Nayler presents an alternative story of “first contact”, uniquely involving no extraterrestrials whatsoever. Well-researched, well-rounded, well-written, and altogether intriguing; an atmospheric look at consciousness, humanity, artificial intelligence, and the biases inherent to the human condition. The plot does flounder a bit, and Nayler’s world—a future Earth—is depressingly dispassionate; though this does work to drive home the narratives big messages, at times it is somewhat too pessimistic to fully enjoy.

Nayler leaves us with an open question, one which I would very much like to see explored in a follow-up book. A duology (or possibly trilogy) exploring the implications set forward in this work could easily earn a collective 5-star rating from me.

I would suggest this book to fans of marine biology, archaeology, linguistics and artificial intelligence alike.

The world of Roshar is currently the pinnacle of world building, both in respects to Sanderson's work and in regards to the whole of the genre. This book and series will undoubtedly become a landmark in the geography of fantasy literature.