Book Review: Ivory Trees

About the Book

Ancient tech draws dangerous unwanted attention in New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Ivory Trees, the thrilling new standalone novel in her award-winning Diving series.

When the discovery of a bunker reveals a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, interested parties throughout the Empire—from collectors to academics to researchers—want a piece of the action. But the finds draw attention from outside the Empire as well. Attention from someone willing to do whatever it takes to outmaneuver the Empire and secure the collection.

Set in Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s expansive Diving Universe, Ivory Trees introduces exciting new characters and events to this powerfully written series, while also offering some tantalizing Easter eggs from previous Diving novels.

As suspense builds to a fevered intensity, this tantalizing new novel mixes the best of heist fiction and space opera and proves Rusch’s place as a master of science fiction.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Ivory-Trees-Diving-Universe-Novel-ebook/dp/B0CKBF9X6N/r

My Review

I received a digital copy of Ivory Trees, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, as a reward from the Ivory Trees Kickstarter campaign at the bottom tier. Ivory Trees: A Diving Universe Novel was not what I expected. Somehow, the series title lead me to believe that the story would take place under water. However, as the cover portrays, this story is a science fiction tale taking place in the vast reaches of space.

Rush has created an intriguing universe, where it’s difficult to tell who the good guys are, with complex characters which are likable and relatable. Multiple points of view allow this story of action and intrigue unfold. Everybody has an angle and lives are at stake. Honestly, I wasn’t sure who to root for in this story, as the alien race whom I believed to were supposed to be the good guys seem to be the aggressors, while the Enteran military on the planet of Wry, whom I think are supposed to be the bad guys, seem to just be defending the items that they find in their possession.

When ancient artifacts are discovered, including the legendary and valuable ivory trees, there’s profit to be made. But the people who have possession of these precious artifacts have no idea what they really are; dangerous weapons from an alien technology which are highly unstable, and the race that created them is determined to get them back at any cost.

As a part of a series, this complex, multiple character, multiple storyline tale is one that science fiction and space opera fans are sure to love. I found many of the storylines seemed to just drift away, hopefully to be picked up in future volumes. Because many things were left unresolved for the series, as a stand alone, I found the ending less than satisfying. I give Ivory Trees four quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.