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The Comet Cycle #2
The Unfamiliar Garden
The night the sky fell, Jack and Nora Abernathy’s daughter vanished in the woods. And Mia’s disappearance broke her parents’ already fragile marriage. Unable to solve her own daughter’s case, Nora lost herself in her work as a homicide detective. Jack became a shell of a man; his promising career as a biologist crumbling alongside the meteor strikes that altered weather patterns and caused a massive drought.
It isn’t until five years later that the rains finally return to nourish Seattle. In this period of sudden growth, Jack uncovers evidence of a new parasitic fungus, while Nora investigates several brutal, ritualistic murders. Soon they will be drawn together by a horrifying connection between their discoveries—partnering to fight a deadly contagion as well as the government forces that know the truth about the fate of their daughter.
Award-winning author Benjamin Percy delivers both a gripping science fiction thriller and a dazzling examination of a planet—and a marriage—that have broken.
It isn’t until five years later that the rains finally return to nourish Seattle. In this period of sudden growth, Jack uncovers evidence of a new parasitic fungus, while Nora investigates several brutal, ritualistic murders. Soon they will be drawn together by a horrifying connection between their discoveries—partnering to fight a deadly contagion as well as the government forces that know the truth about the fate of their daughter.
Award-winning author Benjamin Percy delivers both a gripping science fiction thriller and a dazzling examination of a planet—and a marriage—that have broken.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 4, 2022
25 people are currently reading
3361 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Percy
791 books1,203 followersBenjamin Percy is the author of seven novels -- most recently The Sky Vault (William Morrow) -- three short fiction collections, and a book of essays, Thrill Me, that is widely taught in creative writing classrooms. He writes Wolverine, X-Force, and Ghost Rider for Marvel Comics. His fiction and nonfiction have been published in Esquire (where he is a contributing editor), GQ, Time, Men's Journal, Outside, the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, and the Paris Review. His honors include an NEA fellowship, the Whiting Writer's Award, the Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, the iHeart Radio Award for Best Scripted Podcast, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
June 19, 2021
I absolutely love feeling this gleeful after reading a novel. Wickedly gleeful, that is.
First, let me get something out of the way. While the first novel in the series (The Ninth Metal) shares a common event with it -- the world-changing post-meteorite chaos -- it only does so obliquely and both are self-contained. It can be read on its own without any issue.
That being said... Just wow.
It's equal parts murder thriller with an EXTREMELY cautious heroine, a heart-wrenching family tragedy with very sympathetic characters, and an all-out horror by the end.
No spoilers, folks, but this will be a must-have horror/SF for fans of Vandermeer. While it is nicely grounded and beautifully tragic for most of the novel, it goes out on a great gardening limb later on that had me whooping with joy when it got weird. I love weird. I love THIS kind of thing, especially.
In reality tho, I just want to spoil the hell out of this novel and keep chatting about it and icking out about it and ask the other huge questions such as WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE??? because I'm totally on board. I want EVERYTHING.
Yes. You might say I'm very, very excited by this one. Give me more of the corrhizae!!! :)
First, let me get something out of the way. While the first novel in the series (The Ninth Metal) shares a common event with it -- the world-changing post-meteorite chaos -- it only does so obliquely and both are self-contained. It can be read on its own without any issue.
That being said... Just wow.
It's equal parts murder thriller with an EXTREMELY cautious heroine, a heart-wrenching family tragedy with very sympathetic characters, and an all-out horror by the end.
No spoilers, folks, but this will be a must-have horror/SF for fans of Vandermeer. While it is nicely grounded and beautifully tragic for most of the novel, it goes out on a great gardening limb later on that had me whooping with joy when it got weird. I love weird. I love THIS kind of thing, especially.
In reality tho, I just want to spoil the hell out of this novel and keep chatting about it and icking out about it and ask the other huge questions such as WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE??? because I'm totally on board. I want EVERYTHING.
Yes. You might say I'm very, very excited by this one. Give me more of the corrhizae!!! :)
June 15, 2021
Percy’s “The Unfamiliar Garden” is the second book in his Comet Cycle, following on the heels of his “The Ninth Metal.” Although both novels focus on what happens to earth during an unprecedented meteor storm, the settings and characters for both are entirely separate and therefore Garden can be read quite easily as if it were a standalone novel.
Set in the lush wet world of the Puget Sound, “The Unfamiliar Garden” begins with a meteor storm that delights and scares young children. It follows (and does an absolutely extraordinary job of character development) the lives of a scarred couple, Jack and Nora, after the loss of their five-year-old daughter, Mia. They were always an odd couple, who came together not so much because of commonalities, but because sometimes opposites attract and fit together like two puzzle pieces that were always designed to fit together. Nora is a tough-as-nails Seattle police detective. Some might term her cold and emotionless. She is organized, systematic, and always focused on the smallest details. Nothing in her world is ever unplanned. Jack, a fungus-studying professor at U-Dub is the exact opposite. He is spontaneous, fun-loving, inspirational. They met one night when homeowners called about a strange homeless man scrunching back in the greenbelt and Jack’s energy and verve caused Nora to do what she never does and agree to a dinner date to taste the mushrooms he had found.
Five-year-old Mia is the joy of their lives and is generally fun-loving and spontaneous. Jack is taking her to see his research first-hand in the rainforest of the northwest. She is not into it and, when he turns his back, she disappears into thin air. There is no forgiveness from Nora. How could there be? Their marriage, thin as it was, fell to pieces. Nora stayed in the family home, wrapping all of Mia’s toys in plastic. Jack is the oddball professor who no one believes is a real professor. It would be a farce to say neither one was ever whole again. It is more like there is barely anything left for either to live for again. Five whole years go by and despair follows them like falling rain.
And, that is somewhat remarkable because the climate change wrought by the meteor storm has changed the Puget Sound’s weather from a damp, moist lichen-filled world to a five-year drought when little could grow. And, now, for whatever reason, the rains have returned and the seeds that were germinating are growing again. Jack’s research may blossom, but the world may never again be the same.
It is a horror story that Signourey Weaver would be proud of. It is a science fiction story of a possible future that is nearly incomprehensible in how different things could become from what they are now. And, what makes it work so well is the slow decisive character development that draws the reader in. This is remarkably underrated series.
