West of Elysian Fields — Richard Hall

West of Elysian Fields is a story about humanity struggling to survive in a world plagued by deadly viruses. In a desperate attempt to find help, they send a distress signal into space, which is answered by an alien race called the Tulxok. However, the Tulxok enslaves humanity instead of helping them. The story follows the humans' efforts to regain their freedom with the help of an alien alliance known as the Dominion. The Dominion seeded Earth millions of years ago, creating humans in their likeness. The main character, Jake Lanier, lives in the Harrisonburg settlement established a century ago after the Great Fall. Jake leads an army against the Tulxoks to drive them from Earth with the help of his lover, Phendra, a Vennaren from Venair, an ancient race of the Dominion of planets. During their escape, the Tulxoks capture Jake and make him a slave in Elysian Fields. A Tulxok girl named Ezera disagrees with how her kind treats humans, so she helps Jake escape to join the human army. Together, they start the great battle to save and retake Earth for humanity.