Nigel 
September 1st,2010
So far I’ve read just one book published by BeWrite Books (see yesterday’s post). It’s one of Liza Granville’s called Until the Skies Fall. What follows is the review I posted on Amazon:
—Five stars —
I loved this book. Apparently it will have a sequel. I can’t wait.
The story could be described as a cross between ‘Lord of the Rings’ (but without the fantasy) and Iain Banks’ ‘Feersum Endjinn’ (without the strange language),but it isn’t either. It is unique.
This is hard science fiction set in our future after unspecified advances trigger some kind of devastating war – I’ll not spoil it by giving any details. The world is very different in many ways,but that is merely the backdrop to this saga. The focus is on a disparate group of people shoved into trying to achieve something nearly impossible. The characters are well-drawn,and some of them quite endearing. They struggle to maintain friendships through hard times and in some cases the strains of growing up. I enjoyed their company as I read the book.
But this is not Dostoyevsky. The plot moves along. Challenges are very much physical as well as psychological. Okay so some parts were a bit slow for my taste,but other parts had me turning pages into the night. Actually come to think of it that’s also true when I read Tolkien or Banks.
Most of the SF I find on the shelves at Waterstones I either own or is not to my taste. This novel was a breath of fresh air with its readability,reality,humanity,almost hidden science,and gradually unfolding secrets. Liza Granville is an author to watch. This is an early work with only a couple of other titles so far available,but it shows something of what she will one day be capable.
——
She’s doing okay 
I’m now on another of her books The Tor. It’s started well. Arrived yesterday,and I’ve put the latest Iain Banks on one side to read it. Which is quite a tribute to Liza.
If you can handle hard science fiction with just a hint of fantasy,and if you like the characters to be real and interesting,then get hold of a copy of Skies.
