This man is a storyteller above all else regardless of his resume. Thrills and adventure told in league with all the greats; Michael Crichton, James Rollins, Douglas Preston and Lee Childs, you get my meaning.
The characters are three deminsional and quick to come to life. Smith masterfully captures with great accuracy a region that is mostly inaccessible and inhospitable to modern man, with a finesse that feels effortless. You see and feel the jungle about you; the insects biting your skin, the humid heat that weighs you down, the dense undergrowth beneath a canopy of intermingling limbs and vines, the unquenchable thirst that parches your throat, and the overwhelming fear of the unknown just out of sight.
Then, when hope is almost lost, indigenous people enter the scene and a new sense of amazement that comes with a sprinkling of fear. They seem to be an ally in that they have a powerful medicine that appears to work miracles. But at what cost?
Along the journey, a touch of science fiction is tossed into the mix creating questions for the reader. Suspicions of the origins of these people and their miracle medicine begin to develope, raising the already high sense of insecurity and anxiety.
There are vivid scenes of destruction and death that happen throughout that the reader actually sees. Not sparing any detail, one is forced to confront the unpleasant part of life...death. It's not portrayed to the point of poor taste, it is simply realistic. When a plane crashed into the middle of nowhere, there are bound to be casualties. Ill equipped for their surrounding, they are destined to have mishaps. Again. It's just realistic.
A shocking point for me was having the question of the integration of this unknown tribe into modern understandings upended and thrown back at the audience. What makes it become a question not of how they will be affected, but rather what effects it will have on modern society?
Overall, this novel is a great aventure to experience and question both the positive and negative aspects of modern man. I've seen other reviews state this is not a standalone book. And in wanting to know more, that is true. But taken by itself, it does end. There is not a cliffhanger. It is conceivable for one to stop after "Diffusion" and not feel like they've been cheated of half the story. It does end. But it does end in a way that leaves the reader with questions and a desire for more.
Excellent read with my highest recommendation.
OR
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Reviews with images
An inventive and pleasant read
This original work is vaguely reminiscent of a mix of Aladdin's genie and the Golden Compass's animal companions. These are the alien computer and the tree kangaroos respectively. These ideas develop inexorably over the course of the three volumes in this series. I highly recommend this series
Top reviews from other countries
Paul A. G. Wilson
A gifted author and an amazing book.
Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2020
Erik1843
First contact and inter-species communication - in Papua!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2021
