The Burning Planet of Polly by A.J.R.Traill – If you think you understand, you’re probably wrong

Five years on from the events at Portal in Polly Isn’t Home, and Polly West is yet to fully move on from the loss of her misguided friend, Tanner.

To avoid casting a negative influence on the past or future, she does her best to conceal her significant involvement within her new, highly specialised field. Her contributions have already inspired massive breakthroughs that have revolutionized space travel.

Now, the advent of a creation combining bioengineering and artificial intelligence, making use of the previous research conducted on the properties of the material graphene has pushed the envelope of scientific discovery into a whole new era. Although, like her grief, the previously encountered creatures from the shadow dimension—the Thanatons—will prove themselves difficult to shrug off.

Polly’s new role aboard the International Space Station is threatened by interference from an unlikely source whose intentions put the entire human race in constant peril for centuries to come.

Spoiler-Free Plot

When the offer of staying aboard the ISS to oversee the development of the world’s most complex AI system is extended, Polly can hardly refuse. Space travel has been streamlined so that almost anyone with access can launch off into the void beyond. A business branch has emerged, taking its place alongside the traditional sciences that have facilitated each astronautical endeavor.

Aboard the craft with a crew of six and the affectionately named AI system Heph, short for Hephaestus, everybody goes about completing their personal objectives, thankful for the ease of operating in an AntiGraviton environment that has eliminated the now outdated requirements set in place to prevent the atrophy of astronauts’ bodies caused by living in a zero gravity environment.

It starts with a crewmate’s loss of memory, then an irregularity cropping up in Hephaestus’ data maps. A villain infiltrates the base, hijacking their equipment and wielding it to further their own dangerous agenda. Once again, Polly must tap into the power she has long neglected. Only she can travel across space and time to rectify the entanglements in its very fabric to ensure the safety of humanity, present and future.

My Take on The Burning Planet of Polly

To begin with, I would like to mention how refreshing it is to read another sci-fi story that doesn’t centre North America as its focal point. A figurative stack of Aussie-authored books has crossed my metaphorical table over the past few years, and it has been an honour to scroll through them all, lending my time and attention to a growing contingent that has been gaining in popularity in the recent years, of which author A.J.R.Traill is a part of.

I greatly appreciated the smooth recap of the first installation in Polly’s Adventure series being slipped in at precisely the right moments when a brief summary is needed. Going into this sequel, I only carried a vague recollection of the notable moments from book one with me into the first chapter. It is astounding how many authors assume their readership’s memory capabilities by completely overlooking the addition of this very necessary tether between books to guide readers who have patiently waited for a couple of years for a new release.

The Burning Planet of Polly balances the overly complicated science talk with an interesting plot, ensuring detailed explanations of all the theoretical and technical subject matter in a way that casual readers of the genre can understand and enjoy.

A LOT happens over the course of the story, yet the pacing manages to match the undulating intensity in under 300 pages. Some of the contemporary topics that inspire parts of the plot such as the commercialisation of space travel and the rise of artificial intelligence increase readers’ urgency and investment towards the protagonist’s actions as these are themes that have become easier to conceptualize now that the world has entered an age where the creation of a Heph-like invention will soon become a feasible reality.

If one thing was lacking, I would point to the need for a more meaningful rapport between Polly and other characters. While Polly is written as a unique being, some of her isolation in being completely different from the average person has unfortunately diffused into the way interactions between her and those around her are portrayed. Where she had meaningful exchanges with Tanner, Austin, Lily, and Hector in book one, be they negative or positive, I feel like most conversations barely ventured beneath the surface of emotional connection in book two.

With that being said, I do look forward to seeing where the third story takes us, having explored both space and a habitable settlement located on the planet Venus in this one. I am very curious about the next frontier awaiting Polly’s arrival, and whether she finally uncovers the origins of her power.

Age Rating

14 years and above

Content Warnings

Death, Violence.

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