Title: Mirus
Author: Elaine Noel
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6929-3
Pages: 139
Genre: Science Fiction
Reviewed by: Gabriella Harrison

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In Elaine Noel’s science fiction novel, “Mirus,” Marie Sayer, a brilliant physics engineer, has her world shaken when her best friend disappears on the starship Foreigner. The starship was designed by her employer, Space Link. Tensions rise when their Gacian client, Gacian Ore, accuses them of foul play. The Gacians insist that Space Link allowed a nano-virus to infiltrate the starship during production, which resulted in its disappearance while in space. However, Space Link insists on their innocence, even though there are gaps in the narrative.

Marie is determined to uncover the cause of the starship’s disappearance, but she is suddenly assigned to a mission in Mirus when its highly-valuable tower shuts down due to failed promises from its leader and rising hostilities in the land. Mirus is the birthplace of her late mother and a planet she has successfully avoided since birth. However, it is a mission she can’t wiggle out of. Upon her arrival, she receives a warm welcome from the Miruns, who have been waiting for her, believing she is the answer to their problems based on an ancient prophecy. She soon realizes that the crisis is more sinister than she thought, and Mirus urgently needs her help to avoid extermination. The more time she spends on the planet, the more she questions Space Link’s motives, and it doesn’t help that her father is its vice president.

The book contains sufficient intrigue, with various characters having hidden agendas and disclosing half-truths. The world-building is a creative addition to the speculation about the solar system and what life on other planets is like. The narration wields tools like conflict and action to drive the story as a team assembles to save the planet from opportunistic powers causing the planet to wither. This brings to the fore the trustworthiness of Space Link.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but there is a helpful character list at the end of the book. Character diversity is one of the key features I liked about the book. It has a broad spectrum of species like Gacians, Varsies, Miruns, Phrygians, Mixolydians, Dorians, etc. The species are distinguished by their physical attributes and gifts. For example, the Miruns are mind readers, the Varsies are skilled at construction, and the Dorians can shape-shift. When Marie first arrives on Mirus, she experiences culture shock and spends some time adjusting to the new planet. Finally, the book’s conclusion wraps things up nicely while leaving room for a potential sequel.

“Mirus” is an engaging and imaginative novel about the solar system that anyone looking to explore another world will enjoy.