"This superb science fiction novel ... is rousing, moving, and rewarding." - BookLife Reviews (Editor's Pick) "A tale that provides readers with a penetrating and thought-provoking glimpse into a possible not-so-distant future." - Kirkus Reviews "Sci fi that promises to reshape its genre. Wildly original and intelligently drawn." - Reader Views "This thoroughly engaging work of speculative fiction rejuvenated my love for science fiction ... The characters are spellbinding, each shining in their own light and demanding center stage." - Readers' Favorite "A beautifully moving book centered around humanity’s relationship with genetic engineering." - IndieReader Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award Finalist, 2023 Eric Hoffer Awards Grand Prize Shortlister, 2023 Eric Hoffer Awards Honorable Mention, Sci-Fi/Fantasy category, 2023 17th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist Foreword INDIES Finalist, 2022 Indies Today Awards Finalist, 2022 Page Turner Awards Finalist, 2021 Pacific Northwest Writer's Association Literary Contest First-Place Winner, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards Semifinalist, 2020 From an award-winning writer and biomedical researcher comes a science fiction thriller about a man who braves the ruins of our genetic past—and awakens humanity’s sleeping destiny. Brilliant geneticist Howard Wake has one life-defining dream: to advance human evolution, starting with his own kids. Under the radar of agencies that have outlawed all but the tamest science, he builds a tool designed to probe the darkest crypts in the human genome for buried treasure. But rousing ancient DNA from its age-old slumber is a risky undertaking. To create his children safely, Howard needs to enlist Jacqueline Witt, who has engineered a secret of her own. Before he can convince his friend and colleague to help him, Howard is forced to disappear into the science underground. Deciding that it’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, he takes everything he needs with him. Eight years later, Howard’s kids are helping him run a garage lab in Massachusetts—but federal agents are only a step behind, the twins’ sleeping DNA is beginning to stir, and Jacqueline has tracked down the man who stole what she values most ... and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get it back. Fans of Michael Crichton, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Octavia Butler will love this tale of genetic roguery in a world where free inquiry has become a rare and dangerous commodity.