Terra Insegura by Edward Willet is a science fiction novel with a highly original plot. The storyline centres around the adventures of the Selkie (a modified human meant to live under water) Emily Wood and her mother along with those of Victor Hansen (a clone of the Selkie's creator) and his crew. Marseguro is a water world far away from earth. The people and Selkies of Marseguro have long been victimized by the radical religious group that has taken over Earth, The Body Purified. The Body believe that their duty is to fulfil the wishes of their God and eradicate all the modified humans in existence. Emily's mother had developed a horrific plague that destroyed many of the Body Purified and devastated Earth.
Now, Victor has come to Earth in order to rescue the survivors. However, the surviving Body Purified are trying harder than ever to destroy the mods . Avartar, the Body leader, Karl the first is convinced that the plague is a sign from God that the Body haven't been taking their duty seriously. Now, as all their lives intertwine Earth becomes a battlefield for the survival of all.
This is an engrossing novel that has many unexpected twists and turns. In the beginning it is a little hard to follow, if you haven't read the preceding books, but as the story progresses it all falls into place and becomes a fantastic, entertaining and at times nail-biting read that readers will thoroughly enjoy. Although the end is satisfying it does come abruptly. Fans of Ender's Game will find a good read here although this novel is not quite up to that standard. The characters are quite believeable and the reader is really able to care about them and become drawn into their world. Willet's use of description is great and involved, making the reader really interested in the events of the story and is definitely the novel's biggest strength. The vocabulary sometimes is a little science focused but the context helps to give the reader its definition. The lack of explanation is slightly frustrating but didn't really hinder my overall reading experience. I would recommend Terra Insegura to all fans of science fiction and even to those who want to try reading the genre for the first time.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: San Diego, California United States
