BookViewReview rated it:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Pub date April 20, 2020

ASIN B087YBL98B

Price $7.43 (USD) Kindle edition, $17.99 Paperback, $36.30 hardcover

Author interview

The harshly realistic descriptions of alien-controlled Earth and people’s struggles to stay alive reverberate throughout wright’s debut SF. An ancient race of beings, the Barkuu, sets forth events that cast-off humanity, and force them back into forests after destroying cities and towns. But the things do not end there. The Barkuu repair the planet for their own habitation, using people’s biology to design bodies for the planet. Hundreds of years pass, and an entirely new society comes into being where humans are no more at the top of the food chain. After being hunted like animals and treated like livestock, will the humanity be able to survive? With relentless momentum, the narrative propels readers along, and subtle characterizations and skillful plotting elevate the story further. Throughout, Wright weaves thoughts on such matters as environment catastrophes, identity, individual struggles, and love and relationships. The various characters come and go, a few remain only for a short period, creating confusion. However, Wright successfully imparts both authenticity and pathos to her various characters, especially to Onyana whose relentless struggles owing to her secret identity are rooted in reality.

This swiftly paced novel, with its well-developed characters, crisp prose, and authentic outer space hypothesis should strongly appeal to early readers of fast-paced, lighthearted science fiction.

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