Novel is wide-reaching set on an entire world stage. Starts in nature with indigenous communities’ last ditch attempts to save their ways of life in the rainforest and arctic. The story goes worldwide after the aliens arrive. The protagonist is a powerful female alien leader who wrestles with being enamored of humans as a species but aghast at what they have done and continue to do to the Earth. The alien viewpoint (they venerate all lifeforms and Life itself as the rarest element in the galaxy) challenges humanity’s belief of the Earth being theirs. But the aliens themselves are affected by being with humans and start to become Balkanized themselves. The climax comes in big sci-fi style he climax comes in big sci-fi style – best shown in artwork by Tegnemaskin on page 1 of my author website: www.jpnebra.com
Discussed by Jacqueline Nyathi of Harare Review of Books & Dan Hartland in the “Strange Horizons” Nov. 3, 2025 podcast on “Imagining Hopefully”
Kirkus describes it as “Well-told, persuasive ecological SciFi” and “a radical environmentalist spin on Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhoods End”…with a verdict of “Get it”
Matt W. Independent reviewer on Goodreads says “This book gave me the chills… What makes this story shine is how grounded it feels despite its massive scale. Nebra doesn’t romanticize anyone—Indigenous characters are complex and flawed, the aliens themselves are divided about whether we’re worth saving, and humanity as a whole comes across as… well, complicated. There are moments of horror (especially when the aliens confront the damage we’ve done to wildlife and ecosystems) but also flashes of beauty and hope that make you root for us anyway. It’s part thriller, part moral reckoning, and part love letter to Earth itself. If you like your science fiction full of big ideas, heart, and a serious punch, add this one to your list.”
Current Amazon organic ratings is 4.8 stars, Goodreads is 4.0