In a climate-ravaged, near-future Sydney, Alice struggles to free her husband from prison while navigating a corrupt world of advanced technology, medical experimentation, and ethical ambiguity, especially after a mysterious human-bat hybrid appears on her doorstep. As she confronts threats, betrayal, and the limits of trust, the story explores the persistence of love and morality amid systemic corruption and personal desperation.

Reader Review Summary

Set in a future Sydney in the year 2075, the novel follows Alice Kaczmarek, a forty-year-old medical engineer whose husband Daniel is serving a life sentence for his alleged role in a deadly accident involving the city’s advanced transport system. The city itself is shaped by the aftermath of repeated climate disasters, with rooftop farms, yurt housing, and underground shelters becoming part of daily life. Alice’s personal struggles are compounded by her desire to have a child through IVF, her financial difficulties, and the sudden appearance of T, a half-human, half-bat medical experiment with a mysterious connection to Daniel. As Alice navigates a world rife with corruption in both the medical and transport sectors, she is drawn into a web of intrigue involving blackmail, unethical experimentation, and shifting alliances, forcing her to question whom she can trust and how to maintain her moral compass in a compromised society.

Readers appreciated the detailed world-building, noting the vivid depiction of a climate-ravaged, technologically advanced Sydney with features like sliders, airpods, and AI-driven systems. The writing style was described as evocative, with biological and medical terminology contributing to a sense of foreboding and realism. Many found the character of T particularly compelling and original, and praised the book’s exploration of ethical dilemmas, especially around medical experimentation and corruption. The narrative’s focus on Alice’s internal struggles and problem-solving abilities, as well as the sustained suspense and sharp sense of place, were also highlighted as strengths.

Some readers felt the novel suffered from a lack of focus due to the number of competing themes, such as climate change, technological advancement, social inequality, and medical ethics, which led to insufficient development of certain plot elements and characters. There were comments about a lack of urgency in Alice’s dilemmas and a desire for more background on the world’s history and the motivations of key figures, including Daniel and the secretive medical group. A few readers found it difficult to connect with the characters or the setting early on, and some felt the narrative lost momentum in the second half. Additionally, the book’s genre blending led to confusion for those expecting a more traditional psychological thriller rather than speculative or science fiction.

The book has an average reader rating of 3.64 out of 5 from 36 ratings and 18 full reviews, indicating a range of responses. It is classified as science fiction and is described as both a psychological thriller and literary speculative fiction. The story addresses contemporary concerns about corruption, trust, and moral ambiguity, and includes elements such as advanced medical procedures, AI, and the widening gap between rich and poor. The author, Ann Dombroski, is recognized for her imaginative narrative and the ability to create a believable yet strange future world.