Black Water Sister
core novel 2021 Black Water Sister
Record
| First published | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.83 (11,579 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 371 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780425283431 |
Synopsis
Black Water Sister follows Jessamyn Teoh, a closeted lesbian and recent Harvard graduate who relocates from the United States to Malaysia, her family's birth country, after struggling to find work abroad. Soon after arriving, Jess begins hearing the voice of her deceased grandmother, Ah Ma, who in life served as a medium for a local deity known as the Black Water Sister. Ah Ma, unable to rest, is furious that a wealthy developer plans to demolish the deity's temple, and her anger begins manifesting as dangerous supernatural disturbances around the construction site. Drawn unwillingly into her grandmother's unfinished business, Jess finds herself caught between warring family expectations, the demands of an increasingly insistent goddess, and her own unresolved questions about her identity, all while navigating a country whose customs and constraints feel unfamiliar to her.
Where it sits
- Universe: Black Water Sister
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Zen Cho
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Fantasy Novel), 2022: finalist; 2nd-place Locus poll placement, registered per this canon's standing no-cutoff Locus-poll convention.
- World Fantasy Award (Novel), 2022: nominated
- Ignyte Award (Outstanding Novel (Adult)), 2022: nominated
Notes
- Standalone contemporary fantasy novel; no sequel exists or has been announced. Registered as this universe's sole entry with no series grouping, matching the pattern already used for Piranesi, Ysabel, and The Starless Sea (a genuinely standalone single-book universe, not a multi-book series).
Sources
- Zen Cho's own author site: Black Water Sister
- Wikipedia: Black Water Sister
- World Fantasy Convention: World Fantasy Awards 2022
- sfadb: Zen Cho Awards
- Locus Online: 2022 Ignyte Awards Winners
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