Neuen is a planet of extremes, thanks to a crawling rotation rate. Nights of bitter cold. Days of searing heat. For Levi Zetmer and the other Reisende, survival means a nomadic existence chasing the ever-shifting twilight. Exiled from the polar cities for their “flawed” genetics, they live under constant surveillance, forced to cleanse their bloodlines birth by birth.
It’s Lyn’s job to keep them on track. A polar city denizen, she travels from Reisender settlement to settlement and monitors the genomes of the newborns. The work is lonely and tedious until all the inhabitants of a neighboring settlement mysteriously die, and Lyn is tasked with uncovering the cause of the deaths.
For the journey, she needs help from Reisende knowledgeable in plagues and blights. Levi’s expertise in the latter earns him a place in her expedition. But all their efforts yield only questions, and whatever killed the others seems poised to wipe out Levi’s settlement next.
Lyn is determined to find a solution. Levi is dead set on learning the truth. Together they just might be able to unravel the mystery. Will what they learn finally free the Reisende from their age-old shackles? Or will the truth break them?
Neuen is a science fiction mystery with genetic engineering and botany. It is the second novel in the Alfom shared universe but is also a standalone read.
BUY FROM THE AUTHOR
(paperback and hardcover US and UK only)
Companion Story
Reviews for Neuen
Views From Other Planes review
From readers:
“Neuen feels like a “meaty” novel, realistic like our own lives with a lot of people and layers…I loved taking it all in, and I couldn’t wait to pick it back up whenever I had to put it down.” –Matthew Futter
“Neuen is like nothing I’ve ever read—and I mean that in the best, most mind-blown way possible…If you love sci-fi that’s bold, inventive, and emotionally rich, Neuen is calling your name. It’s truly a world of its own—and you’ll be glad you got lost in it.” –Nicole
“I rarely ever devour books this fast.” –Vitobito
“…after about the 5th chapter I had to read it all in one sitting. The mysteries were just too compelling.” –Alex Heinke
“It asks uncomfortable questions and lets them breathe. For readers drawn to political undertones, quiet resistance, and speculative worlds that feel eerily plausible, this one will linger.” –Jess Jay
See all the reviews and ratings on Goodreads here.
The World of Neuen
The People
The people of Neuen include the nomadic, low-tech Reisende and the polar city, high-tech Dipoli. Itinerates are Dipoli that travel to the Reisende settlements, monitoring the genomes of the newborns. Reisende and Dipoli were once one and the same, before their stances on genetic engineering caused a war ages past. Now, the Reisende must cleanse their genomes of the genetic tampering before they can return to live in the polar cities.
Labspawn
The genetic engineering conflict resulted in the creation of countless genetic chimeras by the Reisende’s ancestors. These are the labspawn. Even with the conflict long past, the labspawn somehow manage to survive on the hostile planet. They wander the day-night interface, attacking Itinerates and Reisende alike.
Luftors
The air of Neuen is too thin to breathe, hence the need for the ONi crystallites. These are a solid form of oxygen and nitrogen that are grown on the luftor trees. They are the most precious crop of the Reisende.