I was quite intrigued by the premise of this book. I am often drawn to first contact stories.

I think that the writing could be a bit dry and detached. I think this was most evident in the human characters, as you don't really get to know them or their dynamic that well. I think more time could have been spent in conversation discussing the ethics, philosophies, and ramifications of what they were doing on this planet. The actions of the humans didn't make a lot of sense to me, and while I was interested in the differences between the two species, I think an opportunity was missed to say something deeper about the flaws of humanity. But I did enjoy the scientific comparisons of the evolutions of each species. I loved the rettys and how they, their language, and their society were depicted.

The ending of this book didn't make much sense to me, unfortunately. Again, it felt detached and kind of out of left field.

I think I would most recommend this book to those who enjoy Murderbot by Martha Wells, or particularly enjoyed the relationship with Rocky in Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This book doesn't quite have the humor of the others, but it is still similar.

What to say about The Last Days of Good People by A.T. Sayre? It's a simple premise and well executed, but the writing left a lot to be desired. I was never fully engrossed and if it wasn't only 200 odd pages then I would have stopped partway through. As it is it's a good study of first contact and the intervention protocols many future societies put in place.
I will admit I wasn't expecting the ending, so that was a nice surprise after feeling like everything was wrapped up already at the 3/4 mark.

This was phenomenal. I was fully immersed in the world building and loved each of the villagers. The main character Warin’s growth was natural, you felt his fear, hesitation, bonds, and grief. I held back tears despite knowing the end for the Rettys, it didn’t make their conclusion any less painful. The twist at the end fully took me by surprise! Watching someone advocate and shout so loud for the fairness of others only to become bitter and become the doom of those who they once fought so hard for was disheartening but was the best villain for this book!

This left me breathless and I hung onto every back. I have so many questions as to what happened to Dav, the remaining native, THE LEAF??

Honestly this has become my first 5 star read of the year and I am honored to have the opportunity to read this. I look forward to seeing more form this author. Job VERY well done.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book.

I’ve liked dystopian/apocalyptic books in the past, but I couldn’t get into this one. From the beginning, I felt like I got dropped into a story and was missing the first 100 pages or so. I read until about 20% hoping that we’d get more back story and understand a little better how we got to that point, but it wasn’t working for me.

There were also several parts where it seemed like we were getting a lot of unnecessary details, and other parts where I wished for more insight.

I’m sure this would work for someone who likes sci fi as they may have more interest in the other planet and creatures. Also for someone who likes shorter length books.