If Tomorrow Comes: Yesterday’s Kin, Book 2

An extraterrestrial virus continues to threaten two different human species in this capable sequel to 2017’s Tomorrow’s Kin. Traveling to the alien world of Kindred, Dr. Marianne Jenner hopes to continue the development of a Terran vaccine that will grant immunity to Kindred’s human colonists, who were removed from Earth 140,000 years ago before the first viral outbreak. Unfortunately, the bitter aftermath of the second outbreak on Earth leads to revenge-minded Terrans and scheming scientists and diplomats coming to Kindred. Stranded on the planet, Jenner and her colleagues, watched over by a squad of U.S. Army Rangers with an increasingly suspicious commander, have to manufacture a solution to the oncoming viral cloud that threatens to destroy the settlement. Kress, known for taking on challenging topics, here tackles the notion of pacifists going to war, as those on Kindred gear up to fight for the survival of their peaceful civilization. The vibrant Kindred culture (matrilineal, ecological, communal) and its effect on the visiting Terrans is attractive enough to compel readers past the occasional obvious plot setups. Agent: Eleanor Wood, Spectrum Literary. (Mar.)