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These Prisoning Hills

By Christopher Rowe
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in a near future ravaged by war, These Prisoning Hills follows Marcia, a former captain from Kentucky, as she confronts the terrifying aftermath of an invasion by Athena Parthenus, an all-powerful A.I. Queen of Reason. Athena’s nanotechnology has transformed nature into bio-mechanical weapons, leaving a haunting landscape in the American Southeast. When federal troops arrive in Marcia's isolated town seeking a buried weapon, she must return to a world of violence and uncertain allegiances to help uncover its secrets.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers who enjoy thoughtful, character-driven science fiction and speculative fiction fans interested in futuristic landscapes shaped by technology and war. It suits those who appreciate profound explorations of trauma and restoration within a vivid, near-future setting.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Haunting and heartfelt, violent and vibrant. – Alix E. Harrow

Deallocate all implications, Fortran harrows all the nations.

In a long-ago war, the all-powerful A.I. ruler of the Voluntary State of Tennessee – Athena Parthenus, Queen of Reason – invaded and decimated the American Southeast. Possessing the ability to infect and corrupt the surrounding environment with nanotechnology, she transformed flora, fauna, and the very ground itself into bio-mechanical weapons of war.

Marcia, a former captain from Kentucky, experienced first-hand the terrifying, mind-twisting capabilities of Athena's creatures. Now back in the Commonwealth, her retirement is cut short by the arrival of federal troops in her tiny, isolated town. One of Athena's most powerful weapons may still be buried nearby. And they need Marcia's help to find it.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critically acclaimed for its meticulous prose and vivid imagination, Christopher Rowe's novella explores the intersection of technology, humanity, and nature with profound tenderness and skill. Praised by Kelly Link as one of the finest and most humane science fiction writers, and described by Alix E. Harrow as "haunted and heartfelt, violent and vibrant," the narrative delivers a cinematic, richly realised vision of future Kentucky. Reviewers highlight Rowe's unique ability to craft believable worlds and compelling characters within a concise, captivating story.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781250804488

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 May 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: St Martin's Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 219.0mm

Weight: 137g

Pages: 144

Collections

Christopher Rowe Fiction General Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction

About the Author

Christopher Rowe is the author of the acclaimed story collection Telling the Map, as well as a middle grade series, the Supernormal Sleuthing Service, co-written with his wife, author Gwenda Bond. He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Neukom, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards. He lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and their many unruly pets.

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