Truth of the divine A novel

Review by Booklist Review

Cora Sabino, working as a translator between the amygdalines and the U.S. government, now shares an empathic connection with the alien known as Ampersand. As Cora and Ampersand's relationship becomes more intimate, Ellis, in the second book in her Noumena series, following Axiom's End (2020), hints at an interspecies romance. But things quickly take a darker turn: the U.S. government wants to deny the amygdalines personhood, a move Cora fears they'll later leverage against any refugee, and another powerful alien arrives, intent on locating Ampersand. Ampersand becomes distant and secretive, and Cora--who is experiencing PTSD from prior events--partners with Kaveh Mazandarani, a wry yet amiable decorated journalist who, like Cora, believes the aliens should be granted full human rights. In the hands of another author, Cora might come across as needy in her relationship with Kaveh, but, instead, readers will feel visceral compassion as she works through her trauma, while Kaveh, in turn, tries to provide the stability she needs to heal. Ellis continues to use her sharp, mid-2000s, first-contact series to delve into serious topics both personal and political.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

The situation with intelligent extraterrestrials on Earth grows ever more complex in bestseller Ellis's brilliantly considered follow-up to Axiom's End, which finds human Cora and alien amygdaline Ampersand navigating a political minefield. While the world's governments debate how many rights, if any, to extend to the amygdalines, unrest builds in the United States due to the lack of public information about the aliens. Out of the turmoil rises the Third Party, advocating a Third Option, a "proposed law that would create an entirely new category of personhood" and severely limit the amygdalines' ability to function within the U.S. without a human chaperone, essentially classifying them as second-class citizens. As the party's extremists grow increasingly violent, things are further complicated by the arrival of yet another amygdaline, this one determined to fulfill a suicide pact with Ampersand. Meanwhile, Cora and Ampersand cope with PTSD amplified by their dynamic fusion bond--and Cora realizes that Ampersand has been less than honest with her. Ellis draws skillful parallels between her science-fictional politics and real world issues, gracefully navigating the difficult topics of discrimination, violent extremism, mental health, and addiction. This thought-provoking novel will linger long in readers' minds. Agent: Christopher Hermelin, the Fischer-Harbage Agency. (Oct.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

In fan-mobbed, Hugo-nominated video essayist Ellis's follow-up to her New York Times best-selling Axiom's End, aliens have arrived amid humans but are not forthcoming about where they are from or why they are here. Then something else vividly crash-lands on Earth, and curious Cora and her father's friend, two-time Pulitzer prize finalist Kaveh Mazandarani, end up bonding when they are taken hostage and pulled into an interstellar battle. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

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