Set in the lush wet world of the Puget Sound, “The Unfamiliar Garden” begins with a meteor storm that delights and scares young children. It follows (and does an absolutely extraordinary job of character development) the lives of a scarred couple, Jack and Nora, after the loss of their five-year-old daughter, Mia. They were always an odd couple, who came together not so much because of commonalities, but because sometimes opposites attract and fit together like two puzzle pieces that were always designed to fit together. Nora is a tough-as-nails Seattle police detective. Some might term her cold and emotionless. She is organized, systematic, and always focused on the smallest details. Nothing in her world is ever unplanned. Jack, a fungus-studying professor at U-Dub is the exact opposite. He is spontaneous, fun-loving, inspirational. They met one night when homeowners called about a strange homeless man scrunching back in the greenbelt and Jack’s energy and verve caused Nora to do what she never does and agree to a dinner date to taste the mushrooms he had found.
Five-year-old Mia is the joy of their lives and is generally fun-loving and spontaneous. Jack is taking her to see his research first-hand in the rainforest of the northwest. She is not into it and, when he turns his back, she disappears into thin air. There is no forgiveness from Nora. How could there be? Their marriage, thin as it was, fell to pieces. Nora stayed in the family home, wrapping all of Mia’s toys in plastic. Jack is the oddball professor who no one believes is a real professor. It would be a farce to say neither one was ever whole again. It is more like there is barely anything left for either to live for again. Five whole years go by and despair follows them like falling rain.
And, that is somewhat remarkable because the climate change wrought by the meteor storm has changed the Puget Sound’s weather from a damp, moist lichen-filled world to a five-year drought when little could grow. And, now, for whatever reason, the rains have returned and the seeds that were germinating are growing again. Jack’s research may blossom, but the world may never again be the same.
It is a horror story that Signourey Weaver would be proud of. It is a science fiction story of a possible future that is nearly incomprehensible in how different things could become from what they are now. And, what makes it work so well is the slow decisive character development that draws the reader in. This is remarkably underrated series.
June 7, 2021
This superbly plotted and characterized novel is Book 2 of Benjamin Percy's exceptional series THE COMET CYCLE. I adored Book 1, THE NINTH METAL (Release June 1 2021), and THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN even surpasses it, focusing on my other major fascination besides Space: Fungi! I will read anything I can on this topic, so I'm highly gratified that it's the foundation of such a fantastic novel as THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN. Benjamin Percy is firmly in the pantheon of All-Time Favorite Authors! I've just read in immediate succession THE NINTH METAL and THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN; now it's on to RED MOON and DEAD LANDS. Mr. Percy's work is a sure cure for any "oh, what do I read next?" blues.
THE NINTH METAL focused on the metal deposits the massive meteor showers of Comet debris dropped on Northern Minnesota five years ago. It looked to mining and wealth production, to Cosmic Portent and Metaphysics. In THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN, the Cosmic Portent is potential no longer: after five years of drought, the Pacific Northwest, with its prior history of 100 rain inches annually, is finally experiencing precipitation again, and as a beloved children's book title reminds us, "Mushrooms Grow In the Rain. " When the growth is Alien, it's a lot more than just growth: it's colonization. The world may end, not with a bang; not with a whimper; but with a squelch.
THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN releases January 2022.
THE NINTH METAL focused on the metal deposits the massive meteor showers of Comet debris dropped on Northern Minnesota five years ago. It looked to mining and wealth production, to Cosmic Portent and Metaphysics. In THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN, the Cosmic Portent is potential no longer: after five years of drought, the Pacific Northwest, with its prior history of 100 rain inches annually, is finally experiencing precipitation again, and as a beloved children's book title reminds us, "Mushrooms Grow In the Rain. " When the growth is Alien, it's a lot more than just growth: it's colonization. The world may end, not with a bang; not with a whimper; but with a squelch.
THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN releases January 2022.
December 30, 2021
This book was so weird! It starts fast paced and exciting with the apocalypse coming, but then it turns out the apocalypse drags and also maybe there's alien mushrooms?!
Also, there's a murder mystery serial killer side plot with a cult! AND THEN there's a whole other plot about a cop's missing daughter that's set up like it's it own mystery series(which I kinda want actually). Oh also remember the weird mushrooms?! Yeah.
That's the "no spoilers" plot review.
If you're intrigued you should read this because it's got all that and even more! Just also know the end comes fast.
Also, there's a murder mystery serial killer side plot with a cult! AND THEN there's a whole other plot about a cop's missing daughter that's set up like it's it own mystery series(which I kinda want actually). Oh also remember the weird mushrooms?! Yeah.
That's the "no spoilers" plot review.
If you're intrigued you should read this because it's got all that and even more! Just also know the end comes fast.
June 1, 2024
A strong 4 star story. Really loved the story and the sci-fi elements, but I'm not sure if the characters will be memorable enough to stand the test of time for me. Time will tell...
January 1, 2022
The Comet Cycle, a three-part look at the effects of a devastating meteor fall, began with the 2021 release of The Ninth Metal (reviewed here). The premise of this trilogy is chilling: A comet passes by earth, close enough that people around the globe gather to celebrate and enjoy the beautiful sight. But… a year later, Earth’s orbit takes the planet through the comet’s debris field, and it’s here that things go terribly wrong.
Earth is inundated with meteors and meteorites, and beyond the immediate destruction of the massive impacts, the biology and chemical makeup of the planet is forever changed.
In The Ninth Metal, we see the affect of the introduction of a strange, never-before-seen metal into the world of humans. Known as omnimetal, this element has strange properties that change the world in terms of huge leaps forward in technology as well as changing the economy, power balances, and in some cases, humans themselves.
In the 2nd book, The Unfamiliar Garden, the action moves from the Minnesota setting of the 1st book to the Seattle and Northwest rainforest area. The main characters are Jack, a professor of biology specializing in mycology, and Nora, Jack’s ex-wife, a neuro-atypical detective with the Seattle PD. Five years earlier, as the meteorites were striking Earth, their 8-year-old daughter Mia disappeared while out in the forest with Jack. No trace was ever found.
Now, after a long drought, rains have returned to the area, and with the rain comes a huge growth spurt for fungi and other plant matter. Also, and maybe not coincidentally, Nora’s department faces a rash of gruesome murders and seemingly ordinary people having sudden psychotic breaks.
As their work overlaps, Jack and Nora have to join forces to try to understand what’s causing this outbreak of violence, and along the way, may finally get answers to the mystery of their daughter’s disappearance.
The Unfamiliar Garden is a fast-paced, tautly-written thriller with sinister government agents, alien organisms, and a wave of bizarre illness and madness. Through Jack and Nora, we see the way the baffling clues start to form patterns, while also getting a sense of the horror of finding oneself in the midst of what’s actually happening.
Without giving too much away, let me just say… fungi = ewwwwww. I’ve now read several books in which fungi in some way or another basically spell the end of human life as we know it, and honestly, it’s terrifying!!
