Full review on my blog: https://biginjapangrayman.wordpress.c...Skyward Inn is a post-first contact story which skillfully explores both alien and human relationships. If you are looking for hard SF-action though, it would be better to look elsewhere.After the gradual buildup of the characters and setting, Whiteley unleashes her imagination in a jaw-dropping second half that takes place both on Earth and Qitan. To go into much more detail would be to spoil the pay off, so I will keep this brief....

I can’t give this a rating yet as I can’t make up my mind. I’ve never read anything like it. Ok I’ve decided I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like this book before. It was one of those books that when I finished reading it, it took me a while to decide how to feel about it. I just had to sit and think about it. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I loved it. Skyward Inn is so other worldly, its got another planet, a kissing gate and another species. And the author manages to pack in...

In England's rural Southwest, the Protectorate has annexed itself from the Coalition of world powers. Jem, a veteran of the interplanetary war with the Qitans, runs the Skyward Inn, the Protectorate’s community hub.The novel contemplates belonging, othering (domestic and galactic), and how we process uncomfortable truths. Reference or metaphor is made also to conspiracy theories, resistance to change, language use(s), the living world, evolution and primordial soup.Whiteley's characters are real...

Netgalley ARCThis began as a sweet, meandering story telling of a woman, Jem, and her alien friend, Isley, running a pub together in rural Devon reminiscing about their time where they met on planet Qitan. They now live in the Western Protectorate that is separate from the rest of the world that has amalgamated after the invasion of Qitan. The WP is purposefully turned its back on modern technology and world politics. The only new product is the brew that Isley makes at the Skyward Inn that all

I received this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.On the coast of what used to be Devon sits a small inn called Skyward Inn. It's a place where people come to relax and share stories and it's run by a human woman called Jem, and a not-so-human Isley. Jem and Isley have a close relationship, and Jem feels more comfortable with Isley than her own family - including her son Fosse who lives nearby with his uncle. But as strange things start happening, and strang...

2.5 StarsThis was an interesting premise for a story, but one that fell a bit flat in execution. This is a slower piece of science fiction that failed to leave an impact on me. I expected it to be more literary or character driven, but the narrative didn't seem to know what it wanted to be and instead left the story uneven. Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher. 

Is it weird that I didn’t know that this book was a weird but sci-fi retelling of Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier? Probably not, considering the fact that I haven’t read that book. Oh, well. It’s the kind of after the fact information that sometimes bothers me. This time, it didn’t.Skyward Inn is a place where people come to contemplate about the times and their lives, it’s a place where people come to after a day of hard work on the farm and to taste the local brew. On the surface, everything

Thanks to NetGalley and Solaris (Rebellion) for providing an ARC!

Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley is a speculative fiction loosely based on Jamaica Inn but is hugely different. Establishing relationship dynamics in a foreign planet is an attempt made beautifully by the author. What we understand by the term 'alien' warps in by itself when one begins to read this novel. The differences that begin between two races are starkly similar to the ones we often face in real life between Countries, Religions, Caste, Color and so on.Who is the real alien? Aren't we someti...

7/10 starsI requested Whiteley’s novel after I’ve read her collection of short stories, From the Neck Up and Other Stories. These were unusual, dark and difficult to classify, straddling the border between horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Not all of them were great, but they were unique enough for me to want to read more, with questions concerning identity and humanity, and a significant dose of body horror thrown in the mix. And so I picked up Skyward Inn, whose blurb admittedly didn’t sou...

Surreal, unique and unsettlingSkyward Inn is the gathering place in the Western Protectorate, where people come to unwind or contemplate about the past. Jem and Isley, who once were on different sides of the war before the Earth invaded Qita, run the Skyward Inn. Everything changes when a stranger enters the Skyward Inn, pleading for help and thereby bringing reminders of a troubling past and an uncertain future. Firstly, I have to compliment the beautiful cover. I adore the use of vibrant colou...

I'm not really sure what I think about this book. The prose lends this post-war, alien contact, bigotry, anti-technology, dysfunctional family, connection, body horror, coming of age narrative a dreamy quality. There’s also a slow ratcheting up of dread, and some revulsion, all served up in big glasses of brew.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Skyward Inn is a sci-fi retelling of Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn and a weird and increasingly surrealist story of love, belonging, and togetherness. Skyward Inn, on the moorlands of the Western Protectorate, is removed from modern technology and politics. When humans first went through the ‘Kissing Gate’ to the planet Qita, the protectorate turned its back on modern civilization to live in rural isolation. Although there is a spaceport nearby, the villagers have nothing to do with it. Theirs...

ARC received from the publisher (Solaris) in exchange for an honest review.I’m always on the lookout for more SFF slice of life. Especially weird literary SFF slice of life. So when Fabienne brought this book to my attention, I knew I’d have to read it. And it turned out to be one of the most unique things I’ve found in a while – at the same time somehow a seamless blend of super chill sci-fi slice of life (slight Becky Chambers vibes anyone?) and something altogether more unsettling. We burn

A few weeks ago I read, enjoyed, and reviewed Aliya Whiteley’s ‘The Secret Life of Fungi’, so when I was caught in the throes of a late-night @netgalley binge, spotted this striking cover and recognised the name (and after a quick Google, confirmed that they were the same person and that Aliya is a fairly prolific author of Sci-Fi and speculative fiction), I was really intrigued.The synopsis is sparse and, having now finished it, I’m similarly stumped on how to describe this book. It’s the kind

Skyward Inn takes place in a future where humanity lives peacefully alongside the Qitans, an alien species whose planet we have colonised and stolen resources from. The titular setting is a pub in an isolated human settlement that deliberately avoids advanced technology, so has a rural village feel. The narration is split between Jem, who runs the pub with her alien partner Isley, and Fosse, her estranged son. Almost exactly halfway through the novel, it becomes clear there is something weird go...

I'm still losing my mind a little bit with this book but first of all, thanks to Rebellion Publishing for sending me a copy of this book for review!Do you Dream of Terra-Two meets AnnihilationSo, let me tell you the story about why I requested this book. I though that it was going to be one of those philosophical sci-fis, filled with metaphors, the meaning of humanity, etc. I was looking for something similar to Do You Dream of Terra-Two and boy, oh boy, was I right and wrong.We start following

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...

3.5/5So, Skyward Inn. It's weird. And character-driven. It combines science fiction with weird fiction and personal drama. Jem runs a pub in a region of Britain disconnected from the modern world. There's a spaceport in the area, but no one uses it. Before coming here, Jem spent ten years on the planet Qita with a Qitan named Isley. Her story unfolds slowly and revolves around the consequences of humanity's contact with aliens. She may also be serving a psychedelic brew at her inn. Either way, J...

Skyward Inn was certainly unique. I took a few days after I finished reading this book to collect my thoughts and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel. On the one hand, Aliya Whiteley succeeded at creating an engaging novel that captivates the reader. I was thoroughly invested in the story and I didn't want to put the book down, however, I'm not sure if that's a credit to the actual writing or simply an indication of how confused I was and much I wanted answers. I was a bit irked by the altern...