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This speculative fiction plays hommage to the 19th century science fiction writers, such as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughts and their works, The Mysterious Island, The Time Machine, The Lost World, respectively.

In this alternative history novel, an event dubbed as "the Miricle" occurs in Europe and much of Great Britain eliminating much of its population in a rapture-like event and returning the land to a primeval state in short order now known as Darwenia. (I'm not sure why someone would consider this a miraculous occurence!)

The novel spotlights in alternating stories two protogonists. First, there is Guildford Law, a young married aristocrat, and a bit of a milquetoast, who is looking forwarded to proving himself on an expedition into Dawrenia to explore the new land. The second protagonist is Elias Vale, a former huckster but now legitimate psychic after a life-changing event who has discovered that he has a greater life purpose soon to be revealed to him by "the gods." Although revealed later, Guildford will also learn that he, too, has a greater purpose, which will put him at odds with Elias during the climax of the book.

The mysteries to be reveals include who terraformed Europe into Darwinia and the fate of those inhabitants that disappeared and what each protagonist's purpose will be.

There were aspects of this novel that I enjoyed, but most of it was simply a meager "meh." I expected fauna dreamed up by Verne and Burroughs but only go horse-sized worms and poisonous insects, similar to the fleshing-eating beetles in Stephen Sommers' The Mummy. Much of the plot appeared to be a mish-mash of several inspirations.