ARETA

In Rirdan’s speculative novel, a population unknowingly hurtles toward annihilation.

Angora, director of a museumlike “mouseion,” finds herself inexplicably drawn to a millwright named Sargon. Angora is a prominent scholar and the daughter of an Iskandar, a member of the world-governing council, but there’s apparently a lot about her relatively peaceful, millennia-old world of Areta that she’s unaware of. As Angora and Sargon grow close, he confides in her: Years ago, while digging for water, he discovered a deep layer of metal. Sargon theorizes that Areta is a ship flying across the stars. Subsequent research suggests that the Aretans of long ago knew this, and that Areta’s final destination is a fiery demise. Sargon and his millwright/machinist friends work on a way to save the people by somehow getting them off of Areta before it’s too late. But how will they convince the generally conservative population of their world’s unbelievable yet inevitable fate? Rirdan’s laudable worldbuilding eases readers into this tale. Aretan society has familiar elements, including Greek words and references to Greek gods. But it’s unusual in other ways—the women outnumber men and are taller and more physically imposing. With Areta’s potential destruction imminent, engaging mysteries emerge. These include an ancient scroll once believed to be a forgery and Sargon living with his adopted twin daughters despite his friends remembering the girls’ fatal drowning from years back. The prose is impeccable throughout, elevating even the simple act of making dessert: “From darkened glass jars, she scooped a fragrant medley: black peppercorns, cardamom pods, clove buds, tossing them into the mortar.” The author rounds out the narrative with the gradual introduction of “metans” (characters wielding supernatural abilities) and a sublime denouement.

A compelling cast of characters fights to survive in this fascinating SF yarn.