Jump follows two people struggling to keep their relationship together as they try to prevent their world from catastrophic collapse, while others are more interested in power and control than saving humanity. How did your vision for the series evolve as you moved from Hive into Jump?
I started with a simple idea: two people who screwed up their relationship get a second chance, courtesy of a time machine and the impending extinction of humanity. What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, apparently.
By the time I finished Hive, I’d managed to destroy civilization, weaponize honeybees, and leave half my characters in situations that would require a miracle—or another book—to escape.
So I wrote Jump. Which was supposed to straighten things out.
Instead, I ended up with multiple universes, several versions of the same man, a time machine with a disturbing tendency to kill its passengers, and an artificial intelligence who thinks he can fix everything.
At this point, I’m beginning to suspect the problem isn’t with my characters.
How have Isabel and Diego changed since readers first encountered them in Hive, and what makes their relationship such an important emotional foundation for the series?
Isabel and Diego have loved each other for decades. Unfortunately, they’ve also spent a good portion of those decades making spectacularly bad decisions.
When we first meet them, they’ve been apart for fifteen years. Isabel has just divorced a billionaire who stole her research and treated her like an expensive appliance. Diego has been nursing a broken heart while trying to keep his perpetually cash-strapped NGO afloat. Clearly, these are two people with excellent judgment.
Then the world ends, and suddenly their relationship problems seem a little less important.
Except they aren’t.
Diego can repair almost anything, but he can’t fix Isabel’s grief. Isabel can program a swarm of microscopic robots, but she can’t make Diego stop trying to protect her. They’re stubborn, imperfect, occasionally infuriating people who keep choosing each other, even when the universe makes that choice almost impossible.
How does Isabel’s technology reflect the ethical challenges surrounding inventions that can be used for both beneficial and destructive purposes?
Imagine spending years inventing artificial bees to help feed the world. You finally get the technology working, and your billionaire ex-husband decides what it really needs is the ability to murder people.
That’s pretty much Isabel’s career trajectory.
The scary part is that nobody starts out announcing they’re going to build an army of killerbots. They begin with perfectly reasonable ideas. Better crop yields. Automated pollination. Protecting food supplies. Then someone suggests using the bees to defend the biodomes. And someone else decides the best defense is to eliminate anyone who might become a threat.
Before long, the tiny drones you designed to save the planet are exterminating its inhabitants.
I wish I could say this was wildly unrealistic, but humans have a remarkable talent for taking useful inventions and finding spectacularly awful things to do with them.
Isabel’s dilemma is that she can’t simply blame everyone else. At some point, she has to ask herself whether she’s willing to use those same weapons to protect the people she loves.
It’s a much harder question when the person standing in your way has a shotgun.
What larger themes or character journeys do you hope to continue exploring as the Madders of Time series progresses?
I always planned five books—and I know exactly how the last one ends. Getting there is the problem.
Three books in, the timelines are multiplying, my characters are scattered across several dying worlds, and a sixteen-year-old boy is trying to keep the entire multiverse from falling apart. I’m starting to feel a little sorry for him. I’m also beginning to think I need a better filing system.
One thing I love about writing parallel universes is that I get to take the same basic people and give them completely different lives. What if Isabel and Diego never broke up? What if the man who helped destroy the world had made one different choice? What if the person you love is still alive somewhere—but has never met you?
I also want to keep poking at our rather embarrassing human tendency to confuse wealth and power with wisdom. In my books, the billionaires build enormous luxury biodomes to ride out the apocalypse. Naturally, they hire the people who know how to keep everything running—and then ignore them.
But underneath the time travel, killerbots, and occasional naked physicist, I’m still writing about love, hope, and what we owe each other.
I’d like to believe we can save the world without sacrificing our humanity.
The multiverse is collapsing. The time machine is broken. And humanity’s last hope? Might already be dead. Seven months after the EMPs brought the world to its knees, a handful of scientists are racing against extinction—and each other. Somewhere in a flooded skyscraper lies a wormhole generator that might be able to undo the apocalypse. If they can find it. If it still works. If it doesn’t kill them first. Meanwhile, Diego Nadales wakes in a cell, his face bloodied and his memories fractured. He’s being accused of terrorism, treason, and time travel. The last one, at least, is true. Isabel is trapped inside a biodome ruled by the man she once trusted. But her bees—microscopic drones designed to save the planet—have been hijacked and weaponized. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, her creation will wipe out the last threads of life on Earth. Old friends return. New enemies rise. And somewhere in the chaos, one small spark of hope just might be enough to ignite a revolution. The clock isn’t ticking. It’s blowing up.
The Girl with Free Feet is a moving multigenerational narrative that celebrates the women whose courage, sacrifices, and difficult choices helped create new possibilities for their families. What was most important to you about preserving these experiences for future generations?
I was born during the Great Chinese Famine and grew up during the Cultural Revolution. I witnessed how quickly political upheaval could destroy families, separate loved ones, and take away freedoms we often take for granted.
But my mother’s life began in a very different China. She grew up in a privileged Shanghai family, surrounded by traditions that shaped women’s lives for generations. Her mother had bound feet, while my mother was fortunate enough to grow up with free feet. To me, that difference symbolizes much more than a physical change. It represents the beginning of a journey toward independence.
I wanted to preserve not only the suffering and sacrifices of these women, but also their love, courage, humor, and determination. History books record political events, but family stories reveal how ordinary people lived through them.
Most importantly, I wanted my grandchildren and future generations to understand where they came from and how much courage it took for their ancestors to give them the opportunities they enjoy today.
What did you discover about the relationship between mothers and daughters while exploring these generations?
I came to understand that mothers and daughters are connected by both love and expectations, and that love is not always expressed in ways we recognize at the time.
Each generation of women in my family wanted something better for the next. My grandmother lived within the restrictions of traditional Chinese society. My mother sought education, love, and greater independence. I eventually found opportunities in America that neither of them could have imagined.
As a daughter, I did not always understand my mother’s decisions. Writing her story helped me see her not simply as my mother, but as a young woman with dreams, disappointments, and difficult choices of her own.
I discovered that understanding our mothers requires looking beyond the roles they played in our lives and recognizing the women they were before we were born.
What parallels do you see between the struggles for independence experienced by the women in your story and the challenges women face today?
The circumstances have changed dramatically, but the desire for independence remains the same.
My grandmother’s generation struggled against traditions that literally bound women’s feet. My mother’s generation fought for education, the freedom to love, and the right to make personal choices amid political turmoil.
Today, women have far greater opportunities, yet many still struggle to balance family expectations, careers, relationships, and their own ambitions.
Freedom is not simply the absence of restrictions. It is the ability to make meaningful choices about one’s own life.
One lesson from my family’s history is that progress is never guaranteed. The freedoms women enjoy today were made possible by the sacrifices of earlier generations, and they must continue to be valued and protected.
What do you hope younger generations, particularly daughters and granddaughters, learn from Rita’s life and the experiences of the women in your family?
I hope they learn to be courageous, independent, and compassionate.
Rita’s life reminds us that we cannot always control history or circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them. She experienced love, heartbreak, political persecution, and extraordinary changes, yet she never lost her independent spirit.
I especially hope my granddaughter Zoey understands that the freedom she enjoys today is a precious inheritance. Her great-grandmother had free feet, but she still faced many invisible restrictions. My generation crossed oceans to find greater opportunities. Zoey’s generation can walk even further.
That is the meaning behind my book’s title. Free feet are only the beginning. True freedom is having the courage to choose your own path.
From bound feet to free feet, four generations of women carry one family through love, upheaval, survival, and freedom. Born into a changing Shanghai, Rita grows up in a world suspended between old traditions and a new China. Her mother, Rong, walks on feet bound in childhood—a painful inheritance from a culture in which obedience was expected and freedom, especially for women, was limited. Rita is different. She wants an education. She wants independence. And she wants the freedom to choose whom she loves and what her life will become. But history has other plans. As political upheaval transforms China, Rita’s family is swept into forces far beyond their control. Love is separated by distance. Family security disappears. The Cultural Revolution brings fear, persecution, and loss. Yet through marriage, motherhood, heartbreak, and extraordinary change, Rita refuses to surrender the independent spirit that has always defined her. Eventually, that journey carries the family across an ocean to America—and toward freedoms earlier generations could scarcely have imagined. Inspired by family history and personal memory, The Girl with Free Feet is an intimate multigenerational story of women, family, resilience, sacrifice, and the complicated choices people make in order to survive. Above all, it is a story about what one generation endures so the next can walk more freely.
Darwin the Wonder Dog Goes to School follows a young girl who brings her beloved one-eyed Jack Russell terrier to school for show-and-tell, leading to an ordinary day becoming an unforgettable adventure. Was the story inspired by a real dog or personal experiences with animals?
