This is the sequel to Matriarch, one of the very first books I reviewed, back in December 2006.

As with its pre­de­ces­sor, this book does not admit of an easy summary and it too should be read in sequence.

The themes include alien contact, ecocide, genocide, the un­de­sir­able con­se­quences of im­mor­tal­i­ty, and the clash of per­son­al­i­ties. The plot is character-driven and fast-paced, with multiple twists.