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Powers That Be
352 pages
A cozy, frost-bitten sci-fi journey about a broken soldier finding healing and a fierce sense of home on a sentient ice planet.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping out of a harsh, sterile corporate office into a breathtaking, snow-swept wilderness that somehow knows your name. It unfolds at a steady, comforting pace, wrapping the reader in a wintry but deeply cozy atmosphere where the harshness of the elements is offset by the warmth of the local community. The narrative balances pragmatic, boots-on-the-ground sci-fi with a wondrous, almost magical reverence for nature and ecology. You are pulled into a deeply satisfying emotional arc of healing, watching a broken, cynical veteran slowly thaw and find her true purpose among genetically engineered locals and a sentient world. It is a perfect, comforting escape for readers who love found family, ecological mysteries, and stories where community triumphs over corporate greed.
- Mood
- wintry
- cozy
- wondrous
- atmospheric
- Tone
- earnest
- pragmatic
- hopeful
- warm
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- healing and recovery · sentient nature · found family · anti-corporate rebellion · ecological harmony
- The writing
- Accessible and warmly descriptive, balancing pragmatic military observation with a deep reverence for the natural world.
- The arc
- A journey from cynical, broken isolation to vibrant health and fierce, community-driven belonging.
- Who it's for
- Fans of cozy, character-driven science fiction who crave stories about healing, found family, and sticking it to greedy corporations.
Content notes
- chronic illness
- corporate exploitation
- military trauma
About the book
Strange things were happening on the icy planet called Petaybee. Unauthorized genetically engineered species had been spotted, while some people were simply disappearing. None of the locals were talking to the company, so the company sent disabled combat veteran Yanaba Maddock to spy. But a strange thing happened. With her relocation to the arctic planet came a return of Yana's health and strength. And the more she got to know the people of Petaybee, the more determined she became to protect her new home....From the Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
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