A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson is novella-length, set in a science fictional world with fantasy novel trappings; there’s some science that might as well be magic going on, but the science isn’t happening front and center. It has an LGBT point of view character, and all or most characters are of color. I haven’t yet read The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, by the way, so don’t know how this compares.

This is another book set in the technology-lost world of "The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps". It also explores the taboos around gay relationships and the consequences of those taboos.

It's really a romance. Aqib, a young man who is training to be Master of Beasts, comes across a foreign soldier named Lucrio as he walks home one evening from the park after exercising one of the royal cheetahs. From Lucrio's perspective, I can see how it would be just about impossible not to go after a gorgeous young man who can command fierce beasts, yet is delicate and sophisticated. In Lucrio's country(somewhat modeled after imperial Rome, I think), same-sex relationships are seen as entirely normal, but in Aqib's culture they are so taboo that Aqib himself had never allowed himself to realize that he was attracted to men. The two begin a clandestine relationship, one that is bounded by time since Lucrio is due to ship back home very soon.

Aqib is an entirely different character from Demane, the Sorcerer of the Wildeeps. Aqib has inherited some powers from his bio-manipulating ancestors that allow him to have a deep affinity for and some control of animals. Aqib, however, thinks of this as magic, not technology. In his culture, women are the mathematicians and scientists and men are left to do other tasks, cherished and somewhat condescended to because of their lack of education.

I really can't say too much about the book because of its flashback-oriented structure. I'll just say that once again the author manages to make complex characters that I cared about very much. And the clue to the whole story is in the title, but you won't see why until the end. Which I wasn't entirely sure was the end?

When you open this book, you won't know what to expect. The narrative voice is flowery, almost Latinate, and the timeline jumps all over the place, but the tale of Asif and his chosen life is fascinating and compelling. Wilson has a gift for creating characters that are unusual, but you understand them. To give his father the status he deserves, Asif sacrifices Lucrio, the love of his life, but memories of the handsome, devoted Dalucan warrior keep popping up. Until the last chapter, you will not guess how it all comes together, but it's worth the journey. Highly recommended.