An asteroid almost destroys life on earth, erasing technology overnight. The few survivors must adapt to survive a harsh new world, and they do. As the planet heals over millions of years, humanity's descendants evolve into three distinct species.
The erdwons are plains people, sprinters with cheetah-like legs and long tails for counterbalance. The skywons are flyers, split into the feudal dayflyers and the reclusive nightflyers. As for the feshwons, they returned to the water.
Three separate human species, each with its own culture, religious beliefs, and internal politics, nonetheless maintain an uneasy, long-standing peace.
A mysterious force, however, threatens erdwon, feshwon, and skywon alike. Erdwon clans are disappearing, leaving no trace of their passing. Something is taking them...but why?
For Tor, a young erdwon, the disappearances are troubling, but they pale against the challenges of adolescence. The fourteen-year-old must cope with constant bullying from his cousin, and has just been surprised with a dangerous traditional rite of passage.
Tor doesn't need more problems, but a chance encounter by the edge of a steep cliff pits him against the force behind the disappearances. Tor has a chance to save erdwon, skywon, and feshwon alike, but first he needs to survive.
About the Author: Eric Andreas is an environmental and natural resources attorney who works in Washington, DC. Before becoming an attorney, he worked as a marine geologist in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Andreas holds an undergraduate geology degree from Boston University, a master's degree in geology from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a law degree from Pace University School of Law with a certificate in environmental law.
Passionate about the natural sciences, Andreas lives just north of DC in Montgomery County, Maryland, with his wife, three children, two dogs, cat, and rabbit. He is the author of Origins Rising, a young-adult novel inspired when his younger daughter asked if humans could evolve. In addition to writing fiction, Andreas plays guitar and writes music, and he occasionally can be found on the tennis courts or ski slopes.
