by Ada Palmer
First published 2017
Mycroft Canner serves as an indentured servant to the most powerful leaders of 2454. Three centuries have passed since humanity rebuilt civilization into seven governing Hives after destroying both nations and religions. Statistical prediction and careful censorship maintain this delicate peace. When Mycroft receives orders to investigate a strange robbery, he uncovers evidence of a plot designed to destroy the Hive system. The investigation forces him deeper into a conspiracy that could end their carefully constructed world. But Mycroft guards an even more dangerous secret. He protects a thirteen-year-old named Bridger who possesses an impossible ability. Bridger can perform genuine miracles in a world that eliminated God centuries ago. As the theft investigation spirals into something larger, Mycroft must choose between exposing the conspiracy and protecting the child whose very existence could shatter everything the Hives have built.
Genres: science-fiction, mystery, fantasy, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Hives
Period: 2454
450 pages · Kindle Edition · Head of Zeus