A philosophical journey that is intellectually rich and thoroughly enjoyable.
On Wednesday morning, Aurelia Tueri died. But thanks to the technology she received as a refugee to Senhika, death was only a temporary situation. While Aurelia is glad to be alive, having a fancy AI enhancement wasn’t an advancement she asked for. Still, when she awakens with superpowered senses and increased brain function, Aurelia can’t help but be excited about her own potential and purpose. The Commander-in-Chief’s lead researcher asks Aurelia to help expand Ascend, and she accepts the assignment, though it seems she has little freedom to choose another path. As Ascend is upgraded and refined, strange things happen to Aurelia, both in the lab and in her dreams. The Commander demands secrecy, obedience, and submission, but the more Aurelia learns and experiences, the less she can comply. Concerning her involvement with Ascend, she is given a prophetic ultimatum from an enigmatic soldier with dubious credentials. “Depending on your actions, the human race will either devolve into an era of renewed darkness or it will expand into something entirely new.” The soldier leaves Aurelia questioning everything from who she can trust to the very nature of God. She has never had the luxury of indulging in deep spiritual meditations or existential questions while enduring life under Senhika, but Ascend has opened a portal that cannot be closed, one of understanding and consciousness itself.
Cybernetic human developments set in a post-apocalyptic landscape are only the beginning of the ethereal adventures in Giving Root. Nick Ringe’s elaborate storytelling pulls readers into a nuclear disaster aftermath before fully revealing the spiritual core that underpins the protagonist’s courageous journey. This visionary tale is sensorily conveyed in shades and feelings, even as the plot’s well-defined edges cement it as dystopian speculative fiction of the highest order. The novel flawlessly blends haunting what-ifs with consequential what-it-means ideas, and there is never a moment when the deeper themes or abstract ideas become suffocating or hijack the unfolding plot. Though audiences aren’t in a singular position to put an end to the cosmic cycle of suffering and domination as Aurelia is, her actions and reactions feel relatable, particularly as she learns to embrace self-love. Lending a post-modern feel to a mind-bending transformation storyline, Ringe’s techno-fable invites readers to question autonomy, search for strength, and infuse gratitude into their own lives. A classic survivors-after-the-end-of-the-internet story with a spiritual twist, Giving Root is a philosophical journey that is intellectually rich and thoroughly enjoyable.