The story is a true story featuring our beloved one-eyed Jack Russell terrier named Darwin and my granddaughter, Abbie. Darwin gave us more than 15 yrs of joy and provided Abbie with a best friend and loyal companion. Writing about their adventures is easy because they’re true!!
What do you hope young readers learn about showing kindness to someone who looks or behaves differently from them?
I hope children learn to be kind to everyone because people (and Darwin the Wonder Dog) who are different experience the world the same way anyone else does. And, they want to do everything everyone else does. Kindness goes a long way.
Why do you think animal characters can be especially effective in helping children understand important social and emotional lessons?
Because an animal can be both completely familiar and safely not-us. That little distance is what makes the lesson land. Children know animals. They love them, they watch them, they already imagine what a dog is feeling.
Darwin gives emotional safety. If you tell a story about a child who is left out at recess, a listener might worry, is that me? Am I the mean one? If you tell it about a small dog who looks differently, the child can feel sad for the dog without feeling judged. Safety lets empathy in. Also, animals invite attachment. Most children feel affection for animals faster than they do for strangers. That affection creates investment. They want Darwin to be okay, so they lean into lessons about sharing, apologizing, waiting your turn, or being brave.
Are there plans to continue Darwin’s adventures in future books, and what other lessons would you like to explore through his character?
Yes, Darwin’s true adventures continue with Darwin the Wonder Dog Goes Camping, Darwin the Wonder Dog Goes to the Farm and Darwin the Wonder Dog Goes to the Racetrack! The sweet pup teaches bravery when you’re scared, being a loyal friend and, above all, God’s world is wonderfully made. All the Darwin books are published by Read Beleive Grow Publishing.
A Darwin Christmas story is currently in the works, and look for a Darwin Halloween story in 2027, and more.
What would your child bring to show and tell? A toy? A doll? A rock collection? Abbie brought her best friend!
In Darwin the Wonder Dog Goes to School, young readers will meet a lovable one-eyed pup who proves that being different doesn’t make you less—it makes you special. When Darwin joins Abbie for show-and-tell, what starts as an ordinary school day quickly turns into an unforgettable adventure filled with laughter, surprises, and heartwarming moments.
Through Darwin’s story, children will discover: ✨ the beauty of friendship ✨ the courage to be different ✨ the joy of kindness and compassion ✨ and a gentle reminder that God can use even the most unexpected heroes
Perfect for ages 4–8, this uplifting story is ideal for: ✔ bedtime reading ✔ classrooms and homeschool ✔ gifts for dog lovers ✔ building confidence and empathy in young hearts
Because not all heroes wear capes…some wag their tails.
Monolith follows an investigative journalist who uncovers a nuclear threat targeting America and seeks refuge with an enigmatic billionaire who happens to control secret orbital weapons and artificial intelligence that could save humanity or destroy it. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Years ago, my teenage kids were struggling with their ideas on Jesus and God. The 2002 scandal in the Catholic church over its misuse of children was still in the news, and their reaction to this and the metaphysics surrounding the question of God led them to conclude that Jesus wasn’t real and that God didn’t exist. It spurred me to write a story in which Jesus is treated as a man, not a god.
How do Cat and John’s differing perspectives create tension in their personal and professional relationship?
Allman saw Rainbird as a way to save humanity; Cat saw it as a way to dictate it. This led her to question his intentions from the very beginning.
How does Monolith explore the difference between what technology makes possible and what humanity should choose to pursue, and how did you approach imagining a future in which humans develop meaningful emotional connections with autonomous machines?
Those are two very different questions. My imagining of Rainbird and AI 15 years ago, when I first started writing Monolith, was prophetic in the sense that we are now living that reality. I wanted to make it clear that AI’s success rested on our ability to instill in it an inviolable core of human ethics and values. Today, we’re facing this dilemma, and it appears that in the race to create the first superintelligent AI, this vital step is being largely ignored. As for your second question, it’s our nature to grow attached to our friends, whether real or virtual. I wanted to show how enjoyable and rewarding this might be as it relates to an AI persona like Hank the jeep.
What do you hope readers take away from the novel’s exploration of artificial intelligence, concentrated power, and the responsibility that accompanies innovation?
That the potential for AI to improve the quality of our lives is tremendous but carries a very serious risk of misuse by those in power or by AI itself.
