A death-defying tropical adventure delivers a frightening message about dabbling with creation from the talented author of Origin. On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.

Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. She enlists hunky charter pilot Jim Julien to take her there. But once on the island, Sophie and Jim encounter more than they bargained for, including a charming, brilliant Vitro named Nicholas and an innocent, newly awoken one named Lux. In a race for their lives, Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

In 1950, a young doctor named Norton Perina joins an expedition led by anthropologist Paul Tallent to the remote Micronesian island of Ivu'ivu in search of a rumored lost tribe. They succeed, discovering not only that tribe but also a group of forest dwellers they call 'The Dreamers', who are fantastically long-lived but become progressively more senile.

Perina suspects the source of their longevity is a hard-to-find turtle. Unable to resist the possibility of eternal life, he kills one and smuggles some meat back to the States. He scientifically proves his thesis, earning worldwide fame and the Nobel Prize. However, he soon discovers that its miraculous property comes at a terrible price.

As things quickly spiral out of his control, his own demons take hold, with devastating personal consequences.

Do you think he'll be able to do it? Clover asked, worried. I'm not sure, Geth replied, amazed by his own doubt. I'm not sure.

In the fifth and final volume of the epic saga of Leven Thumps, all of Foo is rushing madly to exit the realm of dreams while Leven is headed in the opposite direction. Fate snatches him to the island of Alder, where he is poised to pass or fail the final test.

Meanwhile, in Reality, Ezra and Dennis are welcoming those flowing out of Foo—but only so they can selfishly conquer them and gain control of both realms. Phoebe is loose, and it takes Geth getting ahold of her to begin to balance the emotions and passions of all that is crumbling. And Winter? Well, Winter just might hold the answer to everything.

Ride with Leven and Clover as they travel through the ruins of Alder, hoping he has what it takes to save all mankind and restore the power of dreams.