sweeping, Chinese fable filled with mythical creatures, dragon-riding, war, alchemy, court drama, and a big prophecy. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. I enjoyed both parts on their own. The portion where Ying first visits the mirror world is especially well-written, with a creeping unease and some really unique world building that I loved. There are some big fight pieces and twists in the second half that are also a lot of fun. It's just a strange combination taking the two of them in together. For all that, I still think it's paced out well enough as one book, so I'm glad the author didn't try to stretch it into two. A fast-paced read for anyone who likes their big action mythology paired with just a touch of horror.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

An average issue of Interzone, with interesting stories by E.G. Condé, Prashanth Srivatsa, Matt Hollingsworth and R. Wren.

• "Sibilance" by E.G. Condé: an investigator goes to Jupiter to discover why production of a vital source of fuel for fusion is diminishing. What he discovers would be an unexpected source of intrusion that can drive people, and machines, mad.

• "Warmth" by Seán Padraic Birnie: in a bedroom, a shadow moves in a way that shadows don't, and the occupant can only freeze in fear, or be warmed by the end.

• "Drafting" by Rachael Cupp: a teenager drafts a letter to a friend, first for hating her for stealing her boyfriend, then correcting it to maybe it is for the best, in a world where they are isolated from each other in shelters.

• "The Spirit Machines" by Prashanth Srivatsa: in an alternate past and future, two robots animated by magic guard a Buddha's relic from the relatives of a king who want to claim in. In the end, they fail; or do they?

• "When I Was the Red Baron" by Matt Hollingsworth: in a story containing violence and self injury, a young boy sees his father commit suicide, which has him rolling his crayon in the blood, which gives him chilling powers of destruction when used from drawing. As he becomes a parent, having used the crayon a few times to deadly effect, he is now faced with one final choice. But it may be his young son who might change his decision.

• "Carrigan" by R. Wren: an Irish person goes home to the farm where he/she grew up. But having to deal with relatives who don't know what to make of her is the least of her problems when her uncle accidentally awakens ancient people from the bog. Now they need to be appeased to leave the land alone.

• "The Clockwork Heart of Heaven" by Roby Davies: a fantastical story about a mechanical deity born from the mind of a man who might go on to dominate the earth and absorb humanity in its quest for godhood. But not if one man and a team of intelligent primates can stop it in time.