There are some scenes that are pretty gross, so this book may not be for you if you have a weak stomach and a low tolerance for an ick factor.
I found it fascinating, and I loved the relatively short length, which meant that the storytelling stays lean and propulsive throughout. I also love how each book in this trilogy focuses on a different geographic area and a different aspect of the comet’s aftermath.
Book #3, The Sky Vault, will be released in June 2022. I can’t wait!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
Earth is inundated with meteors and meteorites, and beyond the immediate destruction of the massive impacts, the biology and chemical makeup of the planet is forever changed.
In The Ninth Metal, we see the affect of the introduction of a strange, never-before-seen metal into the world of humans. Known as omnimetal, this element has strange properties that change the world in terms of huge leaps forward in technology as well as changing the economy, power balances, and in some cases, humans themselves.
In the 2nd book, The Unfamiliar Garden, the action moves from the Minnesota setting of the 1st book to the Seattle and Northwest rainforest area. The main characters are Jack, a professor of biology specializing in mycology, and Nora, Jack’s ex-wife, a neuro-atypical detective with the Seattle PD. Five years earlier, as the meteorites were striking Earth, their 8-year-old daughter Mia disappeared while out in the forest with Jack. No trace was ever found.
Now, after a long drought, rains have returned to the area, and with the rain comes a huge growth spurt for fungi and other plant matter. Also, and maybe not coincidentally, Nora’s department faces a rash of gruesome murders and seemingly ordinary people having sudden psychotic breaks.
As their work overlaps, Jack and Nora have to join forces to try to understand what’s causing this outbreak of violence, and along the way, may finally get answers to the mystery of their daughter’s disappearance.
The Unfamiliar Garden is a fast-paced, tautly-written thriller with sinister government agents, alien organisms, and a wave of bizarre illness and madness. Through Jack and Nora, we see the way the baffling clues start to form patterns, while also getting a sense of the horror of finding oneself in the midst of what’s actually happening.
Without giving too much away, let me just say… fungi = ewwwwww. I’ve now read several books in which fungi in some way or another basically spell the end of human life as we know it, and honestly, it’s terrifying!!
There are some scenes that are pretty gross, so this book may not be for you if you have a weak stomach and a low tolerance for an ick factor.
I found it fascinating, and I loved the relatively short length, which meant that the storytelling stays lean and propulsive throughout. I also love how each book in this trilogy focuses on a different geographic area and a different aspect of the comet’s aftermath.
Book #3, The Sky Vault, will be released in June 2022. I can’t wait!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
April 28, 2024
To get a sense of The Unfamiliar Garden, imagine if Area X and the Southern Reach from Annihilation and sequels were gross and violent rather than mysterious and uncanny. It examines another strange effect of the alien meteor shower introduced in The Ninth Metal, this time in the Pacific Northwest. A spate of murders are linked to alien fungus, so it's up to a cop and her estranged botanist (mycologist really) husband to investigate. Like The Ninth Metal, The Unfamiliar Garden includes a large cast and a fast-moving action thriller plot. Thus the characterisation and world-building are sped through, reducing the potential interest of the alien weirdness. I was intrigued by the fungus rather than the serial killer connection. The narrative works decently as a thriller, but isn't that effective as a murder mystery or sci-fi. One minor thing that got on my nerves was the odd occasion when a character wearing a hazmat suit or mask took a shot of whisky or slapped their hand over their mouth without removing it.
Both The Ninth Metal and The Unfamiliar Garden include origin stories for several characters with superpowers, presumably in preparation for a team-up in the final book of the trilogy. However I didn't enjoy the first two enough to read it. So far this series has intriguing ideas that aren't executed in the way I'd like. They just aren't my thing, I think.
Both The Ninth Metal and The Unfamiliar Garden include origin stories for several characters with superpowers, presumably in preparation for a team-up in the final book of the trilogy. However I didn't enjoy the first two enough to read it. So far this series has intriguing ideas that aren't executed in the way I'd like. They just aren't my thing, I think.
April 13, 2023
okay i don't understand....why this book is getting so many good reviews. i gave it two stars just because i thought the fungi parts were cool and i enjoyed how like visceral and gross the fungi body horror was, because y'know i'm reading this book FOR the fungi body horror - but everything else was a solid one star for me.
one of the biggest problems was the fact that the book is: 1. attempting to be a standalone 2. attempting to be a novella and 3. attempting approximately 8 different storylines at once. which gives us a 200 page book that is rehashing all of the worldbuilding that presumably appeared in the first book, as well as building these main characters both in present day and in flashbacks, working with 3 or 4 different pov characters, and juggling the "serial killer cult murders/fungi overgrowth/department of defense human experimentation/missing daughter" plotlines. somehow within ALL OF THAT, within all of these cool things to talk about, he manages to make the book feel slow because of how many Fucking Flashbacks there were to back when the main characters' marriage was happy :) and they had their daughter still :) and it's like hey 30 people just got brutally and ritualistically murdered, can we go back to that? and benjamin percy is like NO THEY USED TO PLAY FAMILY GAMES TOGETHER and i'm like I DON'T CARE.
and while we're on that topic....let's talk about the characters. it's like when the author was creating them, he wrote down a name and a list of three traits and then was like well i'm going to reinforce those three traits at every possible moment. hey guys did you remember that jack is unorganized and emotional. did you remember that nora is unfeeling and a workaholic. did you remember that isaac has mommy issues. the only slight nuance is created by this past marriage that jack and nora had that apparently brought out a different side of them (and of course nora's first experience with really caring about someone and feeling emotions is when she becomes a mother! because every woman's life culminates in motherhood :))
the antagonists have so little character development or nuance - we find out why they're acting the way they do through shoehorned in flashbacks that reveal this big trauma in their life and it's like, could you not have found a better way to insert that and also the leap from 'she has a complicated relationship with her brother who joined a cult' to 'she's utterly ruthless and doesn't feel any emotions and also she's hyperfeminine in a BAD WAY and does evil human experimentation' feels like a bit of a stretch. also isaac's entire personality is that he just goes along with the evil human experimentation because the director reminds him of his weird pseudosexual relationship with his mom and so he ends up calling the director "mother" in one scene?? like what?? his whole personality is that he will commit EGREGIOUS ETHICS VIOLATING ACTS because uhhhhh hot woman that reminds him of his mommy told him to :((
and really that sums up the crux of my issues with this book - the characters and plotlines are reduced to a one-dimensional stereotype of something that had potential to be really fascinating if it had been executed properly. instead we get a cast of unrelatable b movie stereotypes who honestly i couldn't give less of a fuck about, underwritten plotlines, and the whole thing just folds when they try to give it a thriller-esque twist ending because nothing was actually written well enough to support the twist or make it feel momentous in any way. it's like the author read a book on "how to write a novel" and then took all that advice completely at face value and made a book out of it.
