Coalescent

When George Poole is sorting out his dead father's belongings, he comes across an old photo of his childhood self, with what looks like a sister. Unable to remember her, he begins a long quest to trace her, a journey that will take him all the way to Rome, where he will discover truths about his family he could not possibly have conceived of. He is aware of an old legend that traces his ancestral roots back to a Roman girl, Regina, who fled to Rome as the barbarian hoards were invading Britain. George believed this to be a fanciful legend, until he finds that his lost sister had been sent away to Rome herself, to join a thriving holy order, begun, as George discovers, by the legendary Regina herself, whose story of survival is traced alongside George's quest. Throughout her fight for safety for her family, Regina keeps hold of the idea of security in sisterhood. As she plots and plans, Rome is falling into disarray, but when the Vandals finally storm the gates, she has prepared a place of safety - an underground system that will sustain the hand-picked band of women who will form the base of a massive organization that will influence affairs in Rome throughout the next two millennia. Over the course of time, the nearly all female society has developed in isolation, which has some unusual effects on its members, as George is about to find out. When he finally gets to meet his twin sister and gains entrance to the huge secret complex that is now the Order, his whole conception of life will be turned on its head and have chilling implications for the future of the human race. This is a spectacular fusion of history, science fiction and sheer excellence. Baxter's originality and vision is mesmerising, and this intriguing, accessible new title will appeal to a wider audience than just sci-fi fans. (Kirkus UK)