This book was engaging, and I had to carve out extra reading time in my regular routine so I could finish it ahead of schedule. I had a little concern, because some reviewers painted a picture of this book being some sort of “Environmentalist Agenda.” I found this laughable; it wasn’t an agenda, but a plot point, and a novel one at that.
I could possibly read into the overarching themes of totalitarianism of the Xu, but instead I simply read an entertaining page-turner. I read a considerable amount of words every week and write as well, so not many story twists work. The twist at the end of this story was both unanticipated and welcome. I love it when an author can trick me.
The story flowed smoothly, and I can only recall a single line in the story that I had to reread because it was unclear. The characters were very believable and I enjoyed this story immensely. I highly recommend this story to not only sci-fi and fantasy readers, but also those interested in the potential origins of religion. While this isn’t a story specifically focused on religion, I see themes that relate to my own studies of religion and psychology.
Five out of five starts is my rating, and I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen to me to read it.