ALSO. i can't finish this review without mentioning the extremely weird attempts at representation?? i guess?? so nora, one of the main characters, is a black woman cop, which i guess is the author's attempt at avoiding criticism for having a shitty cop main character because she's a black woman so it's fiiine. except everything in the book about her being black is so incredibly one dimensional and surface level, because benjamin percy is a white man and it SHOWS. also at various points in the book she:
- monologues about how rioting is just as bad as murder
- talks about how she became a cop so she could ~change the system from the inside~
- monologues about how police brutality is bad but the only way to fix it is to have a more Diverse Police Force
- says she fell in love with her white ex-husband because he didn't ask to touch her hair
guys it's so bad. it's SO BAD. also she is depicted as cold and unfeeling the entire book (except when she's with her daughter of course), her ex husband resents her for having depression, she obviously has ocd but it's never acknowledged and everyone calls her weird and crazy for displaying ocd symptoms.... it's SO BAD OH MY GOD. like this is the kind of shit you see in a 2014 marvel movie when they decided to attempt rep for the first time and were like you know what we need...a strong woman. a Strong Cop Woman.
also covid is mentioned repeatedly throughout the book, in like a "people hate nora for wearing a mask because it reminds them of that one year when covid happened!" and "yes this fungi infection is causing people to murder their loved ones BUT WE CAN'T TELL ANYONE BECAUSE THE CITY WILL NEVER ACCEPT ANOTHER QUARANTINE AFTER COVID. and it's like wow i sure can tell what this author's personal opinions about covid were, which is not what i wanted from this dystopian sci fi book!!
if you want cool mushroom body horror just watch or play the last of us, this book honestly sucks and is just not worth the time.
one of the biggest problems was the fact that the book is: 1. attempting to be a standalone 2. attempting to be a novella and 3. attempting approximately 8 different storylines at once. which gives us a 200 page book that is rehashing all of the worldbuilding that presumably appeared in the first book, as well as building these main characters both in present day and in flashbacks, working with 3 or 4 different pov characters, and juggling the "serial killer cult murders/fungi overgrowth/department of defense human experimentation/missing daughter" plotlines. somehow within ALL OF THAT, within all of these cool things to talk about, he manages to make the book feel slow because of how many Fucking Flashbacks there were to back when the main characters' marriage was happy :) and they had their daughter still :) and it's like hey 30 people just got brutally and ritualistically murdered, can we go back to that? and benjamin percy is like NO THEY USED TO PLAY FAMILY GAMES TOGETHER and i'm like I DON'T CARE.
and while we're on that topic....let's talk about the characters. it's like when the author was creating them, he wrote down a name and a list of three traits and then was like well i'm going to reinforce those three traits at every possible moment. hey guys did you remember that jack is unorganized and emotional. did you remember that nora is unfeeling and a workaholic. did you remember that isaac has mommy issues. the only slight nuance is created by this past marriage that jack and nora had that apparently brought out a different side of them (and of course nora's first experience with really caring about someone and feeling emotions is when she becomes a mother! because every woman's life culminates in motherhood :))
the antagonists have so little character development or nuance - we find out why they're acting the way they do through shoehorned in flashbacks that reveal this big trauma in their life and it's like, could you not have found a better way to insert that and also the leap from 'she has a complicated relationship with her brother who joined a cult' to 'she's utterly ruthless and doesn't feel any emotions and also she's hyperfeminine in a BAD WAY and does evil human experimentation' feels like a bit of a stretch. also isaac's entire personality is that he just goes along with the evil human experimentation because the director reminds him of his weird pseudosexual relationship with his mom and so he ends up calling the director "mother" in one scene?? like what?? his whole personality is that he will commit EGREGIOUS ETHICS VIOLATING ACTS because uhhhhh hot woman that reminds him of his mommy told him to :((
and really that sums up the crux of my issues with this book - the characters and plotlines are reduced to a one-dimensional stereotype of something that had potential to be really fascinating if it had been executed properly. instead we get a cast of unrelatable b movie stereotypes who honestly i couldn't give less of a fuck about, underwritten plotlines, and the whole thing just folds when they try to give it a thriller-esque twist ending because nothing was actually written well enough to support the twist or make it feel momentous in any way. it's like the author read a book on "how to write a novel" and then took all that advice completely at face value and made a book out of it.
ALSO. i can't finish this review without mentioning the extremely weird attempts at representation?? i guess?? so nora, one of the main characters, is a black woman cop, which i guess is the author's attempt at avoiding criticism for having a shitty cop main character because she's a black woman so it's fiiine. except everything in the book about her being black is so incredibly one dimensional and surface level, because benjamin percy is a white man and it SHOWS. also at various points in the book she:
- monologues about how rioting is just as bad as murder
- talks about how she became a cop so she could ~change the system from the inside~
- monologues about how police brutality is bad but the only way to fix it is to have a more Diverse Police Force
- says she fell in love with her white ex-husband because he didn't ask to touch her hair
guys it's so bad. it's SO BAD. also she is depicted as cold and unfeeling the entire book (except when she's with her daughter of course), her ex husband resents her for having depression, she obviously has ocd but it's never acknowledged and everyone calls her weird and crazy for displaying ocd symptoms.... it's SO BAD OH MY GOD. like this is the kind of shit you see in a 2014 marvel movie when they decided to attempt rep for the first time and were like you know what we need...a strong woman. a Strong Cop Woman.
also covid is mentioned repeatedly throughout the book, in like a "people hate nora for wearing a mask because it reminds them of that one year when covid happened!" and "yes this fungi infection is causing people to murder their loved ones BUT WE CAN'T TELL ANYONE BECAUSE THE CITY WILL NEVER ACCEPT ANOTHER QUARANTINE AFTER COVID. and it's like wow i sure can tell what this author's personal opinions about covid were, which is not what i wanted from this dystopian sci fi book!!
if you want cool mushroom body horror just watch or play the last of us, this book honestly sucks and is just not worth the time.
March 30, 2022
A fast, crazy ride! I'll never look at mushrooms the same again, haha. The parents of a missing child get up close and personal with an extraterrestrial fungus that turns people into killers. A smooth mix of mystery, thriller and sci-fi; and only about 150 pages.
February 5, 2024
Maybe it’s me.
March 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this, but I have never read anything by Percy that I did not love.
This was really fun and I love the world of the Comet Cycle, but I was a little disappointed that it did not have a stronger tie to the first book of the series. I suspect I know why, but I still wanted a stronger bond between the two books.
