ALIEN BONDS

Buxton offers an SF story about interplanetary love triumphing, despite the odds.

Dina Bellaire is a beautiful Terran scientist residing on the planet Wakanreo, immersed in an alien civilization in which her own people occupy a complex and controversial role. In Wakanrean culture, romantic relationships are formed through shahgunrah—a once-in-a-lifetime experience in which two participants are unified in a physical and psychological connection; if Wakanreans can’t find such a connection, they become ill. Terrans are capable of eliciting a similar passion in Wakanreans, called glashunrah, without experiencing its throes themselves. Both cultures believe that humans and Wakanreans can’t experience the reciprocal union of shahgunrah. However, Dina and a Wakanrean named Kuaron Du instantly feel an unusually passionate connection when they first meet, and soon, Dina is pregnant with twins. The shahgunrah they share gives rise to fear and discrimination that puts Dina’s life in danger. When the Wakanreans develop a vaccine that will remove Terrans’ ability to inspire glashunrah in Wakanrean people, Dina is compelled by lawto accept the treatment, even if it jeopardizes her shahgunrahai with Kauron Du. Fans of SF romance are certain to appreciate Buxton’s vivid, imaginative landscape, which she populates with thoughtful cultural elements and extensively detailed history. That said, this complex story is replete with political machinations and legal proceedings, which may not be to all readers’ tastes, and casual readers may feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new terms and concepts, despite the included glossary. Still, readers will feel truly immersed in the religion, values, and technology of Wakanreo and appreciate the relevance of Buxton’s depiction of a couple fighting for their relationship in a climate of intolerance in this thought-provoking work.

A dense but often engrossing tale, grounded in a relatable love affair.