This is the first volume in a projected trilogy set in the universe ofBrin's Hugo-winning The Uplift War. It's a multivoice narrativeconcerning the six diverse cultures living on the banned planetJijo--and what happens to their peaceful society when more humans arrivethere via starship, searching for species to ``uplift'' by bringingthem to the next level of sentience. Because, long ago, the advancedBuyur civilization declared Jijo off-limits in order to preserve itsecology, the species that have secretly sought sanctuary on the planethave been expecting a ``Judgment Day'' on which the starfaring raceswill punish them for ignoring the ban. Focusing on narratives from theplanet's inhabitants, including the three human children of thepaper-crafter Nelo (one a mathematician/linguist, one a religiousconservative, one an expert Tracker), and on diary entries from thealiens Asx and Alvin, as well as on the thoughts of a mysterious humanstarfighter whose memory was badly damaged during his crash-landing onJijo, the story line follows the characters' attempts to respond incivilized ways to the devastating changes wrought by the arrival of thehuman starfarers. While the narrative does not so much conclude assimply stop in midstream, it describes a universe that's immenselyappealing, leaving readers hungry for more of this exciting, epicadventure.