Earth-Ground by Rena Marks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When futuristic Earth finds alien DNA and creates a new species of hybrids in hidden labs, Dr. Robyn Saraven helps the “creatures” escape. She uses her connections to establish their own city on Earth-Ground, where they can learn, grow, and avoid the corruption and greed that created them. 

But peace doesn’t come easy. The new beings have memories that rise to the surface, along with the unknown traits of their ancestors. All the while, Earth watches and leaks information to the press. 

Unfortunately, some secrets are best left unknown.

A New Community Rises

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚❤️🩷
Heat/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😀😛😘😍

🎧 Book Review: Earth-Ground (Genetically Altered Humans, #2)

Author: Rena Marks
Genre: Science Fiction Romance

👥 Character Information and Plot Dynamics

Dr. Robyn Saraven, Dr. Amanda Becker, and the Xeno Sapiens are finally relocating to the self-sustaining Earth Ground compound that Robyn designed for them. She secured full support from the Global Government, which agreed that the small city would operate with complete autonomy. Anyone who entered their territory without permission would be subject to the community’s own laws, and the government would have no authority to intervene. To ensure a safe transition from the island to the compound, the government even provided military escorts.

Amanda brings her own network of powerful allies, including several new doctors and her brother Jason, a former military operative who has assembled a security team dedicated to protecting the compound. The Xeno Sapiens have become widely known after Robyn’s live-streamed broadcasts exposed the cruelty they endured at Crested Utilitarian Labs and documented their escape and recovery on the island. Their fame has brought admiration and support, but it has also attracted hostility from those who view the hybrids as unnatural and believe they should not exist.

The danger from Crested Ute has not disappeared either. The executives are preparing to stand trial, yet several key figures, including Dr. Meade and his team of unhinged scientists, remain at large. Meade is determined to revive the project or create a new one, and Robyn fears that the lab she worked in might not have been the only facility conducting these experiments.

🌟 Strengths

• I loved watching the Xeno Sapiens begin building a new community from the ground up. It was exciting to imagine how they would shape their own society and what choices they would make as they established their independence.

• Just like in the first book, the far future setting is one of the highlights. Rena Marks has a talent for weaving in futuristic technology in ways that feel imaginative and fun. I especially enjoyed the idea of round spacecraft that rise above the atmosphere and use Earth’s rotation to travel across the globe in minutes. I have no idea if that is scientifically accurate, but it is exactly the kind of inventive detail I enjoy in science fiction.

• I also appreciated the evolution of the Xeno Sapiens’ abilities. Their powers are not static. They grow and shift in ways that feel organic. Steele’s telepathic skill is a great example. He has always been able to communicate mentally, but now he can be pulled directly into another person’s mind and see what they see. Developments like this keep the story fresh.

💔 Limitations

• The worldbuilding around human appearance felt inconsistent. In the first book, we learned that centuries of post war genetics had reduced physical variation. Traits like dark skin, hooded eyes, and red hair had become rare, and when they did appear they were celebrated. Yet this book opens with a similar explanation that frames these “throwbacks” as something sad for the individuals who possess them. The shift in tone felt contradictory.

• The first book never fully explained how Crested Ute obtained such detailed information about the alien species whose DNA they used. The story mentions that the genetic material came from ancient corpses found in Atlantis and had been stored for centuries. That raises questions. Did the scientists gain additional knowledge through modern interplanetary communication, and if not, where did all the detailed data come from?

• I was not thrilled that future romances began forming so early. I prefer discovering the next couple when their book arrives, not two or three installments in advance.

• Despite these issues, I still enjoyed the story and definitely plan to continue the series.

💬 Final Assessment

This installment expands the world in compelling ways and deepens the stakes for both the scientists and the Xeno Sapiens. The blend of futuristic technology, ethical tension, and evolving abilities continues to be engaging. Even with a few inconsistencies, the story remains entertaining and full of potential for what comes next.

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