Engrossing and addictive… Unquestionably solid.
Well-crafted prose, deft characterization, and a precise eye for details mark Birdgenaw’s debut installment in The Antunite Chronicles series. A wormhole appears out of nowhere in Earth’s atmosphere, transporting several Earth insects to an alien planet, Poo-ponic. Little Antuna, a young ant, finds herself at the brink of death but is saved by a tiny spider Spifry. But that’s just the beginning of the problem for Antuna as well as others: Poo-ponic is barren, and it seems nothing grows on it. The insects must unite and come out with a solution if they want to stay alive. Antuna, with her resilience and plucky determination makes for a compelling protagonist. The secondary cast engage readers’ sympathies as they struggle with their fears, self-doubts, insecurities, grief, complex motivations, and conflicting agendas. The characters’ interpersonal dynamic is rooted in reality, and layer upon layer is added to the story with a deft examination of discrimination, gender roles, solidarity, and colonization. Beautifully written and meticulously detailed, this thoroughly engrossing SF tale combines insect encyclopedia with unity, resistance, resilience, love, trust, and adventure. A definite winner.
Antuna’s Story
(The Antunite Chronicles Book 1)
Terry Birdgenaw
Cyborg Insect Books
Pub date May 16, 2022
ISBN 978-1778151606
Price $9.99 (USD) Paperback, $0.00