The world’s most powerful corporation holds the key to humanity’s survival—or its total annihilation. After uncovering a terrifying truth that a two-kiloton nuclear warhead from a Russian recycling plant is bound for American soil, investigative journalist Cat Davis becomes the prime target of a megalomaniac Russian oligarch. Desperate for sanctuary, Cat seeks refuge within the walls of Monolith, a global corporate behemoth run by an enigmatic, eccentric billionaire. As she hides in plain sight, an unexpected love ignites between them despite the shocking secrets he’s concealing.
Then Cat discovers that Monolith’s highly publicized low-orbit satellite network is not a benign tool for mapping and global surveillance as people have been led to believe, but instead, a fully operational, laser-equipped orbital weapons system capable of vaporizing an intercontinental ballistic missile and rewriting the global balance of power in an instant.
Set against a backdrop of imminent catastrophe, Monolith explores the terrifying dawn of sentient artificial intelligence, the ever-present threat of nuclear winter, and the urgent evolution toward Capitalism 2.0. At once an epic thriller and a philosophical journey, it examines whether engineered human evolution has become inevitable, the destructive extremes of global greed, and the eternal mystery of what lies beyond life itself. An intricate, multi-layered techno-thriller for readers who demand high-concept ideas alongside heart-pounding action. Perfect for fans of smart, speculative fiction.
Murdered by the Books follows a new children’s bookstore owner who becomes an amateur sleuth when her friend is killed in a hit-and-run, causing her to navigate family interference, a clairvoyant aunt, and a killer determined to keep her from discovering the truth. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
You asked about the inspiration for my story, Murdered by the Books. I’ve always loved reading cozy mysteries, so this seemed the natural place to begin my writing journey. It was the people in my life – family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and even passing acquaintances, that inspired the characters throughout the novel. Each character is loosely based on the people mentioned combined with a healthy dose of literary license as I developed them into full-blown characters. Jillian, her sisters, Travis and the rest of the cast took up residence in my head for quite some time as I then worked out the overall plot. I would often come across a situation in real life and then write a scene in my head based on how I thought the characters would react and handle things.
How did you develop Jillian’s personality and her determination to pursue both her bookstore dream and the truth about her friend’s death?
Next, you asked how I developed Jillian’s character. As I mentioned before, she is based on someone in my life – ME. She is determined to follow her dream and open the bookstore after leaving her job as a teacher. I have done the same. After retiring from a 35-year career in education, I pursued my lifelong dream of being a published author. She, like myself, is a go-getter and doesn’t let anything stand in her way no matter how hard things might get. I have an intense curiosity for unsolved mysteries and consider myself a loyal friend. I shared these qualities with Jillian as she persisted with investigating/solving her friend’s death and seeking justice for Maggie.
What inspired the town of Willow Springs, and how did you develop its atmosphere and community?
What inspired the town of Willow Springs? This quaint small town is fashioned after the tiny town where my dad grew up and where my parents met and fell in love. Having spent a lot of time with my grandparents in my dad’s hometown, it felt like a good place to start when building a town appropriate for a cozy mystery. Much like Willow Springs, all the businesses were clustered around 2-3 streets in the heart of town, including my grandpa’s general store. Everyone knew everyone else and was friendly and welcoming. Yet, a few hidden secrets did come to light from time to time. As I wrote the book and developed Willow Springs, I drew from childhood memories of the people and places in this small town. I wanted to give the readers the same feelings for Willow Springs that my dad’s hometown always gave me. Interesting side note, there is a real town called Willow Springs in my home state, but it’s 300 miles from the tiny town I drew inspiration from.
When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Book Two is already available! Murdered by the Blooms will celebrate its first birthday on October 14th. This second installment lets us get to know Jillian’s sister, Amanda better as a murder occurs right behind her beloved flower shop. She and Jillian get drawn into the mystery as someone is also threatening harm to Amanda. A few new characters pop up (as they will in each book) as I continue to build and develop Willow Springs and its cast of fun, quirky characters. As is my goal with each book, Book 2 is full of plot twists and turns, red herrings and chapter-ending cliffhangers that reviewers have said kept them fully engaged in the story.