I loved the idea of the fungus as antagonist, especially that the series to focus on how we need to do a better job protecting our environment. Having a plant as the bad guy was lots of fun. I also really enjoyed the amount of science and depth of research done for the story and I felt like I may have even learned a thing or two while reading - which is always a bonus.
The family dynamic between Jack and Nora was amazing and the way that they dealt with Mia felt very real. It was fascinating to watch them struggle and move through their lives in such different ways even though they shared some similarities.
This is a fun read and I highly recommend it. It is a fitting sequel to Ninth Metal.
This was really fun and I love the world of the Comet Cycle, but I was a little disappointed that it did not have a stronger tie to the first book of the series. I suspect I know why, but I still wanted a stronger bond between the two books.
I loved the idea of the fungus as antagonist, especially that the series to focus on how we need to do a better job protecting our environment. Having a plant as the bad guy was lots of fun. I also really enjoyed the amount of science and depth of research done for the story and I felt like I may have even learned a thing or two while reading - which is always a bonus.
The family dynamic between Jack and Nora was amazing and the way that they dealt with Mia felt very real. It was fascinating to watch them struggle and move through their lives in such different ways even though they shared some similarities.
This is a fun read and I highly recommend it. It is a fitting sequel to Ninth Metal.
January 2, 2022
First of all, I want to say that this book can be read as a standalone. I didn’t realize when I requested it from Netgalley that it was the second in a series. From what I understand, the only thing connecting the two books is the meteor shower.
The story starts with a meteor shower. Jack is a biologist who studies fungi, and he takes his eight year old daughter, Mia, with him to hunt mushrooms the night of the meteor shower. She ends up disappearing, and then we fast forward five years.
The rest of the story rotates mainly between Jack’s POV, and his wife, Nora’s. Nora is investigating some strange murders, and Jack is discovering new fungi. These two storylines intertwine with each other and Mia’s disappearance in strange and interesting ways.
I thought this book was a lot of fun. It was fast paced with two likable and interesting main characters. Then in the second half it got very weird. If you’re looking for a fun, fast paced sci-fi thriller and don’t mind weirdness, then I’d recommend this book. I definitely plan on reading the other two books in the series.
The story starts with a meteor shower. Jack is a biologist who studies fungi, and he takes his eight year old daughter, Mia, with him to hunt mushrooms the night of the meteor shower. She ends up disappearing, and then we fast forward five years.
The rest of the story rotates mainly between Jack’s POV, and his wife, Nora’s. Nora is investigating some strange murders, and Jack is discovering new fungi. These two storylines intertwine with each other and Mia’s disappearance in strange and interesting ways.
I thought this book was a lot of fun. It was fast paced with two likable and interesting main characters. Then in the second half it got very weird. If you’re looking for a fun, fast paced sci-fi thriller and don’t mind weirdness, then I’d recommend this book. I definitely plan on reading the other two books in the series.
January 28, 2022
A compelling sci fi thriller. Percy is a terrific writer and the plot is fantastical. A worthy addition to the Comet Cycle. Can't wait to see where it goes next.
January 4, 2023
4.5⭐️ - This was excellent. Full Review to come for the first two books in the series!
April 25, 2022
This was quite different from the first book in the seasons. And I had no idea where it was going. Very different approach. I mean was it even related?!
It did pull together at the end.
Didn’t like it? It was ok. Again different. Maybe not as good as the first book.
Enjoy.
It did pull together at the end.
Didn’t like it? It was ok. Again different. Maybe not as good as the first book.
Enjoy.
May 31, 2024
Ok there are certain books that I read that are screenplays disguised as novels. I had the sneaky suspicion this was one of those books. I enjoyed the characters, Jack and Nora. It was easy to see why they grew apart, but I was also rooting(forest pun!) for them to reconcile.
The main villains had a very uncomfortable dom/sub thing going on. Peaches(villain #1) had mommy issues, and it's hard to believe that HR would just look the other way when he is being pinched and scratched by his boss(villain #2).
Overall the plot of mushroom aliens taking over was interesting but a lot of things didn't make sense. Like, besides knowledge that there is an omni-metal cult now, the world seemed fairly similar to before, minus Seattle being turned into a fungus. If this just happened in the U.S., how are other countries reacting?
I'm way too critical of books, but sometimes more world building is needed.The last book I read, Night's Edge, was a great example of blending characterization and world building, without info dumps.
The main villains had a very uncomfortable dom/sub thing going on. Peaches(villain #1) had mommy issues, and it's hard to believe that HR would just look the other way when he is being pinched and scratched by his boss(villain #2).
Overall the plot of mushroom aliens taking over was interesting but a lot of things didn't make sense. Like, besides knowledge that there is an omni-metal cult now, the world seemed fairly similar to before, minus Seattle being turned into a fungus. If this just happened in the U.S., how are other countries reacting?
I'm way too critical of books, but sometimes more world building is needed.The last book I read, Night's Edge, was a great example of blending characterization and world building, without info dumps.
November 8, 2021
A child's mysterious disappearance is the catalyst for her parents, Jack and Nora Abernathy, to end their rocky marriage for good in THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN, by Benjamin Percy. The world, along with the Abernathy's family, has forever been changed after meteor shower rained down on the earth five years ago around the same time that Mia, the Abernathy child, disappeared. As the earth recovers from that monumental event and rain first falls again in the State of Washington, Nora, a detective, and Jack, a biologist, find themselves looking into phenomenon with their own investigations and seems like only a matter of time before they cross paths.
A little bit horror, a little science fiction, and a little thriller makes this book quite a lot of fun to dive into. Percy does an excellent job creating real, grounded people in Jack and Nora; they both have plenty of desires coupled with real flaws like we all do in this world. However, their passion of discovery is what the reader quickly attaches to. The supporting cast bringing so many great characters that range from nice and helpful to sinister and malicious to everything in between. The plot is unique and thought-provoking and the ending of the book will leave the reader both gasping and hopeful at the same time.
Because THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN touches on so many book genres, I feel like it's appeal is quite broad and I recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting story with interesting characters and a unique story.
Thank you to Mariner Books, Benjamin Percy, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
A little bit horror, a little science fiction, and a little thriller makes this book quite a lot of fun to dive into. Percy does an excellent job creating real, grounded people in Jack and Nora; they both have plenty of desires coupled with real flaws like we all do in this world. However, their passion of discovery is what the reader quickly attaches to. The supporting cast bringing so many great characters that range from nice and helpful to sinister and malicious to everything in between. The plot is unique and thought-provoking and the ending of the book will leave the reader both gasping and hopeful at the same time.
