Three individuals—an enslaved girl in 1906 Chinatown, a tech designer in 2006, and a psychic historian in 2106—are psychically linked across time by a jade teacup, each confronting exploitation, environmental collapse, and the fight for autonomy. Their interconnected stories explore cycles of oppression, the impact of individual actions on the future, and the enduring hope for change amid dystopian threats and systemic injustice.

Reader Review Summary

Set across three timelines—1906, 2006, and 2106—this novel interweaves the lives of three individuals connected by a jade teacup and psychic visions. In 2106, Maida Sun, a psion with the ability to see the history of objects, works in a post-climate-collapse San Francisco as part of a cultural recovery project. Her touch on the teacup links her to Li Nuan, a 16-year-old sex-trafficked girl in 1906 Chinatown, and Nathan, a tech designer in 2006 grappling with environmental and ethical dilemmas. The narrative explores themes of exploitation, environmental collapse, and the cyclical nature of oppression, as Maida uncovers a political plot to control and exploit people with psionic abilities. The story is told through alternating perspectives, with each character facing their own struggles against systems of power and injustice, and their actions resonating across time.

Readers appreciated the book’s character-driven approach, with many highlighting the emotional depth of Li Nuan’s story and the relatability of Nathan’s journey toward environmental awareness. The depiction of a post-apocalyptic future in Maida’s timeline, including the transformation of present-day pop culture into distant mythology, was noted as immersive and thought-provoking. The novel’s handling of social issues—such as racism, sex trafficking, climate change, and the treatment of minorities—was frequently cited as a strength, as was the representation of diverse identities, including queer and nonbinary characters. The audiobook narration received positive feedback, and the interconnectedness of the three timelines through the teacup was seen as an effective narrative device by some readers.

Criticisms focused on the perceived imbalance between the three storylines, with several readers finding Nathan’s chapters less compelling or relevant compared to Li Nuan’s and Maida’s. Some felt the connections between the timelines were tenuous or underdeveloped, leading to a sense of fragmentation or lack of narrative cohesion. There were comments that the book sometimes relied on exposition or 'telling' rather than 'showing,' particularly in Maida’s sections, and that the worldbuilding in the future timeline could have been more detailed. The handling of graphic content, especially in Li Nuan’s chapters, was described by some as excessively explicit or insufficiently nuanced given the subject matter. A few readers also noted that the ending felt abrupt or overly simplistic, and that the marketing comparisons to Emily St. John Mandel set expectations the book did not meet for all.

The book blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, dystopia, and historical fiction, and is available in multiple formats including audiobook, which was specifically praised for its narration. Content warnings are prominent, as the novel includes depictions of abuse, slavery, sexual assault (including of minors), drug use, and death. The narrative structure avoids direct interaction between the main characters, instead connecting them through psychic visions and shared objects, with the story emphasizing the impact of individual actions across generations. The setting of San Francisco, particularly Chinatown, is central to the plot, and the book incorporates political commentary on social justice, ethical consumption, and the persistence of systemic oppression.