Scan barcode
jess_mango's review
3.0
hmmm. How to describe this book...
Skyward Inn is set on Earth in the near/semi-distant future in a time after a big war and after we've made contact with an alien race via a gateway. Earth established a base on Qita in order to help collect natural resources from that planet. Many Earth troops were sent to "the raid" which ended up being kind of less than expected since the Qita seemed open and welcoming.
Back on Earth, veteran Jem lives in The Protectorate, a corner of England where a group of people have closed themselves off from the rest of the world in an effort to live in the "old way" with reduced/no technology. Jem operates the Skyward Inn, where she serves up brew with her partner Isley, a native of Qita. Then an old friend of Isley's shows up asking for help.
So, this was definitely a slow burn and a more literary approach to sci-fi. It starts much more about life on Earth in The Protectorate and how Jem, her son, and other residents are getting along with life.
There is some prejudice against Isley since he is from Qita and Jem tries to push back on that. The premise held promise for me but didn't quite gel for me in the end .
Spoiler
(which is ironic giving the plot line, you'll see if you read the book...).What to listen to while reading...
Alien Days by MGMT
A Lot's Gonna Change by Weyes Blood
Call it Fate, Call it Karma by The Strokes
Space Song by Beach House
Love and Truth by Mother Mother
Summer Breeze by The Isley Brothers
Across the Universe by The Beatles
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
sterreleidi's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
captainhector's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
4.25
mattressy's review against another edition
I've tried to start this audio 3 times and I just cannot pay attention to it
robd52's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kleonard's review
2.0
Written in a mannered style reminiscent of 1950s British writers, this SFF novel is a turns engaging and fresh and at others slow and dragging. The unevenness keeps me from recommending it strongly, although readers who are interested in the philosophical questions of space exploration and the uses of SFF to investigate the same regarding colonialism will like it.
anrevat's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
stormwhisper's review
2.0
Skyward Inn follows Jem and her son, in a near-future Earth, where humanity has made contact with alien life. Jem's community has reacted to the changing world by shutting itself off from most of humanity, forgoing advancement and integration with the larger universe in favour of clinging desperately to the nostalgic version of life they've long embraced.
Skyward Inn was unlike much of the science fiction I've read to date, skewing more towards the speculative than pure sci-fi. The narrative wasn't always linear, and the story was more concerned with exploring the human condition than getting from point A to point B.
The characters felt more like symbols and collections of ideas than distinct characters, eschewing individual characteristics in favour of archetypes. The strangers represent danger, the patriarch represents protectionism, and so on. Personally, I'm more prone to enjoying a book that features characters that feels more concrete, with more fleshed-out characteristics and relatable motivations, but those figures perhaps would not have felt at home in a narrative like Skyward Inn.
Skyward Inn will appeal to readers who enjoy less straightforward, more experimental stories. While it does feature classic sci-fi elements like aliens and space travel, the book is ultimately much more interested in exploring what it means to be human than anything outside of earth's borders.
Skyward Inn was unlike much of the science fiction I've read to date, skewing more towards the speculative than pure sci-fi. The narrative wasn't always linear, and the story was more concerned with exploring the human condition than getting from point A to point B.
The characters felt more like symbols and collections of ideas than distinct characters, eschewing individual characteristics in favour of archetypes. The strangers represent danger, the patriarch represents protectionism, and so on. Personally, I'm more prone to enjoying a book that features characters that feels more concrete, with more fleshed-out characteristics and relatable motivations, but those figures perhaps would not have felt at home in a narrative like Skyward Inn.
Skyward Inn will appeal to readers who enjoy less straightforward, more experimental stories. While it does feature classic sci-fi elements like aliens and space travel, the book is ultimately much more interested in exploring what it means to be human than anything outside of earth's borders.