The Final Chronicle of Yeneh, by Jo Miles

 

Review copy provided by the publisher, who is also my publisher, and Jo is a friend.

Ada is the heir not only to a duchy on another planet, but also a tradition of portal fantasy, beloved by many and written by her ancestor. She has spent her life striving for her stern, authoritarian grandfather's approval. The planet outside and its biological wonders have been last on her consideration list.

But when she runs into an old classmate who is trying desperately to get his botanical research in before the alien habitat is destroyed, she starts to question her assumptions about the planet outside--and about her ancestor's research for her beloved novels. What has she been missing all this time--and what did he miss generations ago? The richness of alien life is far beyond what she's seen before. Ada enters into a desperate race to convince her grandfather of the importance of beings beyond his assumptions and join in her classmate's efforts to find out more. If you love Narnia or rhizomes--or especially if you're like me and love both--this is for you.