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Wurl #1
Life Seed (1)
Book One They came to New Skye in search of a better future. The colonists, descendants of the brave people who set out to reach a new planet, found a beautiful world, rich beyond their wildest expectations. Except for one thing. Crops will not grow in the soil of New Skye―not the way they should―and humans cannot eat the native animals. Desperate feats of botanical engineering have kept the colony alive, but time is running out as food becomes more scarce. Elias Trost will not sit idly by while his colony starves. The one hope for a solution is the Life Seed, a dormant plant organism kept under lock and key at the heart of the colony. In desperation, Elias steals the Life Seed to return it to its rightful place, making him an outcast in the unforgiving winter world. Pursued by colony soldiers armed to the teeth, including his former best friend, Tristan MacLeod, Elias soon runs afoul of a far greater threat. The wurl, the deadly reptiles that besiege the colony, are tracking him too, and they appear to be more intelligent than the colonists ever knew….
444 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 19, 2021
About the author
Albert Nothlit
17 books27 followers Albert Nothlit is an engineer who loves thinking about the science behind science fiction. He fell in love with literature ever since Where the Red Fern Grows made him cry as a ten-year-old. Growing up as a gay man, he realized that he had rarely been able to truly connect with the characters he read about in books because almost none of them were like him. He didn’t have any fictional role models to look up to. Now that he is a writer, he tries to convey the joy and pride of being different through his own books, celebrating the fact that each unique voice brings something special to the beautiful chorus that is human artistic creation.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 26, 2023
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this sci-fi adventure and am looking forward to reading its the sequel/conclusion.
February 9, 2022
Masterpiece.
Although there was very veeeeery little romance :(, it was an awesome and innovative story. I cant wait for book 2!!!!!!!! :D
Although there was very veeeeery little romance :(, it was an awesome and innovative story. I cant wait for book 2!!!!!!!! :D
March 9, 2022
I love sci-fi. I love gay. Gay sci-fi? sign me up!
Though the actual romance of the book isn't so much of a slow burn as a small candle, it was still there even if it wasn't the focus of the book. It did drag a bit in the middle for me, but it picked up very quickly and the last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat.
I'm anxiously waiting for the second book. If anything happens to Narv I will kill everyone and then myself.
Though the actual romance of the book isn't so much of a slow burn as a small candle, it was still there even if it wasn't the focus of the book. It did drag a bit in the middle for me, but it picked up very quickly and the last quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat.
I'm anxiously waiting for the second book. If anything happens to Narv I will kill everyone and then myself.
October 31, 2021
This book thoroughly surprised me with how good it was!!!
April 2, 2022
Wow
Loved this story so much. I like better sex scenes.. this was too PG for me but everything else was beyond awesome!!!
Loved this story so much. I like better sex scenes.. this was too PG for me but everything else was beyond awesome!!!
March 3, 2023
I quite liked this. The cover is gorgeous, first off -- all of this guy's covers are, actually, so props to the artist, Stef Masciandaro! (If I ever work up the courage to try and get my novels published again, I'm going to beg her for a cover.)
Good things about the book: great (main) character development, specifically with Elias (overt) and Sizzra (subtle). The romance subplot is perfectly woven in with the main plot -- it never feels forced or fabricated or inserted. That finesse is really hard to do! The world of New Skye is also incredibly lush, well-developed and engaging, and the wurl are really interesting creations that I've not seen before in spec fic. So all that's great. Also, the book itself, as a physical thing, is well-made. I bought the mass market paperback, and I loved how dense and solid it felt in my hands... though I did have to work to keep it open enough to read along the inside groove.)
Bad things about the book: it takes a bit to get going, so give it time. The side characters, including Tristan, are not as well-developed as they could be, but this is due largely to the fact that Elias is alone for most of the novel. Those parts when Elias is on his own dragged a bit as well, but as soon as an Other was introduced, things picked up right away. I do wish we had more of the romance, but I think there'll be time for that in the sequel. (I really, really want to know when Tristan developed feelings for Elias -- did he have them all along, or did they bloom during their time in the Crescent Valley? His emotional life before Elias is very blank, and that's frustrating.)
Things that are either bad or good depending on how you feel about it: The author is an engineer, and it shows. I wouldn't say the science here gets too technical, but there is a lot of focus on it. I was a biochemistry major for a short time, so I quite enjoyed the emphasis, but for some people it may get dull.
Lastly, a caveat: this is NOT a standalone novel, and I would strongly suggest, if you get past the slower beginning, make sure you have the second book nearby, because you'll be very angry if you have to wait for it once you get to the end of this one.
Good things about the book: great (main) character development, specifically with Elias (overt) and Sizzra (subtle). The romance subplot is perfectly woven in with the main plot -- it never feels forced or fabricated or inserted. That finesse is really hard to do! The world of New Skye is also incredibly lush, well-developed and engaging, and the wurl are really interesting creations that I've not seen before in spec fic. So all that's great. Also, the book itself, as a physical thing, is well-made. I bought the mass market paperback, and I loved how dense and solid it felt in my hands... though I did have to work to keep it open enough to read along the inside groove.)
Bad things about the book: it takes a bit to get going, so give it time. The side characters, including Tristan, are not as well-developed as they could be, but this is due largely to the fact that Elias is alone for most of the novel. Those parts when Elias is on his own dragged a bit as well, but as soon as an Other was introduced, things picked up right away. I do wish we had more of the romance, but I think there'll be time for that in the sequel. (I really, really want to know when Tristan developed feelings for Elias -- did he have them all along, or did they bloom during their time in the Crescent Valley? His emotional life before Elias is very blank, and that's frustrating.)
Things that are either bad or good depending on how you feel about it: The author is an engineer, and it shows. I wouldn't say the science here gets too technical, but there is a lot of focus on it. I was a biochemistry major for a short time, so I quite enjoyed the emphasis, but for some people it may get dull.
Lastly, a caveat: this is NOT a standalone novel, and I would strongly suggest, if you get past the slower beginning, make sure you have the second book nearby, because you'll be very angry if you have to wait for it once you get to the end of this one.
January 29, 2022
Nice world building
I really like how the writer constructed the world, I'm not the biggest fan of the character building. I also don't feel much of a connection to the human colony because the short time Elias was there, everyone wasn't that great to him. It built a bit of a disconnect.
It's hard for me to get on the humans' side when they're so hard headed and are also the invaders. I
I really like how the writer constructed the world, I'm not the biggest fan of the character building. I also don't feel much of a connection to the human colony because the short time Elias was there, everyone wasn't that great to him. It built a bit of a disconnect.
It's hard for me to get on the humans' side when they're so hard headed and are also the invaders. I
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews