Sue Burke

I read this immediately after reading Adrian Tchaikovsky's [b:Children of Time|35228265|Children of Time|Adrian Tchaikovsky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495808767l/35228265._SX50_.jpg|45276208]. The two share a major theme in delving into the nature and behavior of a non-human intelligence. I'll avoid dropping spoilers in this review, but will say that Burke's primary alien was one I hated to part company with when the book ended. She created a great cast of characters. And even though the first generation of colonists from Earth seemed a little over-earnest, it was entirely believable that the first people to leave the planet in disgust would be a little over-the-top in their convictions. So don't be put off by their idealism when you read Symbiosis (as you should).
On re-reading a coupld of years later, I appreciated the underlying botany even more. And there were nuances to the characters and their story arcs that I appreciated more, as well. I am happy to bump it up to 5 stars.… (mais)