FIRES OF HINA
From the Songs of the Universe series, volume 2
by Brian N. Tissot
In Tissot’s speculative novel, when the U.N. allows human exploration of an undeveloped planet, a famous ecological activist rushes to defend its sacred creatures from a global mining corporation.
In 2097, planet Earth is weathering its worst ecological disasters. As the wealthy seek off-world planets to colonize, activist Leilani “Lani” o Puana-Kau and her family do all they can to protect the planet’s remaining whales and raise public awareness. Reeling in the aftermath of her cousin Sage’s death, Lani’s hopes die when Enzo Clark and his squad of whale hunters kill the last humpback: “For the first time in 50 million years there are no whales singing on Earth.” Questioning her vow to Sage to protect the whales, Lani’s spirit churns with anger and failure as her Auntie Nani appears to remind her of the ancestral connection between koholā (whales) and their people and how, through listening to their songs, they can help to restore the ecological balance on Earth. When the U.N. embargo on the virgin planet Thalassa is lifted, Lani assembles a ragtag crew of four women to act as observers—and defenders—of the planet. Her mission is “to make contact with the Nesoi, then study their songs” (the Nesoi are seal-like creatures native to Thalassa). But Orion Anderson (founder of Tasman Biotech) and his crew are on the first ship out of the portal, determined to plunder the planet’s resources to combat climate change while making a profit. The Cutten Transpace Enterprises team arrives with a fleet of ships to mine the abundant natural resources, threatening the survival of both Lani and Orion’s groups. As the harsh moon Hina approaches, both Lani and the Nesoi seal T’daya must conquer personal trials to prevent the planet’s destruction.
Tissot creates a compelling, deadly off-world planet, filled with majestic and monstrous sea creatures, well-suited to host the battles between cetaceans and Enzo’s enemy forces (who are working for the Cutten group). The cosmic connections and Indigenous beliefs are explored with care and optimism. The narrative alternately follows Lani and Orion before surprising the reader with T’daya’s perspective, which provides insight into the Nesoi’s matriarchal clans. While the seals’ communications with each other veer into Yoda cadence, there are touching, cinematic scenes featuring the creatures. (The bioluminescent library, a deep cave archive of pulsing patterns tracing each Covenant leader and their use of “math and astronomy” to track lunar cycles, is vividly rendered.) Lani and Orion’s motives remain static for much of the action, however, and the attraction that develops between them feels misplaced. Though Lani’s character shines when explaining her discoveries, Tissot relies on telling rather than showing her turbulent journey toward practicing “No fear, only love.” Orion is more complex, as he balances the weight of his father’s legacy with the drive to be “a household name [...] worth killing for.” Both are bolstered by lively crews, with Youxia pilot Mai offering comic relief in her music choices, though Enzo is almost comically villainous: “His black eyes were like pits of coal.”A compelling, cinematic adventure that deftly balances considerable action and ecological concerns.