This book is slow and amazing scifi. It reminds me of "The Martian Chronicles". The preface explains how the words and stories are going to be interwoven and some words are going to be familiar and other are not. Then right into the book they just write like everything is normal without explaining this character looks like X, but you get snippets of scales and tails and wings and heads in baskets like it's all normal. It makes reading a whole discovery, you need to catch all these details as it goes on.

MAYA: Seed Takes Root
Anand Gandhi; Zain Memon

Allegory, Adventure
This is a book into which one could dive deep, study and discuss and apply to real life, perfect for book clubs or classes. I can imagine the discussions on ends and means and the corruption of power. The illustrations are detailed and intriguing and the glossary is thorough.
It also rewards reading for entertainment, not studying the glossaries or the analysis in the introduction, but diving right into the story, the appealing, unusual, diverse characters, the possibilities. Even so, lessons became clear, about power, deception (of others and self), friendship, courage, determination to make things better . . . lessons we can use right now. I found my mind returning to the story as I did household tasks, and yes, ultimate test of a book, unable to sleep until I finished the final pages.

This is an ARC for Maya: Seed Takes Root by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon. I would like to thank Author’s Equity Publishing for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is book one in what the authors plan to be the Maya Narrative Universe. This book is a lot to explain, and it may be difficult to do so without giving away spoilers, but I am going to try my best!

At first, this book can be a bit confusing, with its plethora of creatures, some with high levels of sentience, as well as pets and other animal-like beings. Luckily for us, there is an extensive appendix complete with a dramatis personae, a map, a compendium of the different main races in the book, and a dictionary of terms unique to the book. In other words, it has everything the reader needs to keep from getting lost in the woods.

Another feature of this book that I loved is the illustrations. There is one at the beginning of each chapter, as well as illustrations in the dramatis personae for each race. In my opinion, we need more illustrated books in the fantasy genre.

Enough with the "milk"; now to the "meat."

This is a story about a world where, presumably, all of the citizens link up to Maya trees, which are communal spots spread throughout the different civilizations. Upon linking up, the creatures are able to see the future, as well as interact with it in varying ways. The problem with this is that there is a hegemony of select beings, known as Divya, who manipulate world events based on what the citizens are viewing when connected to the Maya network. Basically, Big Brother is not only watching your actions but is also inside your mind. Everyone must connect to Maya regularly, or there are punishments meted out by the government

The story is told from two main POVs. The majority of the story follows a young Manushya, which is a land-dwelling human race, named Yachay. Yachay has never connected to a Maya tree, and his grandfather molds him into the chosen one who will fix the ills of their corrupt society.

The other point of view is from an assassin named Kshar, who is a member of a race called Naag. These are cobra-like humanoids. He enters the Maya network through bonsai trees away from the central hub and is tasked with assassinating a high-society member who is a candidate to win a contest to become a Divya. Kshar repeatedly enters Maya to find the best way to complete his task, dying multiple times within the network in his attempts. He feels he has to do this to receive medicine for his ailing son.

The creatures in this book range from water beasts to snakes, eagle-type beings, and so many more. They are pretty amazing. Yachay's journey is gripping, and I am really looking forward to book two!

Thank you to NetGalley, Authors Equity Publishing, and AE Titles / S&S Audio for the e-ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an ambitious and wonderfully detailed story that asks readers to be patient at the beginning. The authors warn you that the vocabulary and concepts may feel unfamiliar at first, and they were right, but everything gradually began to come together. Once I understood the world and its systems, I could appreciate how much thought went into the story’s ideas about technology, intelligence, shared knowledge, and the ways information can shape entire societies. The novel is set on Neh, where intelligent species connect through Maya trees that enable shared dreamscapes and glimpses of the future, giving the book a fascinating foundation in science fiction and mythology. The writing is meticulous and packed with detail, but it ultimately builds toward one heck of a story. I enjoyed watching the unfamiliar language and worldbuilding become clearer through context rather than having everything explained immediately. Pairing the audiobook with the e-book was the perfect way for me to experience this book. The narration helped me work through the vocabulary as needed, while having the text in front of me allowed me to revisit passages and absorb some of the denser details at my own pace. This was definitely a more immersive read than a quick one, but I’m glad I took the time with it. The combination of text and audio made the world easier to enter, and by the end I felt rewarded for staying with the story while everything unfolded. I’m especially glad I was able to experience MAYA in both formats because each one added something valuable to the reading experience.

this was a great read!! It does take a bit of time to get fully into it but it's so worth it. The world building is extensive and immersive. The writing style is very detailed and paints amazing scenes over and over. This book will stick with me and I can't wait to read more from this universe (: