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the_tridentarii's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
After making first contact with with the alien planet Qita, Earth invaded, and the Qitans surrendered before a single shot was fire. Now, in the rural landscape of Devon, which has separated from England to form the anti-modern tech Western Protectorate, a human and a Qitan, Jem (an ex-military propagandist from the invasion) runs a pub called the Skyward Inn together with Isley, a Qitan. As Earth strips resources from Qita, particularly a memory inducing drink called jarrowbrew, a plague creeps into the edges of the Protectorate and another Qitan appears mysteriously at the Inn...
A really thought-provoking book, set in a beautifully isolated rural area, with touches of body horror and surrealism, and with very well-developed characters. The book tackles themes like estranged families, colonialism, individual vs collective identity, and isolated communities trying to survive, and both definitely feels unique and lives up to the comparisons with Ursula K Le Guin. Would recommend!
A really thought-provoking book, set in a beautifully isolated rural area, with touches of body horror and surrealism, and with very well-developed characters. The book tackles themes like estranged families, colonialism, individual vs collective identity, and isolated communities trying to survive, and both definitely feels unique and lives up to the comparisons with Ursula K Le Guin. Would recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Colonisation
katiewhocanread's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, War, Blood, and Colonisation
Minor: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Cancer
kiwii091's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was an okay book overall, but not quite what I was expecting based on the blurb - in some ways I felt that the story it told wasn't the one I hoped it would be. Partly to blame for this is the how over hyped the reviews on the front were as well - they definitely made it seem like a much more exciting book than I felt it turned out to be. At times I also had to re-read parts to make sense of some of it, particularly the setting and what the characters were like at the beginning - this slight lack of development at the beginning did make it hard to picture what was happening at times but did get a little better as the book went on. Still a good book overall and I would re-read it, but just not for a while.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation and Body horror
Minor: Sexual content and Death
mayareads's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's like if Ursula LeGuin had a go at writing Breakfast of Champions. A surreal and beautiful exploration of loneliness, individuality, and togetherness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
zarap's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There's so much still to think about here, but I wanted to write a quick little review while it's fresh. I really enjoyed how Skyward Inn starts out very slice of life and fairly slowly paced before ramping up rather quickly in the last third or so - to me the pace fit the plot, and reflected how we (and the characters) often don't know or recognize that things are changing until they've already changed (to put it in a very vague and unspoilery way). It's a very classic sci-fi-esque premise in a way, but made fresh and current, and gave me a lot of food for thought on community and autonomy, the various insidious forms of colonization, and family (for worse and for better).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Murder
ergative's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This aimed for reflective and meditative, but instead only managed boring. Half credit for the ingenious nature of the Problem, but the book took the easy way out. Good plotting introduces an ingenious problem, but then also has people come up with and implement a solution. Or perhaps it introduces an ingenious problem, and people come up with a solution, but societal pressures or power relations or personal shenanigans prevent the solution from being implemented and the problem wins. Or perhaps it introduces an ingenious problem, and people try to come up with a solution, but can't, and despite their best efforts, the problem still wins. Or perhaps it introduces an ingenious problem, and people focus on that problem and fail to recognize the larger real problem that lurks somewhere else. All of these involve plot! Agency! Action! Something!
But this book did none of those things. It introduced an ingenious problem, which no one recognized as a problem (being too busy meditating and reflecting and feeling feelings), and so no one does anything, and then the problem wins. No plot. Boring.
Also Fosse was a creepy little monster, and I didn't enjoy having to spend time in his mind while he tries to come to terms with how haaaaaard it is to be a sixteen year old boy with mommy issues.
But this book did none of those things. It introduced an ingenious problem, which no one recognized as a problem (being too busy meditating and reflecting and feeling feelings), and so no one does anything, and then the problem wins. No plot. Boring.
