Touch of the Elegrian by Cheryl A. Arko – A Thrilling Sci-Fi Debut That Redefines First Contact
Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: March 2025 Themes: First Contact, Prejudice, Redemption, High-Stakes Survival

🚀 Touch of the Elegrian is a gripping sci-fi adventure that will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about human-alien relations. Author Cheryl A. Arko delivers intense worldbuilding, compelling characters, and a mystery that unfolds at breakneck speed.

Plot Summary
Enter the world of Erys, a telepathic Elegrian haunted by his father’s dark past—the failed first contact that shattered trust between his species and humans. Erys has spent years trying to repair the fragile alliance between their worlds, but when sabotage threatens innocent human children, he finds himself facing the ultimate moral dilemma: Expose the traitor among his own kind or uphold the treaty that has barely held civilization together.

Teaming up with a brilliant yet hostile human engineer, Erys must race against time to uncover the conspiracy before lives are lost. The novel explores prejudice, survival, and the burden of legacy, delivering a story that keeps readers hooked until the very last page.

What Makes It Stand Out?
🔥 Unique Sci-Fi Concept: The idea of an alien species struggling to repair their place in interstellar diplomacy is fresh and gripping. 💡 Deep Characters: Erys is not just a hero—he’s flawed, layered, and emotionally conflicted, making him instantly relatable. 🎭 High-Stakes Suspense: Every decision matters, and the mystery drives the tension to exhilarating heights. 📖 Fluid Writing & Immersive Worldbuilding: Arko crafts a story that feels cinematic, pulling readers into a complex universe of politics, danger, and hidden truths.


✨ RATING: ★★★★★ (An instant sci-fi classic!)

The premise of Touch of the Elegrian is fascinating: a telepathic med tech trying to save sick children endangered by the failure of their equipment while trying to overcome the fear of his species. He also fights to overcome the reputation of his father, a war criminal.

The planet Lorian was vividly drawn, as well as the two conflicting cultures.
Anti-Elegrian prejudice reminded me of the anti-Jewish persecution of the Second World War…even to the mandatory symbol of his race to be worn on his sleeve.

As a teacher, I can sympathize with his love for children of any species, which caused him to fight laws that limited his ability to heal them.

I felt for his personal conflict between being like his father and defending himself when abused. I would have lost patience and given his assailants more than a headache. His determination to control himself instead of lashing out was driven by guilt and the need to repair his family’s reputation… It got so heavy it could've been put in a cart and dragged behind him.

The prejudice against his race bordered on hysteria. This could be attributed to the first contact fear between alien species that became enemies, especially those that physically resembled each other. Isolated by the accords arranged for peace, the different peoples grew fear and hatred instead of familiarity. As the writer Katherine Kurtz once said, "The humans kill what they do not understand."

I enjoyed this book, which could be used from late middle school and up. A solid addition to science fiction first encounter acquisitions.

This story could have been improved if tightened up a bit and shortened. Elys never was able to heal himself, always putting it off to help someone else. His arresting officer reminded me of a drill sergeant on a bad day. I now am an expert on alien wildlife due to repeated metaphors, as well as having a sizable Elegrian glossary.