thoughts, memories, powers of speech, and emotions. He also breathed, ate, slept, and pooped, all with the help of his inner machinery. Unfortunately, while the scientists saved Henry, his beloved wife, Liz, died from the virus.

Since his transformation, Henry has led a peaceful, quiet life with his robot companion Seth in what used to be San Francisco. Seth is a domestic robot, also created by the System, who seems to know exactly what to do in any hazardous situation, a significant advantage in moving the story’s plot along. Henry’s peaceful existence is shattered when advanced System robots come to his home to “upgrade” him, a process that involves removing his brain entirely and replacing it in a new framework with programming containing his memory. Henry forcibly rejects the upgrade, earning the wrath of the System. As a result, he and Seth go on the run, headed for…. Actually, Henry isn’t sure where he’s headed at first, since his “guide” is Liz. Since her death, Henry has had visions of Liz, and she’s now pointing the way for him and Seth to follow. Whether Liz is a sign of mental breakdown, a construct created by the System, a ghost, or something else is one of the book’s mysteries Henry later unravels.

Much of Wind-in-Trees is an extended road trip that reminded me of Harlan Ellison’s classic novella, A Boy and His Dog. Henry and Seth have surprising camaraderie and affection for each other, and their relationship is one of the story’s two driving forces. The other tent pole is Henry’s enduring love for Liz, although to reveal how it eventually plays out would be a spoiler. I can reveal that Henry, Seth, and Liz aren’t alone on their quest for long. They face frequent danger from predatory wolves and bears, as well as sinister forces that want to take Henry apart to see what makes him tick.

The travelers also encounter some recent visitors to Earth, giant winged lizards from another planet. Henry befriends one lizard and later learns that their arrival is related to some of the drastic changes on Earth that killed off most of the population. There is another alien species involved in the lizards’ voyage to Earth. The speculative science fiction aspects of Wind-in-Trees are the author’s more detailed examinations of this other species’ actions, motivations, and philosophy. Readers learn many of these details as Henry and his entourage explore what used to be fortified defense facilities in the Rocky Mountains that become Henry’s destination. Henry learns more about the aliens, Seth, Liz, and himself there.

The author wisely gave Henry an unusual backstory. As his name suggests, Henry is (or, more precisely, was) a full-blooded Lakota Sioux. His background and training make him handy with a bow and arrow, a useful ability when engaged in battle with his various enemies. (Firearms that haven’t been used or cleaned in a half-century are unreliable.) Henry’s journey takes him to places with which most readers are unfamiliar (but will find fascinating), such as the Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota. Henry’s heritage also injects some elements of mysticism into Wind-in-Trees, including a recurring dream that’s tied to native folklore. The results of melding these cultural elements, Henry’s unusual friendship with Seth, and his enduring love for Liz make the book’s final few chapters bittersweet and touching.

The author’s storytelling still has some rough edges. Transitions between locations and various characters’ points of view are sometimes awkward. The author tends to use Seth’s often uncanny abilities as a convenient plot device to get the characters out of difficult situations. The book’s action sequences also are repetitive: Henry gets clunked on the head or blacks out a half dozen times in 250 pages. Better editing would have helped, but I never found myself completely pulled out of the story because of stylistic problems.

Wind-in-Trees is a hard book to describe at times, but easy to enjoy. Henry is a complex and likable protagonist whose companions have surprising depth. Most readers will have a cathartic melancholy experience when they finish the story, hoping to hear more about Henry and the futuristic world in which he now lives. In many road stories, the journey is better than the final destination. Here, readers will appreciate the conclusion and the emotions engendered even more than Henry’s adventures en route.

NOTE: The author graciously provided me with a copy of this book. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.