Also Fosse was a creepy little monster, and I didn't enjoy having to spend time in his mind while he tries to come to terms with how haaaaaard it is to be a sixteen year old boy with mommy issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Body horror
fdallachy's review
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really respect this book for what it's doing - it's incredibly well written and the allegory which it is using is very thoughtful and well-developed. I can't say I enjoyed it, though, on a personal level. It has a great old-school sci-fi set-up, in which we're introduced to characters, human and alien, in a version of the future, slowly realise that all is not as it seems, and then deal with the unfolding situation when it is revealed. The what's-going-on is expertly tied to themes running throughout the book of individuality and identity, and they are really well-balanced and nuanced. The author explores ideas related to individuality versus collectivism which can be read in many different ways - colonialism, communism, technology's imminent invasion of the body, perhaps also community oversharing on social media - in a way that expresses both beauty and horror. The body-melding alien 'disease' and the eagerness of main character, Fosse, to defend his individuality through weaponry sit on either side of that line. Ultimately it falls on the side of individualism but with a strong attempt to understand the appeal of losing individuality to a larger group identity, even if this is also the source of the most disturbing imagery in the book. I did like the well-paced unfolding of the plot and revelation of the book's mysteries. Unfortunately, I'm a bit squeamish, and the body horror is quite disturbing and drawn-out in the final section. Readers who have no problem with this material are likely not to have the same distress, though! I'm glad I persevered beyond the point it started to freak me out, but I definitely wouldn't read it again, I'm afraid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
azrah786's review
3.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with an early review copy through the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
CW: violence, blood, death, contagion/disease, abandonment, substance abuse, body horror, themes of war/colonialism
Now this was both highly baffling and utterly compelling.
Skyward Inn is a speculative science fiction novel set in a future where Earth has peacefully invaded an alien world known as Qita and an interplanetary portal known as the Kissing Gate grants travel and access to its resources.
The story follows an estranged mother and son pairing who live in the Western Protectorate – an area of the United Kingdom that has cut itself of from the rest of the country and the world’s advanced technological way of life - where the people choose to live a more traditional, rural lifestyle. The mother, Jem, a veteran of the war has returned to the Protectorate and runs a safe haven pub with Isley, a Qitan she befriended while on duty. Together they serve an addictive beverage know as Jarrowbrew//Brew to the locals and share memories of the world they left behind. The son, Fosse on the other hand wants nothing more than to escape the Protectorate and the life it has confined him to.
But soon a handful of new faces breach the walls of this independent community, along with unnerving news of a disease boththreatening to upend the peace.
This is a book that gets stranger with each page. The overarching plot is slow to reveal itself and the jumble of timelines due to the dual points of view and involvement of memories within the storyline make for a disjointed and confusing read. However, the prose keeps you entranced until the end.
With subtle commentary on the themes of colonialism and xenophobia, Whiteley expertly weaves a narrative that explores human nature, human emotions and human relationships in an evocative way. I didn’t find myself connecting to any of the characters much but both protagonist’s perspectives on identity and belonging really drew me in. For a short book my copy is sprouting so many tabs with how many thought provoking quotes I couldn’t help but note!
Not at all like anything I’d usually pick up but it sure was an interesting experience. If you like sci-fi that focuses on people then definitely give this one a read! With how much I loved the writing I’d love to pick up other works by the author in the future.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
**I was provided with an early review copy through the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
CW: violence, blood, death, contagion/disease, abandonment, substance abuse, body horror, themes of war/colonialism
Now this was both highly baffling and utterly compelling.
Skyward Inn is a speculative science fiction novel set in a future where Earth has peacefully invaded an alien world known as Qita and an interplanetary portal known as the Kissing Gate grants travel and access to its resources.
The story follows an estranged mother and son pairing who live in the Western Protectorate – an area of the United Kingdom that has cut itself of from the rest of the country and the world’s advanced technological way of life - where the people choose to live a more traditional, rural lifestyle. The mother, Jem, a veteran of the war has returned to the Protectorate and runs a safe haven pub with Isley, a Qitan she befriended while on duty. Together they serve an addictive beverage know as Jarrowbrew//Brew to the locals and share memories of the world they left behind. The son, Fosse on the other hand wants nothing more than to escape the Protectorate and the life it has confined him to.
But soon a handful of new faces breach the walls of this independent community, along with unnerving news of a disease boththreatening to upend the peace.
This is a book that gets stranger with each page. The overarching plot is slow to reveal itself and the jumble of timelines due to the dual points of view and involvement of memories within the storyline make for a disjointed and confusing read. However, the prose keeps you entranced until the end.
With subtle commentary on the themes of colonialism and xenophobia, Whiteley expertly weaves a narrative that explores human nature, human emotions and human relationships in an evocative way. I didn’t find myself connecting to any of the characters much but both protagonist’s perspectives on identity and belonging really drew me in. For a short book my copy is sprouting so many tabs with how many thought provoking quotes I couldn’t help but note!
Not at all like anything I’d usually pick up but it sure was an interesting experience. If you like sci-fi that focuses on people then definitely give this one a read! With how much I loved the writing I’d love to pick up other works by the author in the future.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Blood, Body horror, and Alcoholism
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