This is enjoyable, over-the-top, scifi.
At times it seems like a blend of Indiana Jones and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a beginners 101 course in historical Chinese philosophy thrown in. But the result is, mostly, a fun ride.
I often feel that scifi tells you less about aliens and possible scientific futures, and more about the lives and domestic concerns of the author. Just as John Wyndham's sci-fi reflected post-WW2 social ills, this book gives an insight into Chinese attitudes to the role and status of their country as China re-emerges as a major power. ( )

Real Rating: 3.75* of five

The Publisher Says: From the Hugo Award–winning author of Folding Beijing comes a gripping science fiction thriller in which three unlikely allies attempt a desperate mission of first contact with a mysterious alien race before more militaristic minds can take matters into their own hands.

In a future where the world is roughly divided into two factions, the Pacific League of Nations and the Atlantic Division of Nations, tensions are high as each side waits for the other to make a move. But neither side is prepared for a powerful third party that has apparently been an influential presence on Earth for thousands of years—and just might be making a reappearance very soon.

With the realization that a highly intelligent alien race has been trying to send them messages, three rising scientists within the Pacific League of Nations form an uneasy alliance. Fueled by a curiosity to have their questions answered and a fear that other factions within their rival Atlantic Division of Nations would opt for a more aggressive and potentially disastrous military response, the three race to secure first contact with this extraterrestrial life they aren’t quite convinced is a threat.

Bolstered by recent evidence of alien visitations in the distant past, the three scientific minds must solve puzzles rooted within human antiquity, face off with their personal demons, and discover truths of the universe.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Interesting mash-up of Doctor Who and the holographic universe interpretation of quantum physics. I was less sold on this story than I was on Vagabonds a couple years ago. Part of that is down to the personalities of the main characters, as I am bored by straight people competing over sex. Another part was the politics of the Earth conflict...why the hell does an omniscient, all-but-omnipotent force...whether alien or divine...allow the injustice and horror of the world as it is?

There is no answer to that question that convinces me of the existence of such beings. So a big part of my reading energy goes into fighting off the sense that this story is founded on sand, and it is shifting rapidly under my readerly feet.

Not everyone will feel this way, so the folks who liked Contact, Arrival, or the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson will be gruntled by this read. Vagabonds readers will likely miss the more ornamented prose in that book, but the pleasures of characters developing, seeking, and solving problems will make up for it.

Saga Press wants $13.99 for an ebook, which feels like a good deal to me. ( )