Three hundred years ago, Daetrin fought to repel the invading Tyr hive mind. Now he’s been captured and shipped off-world to determine how he still lives. After millennia embodied within a gas giant, Kiri stows away on a Tyr ship, discovering that her patrons are conquered and her species has gone to ground. Together, they must search for a way to bring down the Tyr and restore their freedom.
The novel explores how the illusion of identity is shaped by memory and constrained, in a Sapir-Whorf-like manner, by the architectures of embodiment. Biology not only determines the limits of cognition, but of identity itself.
The protagonists’ symbiotic natures map an ambiguous morality. Daetrin, racked with guilt, wrestles spiritually with how his predatory biology defines his humanity. Conversely, Kiri is coldly pragmatic; morality and identity are her narrative choices rather than something absolute. The Tyr, meanwhile, are devoid of creativity: single-minded warriors that invite parallels to Peter Watt’s consciousness-deficient automatons. Each proposes a future where our virtues — individuality, morality, creativity — become evolutionary liabilities.
Friedman deftly writes Daetrin using archaic forms and a tone that conveys the weight of time; his backstory is revealed in flashbacks that paint a delightfully intimate picture. Conversely, Kiri’s voice is light and carefree, perfectly reflecting her playful nature. However, when their stories converge early in the book, focus is anchored by Daetrin and we lose Kiri’s fascinating voice, which is a shame. This presages a becalmed middle where plot direction is unclear, and the momentum of the braided narrative is lost.
Friedman, in this early work, is an accomplished writer full of ideas and speculation. While hive minds and energy beings are familiar tropes, Friedman does an expert job with her alien physiology and sociology, using them to frame important questions. Even with its drawbacks, this is an engaging read that leaves you with plenty to consider and fascinating views on the evolutionary plausibility of Daetrin’s people.