Because THE UNFAMILIAR GARDEN touches on so many book genres, I feel like it's appeal is quite broad and I recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting story with interesting characters and a unique story.
Thank you to Mariner Books, Benjamin Percy, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
July 21, 2021
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this book for my review. I'd not previously read The Ninth MetalThe Ninth Metal, so to avoid the risk of missing some important backstory context, I read that one first.
Turned out there was no need. An important element of each story is an unexpected result of an intense meteor shower after Earth passes through the tail of a near-miss comet. There are a few cross-over, fairly minor, nasty characters. And the ninth metal plays a key role in the resolution of The Unfamiliar Garden. Aside from that, the two books are basically stand-alone. You can definitely read The Unfamiliar Garden without first reading The Ninth Metal.
Whereas The Ninth Metal is kind of a wild west gold rush meets X-Files romp, The Unfamiliar Garden is a cross between a hard-boiled detective novel and a sci-fi horror novel. Another important thread in The Unfamiliar Garden is how brutally the disappearance of a child affects the parents, who cling to hope despite long passages of time.
I learned a fair bit about mushrooms and fungi, as they play a central role after rain finally returns to the PNW following a 5-year drought (it isn't clear whether the drought was caused by the comet or climate change). The plot moves along at a pretty good clip, and I got so caught up in following the action that it wasn't until I finished the book that I took some time to think about the in-hindsight obvious question: symbionts or parasites?
There are references to COVID-19, quarantines and lock-downs, which evoked a bit of a stress response and had me cheering for Nora and Jack.
I will be watching for The Comet Cycle Book 3. Will Benjamin Percy somehow bring together the characters and themes from books 1 and 2? Or will it be another stand-alone examination of a close-encounter-with-a-comet "what if" scenario?
Turned out there was no need. An important element of each story is an unexpected result of an intense meteor shower after Earth passes through the tail of a near-miss comet. There are a few cross-over, fairly minor, nasty characters. And the ninth metal plays a key role in the resolution of The Unfamiliar Garden. Aside from that, the two books are basically stand-alone. You can definitely read The Unfamiliar Garden without first reading The Ninth Metal.
Whereas The Ninth Metal is kind of a wild west gold rush meets X-Files romp, The Unfamiliar Garden is a cross between a hard-boiled detective novel and a sci-fi horror novel. Another important thread in The Unfamiliar Garden is how brutally the disappearance of a child affects the parents, who cling to hope despite long passages of time.
I learned a fair bit about mushrooms and fungi, as they play a central role after rain finally returns to the PNW following a 5-year drought (it isn't clear whether the drought was caused by the comet or climate change). The plot moves along at a pretty good clip, and I got so caught up in following the action that it wasn't until I finished the book that I took some time to think about the in-hindsight obvious question: symbionts or parasites?
There are references to COVID-19, quarantines and lock-downs, which evoked a bit of a stress response and had me cheering for Nora and Jack.
I will be watching for The Comet Cycle Book 3. Will Benjamin Percy somehow bring together the characters and themes from books 1 and 2? Or will it be another stand-alone examination of a close-encounter-with-a-comet "what if" scenario?
June 24, 2021
This story runs in parallel to the first book in the series The Ninth Metal, and is equally engrossing. In this book, fungi presumably from the same meteorites that brought omnimetal to Minnesota are flourishing the State of Washington with some alarming outcomes. There's a lot of fascinating science about mushrooms and the field of mycology. It's also about a couple who lose their young daughter, and subsequently each other. It's interesting to get inside both of their heads, as they grapple with the grief and depression, and also this fungal invasion. Nora is a Seattle police detective, and Jack is a mycologist with the University of Washington, and their paths soon cross as the body count rises. Like The Ninth Metal, the characters come together in a pleasing conclusion. These are very short books, but nice standalone stories, very well written, and it's not absolutely necessary to read them sequentially. That creep with the bowtie makes another appearance, but other than that it's a new cast. There are hints of other strange comet related happening elsewhere in the world, so I'll be watching for additional stories!
January 15, 2022
Second book in The Comet Cycle series. I love this universe the author has created, stemming from the Earth passing through a comet's debris trail, and meteorites falling to Earth and bringing weird space stuff with them.
The first half of this book was actually really difficult for me to get through. I really didn't care about the two main characters, and they weren't really doing anything interesting plot-wise. I didn't DNF because I knew the author had the potential to pull it all together in the second half, and he did. The story revolves around a new fungus that is growing quickly in the Seattle area and infects humans. The action really picks up in the second half, and we get some good body horror scenes.
Overall I didn't enjoy this story as much as the first one (which I also had some issues connecting with that story) but I will continue to read the series. The first book had more of a small town vibe, which I loved, while this felt like it was more of a global conflict even though it took place entirely in Seattle and only followed two characters. I like being in this world, and I really jive with the writing style and find it easy to read/listen to.
The first half of this book was actually really difficult for me to get through. I really didn't care about the two main characters, and they weren't really doing anything interesting plot-wise. I didn't DNF because I knew the author had the potential to pull it all together in the second half, and he did. The story revolves around a new fungus that is growing quickly in the Seattle area and infects humans. The action really picks up in the second half, and we get some good body horror scenes.
Overall I didn't enjoy this story as much as the first one (which I also had some issues connecting with that story) but I will continue to read the series. The first book had more of a small town vibe, which I loved, while this felt like it was more of a global conflict even though it took place entirely in Seattle and only followed two characters. I like being in this world, and I really jive with the writing style and find it easy to read/listen to.
June 23, 2021
This started out really promising. If you want to lure me in, using the word 'fungi' is really effective. I find them so fascinating and weird and amazing. Anyways, the first 80% (ish) of this book had me really hooked. I thought the writing was good and the story development was good etc. Then towards the last part of the book it became something else. Somehow the ending felt sloppy or not very thought out. Things seemed to fall in to place a little too conveniently, and it just wasn't interesting anymore. There were also a few lose ends, I felt, that weren't tied up. I personally also didn't care for the POV of Isaac and Ricketts. Ricketts felt like a caricature crazy-woman/villain. It was still a solid read, but I feel the ending could be better
March 8, 2022
I thought this would be a "typical" mystery, but I surprised myself by liking this one more than I thought I would in spite of its being in genres I usually don't like: horror and science fiction--killer (sometimes) fungi from outer space. It was probably due to the plot, pacing and the author's style.
January 19, 2022
Before we get down to it, I should point out that though this is the second book in the series. Knowledge of book one is not required as references made to the first novel are cursory at best. I think I am more inclined to view these books as standalone stories plucked from the same shared universe.
