I'm still not sure what I've just read. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was weird!
The premise unfolds in such a way that the explanations for the weirdness are themselves incredibly bizarre. It was delightful to watch Black completely ignore the divide between science fiction and fantasy—it reminds me of Charlie Jane Anders but without the interesting philosophical underpinnings. Black is interested instead in writing an epic speculative fiction. And I enjoyed it very much.