I'm generally not a fan of science fiction so I attempted to start this book with an open mind. I'm glad I was able to do so because I was quickly impressed and hooked by chapter three. I'm used to not liking books like this because they are usually overdescriptive when it comes to the world building and don't make much sense. The author was able to execute the story in a way that makes it feel plausible. I thoroughly enjoyed the "show not tell" writing style. I'm often hung up by pacing issues but the story glides along seamlessly, aiding in maintaining heightened interest. World building and character development were sharp. I was debating between a 4 or 5 star review for most of the book, but decided on 4 stars for mainly two reasons: the how and why questions were not answered, and the end felt a bit rushed and messy. I wasn't a fan of the term "printing," and I felt a better word could have been used (reproduced or regenerated maybe). I'm not a fan of the cover art. To be honest, this is not a book I would have picked up from a book store or library shelf based on cover, title or blurb, which would have been a shame becauseit'sdefinitelyworth a read. Don't judge a book by its cover. This is an author to watch. Thank you to Bookish First for offering this title in their catalogue. The views portrayed above are strictly my own.