Just finished books 2 and 3 of the Stone Moon Trilogy by M.C.A. Hogarth. She is a... friend? Acquaintance? Somewhere in the middle... she's an illustrator/author and writes some incredible fantasy and sci-fi.
The Stone Moon Trilogy is about a humanoid alien race called the Jokka, who live in a harsh environs and have the interesting trait of not only having three genders (male, female and neuter) but also go through two puberties in their young lives - both of which can possibly turn them to a different gender.
On top of that, each gender is very specific in terms of physical traits, genitalia aside. The males have very dextrous hands and feet, and thus are excellent crafters and creators. The females are generally sensitive to weather and can succumb to "mind-death" (a stroke) during their pregnancies. Neuters are the strongest and require the least sleep of the three, and so they work to keep the breeder genders safe.
All of this entwined with turmoil makes for a darn good trilogy. I recommend them to anyone who likes a good fantasy/sci-fi tale, a love story, a tragedy, and an ethical/political drama.
The Stone Moon Trilogy is about a humanoid alien race called the Jokka, who live in a harsh environs and have the interesting trait of not only having three genders (male, female and neuter) but also go through two puberties in their young lives - both of which can possibly turn them to a different gender.
On top of that, each gender is very specific in terms of physical traits, genitalia aside. The males have very dextrous hands and feet, and thus are excellent crafters and creators. The females are generally sensitive to weather and can succumb to "mind-death" (a stroke) during their pregnancies. Neuters are the strongest and require the least sleep of the three, and so they work to keep the breeder genders safe.
All of this entwined with turmoil makes for a darn good trilogy. I recommend them to anyone who likes a good fantasy/sci-fi tale, a love story, a tragedy, and an ethical/political drama.