The world has been forever changed by the passing of a comet known as Cain. Meteorites have impacted the Earth leaving behind mysterious new elements. The first book, The Ninth Metal, focused on the discovery of a non-terrestrial “omnimetal” in Minnesota. The Unfamiliar Garden moves the narrative to Seattle and explores how the planet’s ecosystem is beginning to shift.
This story is a far more personal affair than The Ninth Metal. After their daughter’s disappearance, Jack and Nora’s relationship breaks down irrevocably. Like an open wound, Percy lays the rawness of their existence bare. Jack is barely holding what is left of this life together, while Nora has retreated into her work. Though they are apart the sense of shared pain feels palpable. I think the quiet moments between the couple are so well observed. Driven apart by trauma, you can sense even though they are walking on eggshells around one another there is still a depth of emotion. They both yearn for a closure that seems impossible to achieve. It’s heart-breaking stuff. I found myself empathising with them both. Jack wears his emotions on his sleeve, while Nora keeps them buried away. It’s clear that both are still hurting.
There is also some suitably sinister government conspiracy type stuff going off, as well as weird outer space shenanigans. I attempted to describe the plot of The Unfamiliar Garden to Mrs Cheesecake. Her response, “That sounds like some trippy sh*t”. I have to say that I’m inclined to agree, but I mean that as the highest of compliments. The author’s vivid descriptions of how humanity is evolving into something new evokes a real sense of eldritch otherworldliness. Trust me, we’re almost veering into Swamp Thing territory here. I loved how the story blends together elements of a serial killer police procedural, an intimate study of family tragedy, and cosmic horror flawlessly. As an added bonus, I also now know far more about fungi than I ever expected I would. The Ninth Metal was a great beginning to The Comet Cycle. The Unfamiliar Garden continues to deliver the same masterful storytelling. As I mentioned before, it can be enjoyed standalone or as a companion to its predecessor. Either is good.
The world has been forever changed by the passing of a comet known as Cain. Meteorites have impacted the Earth leaving behind mysterious new elements. The first book, The Ninth Metal, focused on the discovery of a non-terrestrial “omnimetal” in Minnesota. The Unfamiliar Garden moves the narrative to Seattle and explores how the planet’s ecosystem is beginning to shift.
This story is a far more personal affair than The Ninth Metal. After their daughter’s disappearance, Jack and Nora’s relationship breaks down irrevocably. Like an open wound, Percy lays the rawness of their existence bare. Jack is barely holding what is left of this life together, while Nora has retreated into her work. Though they are apart the sense of shared pain feels palpable. I think the quiet moments between the couple are so well observed. Driven apart by trauma, you can sense even though they are walking on eggshells around one another there is still a depth of emotion. They both yearn for a closure that seems impossible to achieve. It’s heart-breaking stuff. I found myself empathising with them both. Jack wears his emotions on his sleeve, while Nora keeps them buried away. It’s clear that both are still hurting.
There is also some suitably sinister government conspiracy type stuff going off, as well as weird outer space shenanigans. I attempted to describe the plot of The Unfamiliar Garden to Mrs Cheesecake. Her response, “That sounds like some trippy sh*t”. I have to say that I’m inclined to agree, but I mean that as the highest of compliments. The author’s vivid descriptions of how humanity is evolving into something new evokes a real sense of eldritch otherworldliness. Trust me, we’re almost veering into Swamp Thing territory here. I loved how the story blends together elements of a serial killer police procedural, an intimate study of family tragedy, and cosmic horror flawlessly. As an added bonus, I also now know far more about fungi than I ever expected I would. The Ninth Metal was a great beginning to The Comet Cycle. The Unfamiliar Garden continues to deliver the same masterful storytelling. As I mentioned before, it can be enjoyed standalone or as a companion to its predecessor. Either is good.
June 14, 2023
**3.5 STARS**
I am fairly new to the sci-fi genre and “The Unfamiliar Garden” is a crazy jumping off point for a newbie but the short length and interesting plot made me pick it up and I’m so glad I did! This story centers a couple: a police detective wife (Nora) and biologist husband (Jack) who split up after their daughter (Mia) goes missing during a meteor shower which brings a massive drought to the Seattle area where they live. Fast forward five years and the rains finally return, as do Nora & Jack’s work ambition, with Nora working on some brutal ritualistic serial killings and Jack working on identifying a newly found parasitic fungus. Soon, of course, they are drawn together again because they realize that their two current work discoveries have a very horrifying connection and their joint investigations have them mistrusting everything they know, including the government and their own science, and also wondering if everything going on could have something to do what really happened to their daughter Mia five years ago. This book is definitely on the short side at only 206 pages but because of that, it got RIGHT into the action and pretty much never slowed down which I appreciated because the action was GOOD. What I did NOT appreciate is that it ends rather abruptly, in the middle of the action, and there’s no sequel at all so now we’re left wondering what the hell is gonna happen to this family and this community with no answers on their way 😩 I bumped it down from 4 to 3 1/2 stars for that. This was a super fun, super interesting read that I would recommend to about any sci-fi fan, both new and old
I am fairly new to the sci-fi genre and “The Unfamiliar Garden” is a crazy jumping off point for a newbie but the short length and interesting plot made me pick it up and I’m so glad I did! This story centers a couple: a police detective wife (Nora) and biologist husband (Jack) who split up after their daughter (Mia) goes missing during a meteor shower which brings a massive drought to the Seattle area where they live. Fast forward five years and the rains finally return, as do Nora & Jack’s work ambition, with Nora working on some brutal ritualistic serial killings and Jack working on identifying a newly found parasitic fungus. Soon, of course, they are drawn together again because they realize that their two current work discoveries have a very horrifying connection and their joint investigations have them mistrusting everything they know, including the government and their own science, and also wondering if everything going on could have something to do what really happened to their daughter Mia five years ago. This book is definitely on the short side at only 206 pages but because of that, it got RIGHT into the action and pretty much never slowed down which I appreciated because the action was GOOD. What I did NOT appreciate is that it ends rather abruptly, in the middle of the action, and there’s no sequel at all so now we’re left wondering what the hell is gonna happen to this family and this community with no answers on their way 😩 I bumped it down from 4 to 3 1/2 stars for that. This was a super fun, super interesting read that I would recommend to about any sci-fi fan, both new and old
March 9, 2022
A strangely paced but still entertaining thriller. Now that I look it up, the odd pacing is explained by the fact that this is the second in a series, meaning there is likely to be a third, meaning the abrupt ending isn’t so much a conclusion as a placeholder. OK. That makes sense. But for an inveterate shunner of series, not very fulfilling. The rest of the book borders on brilliant. The plot centers around a missing girl, and the strange connection of fungi, meteors falling from the sky, a vicious serial killer and the parents of the girl, one a mycologist and the other a cop. There is also a shadowy DOD genius and a very, very weird fella that works for her. As wacky as all this sounds, it works — the book is very short (maybe another 20 pages or so could’ve wrapped things up for series-phobes like me? Can’t believe I just said a book should be longer — usually, I’m of the opposite view), pretty entertaining, thought-provoking and just darn cool. I can’t decide if reading this novel makes me want to go back and read the series opener — probably not, but there is definitely enough cool stuff in here (meteorites caused by the earth passing through a comet tail, some new metal with a lot of remarkable qualities, the main characters) that I’d at least consider it. Probably better for people who are looking for a series, but not a bad effort as a stand-alone. Cautiously recommended.
