For fans of Star Trek's exploration of alien cultures and Star Wars' focus on mysticism, the Gifts & Rifts Series follows the interactions and changes brought about by those interactions upon the very different alien races.
Dorn Heirs: Marens Rising, the first Book of the Series, follows a remnant of the Dorn species as they search for worthy successors to their technological advancements and spiritual insights.
After finding the Thorens, who had certain traits similar to the Dorns, possessing certain telepathic abilities and being non-placental, the Dorns try to enhance the Thorens' development in hopes of eliminating their baser, violent impulses. The Dorns withdraw to the Isle of Mare, when they become convinced that their investment in the Thorens will not yield the results they desired. A Dorn last attempt to affect the desired changes fails and causes a predictable aggressive reaction by the Thorens.
Taig, one of the fiercest Thorens of his generation and drawn to the Dorns, will discover that the Dorns he seeks to eradicate from his world possess secret insights that they are willing to share with him alone. The gifts he receives change his very nature, and he must resolve the dilemma that the Dorns failed to achieve.