Rating: 
Summary: Exotic Urban Fantasy - A Compelling & Satisfying Read!
Review: "Nine Layers of Sky" is a compelling and satisfying novel. I highly recommend it, and will be watching for more from this new author. I see that this is her 4th novel, so I will have to start by catching up!"Nine Layers of Sky" contains elements of urban fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history. It is set in the former Soviet Union, a land of limitations and abandoned dreams. At the beginning of the story, we meet our heroine Elena as she helps out in a small-time smuggling operation. A former Soviet space scientist, she still dreams of working in a space program, and is mopping floors and smuggling in order to raise the cash to emigrate. She is brought together with Ilya Muromyets, an 800-year old immortal Slav and current heroin addict. Elena being a profound skeptic, she is not particularly receptive to an encounter with a hero out of Russian fantasy, and Ilya is not looking too heroic. Elena and Ilya are brought together by an odd little artifact that seems to open windows into alternate worlds. Such an artifact is a valuable thing, and a number of people are out to get it. Over the course of the novel, we unravel the mystery of who Ilya is, what the artifact is and what is to be done with it, and what Elena and Ilya will do next with their lives. If you enjoy this novel, you may also want to check out the work of Charles DeLint, Emma Bull and Neil Gaiman.
Rating: 
Summary: Elena and Ilya go down the Silk Road
Review: "Nine Layers of Sky" is another great novel by the very impressive Liz Williams. This time out she takes her readers on a tour of the Silk Road states of Central Asia (and apparently that's a part of the world Williams is familiar with), ending up in Uzbekistan, in the ancient city of Samarkand. Elena, now cleaning offices in Almaty, Kazakhistan, was once a scientist in the Soviet space program. After acquiring a strange metallic object she hooks up with Ilya, an 800-year-old "Bogatyr" (once a hero of Russia, now a junkie), and together they attempt to solve the object's mystery. That in turn leads them to a parallel world, and then things really start to hum, as they encounter many strange and nefarious characters while they shuttle between this world and the parallel one, in which the Soviet Union didn't exactly die. Williams is a playful author with a great sense of place. She makes the decay and despair of the former Soviet Republics seem very real--the rundown busses, the abandoned space facilities, the failed attempts to construct subways. And yet, this mock heroic quest is slightly tongue in cheek. Think of it as Elena and Ilya in Wonderland and you'll half get the point. And, as with the Carroll classic, the journey's far more important than the destination. Until now, Williams hasn't done sequels (and an advert in the back of the book would indicate that her next novel will surely not be one), but she's left a few loose ends here (and she's far too clever to have done so by accident), so maybe some day a sequel there will be. We can only hope.
Rating:
Summary: Exotic Urban Fantasy - A Compelling & Satisfying Read!
Review: "Nine Layers of Sky" is a compelling and satisfying novel. I highly recommend it, and will be watching for more from this new author. I see that this is her 4th novel, so I will have to start by catching up! "Nine Layers of Sky" contains elements of urban fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history. It is set in the former Soviet Union, a land of limitations and abandoned dreams. At the beginning of the story, we meet our heroine Elena as she helps out in a small-time smuggling operation. A former Soviet space scientist, she still dreams of working in a space program, and is mopping floors and smuggling in order to raise the cash to emigrate. She is brought together with Ilya Muromyets, an 800-year old immortal Slav and current heroin addict. Elena being a profound skeptic, she is not particularly receptive to an encounter with a hero out of Russian fantasy, and Ilya is not looking too heroic. Elena and Ilya are brought together by an odd little artifact that seems to open windows into alternate worlds. Such an artifact is a valuable thing, and a number of people are out to get it. Over the course of the novel, we unravel the mystery of who Ilya is, what the artifact is and what is to be done with it, and what Elena and Ilya will do next with their lives. If you enjoy this novel, you may also want to check out the work of Charles DeLint, Emma Bull and Neil Gaiman.
Rating: 
Summary: All the Layers...
Review: Mrs. William's forte is the great "What If..." scenario. What if a poverty ridden, under classed and repressed society became that way due to alien interference? The premise is fascinating; I must own, however, that it was more so fascinating in her first three novels. Nine Layers of Sky begins in the gritty world of modern day Russia. Elena Irinovna, our primary protagonist, is the product of new Russia's economy and government; a hard, bitter woman determined to flee with her family to Canada, that is, until the arrival of a mysterious "ball", and Illya Muromyets. He is an eight hundred year old legend, a "hero" of Russian myth, now washed up and addicted to smack. They embark to discover the origins and use of their little foreign ball, soon realizing that it acts as a catalyst, that it's a gateway to the parallel universe of Byelovodye. This other world is just as rife with political scandals as their known Russia, and they strive to understand how each of these societies are effecting one another while also falling in love and trying to stay alive. The integration of mythology and legend with modern day Russia lends the story strong flair, yet it still falls flat at times, I think, becoming too complex for its own good, especially towards the novel's cramped end. The story is weakened by following our heroes across the dual Russias for a long, long (long) time, eventually growing bored of the tedious journeying and the slow pace of Byelovodyean perspective, and then feeling rushed when the action goes down. It's at this point, three quarters of the way through, that the book begins to really deteriorate, weakening with too many hazily explained plot lines. The exotic settings of William's novels are always refreshing, as are the socio-political machinations she interweaves, creating an applause worthy level of tension that's just awesome. She's able to discern the fine nuances of social structure and its class hierarchies, but, at the same time, this novel covers all the ground her prior novels have covered. It's enjoyed primarily for its exotic, well-realized environments and the very evident research she put into its creation. Still, all in all, William's is an excellent writer. She has mastered her craft, and that's why her huge fan base (myself included) are so looking forward to reading her next novel, Banner of Souls.
