Atmosphere

When a scouting mission lands on Chara IV, they discover they mysteriously know things about the planet... they know what the lizards are hunting, that the huge bat creatures are vegetarians, and that the giant deer-like humanoids are only curious... until one grabs a crew-member and disappears into the woods.

Thus ends the first chapter of a book that stacks up mysteries like Jenga blocks. Mutation, invasive AIs, and surprisingly solid character dynamics. Atmosphere is the rare sci-fi novel that is equally pushed forward by realistic, believable characters and exciting, twist-filled plot points.