Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

"She forgot about how bad things was for us for a while, and I guess I did too.  It never stops amazing me how a story can deliver you out of your own self, even in the worst of times. - the book of koli"

Aye, this story did indeed deliver me out of me own self.  I am surviving and really can't complain about me personal life right now.  But I am filled with worry about me family, friends, and fellow humans that be struggling because of the pandemic.  I have been failing to focus on reading all year but dang March was rough.  So it was with both surprise and delight that a sci-fi dystopian would be the book that I could a) finish; b) really enjoy; and c) thoroughly take me away from worry for a small while.

Now I chose to read this knowing nothing about the plot other than it is written by an author that I love and that it dealt with killer plants.  Well I have to admit that I was slightly taken aback because I thought I would get more of a thriller about killer plants and instead it be a coming of age story with a slight YA feel.  There is also a writing style of degraded language that took an adjustment until I was able to go with the flow.

However, the story, world building, and characters quickly won me over and the current era's woes faded away while experiencing the future centuries from now.  I ended up loving the language, world, and especially the side characters.  Now no offense to Koli but favorites were Ursula and Monono.  I particularly loved the framing of the plot and how Koli was able to tell the story while reflecting from within.  I even loved the switches in time frames.  I was never confused but always eager to find out how everything was going to work out.

The only minor complaints are the cult section which wasn't all that original and the momentum slowing down in parts but I was extremely satisfied with this read and how it ended.  I cannot wait for the next installment in the fall.

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Orbit Books!