The planet Anjiin may have human inhabitants, but fossil and DNA records reveal that humans are not native to the planet. How they got there, though, is information that has been lost over time. None of that matters when the Carryx arrive, instantly killing 1 out of every 8 humans, and then subjugating the brightest and best humans into service within their hive-like society. The invading force is comprised of a hierarchical structure of multiple alien races, and unfortunately, all of them are physically superior to humans. The story follows a group of researchers who have recently made some important discoveries just before the Carryx arrive. Their skills are valuable to the Carryx, so they are taken to another planet and tasked with doing some research work that is not outside their expertise. The Carryx society has been built over centuries entirely on the backs of enslaved alien species, so they know how to subjugate a race. Resistance is truly futile. Carryx culture is also so different from human society that the researchers don't actually know what is actually expected of them. What is clear though, is the price of failure is extinction for humanity.

It's a decent premise for a series and seems like a ripe environment for interesting story telling. This is not your typical story of a plucky human race banding together and fighting back against a superior alien military. This fight is over before it starts, and the real question is, can these humans suppress their natural tendency to resist enslavement and find a way to succeed when they are no longer the top of the food chain? It all sounds great, until I point out the fact that I haven't mentioned the name of a single character yet. That is because they are all forgettable and boring. Even though James S. A. Corey may have created a new environment that could be as interesting as The Expanse, there is no equivalent to the crew of the Rocinante, which is what made that series special. Sadly, that is completely missing here. The premise is enough for me to move on to book two when it releases, but if you pick this up expecting the same interesting and relatable characters that Corey created in The Expanse then you will be disappointed. I know I was.

Jefferson Mays narrates the audiobook version and he is the same narrator who narrated the Expanse. He is an excellent narrator, but even he could not make the characters in this one interesting.