No Less Days, by Amanda G. Stevens

Amanda G. Stevens's novel No Less Days asks the question, what would you do if you could never die?  Bookseller David Galloway hasn't lived forever, but he has lived well over a century.  After a frontier doctor in the 19th century treats him with a mysterious serum, he has survived.  He thought he was alone, but now he has met up with a small group of "longevites" whose resistance to death stems from treatment by that same doctor.

If you want to explore the science and biology of longevity, you will be disappointed.  But Stevens's story explores the human side of apparent immortality.  David, as a lone soul, lived several lifetimes as someone who never ages, without knowledge of other immortals.  In his new circle, he finds fellowship with a community that has been in relationship for a century of mutual support.  What would relationships look like if you could not die?  How would you relate, if at all, with mortals?

Some of the characters are Christians, but even they struggle with questions of church involvement and God's purposes for their immortality.  The questions become even more profound when a mortal human who seems to be onto their secret turns up dead.  How do immortal humans bring to justice one of their own?  There are no easy answers.

Stevens's style is deeply personal and readable.  Her pacing is pretty mellow, with some surprises but not a lot of cliff-hanging.  She does a great job of exploring a speculative idea--immortality, or something close to it--from the perspective of a Christian.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!