Grade: B+
Grade: B+
November 28, 2025
Adoro questa serie!!!
In questo secondo libro, anziché continuare come c'era da aspettarsi con i personaggi del primo in una nuova vicenda, inaspettatamente Benjamin interseca una nuova trama parallela.. sempre cinque anni dopo la caduta dei meteoriti, a Seattle dopo cinque anni di siccità comincia di nuovo a piovere.. quello che si schiude crea un caos mai visto..
Nora e Jack hanno perso una figlia, Mia, scomparsa misteriosamente nel bosco dopo la pioggia di meteoriti.. il loro matrimonio è andato in pezzi così come le loro vite.. Nora combatte il crimine come poliziotta in redenzione dell'ingiustizia che ha subito.. Jack tra alcool e depressione sta mandando in vacca la sua carriera di professore universitario e specialista micologo..
Da un lato questa è la storia di questi due fragili personaggi e della loro disfatta dopo una tale tragica vicenda.. il modo con cui Benjamin crea i personaggi, il loro dolore, il loro traumi, le loro storie, è magistrale! Anche i secondari sono tratteggiati benissimo..
Dall'altro lato quella che comincia come un poliziesco procedurale sfocia in un survival a base di funghi infestanti per sfociare in un devastante body horror fungino e alieno degno di un Vandermeer o di un Mieville, con una fantasia sfrenata e terrificante..
Ho adorato tutto di questo romanzo.. forse il finale è stato un pochino troppo veloce, poteva benissimo andare avanti altre cento pagine e avrebbe intrattenuto ancora di più, ma ho anche trovato imprevedibile e originale il modo con cui si ricollega alla trama del primo libro e all' universo misterioso che ha creato.. Sono curioso di vedere cosa ha riservato all'ultimo capitolo della trilogia!! Mi meraviglio sempre più di come non si parli abbastanza di questa saga unica!!
In questo secondo libro, anziché continuare come c'era da aspettarsi con i personaggi del primo in una nuova vicenda, inaspettatamente Benjamin interseca una nuova trama parallela.. sempre cinque anni dopo la caduta dei meteoriti, a Seattle dopo cinque anni di siccità comincia di nuovo a piovere.. quello che si schiude crea un caos mai visto..
Nora e Jack hanno perso una figlia, Mia, scomparsa misteriosamente nel bosco dopo la pioggia di meteoriti.. il loro matrimonio è andato in pezzi così come le loro vite.. Nora combatte il crimine come poliziotta in redenzione dell'ingiustizia che ha subito.. Jack tra alcool e depressione sta mandando in vacca la sua carriera di professore universitario e specialista micologo..
Da un lato questa è la storia di questi due fragili personaggi e della loro disfatta dopo una tale tragica vicenda.. il modo con cui Benjamin crea i personaggi, il loro dolore, il loro traumi, le loro storie, è magistrale! Anche i secondari sono tratteggiati benissimo..
Dall'altro lato quella che comincia come un poliziesco procedurale sfocia in un survival a base di funghi infestanti per sfociare in un devastante body horror fungino e alieno degno di un Vandermeer o di un Mieville, con una fantasia sfrenata e terrificante..
Ho adorato tutto di questo romanzo.. forse il finale è stato un pochino troppo veloce, poteva benissimo andare avanti altre cento pagine e avrebbe intrattenuto ancora di più, ma ho anche trovato imprevedibile e originale il modo con cui si ricollega alla trama del primo libro e all' universo misterioso che ha creato.. Sono curioso di vedere cosa ha riservato all'ultimo capitolo della trilogia!! Mi meraviglio sempre più di come non si parli abbastanza di questa saga unica!!
April 1, 2022
If you read Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life and thought some of the facts he presented could be used in a really cool sci fi story with some Jeff Vandermeer overtones, I have some good news for you. Benjamin Percy was already publishing a book with exactly that premise. Although this is a sequel to The Ninth Metal it works as (what I hope is only the beginning to) its own story. The payoff of the real science as science fiction comes almost 80% into the book and could lead to many more stories set in this same universe that I really want to read. The first 80% is an almost literary exploration into grief and the emotional stress we’ve all been experiencing after the events of 2020, making this book more than just an interesting new genre of sci fi. With Ninth Metal, Percy showed he can mix all the elements of a comic book like story - with super heroes and villains - with everything you expect from literary fiction, and he’s continued that here. I will be recommending it if I can find anyone I think will be able to appreciate both aspects.
January 4, 2022
Like most have already said - this book can be read as a standalone although it's the 2nd book in a series. I haven't read the first, and it felt complete to me. This book is so elementally good that I read it took me no time to get through. Meteor fragments have crashed into the Earth and 5 years later, we start experiencing one of the alarming side efects in the Pacific Northwest as the drought caused by the meteor has finally given way and the rains have started back up again. I don't usually like to go into novels blind, but there's not much else to know before starting to read this. The characters are amazingly well done, but even more so - the World is so vividly detailed, as is the mystery as to the missing girl and what is happening to the World now. How can it be stopped - can it?! An eco thriller that I would highly recommend everyone pick up.
June 23, 2022
A second book in the Comet Cycle series, but it works as a standalone. It does the heavy lifting of catching new readers up to speed with some backstory, while not rehashing too much content for readers of the first book. This novel in the series leans into several mysteries, and it taught me way more about fungi than I ever thought I’d learn—in general, one of the things I love about Percy’s writing is all of the nature I learn about. The story is a great addition to the supernatural world he’s building.
June 12, 2023
I'll admit the first installment in this series (The Ninth Metal) was hard to get through at times, but I'm very glad I picked up the sequel. There was just the right amount of sci-fi here and it had a lot of proper scientific justification. To contrast from the first book, I thought that the scope of this book was much more palatable. I'm anticipating the third book as I thought this book did a great job upping the stakes from what had been established in book 1.
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