Footsteps in the Sky by Greg Keyes

Science Fiction

From Goodreads:

The pueblo people who landed on the Fifth World found it Earthlike, empty, and ready for colonization . . . but a century later, they are about to meet the planet’s owners

One hundred years ago, Sand’s ancestors made the long, one-way trip to the Fifth World, ready to work ceaselessly to terraform the planet. Descendants of native peoples like the Hopi and Zuni, they wanted to return to the way of life of their forebears, who honored the Kachina spirits.

Now, though, many of the planet’s inhabitants have begun to resent their grandparents’ decision to strand them in this harsh and forbidding place, and some have turned away from the customs of the Well-Behaved People. Sand has her doubts, but she longs to believe that the Kachina live on beyond the stars and have been readying a new domain for her people.

She may be right. Humans have discovered nine habitable worlds, all with life that shares a genetic code entirely alien to any on Earth. Someone has been seeding planets, bringing life to them. But no other sign of the ancient farmers has ever been discovered—until one day they return to the Fifth World. They do not like what they find.

The title, Footsteps in the Sky, comes from the Hopi legend where the people heard footsteps in the sky and left one world for another.  In this case the world is one someone else started to change but have never come back to live on.  The Hopi come and make small changes so the world fits humans.  They call it the Fifth World and this time they get on space ships to go from the Forth World to the Fifth.

This started out as little strange and then took a hard right and became another trope about humans and aliens.  I liked the change and Sand, the main character.  She is in pain from her Mother’s death and that drives her actions.  While Sand has the main POV other characters are also featured.  I thought that made for a stronger story. 

I like the mixture of modern science and Hopi tradition.  It kept the story and plot more interesting.  Foot Steps in the Sky is a good addition to anyone’s SciFi library. 

This is the first time I have read a book by Keyes.  A search did not turn up a web site for Keyes but did have several sites that list his books.  I noticed that he writes series.  This could be book one or it could be a stand-alone.  Only time will tell.

Amazon Digital Services published Footsteps in the Sky by Grey Keyes in 2015.

I received a free ARC of Footsteps in the Sky from Amazon Vine in return for an honest review.