Accelerated Growth Environment

A Climasphere supporting every biome on Earth! I have been looking forward to a book like this an I finally found it in Accelerated Growth Environment! The Climasphere is thriving until there is an explosion and Dr. Jorna Benson, the Principal Scientist is the prime suspect. Now Dr. Benson is racing and running out of time to clear her name! This is a sapphic romance that has cults and eco-terrorism. Although short I really enjoyed this ARC so much that I picked it up! It was a uniques read for me and I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

We need more books today that show us a future that helps us imagine ways in which we can use science and technology to find solutions for dire global problems, like climate change. This book not only offers us a compelling vision of one such solution to the problem of declining biodiversity, but it also features a character who has escaped a thought prison that would choose inaction in the face of such problems, and continues to heal throughout the course of the story. There are several compelling parallels that run throughout this taut thriller, featuring lots of cool tech and compelling romantic tension. Can recommend for anyone looking for a bit of hope in an otherwise dreary timeline!

Accelerated Growth Environment is a new Cli-Fi novella length story, one of my favorite jams. The story centers around the Climasphere, an oceangoing vessel that contains and replicates biomes from around the world. It’s one of a fleet of these new ships, intended to help replenish depleted biospheres. The plants within grow quickly in this specialized environment, hence the title.Honestly, the title was my least favorite part of the book. I think the author was going for a metaphor here, but it fell a little flat.That said, the rest of the book more than made up for that small issue. It’s told from the point of view of Jorna, a woman who escaped from an anti-technology cult as a child and grew up to be a specialist in biology and biospheres. It’s her job to make sure the plants keep growing and everything in the Climasphere is running smoothly.A series of small glitches begins to build up to something larger, and she has to figure out what’s going on before it is too late.Her past haunts her, as does a chance encounter with the captain of the ship, Commander Kayser, with whom she had a very brief romantic fling before finding out Kayser was her new boss. And when her past decides to stop haunting her and shows up in her present day life, everything goes to hell.I loved the idea of the Climasphere, as well as her personal assistant AI sidekick Savvy. There’s a great thread of hope here, combined with tensionm as one thing after another goes wrong in the great ship and Jorna gets the blame.There’s also a will-they won’t-they queer romance between Jorna and Ava Kayser that faces a series of speed bumps, as the two try to navigate their work relationship and their potential personal one.An enjoyable read. I love the blending of solarpunk, and hopepunk, with just a splash of mystery. The author also does a great job with the side characters, giving each their own personalities that add texture of the story.Highly recommended.

What a great novella! Lauren C. Teffeau packs a lot in these pages, from the climasphere's rich and fascinating setting to the character's past and growth. The romantic subplot was adorable and fit perfectly with the rest of the story. I gobbled it up in just a few hours.

This book is ideal for a short, no-nonsense action read when you don’t have the bandwidth to commit to a longer scifi novel. Featuring eco-terrorism, cults, and a little romance, it’s a perfect palate cleanser after a heavier read. Perfect for fans of books like To be Taught, If Fortunate and Full Speed to a Crash Landing.The plot heavily focuses on the two female leads, both strong, smart, powerful women. While I think that the character arcs and romantic subplot would have benefitted from a longer, more complex book, the novella does what it sets out to do: gives the reader lots of action with a side helping of yearning. I greatly enjoyed the AI robot assistant, which is hardly a surprise with my affinity for robots in fiction. If you enjoyed The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport, the robot here has similar vibes.Short, fast-paced, and ultimately enjoyable, this was a good book to take a break with after some recent emotionally heavy reads.Thank you to Netgalley and Shiraki Press for generously providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.