Welcome to Willow Springs where people are friendly, business is booming, and romance is in the air. But not everything is coming up roses because someone has murder on their mind. It’s a big week for Jillian Edwards as she prepares to open her children’s bookstore, Whimsy & Wonder. On Friday night, the people who helped her dream come to life have gathered to celebrate the grand opening. As the evening winds down and the guests disperse, a scream pierces the crisp autumn air. Jillian’s friend has been hit and killed in the street. The driver speeds away into the night. Against everyone’s advice and despite ominous visions of danger from her clairvoyant aunt, Jillian jumps in to help solve the case as clues fall into her lap. Her interference annoys the lead detective, who happens to be her best friend’s husband. It also attracts the killer’s attention making her the next target. Not everything is serious in Willow Springs. Jillian meets Travis, the handsome firefighter who worked the scene of the hit-and-run. From the first time they meet, their physical attraction is undeniable. After a few chance encounters, a heroic life-saving gesture and an intense first date, the pair find themselves with strong feelings for one another. Will the killer be apprehended before Jillian’s life is threatened again? Can she find love amidst the mayhem and murder?
With Love, Karen follows a young Arts Center worker whose extraordinary week with Karen Carpenter in 1975 becomes a lifelong meditation on love, choice, and memory. What inspired you to tell this story?
Coming perilously close to death. My COVID infection had become so severe that I was waiting for a ride to the hospital. I was looking around the room wondering if I should put price tags on everything to ease the burden on my family. While recovering, I came to understand that my most important possession was not a thing; it was the 50-year-old memory of my time with Karen. I wanted to tell the story of that week and explore how a brief connection can shape the way we understand love, the choices we make, and the memories we carry through life.
How did you use the novel’s coming-of-age structure to show John changing during his brief relationship with Karen?
I kept the reader in the moment with John and Karen, without the older narrator stepping in to explain what he would only understand years later. Their conversations gradually reveal that, despite their very different circumstances, they share many of the same needs and fears. Each can see the other more clearly than they can see themselves. Karen’s affection begins to challenge the stories John has told himself since childhood, helping him view his own life with greater compassion. John’s curiosity, in turn, challenges assumptions Karen has long accepted about her work, her success, and her place in the world. Neither resolves those questions that week, but each receives a different way of looking at themselves. My hope is that readers recognize something of themselves along the way.
How do the pressures of Karen’s public life shape the choices she and John face during their week together?
Karen’s public life shapes the circumstances of their week together, but it isn’t the center of their relationship. At one point, John admits he has actually forgotten she is a celebrity because their private time together is so natural. Yet the demands and expectations surrounding her don’t disappear simply because they have developed that ease with each other. As their conversations deepen, John begins to understand how little control Karen seems to have over her own life. During that week, Karen begins to question how much of her life reflects her own wishes and how much reflects what others have come to expect of her.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I have no plans to write another book at this time. I’m grateful that With Love, Karen has connected so deeply with readers. It means a great deal to me that they’ve found joy in Karen and John’s relationship and recognized something of themselves in their conversations and the insecurities they shared.
Two people find themselves facing the same question: “Can I trust someone else’s loving view of who I am more than my own fearful view of myself?” He expected an ordinary workday. She was just looking for a quiet moment offstage… With Love, Karen traces the unexpected bond that formed between a young stagehand and Karen Carpenter during the summer of 1975. What began as a chance encounter grew into a relationship filled with laughter, unguarded moments, and conversations that reached far deeper than either of them anticipated. This isn’t another Carpenters history book. It’s a personal account of one person being truly seen without ever stepping into the spotlight — and of how a superstar could finally be known without stepping out of it. As their relationship deepens, both are forced to examine the paths they are on, the sacrifices they have made, and the unexpected price of becoming the people they thought they wanted to be.
The Seasonal Killer follows five misfit friends who suspect they’ve witnessed a serial killer disposing of a body, but when adults dismiss their claims, the friends launch their own dangerous investigation before the murderer strikes again. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The Seasonal Killer began as a celebration of a time in my life and the friends I had then. Having the protagonists face off against a potentially prolific serial killer was a way to demonstrate, in an extreme way, the insoluble bonds between the characters. Further, I liked the idea of pitting the alleged killer, a man with the veneer of normalcy and conformity, against a group of young outcasts.
How did you develop the five members of the Subpar Squad and their individual personalities, and what role do music, arcade games, comic books, and other cultural details play in establishing the boys’ personalities and friendships?
Developing the characters was the easy part. At that age, these were my best friends. A couple of the main characters were composites of people I grew up with. But the real Subpar Squad knows which characters were modeled after them.
Their shared interests and other cultural details are critically important. Having common interests solidifies their bonds, but the choice of interests is also important. They weren’t athletes or scholars. They didn’t have a support network of parents or teachers. Their interests were escapes. No matter what was happening at school or home, they found an escape in a song or a comic book or game of Dungeons and Dragons. In those worlds, they could be whoever they wanted to be—the only limit was their imagination.
