Relics of Andromeda is Volume 1 in the Song of the Ancients series about the colonists of Andromeda, who discovered dangerous time-bending relics long before the story's protagonist, Anka, was born.

The uncovering of relics with the power to mess with human psychology and perception led to chaos. Now Anka is tasked with the dangerous mission of carrying a relic on her person to deposit it elsewhere: a relic known for speaking to humans and luring them with heart's desires and emotion-twisting power.

The history and basic premise of the relics is set forth in just a few succinct, informative pages...then the real action begins. It turns out that Anka's mission is far more deadly then even she thinks, because time travel, tricks of the mind, the abandonment of traditional ways of dealing with the relics, and subterfuge mark her task and teach her and her companions that the mission involves more than they'd been led to believe.

Their efforts involve a reassessment of the power and meaning of the relics which have been carefully regulated and controlled since humanity stumbled upon them, and Anka winds up at the heart of a conflict that swirls around the relics, their meaning, and their management.

What gives Relics of Andromeda such a unique, compelling flavor is its interactions between people, machines, high technology, and aliens. Anka's exploration delves into perceptions of self and others even as she faces some difficult truths about the meaning, power, and impact of the relics on all their lives.

As political clashes and battles take over Anka's life, she finds herself struggling with a tradition that dictates she must passively wait for the situation to worsen as forces on different sides gather power in preparation for battle. There's also romance in the wind, as Anka had chosen fellow tribesman Trevor to be her mate, and jealousy and strife emerge from this decision, as well.

It should be cautioned that Relics of Andromeda is no light read. A lexicon at book's end defines and explains history, characters, and politics, and should ideally be reviewed before reading begins. The advantage of this lexicon is twofold: it provides and synthesizes background information key to understanding setting, history, and events; and it condenses this background information into its own area so that the story line can flow seamlessly without the need for injecting constant explanations throughout.

This allows for a smoother reading of the story, which is free to focus on Anka's dilemmas, choices, actions, and impact without having to constantly divert into necessary background history.

Readers will find Relics of Andromeda a multifaceted production indeed. It pairs military clashes, cultural and technological struggles with a young woman's mission and experiences with power beyond her experience, and a tribal history of a legend that of necessity requires revision. The result is a thoroughly engrossing, unpredictable first contact story about a young female warrior facing grief, courage, endings and new beginnings.

Without spoilers, suffice it to say that the crescendo of action leads to a conclusion out of left field that is a satisfyingly gripping approach, injecting the story's growing sense of mystery and the unexpected into the reader's experience.

Relics of Andromeda's powerful action is well worth the read and lingers in the mind long after its final, vivid conclusion.