Dagril's Gold by A.C. Phillips is a historical science fiction story with a brief modern-day mention of events. Three scientists named Alerton, Metrool, and Everin belonging to the Hamens race from a faraway planet are stranded on Earth during 1347, trying to escape their sabotaged spaceship. They were after Dagril who supposedly went rogue to establish a colony on Earth. However, these scientists soon realize his true intentions when they get stuck in medieval times in Florence as the black plague is fast approaching. Amidst public execution of witches and magic, Al, Met and Eve try to conceal their Hamen features and blend in with the local populace as wealthy people using Dagril’s gold. Since they had longer lives spanning 1000 years, part of this book is set in 2014 where their services of doing good to people, without altering major world events, are introduced in the beginning. Alerton and Marie must find a way to be together again to reinstate their century-old love while helping an orphan girl named Dana.

A.C. Phillips has woven a remarkable plot that will appeal to readers interested in both science fiction and history. I liked the concept of otherworldly civilizations inhabiting our planet and helping mankind with science, technology, and medicine. It resonates with Hollywood franchises like the Alien movie series and the protagonists have psychic powers like the Jedi in Star Wars. Many young audiences who like to play medieval empire-building computer games will find this to be of great interest since in the games players start with initial resources and go on expanding their empire. I am greatly awed at the thought process of the author who has reimagined an entire civilization in outer space, detailing their origins, journey, conflict, evolution, and biology. Dagril's Gold is a fast-paced journey of many events coupled with interesting plots where no character has a smooth journey, making it all the more interesting to read.