Thank you Neon Hemlock & Net Galley for the ARC.

Mei, a Chinese-American travels to the past, and engages in discussion around the place of Queerness in ancient, past and current civilisations.

The novella doesn't take a second to settle into a fast pace, throwing together different timelines and stakes. It took a few chapters to get the hang of it, but there is so much happening that the characters very quickly push through the confusion to get the conversation where it's aiming.

First is the question of identity, in both queer and origins sense. The biracial identity of several characters will open a discussion around acceptance, around heritage and interest. Mei and Sandra will explore the similarities but also the differences of those with relatable yet unique situations, adoptee or mixed. The queer identity is the topic of he novella itself, its History, how it morphed and shaped to get to the 21st century. But also what it still is, how the next generation will be able to perceive it.

The second key aspect of The Mystery of the Bitten Peach is History itself, as well as Chinese folklore. The heist angle allowed us to discover more about time periods and legends through discussion between Qan, Mei and Sandra. Discussion around hats, period clothes, even the difference between mandarin separated by centuries. Tales being told, definitely not in their entirety, but enough to both follow along and make me curious to read more about.

The relationship between Sandra and Mei felt pretty fast, but in a novella context, it wasn't completely out of the blue either.

Mainly, the only thing that could have made The Mystery of the Bitten Peach better to me, would be to make it a full on volume. There's so much to be told, there's the potential for time-travelling heists on a grand scale, the discovery of historic queer figures, the discussion on today's perception of queerness, how it's endangered but also how it advanced in just a few decades. I'd be more than willing to know more about Chinese folklore and history in lessons through a relationship growing between Mei and Sandra, with intel from Qan.

An incredible read.