Rhiannon
After escaping their collapsing world’s ecology by taking a one-way trip through a gate, a group of colonists land on a world that is occupied by a singular and peculiar planet encompassing ‘Root’. The new arrivals find a strange equilibrium by learning to harvest this disturbingly somewhat sentient entity for sustenance. A whole religion and symbiosis erupt around it and fifty years after colonizing, the (particularly gruesome) Miracle happens and things take a turn for the horrifically surreal.
The imaginative, if desolate, world was unique and interesting – I loved the description of this strange environment. A great concept for an alien planet. The writing is often poetic and frequently challenging, as there are several POVs going on and it’s not always readily apparent whose you’re reading when you start a new chapter, which some readers may find confusing or off-putting.
Thematically I do wish there had been more development around motherhood, humanity’s hubris, and arrogance regarding the environment. It’s a shorter novella that I think could do with a bit of expansion to really explore not just the themes, but more of the characters themselves.
An intriguing and thought provoking story.
My thanks to NetGalley and Stelliform Press for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
Releases 30 July 2026
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
After escaping their collapsing world’s ecology by taking a one-way trip through a gate, a group of colonists land on a world that is occupied by a singular and peculiar planet encompassing ‘Root’. The new arrivals find a strange equilibrium by learning to harvest this disturbingly somewhat sentient entity for sustenance. A whole religion and symbiosis erupt around it and fifty years after colonizing, the (particularly gruesome) Miracle happens and things take a turn for the horrifically surreal.
The imaginative, if desolate, world was unique and interesting – I loved the description of this strange environment. A great concept for an alien planet. The writing is often poetic and frequently challenging, as there are several POVs going on and it’s not always readily apparent whose you’re reading when you start a new chapter, which some readers may find confusing or off-putting.
Thematically I do wish there had been more development around motherhood, humanity’s hubris, and arrogance regarding the environment. It’s a shorter novella that I think could do with a bit of expansion to really explore not just the themes, but more of the characters themselves.
An intriguing and thought provoking story.
My thanks to NetGalley and Stelliform Press for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
Releases 30 July 2026
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.