Book Review | Skyward Inn

Drink down the brew and dream of a better Earth.

I should have been clued in by the psychedelic cover and the Jeff VanderMeer comparison in the blurb, but I still wasn’t quite prepared for what this book had in store for me.

Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley starts off almost like a space western. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic area of England called the Western Protectorate that shuns technology and has reverted back to an agricultural society. The story follows Innkeepers Jem and Isley who serve the local townsfolk and are known for their specialty brew.

Everything feels natural, down-to-earth.

However, the story begins to slowly creep into a delirious, Lovecraftian descent into body and cosmic horror that continued to haunt me even after I finished the final pages.

Ultimately, Skyward Inn is a profound and beautifully grotesque tale about loneliness and our innate desire to belong—truly a sci-fi classic in the making.

Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : March 16, 2021

Publisher : Rebellion Publishing

ISBN : 1781088829
Pages : 336

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