H'ILGRAITH

The second volume in Ames’ series that fuses introductory genetics with SF adventure.

Homo transformans are humans who can transform into animals; they arose on Earth in the centuries after a supernova bathed the planet in gamma radiation. The House of H’Aleth is a community dedicated to the peaceful co-existence of Homo transformans and Homo sapiens. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Cassius Foundation, run by the maniacal Rex Cassius; they manipulate human and animal genes to create ever more powerful hybrids. Cassius competes with the Biogenics Corporation for territory and resources, especially much-prized dragon genes. Into this frightful tableau comes H’Ilgraith, cousin to H’Assandra, Mistress of the House of H’Aleth. H’Ilgraith possesses a restless intellect that’s guided her to the healing arts, and she can change into a great horned owl, a gray fox, a badger, and a lynx. When her search for the calypso plant, which can help treat nervous disorders, brings her into Cassius territory, she discovers a fortress and a mass grave for failed hybrids. Luckily, she also meets Jak, a lone-wolf Homo transformans who agrees to escort her through the dangerous lands. Jak also has a secret that makes him valuable to H’Aleth’s overall mission. Ames dials up the adventure in this sequel to the educational Homo Transformans (2018), and she continues to offer informative tidbits about genetics and evolution, as in the line, “one could inherit a gene and even pass it on to offspring without ever experiencing its effects (gene expression).” The book also includes maps, appendices, a glossary, and a list of references. When characters travel in animal form and display their natural skills for acquiring food and avoiding predators, Ames’ prose channels the elegance of naturalist Sally Carrighar, who wrote One Day on Beetle Rock (1946). However, the quieter, human interactions feel too removed from the action to feel properly dramatic. Rex, for example, sends an “emissary” to learn about Biogenics’ operation; that emissary has a page of heated dialogue but is never named. Despite the excellent black-and-white illustrations by design agency Epic Made, this sequel still feels a bit underdeveloped.

This novel’s informative passages succeed, but its drama is too dryly conveyed.