âï¸� Finalist for the 2025 Hoffer Book Awards Grand Prize - Rated 9.5/10 by the BookLife Prize in Fiction âï¸�
In a crumbling biodome surrounded by endless seas and swarms of microdrones, humanity's last survivors cling to hope.
For Isabel, a dying scientist, and Diego, the man she loves, time is running out-literally. The Earth is ravaged, and the biodome that was meant to save humanity is failing. But when Isabel stumbles upon a long-lost time bridge, the possibility of changing the past emerges, offering one final chance to rewrite history.
There's just one problem: only one person can make the journey.
As they grapple with the weight of impossible choices, love, and regret, Isabel and Diego must decide whether altering the course of time is worth the risk. Will their sacrifice save the future, or will tampering with the past ensure humanity's extinction?
Tense, emotional, and thought-provoking, Hive is a story of survival, love, and the unforgiving paradox of time itself.
Engrossing doomsday thriller spliced with heart, humor, and second chances.
~Publishers Weekly
D.L. Orton writes vividly, bringing us right into the scenes.
~Independent Book Review
Beneath the story's smart-alecky exterior is a very smart interior, developing character relationships [and] time-travel concepts in fresh, imaginative, and strangely relatable directions-considering they involve quantum physics and parallel universes.
~Kirkus Reviews
Most remarkable is a longing to continue spending time with each of Hive's characters.
~Independent Book Review
A gripping blend of science fiction, post-apocalyptic survival, and time travel intrigue
~Manhattan Book Review
Characters that feel real, emotions that hit hard.
~ BookTrib
Industry Reviews
Hive is a gripping, emotionally charged tale that explores survival, love, and the consequences of playing with time. Set in a dying world where the last remnants of humanity are trapped inside a decaying biodome, the story follows Isabel and Diego as they confront the impending collapse of both their world and their own lives. When Isabel discovers a time-altering technology, the stakes rise dramatically, leading to impossible choices and heart-wrenching sacrifices.
Orton masterfully blends dystopian sci-fi with intimate character moments, particularly through the poignant relationship between Isabel and Diego. Their love story is at the heart of the book, adding emotional depth and tension to their fight for humanity's survival. Meanwhile, the philosophical questions about time, regret, and redemption are well-balanced with thrilling, high-stakes action. Matt Hudson, the genius physicist behind the time bridge, injects a layer of scientific intrigue and dark humor that complements the story's intense emotional core.
With its rich world-building, thought-provoking themes, and powerful character dynamics, Hive is a standout work in both dystopian and time-travel fiction. Fans of upmarket science fiction and character-driven stories will find themselves engrossed in this tale of second chances and the heavy cost of rewriting the past.
