diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 609b7952..a918a318 100755
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- Fine grained control of how related Microstates are instantiated
+  via abstract relationships
+  https://github.com/microstates/microstates.js/pull/358
+
 ## [0.14.0] - 2019-03-27
 
 ### Breaking
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 95711c7d..6b9c72c7 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@ export { default as from } from './src/literal';
 export { map, filter, reduce, find } from './src/query';
 export { default as Store } from './src/identity';
 export { metaOf, valueOf } from './src/meta';
+export { relationship } from './src/relationship.js';
 export * from './src/types';
diff --git a/src/microstates.js b/src/microstates.js
index 14409b6c..1fb8727c 100644
--- a/src/microstates.js
+++ b/src/microstates.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import { append, stable, map } from 'funcadelic';
 import { set } from './lens';
-import { Meta, mount, metaOf, valueOf, sourceOf } from './meta';
+import { Meta, mount, metaOf, sourceOf, valueOf } from './meta';
 import { methodsOf } from './reflection';
 import dsl from './dsl';
+import { Relationship, Edge, relationship } from './relationship';
 import Any from './types/any';
 import CachedProperty from './cached-property';
 import Observable from './observable';
@@ -29,12 +30,11 @@ const MicrostateType = stable(function MicrostateType(Type) {
     constructor(value) {
       super(value);
       Object.defineProperties(this, map((slot, key) => {
+        let relationship = slot instanceof Relationship ? slot : legacy(slot);
+
         return CachedProperty(key, self => {
-          let value = valueOf(self);
-          let expanded = expandProperty(slot);
-          let substate = value != null && value[key] != null ? expanded.set(value[key]) : expanded;
-          let mounted = mount(self, substate, key);
-          return mounted;
+          let { Type, value } = relationship.traverse(new Edge(self, [key]));
+          return mount(self, create(Type, value), key);
         });
       }, this));
 
@@ -62,14 +62,23 @@ const MicrostateType = stable(function MicrostateType(Type) {
   return Microstate;
 });
 
-function expandProperty(property) {
-  let meta = metaOf(property);
+/**
+ * Implement the legacy DSL as a relationship.
+ *
+ * Consider emitting a deprecation warning, as this will likely be
+ * removed before microstates 1.0
+ */
+
+function legacy(object) {
+  let cell;
+  let meta = metaOf(object);
   if (meta != null) {
-    return property;
+    cell = { Type: object.constructor.Type, value: valueOf(object) };
   } else {
-    let { Type, value } = dsl.expand(property);
-    return create(Type, value);
+    cell = dsl.expand(object);
   }
+  let { Type } = cell;
+  return relationship(cell.value).map(({ value }) => ({ Type, value }));
 }
 
 function hasOwnProperty(target, propertyName) {
diff --git a/src/relationship.js b/src/relationship.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3d9736d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/relationship.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { Any } from './types';
+import { view, Path } from './lens';
+import { valueOf } from './meta';
+
+export class Relationship {
+
+  constructor(traverse) {
+    this.traverse = traverse;
+  }
+
+  flatMap(sequence) {
+    return new Relationship(edge => {
+      let cell = this.traverse(edge);
+      let next = sequence(cell);
+      return next.traverse(edge);
+    });
+  }
+
+  map(fn) {
+    return this.flatMap(cell => new Relationship(() => fn(cell)));
+  }
+}
+
+export function relationship(definition) {
+  if (typeof definition === 'function') {
+    return new Relationship(definition);
+  } else {
+    return relationship(({ value }) => {
+      if (value != null) {
+        return { Type: Any, value };
+      } else {
+        return { Type: Any, value: definition };
+      }
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+export class Edge {
+  constructor(parent, path) {
+    this.parent = parent;
+    this.path = path;
+  }
+
+  get name() {
+    let [ name ] = this.path.slice(-1);
+    return name;
+  }
+
+  get value() {
+    return view(Path(this.path), this.parentValue);
+  }
+
+  get parentValue() {
+    return valueOf(this.parent);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/index.test.js b/tests/index.test.js
index 27237bc2..64203e3d 100644
--- a/tests/index.test.js
+++ b/tests/index.test.js
@@ -23,4 +23,7 @@ describe('index of module exports', () => {
     expect(index.metaOf).toBeInstanceOf(Function);
     expect(index.valueOf).toBeInstanceOf(Function);
   });
+  it('has the relationship function', () => {
+    expect(index.relationship).toBeInstanceOf(Function);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/relationship.test.js b/tests/relationship.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0cc049f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/relationship.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/* global describe, it, beforeEach */
+
+import expect from 'expect';
+
+import { Any } from '../src/types';
+import { relationship, Edge } from '../src/relationship';
+
+describe('relationships', () => {
+  let rel;
+  let e = (value) => new Edge(value, []);
+
+  describe('with absolutely nothing specified', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      rel = relationship(10);
+    });
+
+    it('reifies to using Any for the type and the passed value, }', () => {
+      expect(rel.traverse(e(5))).toEqual({ Type: Any, value: 5 });
+    });
+
+    it('uses the supplied value if non is given', () => {
+      expect(rel.traverse(e())).toEqual({ Type: Any, value: 10 });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('depending on the parent microstate that they are a part of', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      rel = relationship((value, parent) => {
+        if (typeof parent === 'number') {
+          return { Type: Number, value: Number(value) };
+        } else if (typeof parent === 'string') {
+          return { Type: String, value: String(value) };
+        } else {
+          return { Type: Object, value: Object(value) };
+        }
+      });
+    });
+    it('generates numbers when the parent is a number', () => {
+      expect(rel.traverse(5, 'parent')).toEqual({ Type: String, value: '5'});
+    });
+
+    it('generates strings when the parent is a string', () => {
+      expect(rel.traverse(5, 0)).toEqual({ Type: Number, value: 5});
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('that are mapped', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      rel = relationship()
+        .map(({ value }) => ({Type: Number, value: value * 2 }));
+    });
+
+    it('executes the mapping as part of the traversal', () => {
+      expect(rel.traverse(e(3))).toEqual({Type: Number, value: 6});
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Edges', () => {
+    let edge;
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      edge = new Edge({one: {two: 2}}, ['one', 'two']);
+    });
+    it('knows its value', () => {
+      expect(edge.value).toEqual(2);
+    });
+    it('knows its parent value', () => {
+      expect(edge.parentValue).toEqual({one: {two: 2}});
+    });
+    it('has a name provided it is not anonymous', () => {
+      expect(edge.name).toEqual('two');
+    });
+  });
+});