Review: Tethers Torn

Tethers Torn
Far Flung (Book 2)
Utunu

Mapaku Village
February 2026

Print Edition $24.95
Ebook Edition $9.95

Note: there are spoilers for Far Flung, the first book in the series, in this review.

In this sequel to Far Flung, Utunu picks up the story of the fennecs Bori and Tuther and hyena Samna immediately after the end of the first book—an ending that left the polycule stranded on the uninhabited world of Archipelago, with Bori “mindvoided,” having lost his psionic powers, possibly permanently. Meanwhile, Tuther’s psionic powers are growing in both strength and instability, while Samna is trying to understand his own powers—ones that, as far as everyone knew to that point, hyenas shouldn’t even able to have.

Their adventures exploring their new home are interwoven with events back on Verdant, the world they escaped in a panic from after Gehrn, Verdant’s chief psiogeneticist, tried to kidnap Bori to obtain his germplasm. Gehrn’s actions have placed him on the outs with Verdant’s leaders, caused Tuther to somehow disable his psionic abilities in self-defense, and—because they took the only working amplification device that allows powerful psionics to “Fling” themselves and others between massively distant points—also left Verdant with no way to visit the other inhabited colony world, Sands. Both worlds have resources the other one needs; being cut off will eventually be catastrophic for both settlements. Dritha, the fennec captain of the shuttle, goes out looking for the missing three, assuming they’re somewhere else on Verdant.

As the story progresses, Bori, Tuther, and Samna find a way to return not to Verdant but back to their original home of Sands, while the Council on Verdant discovers that a “library crystal” from the colony ship that had crashed generations ago, stranding the survivors on both Verdant and Sands, has unlocked to give them a cryptic warning:

This is a warning crystal and is conditionally locked. If it has been unlocked, a certain triggering condition has been met. The contents of this crystal describe this condition and the recommended course of action. Use extreme caution when disseminating this information, for it may be destabilising. Threat level may necessitate an immediate response to prevent potential societal collapse.

As readers, we know that several triggering conditions have been met: the “expression of psionic ability” in certain areas, two of which are unique to fennecs—which Tuther has been exhibiting—and one of which is unique to hyenas—which Samna has been exhibiting. The “evolution” ability is described as essentially existential, with a recommended action of “cull immediately.”

Much of the rising tension in Tethers Torn stems from everyone trying to understand precisely what’s happening to Tuther in particular—including Tuther himself. Political rifts between Sands and Verdant, evident under the surface in the first book, threaten to burst into the open, while the leaders of both colonies struggle with the implications of Tuther’s power—and Samna’s, although they barely have time to delve into psionic hyenas. (Wait for book three, I suspect.)

Even with all the new intrigue, this remains a character-driven story layered on top of deep and inventive world-building. Utunu pulls off the difficult trick of not letting anyone truly become a villain—characters may make bad choices, but they’re understandable bad choices. Even Gehrn, the closest to a true villain in Far Flung thanks to extremely bad choices, seems believably repentant in not just word but deed. Tethers Torn comes to even less of a resolution than its predecessor, but still ends satisfyingly. You’ll absolutely want to pick up the third book when it comes out.

I will note that this is not a book that you can pick up without having read Far Flung first; I’m not sure you can even read this review and understand it all without having read it.