Its triumph lies in the way Whiteley uses the metaphor to examine the tortured process of love and attachment. -- The Guardian * The Guardian *
A murky delirium of sinuous language and unnerving storytelling that will delight both experienced genre fanatics and literary fiction lovers alike. * Kirkus *
Whiteley has a penchant for describing the disturbing... a surreal and disquieting post-apocalyptic consideration of the roles we place ourselves in. -- The Barnes and Noble SF&F Blog * The Barnes and Noble SF&F Blog *
A story of the future that is an appeal to the present. The best kind of science fiction. A novel of its time, confronting current and terrible misjudgements with which humanity assures its own demise. All made startling by a typical Whiteley strangeness. -- Adam Nevill, author of The Reddening and Wyrd and Other Derelictions
Whiteley [is] one of the most original and provocative voices in contemporary science fiction. -- Nina Allen, author of The Rift
Visceral and unsettling - I loved it -- G. V. Anderson, award-winning speculative fiction author
Intense and consuming writing, constantly challenging expectations. -- Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time
The absolute best kind of philosophical SF, & indisputable inheritor of Le Guin. Aliya Whiteley forces us to confront difficult ideas, but they are important, and will become even more so. Exactly what SF should do. -- Marion Womack, author of The Golden Key
Clever and touching: a book of cosmic scope but with real characters and a human heart. -- Chris Beckett, author of the award-winning Dark Eden series
A powerful and surprising examination of colonialism and its unintended consequences. Highly recommended. -- Helen Marshall, author of The Migration
Skyward Inn is an experience. Whiteley is a strong voice in speculative fiction and readers will be delighted and unsettled by her novels for years to come. -- The Nerd Daily -- Kibby Robinson * The Nerd Daily *
Whiteley takes the reader on a cryptic journey of trust, identity and knowing your place in the world. -- Starburst Magazine -- Fred McNamara * Starburst Magazine *
A moving and thought provoking tale, completely unlike anything I've read before. -- The Bibliophile Chronicles * The Bibliophile Chronicles *
There are some books that are simply beautiful. And Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley is one of those. -- Libri Draconis * Libri Draconis *
Whiteley's trademark subtle surrealism shines. -- Publishers Weekly * Publishers Weekly *
A melancholy and compellingly weird tale of identity in crisis. -- SFX -- Will Salmon * SFX *
Skyward Inn feels like an instant classic of the genre. -- The Guardian -- Lisa Tuttle * The Guardian *
A beautifully realised story, with achingly engaging prose. -- The British Fantasy Society * The British Fantasy Society *
Rarely has a writer who is not Philip K. Dick had so much fun building a world only to take it apart. -- LA Times -- Noah Berlatsky * LA Times *
A vital contribution to modern speculative fiction and a novel to be read and reread and pondered at length. -- The Fantasy Hive -- Jonathan Thornton * The Fantasy Hive *
A unique work of literary and speculative excellence. -- SciFiNow -- Bert Peterson * SciFiNow *
When it comes to misdirection, Aliya Whiteley is the very devil. -- The Times -- Simon Ings * The Times *
The Times SF Book of the Month * The Times *
Whiteley explores questions of identification, attachment and belonging, tying everything together in a wonderfully surreal and weirdly uplifting denouement. -- The FT -- James Lovegrove * The FT *
Skyward Inn is a quietly disarming and beautiful book that masterfully blends literary conventions with science fiction. -- Dark Matter Magazine -- Alexander Pyles * Dark Matter Magazine *
A book to take solace in. * Locus Magazine *