Edge of Light 2 - The Miracle by A.M. Dixon

A. M. Dixon’s Edge of Light 2: The Miracle continues her compelling vision of a fractured world clinging to survival. Following the events of the first novel, The Miracle deepens both the emotional and philosophical dimensions of the trilogy, offering readers a thought-provoking journey through a vividly imagined future that feels uncomfortably plausible.

The story resumes with Merel, a courageous and resourceful heroine, grappling with the consequences of her choices and the haunting loss of her friend Ren. Her journey aboard the mysterious ship, The Miracle, draws her far from the insulated confines of Littleton and into a wider, more complex world. Here, Dixon reveals a society shaped by surveillance, manipulation and inequality, where technology has evolved to serve profit and control rather than humanity. The reader travels alongside Merel as she uncovers unsettling truths about her world’s design and her place within it. Despite having all the hallmarks of an Orwellian setting replete with big brother-esque elements, it does feel fresh and invigoratingly unique.

Dixon’s narrative excels in balancing pace with introspection. While the plot unfolds with a steady sense of tension and discovery, what lingers most is Merel’s emotional resilience and the moral ambiguity of the world around her. The characters she meets, from the enigmatic scientist Hana to her loyal companion Estelle, each contribute to a layered exploration of power, identity and resistance. The author’s ability to render these relationships with warmth and complexity ensures that the novel never drifts into mere dystopian spectacle.

The writing itself is economical but also rich in imagery that captures both the bleakness and fragile beauty of a damaged planet. Dixon’s world-building remains grounded in human experience: the struggle for freedom, the ache of loss and the enduring hope for renewal. Her depiction of Garsington, a decaying urban centre teeming with clones and corruption, stands as a powerful critique of capitalist exploitation and environmental neglect. Yet the tone of the novel is never entirely despairing. Beneath the darkness runs a current of compassion and courage, embodied in Merel’s determination to reclaim agency in a world that seeks to deny it.

The Miracle cements Dixon’s place within the growing field of Aotearoa New Zealand speculative fiction, offering both a thrilling continuation of Merel’s story and a mirror to our own society’s moral and ecological dilemmas. As the trilogy moves toward its conclusion, Dixon’s readers are left eager for the promise of Fire, where hope and reckoning are certain to collide.

Reviewer: Chris Reed

One Tree House