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Reviewed by Zahid Sheikh for Readers' Favorite
The Conscious Virus by Miki Mitayn centers on Nerida Green, an Aboriginal doctor working in remote Indigenous communities in Australia, alongside her wife Mari, an artist and spiritual channeler. The novel covers their lives dealing with harsh social and health realities—such as mining pollution, historical trauma, and systemic inequality—while weaving in spiritual insights from channeled beings about a mysterious virus with a consciousness of its own. The story travels widely across Australia and beyond, blending medical realism, Indigenous knowledge, personal struggles, and metaphysical themes. At its heart are the impacts of environmental destruction, societal greed, and pandemics on vulnerable communities, but also the power of love, resilience, and cultural connection to endure and heal.
Miki Mitayn's writing skillfully balances a gripping plot and a thoughtful pace, mixing moments of clinical tension with spiritual encounters and intimate character reflections. The characters are vividly drawn, especially Nerida’s struggle to reconcile scientific medicine with the spiritual wisdom Mari channels, which adds compelling tension and depth to the narrative. Themes of respect for the earth, the cost of colonialism, and systemic injustice run deeply throughout the story, making it more than just an environmental thriller but a broad meditation on humanity’s relationship with nature and each other. I found the mix of science and spirituality refreshingly honest and poignant, offering both hope and caution. The author’s deliberate yet accessible writing style invites readers to ponder big questions while staying grounded in Nerida's and Mari’s lives, making The Conscious Virus a desirable read for anyone interested in community health, Indigenous perspectives, and speculative fiction about our times.