How did you approach building suspense while keeping the boys’ reactions believable for their age and experience?
Keeping it believable based on their age and experience while handling grown-up situations was a challenge, but it was also the most rewarding part. Though my friends and I never investigated a possible serial murderer living next door, there were plenty of adventures and intense experiences from that time to draw from, extrapolating what might have occurred given the personalities involved.
What do you hope younger readers discover about growing up during that period, and what might older readers recognize from their own childhoods?
Certainly, a lot of older readers will recognize, and hopefully enjoy, the cultural trip down memory lane, reliving the sense of freedom and power of imaginative play. For the younger readers, it may be informative about their parents’ childhood, but also, I think the story transcends the period backdrop. After my son read my book, he found the debate about rock guitarists particularly entertaining. He didn’t know the musicians and wasn’t a fan of the style of music, but he could relate it to the spirit of the conversation. He recalled similar lively discussions among his friends about basketball players and teams.
Also, I think most will relate to the friendship bonds at that age. Those bonds allowed you the comfort to passionately speak your opinion while vehemently disagreeing with your friends’ views, occasionally throwing in a brutal insult, still knowing that you were in a safe place. Regardless of what was said, when it mattered, they’d still have your back. It was a golden but transient time, timelessly bittersweet.
Summer, 1981. A time for fireworks, backyard barbeques, and lazing by the pool. But for a small town north of New York City, the tranquility is shattered when dismembered bodies begin appearing in neighboring communities. Evoking memories of the Summer of Sam, terror grips the region as it becomes clear that another psychotic predator is on the prowl.
In the dead of night, five friends believe they’ve witnessed a man disposing of a body. With a history of mischief, no one takes the middle schoolers seriously. Left with no other options, they set out on a daring mission to uncover the truth, which could bring them face to face with a prolific serial killer.
J. W. Murray’s Soliton, the third book in The Winter’s Twins series, is an expansive fantasy about people trying to protect their families while their world moves toward war. Its kingdoms have distinct histories, customs, and ways of surviving, and the growing conflict forces them to reconsider old loyalties. Murray moves between rulers, cloudship crews, displaced communities, and characters whose gifts carry serious responsibilities. There’s plenty of spectacle here, but the strongest reason to keep reading is personal: these people care fiercely about one another, even when grief and misunderstanding make that care difficult to express.
The cloudships are one of the book’s most enjoyable features. Murray pays close attention to wind, altitude, rigging, armor, and the practical challenges of getting a vessel safely through the sky. That detail gives the flying sequences a satisfying physical weight. You can feel how much depends on an experienced navigator or a crew communicating well. The same care extends to ocean currents, mountain travel, and the different demands of cavalry combat. Floating settlements and underwater communities feel connected to the landscapes that sustain them. I especially liked how often knowledge of the environment becomes as valuable as magical power.
Marek and Elenya give the story much of its emotional force. Their worries about their children, their strained communication, and their conflicting obligations make the wider struggle feel immediate. Murray understands how easily love can become anger when someone feels frightened or helpless. Tylene adds an appealing mix of blunt advice, affection, and impatience, while L’dai’s struggle with identity gives the book another compelling emotional thread. There’s also welcome humor in the crews’ banter and the awkwardness of people navigating unfamiliar customs. Those moments let the characters breathe, and they make the relationships more convincing when the pressure increases.
Soliton reminded me of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in its attention to geography, threatened homelands, and the difficult work of bringing different peoples together. Both stories make cooperation feel like an achievement, with courage spread across many characters. Murray gives that broad fantasy structure a distinctive emphasis through aerial warfare and questions about time. Prophecy becomes something characters have to interpret, question, and act upon, often with incomplete information. The tension between a planned future and personal choice is especially engaging. It gives the familiar struggle between light and darkness a specific concern with responsibility and the temptation to control others.
The book asks for an attentive reader. Its many names, titles, factions, and invented terms create a substantial learning curve, and the extensive glossary earns its place. Several conversations revisit ideas about destiny, balance, and sacrifice, which sometimes slows the movement of the story. The strategic discussions are strongest when they reveal competing priorities or personalities alongside the plans. As a third volume, Soliton also assumes investment in relationships and history established earlier in the series. Readers who enjoy detailed fantasy worlds and carefully staged military action should find plenty to appreciate. For me, its best quality is the way family love shapes decisions with consequences far beyond the family itself.
