You can’t choose what you are, except when you can.It’s only been a few months since first contact and, although peaceful, humanity will never be the same. The new treaty with the Mendians is seemingly too good to be true; free access to hundreds of star systems and the means to get there. All they ask in return is that humanity make the Mendian’s “Path of the Other” free to any who desire it. … desire it. Although following it means to surrender your humanity, for the UEA leadership, the price is worth it. After all, who would choose that?
Joyce and John were both born feeling different, like they were meant to be something else, a feeling they’ve never been able to share except with each other. Now they can become anything and suddenly there is hope. Joyce can’t wait to be one of the first human-animal hybrids called Morphics. John is supportive but worried about the risks and the stigma from society as distrust of the treaty grows.
A great divide is growing within humanity between those who see the hope for a new age of mankind and those who fear the beginning of the end for humanity itself.
Hope or fear, the lines are drawn, and to the victor goes the fate of humanity itself.
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Well, this is a book that will remain imprinted indelibly on my reading DNA forever! “Dawnbreak”, Book 1 in “The Farthest Star” series, is a mind-boggling, engrossing, extremely well-written sci-fi book, by the brilliant Rebecca Mickley. It is one of the most refreshingly unique books in the genre I have ever read. I was amazed by Mickley’s ability to captivate the reader, and bring out strong emotions – I have to admit I reached for the tissue box at least twice during my reading. The mixture of angst, struggle, sadness, hope, and fulfillment that the author blended into this book is a potent one, so reader be warned, don’t be surprised or ashamed if you shed a tear or two, as I did. Rest assured, “Dawnbreak” is a book you will never forget, in a very positive way.
This book had me enthralled, and drawn into the stunning post-apocalyptic world that Mickley has created, from the very beginning, and I was unable to pull back. At the onset, we meet the two protagonists, Joyce and John, two close friends and former lovers. The pair have different yet similar (and linked) roles in the world of the not too-distant future. Joyce is in the medical/scientific field, while John is in the military/pilot. What further joins the two, is their desire to be something other than human. Both aspire to be animals – Joyce, a sea otter, and John, a hare.
While in today’s world such change is not possible, in their futuristic world, morphing from human to animal is a “gift” just being newly made possible by an alien life form called the Mendians. The Mendians, the first extraterrestrial race that has made contact with humankind, has offered humans the ability to travel to thousands of star systems beyond our galaxy. The caveat – in exchange for this ability, the Mendians insist the choice of being able to morph into other beings is provided to any human who desires to take that route. Those humans are called “Morphics”. They are like animal/human hybrids. This route towards transformation offered by the Mendians is called “The Path of the Other”, and is essentially the religion of the Mendians. And many humans jump at the chance to take this new path, including Joyce. While John has the same desires, he is more hesitant.
Part of John’s reticence to morph is the animosity that Morphics would undoubtedly face from the rest of human society. He is not wrong. The fear, prejudice, and even violence the Morphics encounter, sadly, mirrors some of the tragic experiences of our LGBTQ + communities. In “Dawnbreak”, we see humankind at our best – courageous, adventurous, caring, empathetic, supportive, altruistic – and at our worst – fearful, persecuting, malicious, bigoted, hostile, intolerant. Mickley adeptly shows the reader two sides of the coin, in terms of what such a monumental change such as morphing could mean for humankind. Without judging, the author appears to ask the question “are we ready, can we handle this?”
Mickley’s worldbuilding is top-notch, her writing is stellar, and her characters are so well-drawn that the reader cannot help becoming attached to them. There is gut-punching commentary on the state of human existence, relationships, and the future, that only a writer as skilled Mickley could pull off without sounding too preachy.
Overall, the fate of Joyce and John will matter to the reader, and it will matter A LOT. So the reader will have no choice but to keep going, as they will be so invested to find out what happens to them next. The description of the physically and emotionally difficult transformation process, the technology associated with that process, the tribulations the characters face, and the overarching Mendian question – are they benevolent or not? – had me turning page after page in to the wee hours of the morning to arrive at the outcome. The reader will ride the internal and external challenges faced by Joyce, John, and their comrades to a touching denouement, that will leave you pondering the many problems, limitations, but ultimately amazing possibilities that humankind can achieve.
“Dawnbreak” is a fantastic book, that touched me deeply. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, and based on how it ended, I am full of anticipation to see the next chapter in “The Farthest Star” series. Kudos to Rebecca Mickley for creating such an outstanding novel, and a series with such great promise! She has certainly won me over – after reading “Dawnbreak” I’m certain I will be a lifelong fan now of her work!
I’m not one for making reviews, so this should be short. I didn’t have any expectations going into this book, but nothing I could have expected would have prepared me for this journey. This honestly has to be one of the most unique stories I have ever consumed in any format, and that is a wonderful thing! Unfortunately, because it is so unique, I don’t even know who to recommend this to, or what to compare it with; I truly believe this stands on its own in my experience.
If I had a complaint, it’s that it is definitely a part of a series, which means I have to continue to see where it goes, which I will for sure (does that count as a complaint?).
Now, at one point there is an event that happens. I honestly thought it was a fake-out; it was not. Prepare yourself.
My strongest belief is that books are written for people and about people. “Dawnbreak” by Rebecca Mickley is a story that gets you immersed into thoughts and lives of its characters. Every time I opened my Kindle to read it, I was transported into the future the author draws masterfully, in some aspects very different from the picture of our life now, but in others – so strikingly similar.
While reading the book, I felt the joy, the pain, and the feeling of uncertainty the characters felt. While their struggles are not what I had gone through myself, I understood them and was able to sympathise with them. And, in the end, any form of interpersonal struggle can be viewed as a metaphor, as a comparison with your own experience. Everyone, who sees the world differently, meets sooner or later with non-acceptance and misunderstanding, with aggression even from those, who are not ready and willing to accept another human being’s choice and wishes. Unfortunately, in our modern world that strives in general to tolerance, understanding, and acceptance, very often these limits within which you are allowed to be different are also narrowed.
“Dawnbreak” tells a story about the future, where people can travel in the deep space, where taxis are orbital shuttles, where one can relocate to Mars, but with all the progress, people are still limited by their prejudices, driven by their vices, and not able to accept what they don’t understand.
I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in the Farthest Star series by Rebecca Mickley.