I think Kameron Hurley has invented a new sub-genre: Epic Noir Fantasy. Surely others have written dark fantasy, but I think she is its no-holds-barred queen. She creates an incredibly lavish, but disturbing world to weave a dense, dark story filled complex characters, cultures, politics and manners. She has a mother’s sacrificial love juxtaposed to a cannibalistic ceremony for transitioning leaders; much of her landscape, like much of her story, has incredibly saturated and verdant life which is equally dangerous and poisonous. Politics and relations are slippery with multiple wives or husbands making family ties complicated. Some cultures are matriarchal where men are mere play things while others would not allow a women to rule. I’m not sure I’ve read anything quite like it. Gifted people have abilities which wax and wane with the ascendancy of their related stars is (there are four), but Oma is the most powerful and dark star. This…