Wild Flowers, Electric Beasts by Alina Leonova

Two species of humans — one technologically advanced and one living in nature — have coexisted peacefully on their home planet for over a century. But when an ancient treaty is breached, devastation follows. Balika has always felt like an outsider. When tragedy strikes, she is left without a reason to remain with her tribe. Looking for a place where she can belong, she leaves the familiar forest and ventures into the desert to bond with a mythical animal through music. But her forgotten life calls her back when she discovers an unexpected threat to her land. Sammah works long hours as an experience developer and returns to his tiny apartment alone. He suffers from anxiety and spends most of his time in the virtual world. He opens up to a friendship with a colleague, but just when things start to look up, he gets trapped in a strange and dangerous affair. He might either lose himself, or the only person he truly cares about. Struggling to make the right choices, they get pulled into a brewing disaster. Their worlds are about to collide, and their paths are fated to cross. Caught on different sides of the conflict, Balika and Sammah take up the fight in their own ways. If they want to save what they love most, they must risk everything. Will that be enough?

Adult • Science Fiction • Science Fiction/Agripunk, Hopepunk, and Solarpunk • Science Fiction/Cyberpunk and Biopunk • Science Fiction/Soft SF

Content Warning: violence, death (including death of a loved one, death of a parent, death of a child), bullying, torture, blood, language. *Even though the book is ultimately hopeful, it contains some violent scenes that some readers might find difficult. Please be careful if you are sensitive to the above.

Clockwork

There are several reasons you should read this book. First of all, it's two stories in one, and few books manage to hold all threads up this well. Secondly, it's an actual story; not in the sense that it really took place but that it very well could in our world.