152 years ago an unlikely event that ends a war between humans and alien Felen. Five people unconnected to the human government show up as the Felen besiege the center of human government with the first person able to communicate with the Felen, and negotiate a peace. Now, the crew of science research vessel Gallion finds itself in a time rift with the crew of the Jonah bearing the "Fortunate Five" who negotiated the peace. The crew has to get themselves and the Jonah out of the rift without changing their timeline.

Despite a lot of disasters thrown into the way of the cast, it never really feels like they won't succeed. The real question is going to be how they will succeed, with preserving the timeline or without? Ensemble of characters most of which are fleshed out well enough, though their backstories do lean a bit on how trauma formed them.

Ren Hutchings has another book coming out in the same universe, and I'll pick it up.