A little girl goes exploring in the woods and falls down in a hole. When she is
found, she is curled up on the surface of a giant hand. That girl, Rose
Franklin, grows up to be a scientist; her crowning achievement is heading the group that is put together to explore the amazing metal hand she
stumbled onto as a child. The hand is excavated and discovered to be constructed of a rare metal, half the weight that it should be from what
is known of the metal's characteristics. Over time, other parts of the figure are discovered all over the world.
When put together, it forms a massive robot in the shape of a woman.
A
team is assembled to study it and determine its purpose, and Rose Franklin now heads up the research team. A pair of pilots from the military are drafted into the program to actually enter and steer the robot. The
female pilot is a strong personality and natural leader who will break rules when she sees a way forward. Her co-pilot is a man more ready to follow the rules.
A Canadian linguist graduate student is brought in to decipher the symbols written on the robot. Controlling them all is a shadowy figure whose name and purpose is never revealed. They discover that the robot is capable of either saving or completely destroying the human race. Which will it be?
This fascinating novel, first in a trilogy, is a quick read told through a series of interviews with the overseer and journal entries from the various individuals involved. The interplay of personalities and the potential for either advancing civilization or destroying
it makes for an engaging read that is hard to put down. This debut novel--a fascinating start for this author--is recommended for science fiction readers.