Rating:
Summary: All the Layers...
Review: Mrs. William's forte is the great "What If..." scenario. What if a poverty ridden, under classed and repressed society became that way due to alien interference? The premise is fascinating; I must own, however, that it was more so fascinating in her first three novels. Nine Layers of Sky begins in the gritty world of modern day Russia. Elena Irinovna, our primary protagonist, is the product of new Russia's economy and government; a hard, bitter woman determined to flee with her family to Canada, that is, until the arrival of a mysterious "ball", and Illya Muromyets. He is an eight hundred year old legend, a "hero" of Russian myth, now washed up and addicted to smack. They embark to discover the origins and use of their little foreign ball, soon realizing that it acts as a catalyst, that it's a gateway to the parallel universe of Byelovodye. This other world is just as rife with political scandals as their known Russia, and they strive to understand how each of these societies are effecting one another while also falling in love and trying to stay alive. The integration of mythology and legend with modern day Russia lends the story strong flair, yet it still falls flat at times, I think, becoming too complex for its own good, especially towards the novel's cramped end. The story is weakened by following our heroes across the dual Russias for a long, long (long) time, eventually growing bored of the tedious journeying and the slow pace of Byelovodyean perspective, and then feeling rushed when the action goes down. It's at this point, three quarters of the way through, that the book begins to really deteriorate, weakening with too many hazily explained plot lines. The exotic settings of William's novels are always refreshing, as are the socio-political machinations she interweaves, creating an applause worthy level of tension that's just awesome. She's able to discern the fine nuances of social structure and its class hierarchies, but, at the same time, this novel covers all the ground her prior novels have covered. It's enjoyed primarily for its exotic, well-realized environments and the very evident research she put into its creation. Still, all in all, William's is an excellent writer. She has mastered her craft, and that's why her huge fan base (myself included) are so looking forward to reading her next novel, Banner of Souls.
Rating:
Summary: close to perfect
Review: Sometimes a science-fiction novel comes along which I'd almost swear was written especially for me! Lisa Mason's "The Summer of Love" is one such novel. "Nine Layers of Sky" is another. The setting, the characters, the quest -- all strike such a chord; it's even archetypal. It's the beginning of the 21st century and the Soviet Union dissolved a decade ago. Along with it, the career and dreams of astrophysicist Elena Irinovna. From launching rockets to washing floors; she can only dream of emigrating to Canada. To realize this dream will take money, so Elena is forced into smuggling across the Kazakhstan border. During one harrowing crossing, she discovers an unidentifiable spherical artifact in the snow, apparently stolen from a strange dead man. The object is bewildering, because it is warm. Out of scientific curiosity, she keeps it, not knowing that it is already being pursued by people who will kill to reclaim it. And by another who will protect her at all cost. Ilya Murom'ets is a legendary Slavic hero, one of the original bogatyri, now an immortal weary of living. For 800 years, he has wondered why he cannot die, even fatally wounded in battle. Why do the rusalki, those fey females who inhabit Russian woods and waters, always find him and heal him before he can find his release in death? His only release these days comes from vodka, and his heroin addiction acquired during the Afghanistan War. No one believes in heroes or rusalki any more. Reduced to working as a mercenary, Ilya has been hired by mysterious, not quite human strangers to retrieve the missing artifact. He locates Elena in time to save her from a rusalka; then they find that death seems to follow the artifact. And Ilya remembers, as if in a dream, where he has seen this artifact before. Seventy years ago, he was paid to kill a renegade scientist who had created a technology to open a portal to another realm. That realm, B'elovod'e, is a parallel Russia, one in which the perfect Soviet utopia has been accomplished. It is a Russia in which citizens are comrades and rusalki and other mythical creatures inhabit the wild places. But there is a dark secret which the citizens of B'elovod'e do not know -- their utopia exists by stealing the dreams of the real Russia. Mechvori (dream-thieves) are the alternate Russia's counterpart of the KGB, feared by the populace and military alike. The problem is: as the dreams of the real Russians are disappearing, their country and lives become more depressing and hopeless. And as the artifact opens rifts between the worlds, it brings devastation and panic to B'elovod'e. It also allows Ilya's ancient Islamic nemesis, also an immortal, to cross between the realms in hopes of radicalizing the nomadic horse tribes of B'elovod'e. As the mystery which has united them unfolds, Elena and Ilya together embark on the quest to save their world. Pursued by Mechvori, rusalki, and the horsemen of the Golden Warrior, they discover, in eachother, something worth dying for. And ultimately, a dream worth living for. I enjoyed every moment of this delicious read, and was sorry to reach the end, which seemed to be just a little rushed. I think I'm in love myself... with Elena and Ilya and Russia and the writing of Liz Williams! I'm definitely going to read her other novels.
Rating:
Summary: close to perfect
Review: Sometimes a science-fiction novel comes along which I'd almost swear was written especially for me! Lisa Mason's "The Summer of Love" is one such novel. "Nine Layers of Sky" is another. The setting, the characters, the quest -- all strike such a chord; it's even archetypal. It's the beginning of the 21st century and the Soviet Union dissolved a decade ago. Along with it, the career and dreams of astrophysicist Elena Irinovna. From launching rockets to washing floors; she can only dream of emigrating to Canada. To realize this dream will take money, so Elena is forced into smuggling across the Kazakhstan border. During one harrowing crossing, she discovers an unidentifiable spherical artifact in the snow, apparently stolen from a strange dead man. The object is bewildering, because it is warm. Out of scientific curiosity, she keeps it, not knowing that it is already being pursued by people who will kill to reclaim it. And by another who will protect her at all cost. Ilya Murom'ets is a legendary Slavic hero, one of the original bogatyri, now an immortal weary of living. For 800 years, he has wondered why he cannot die, even fatally wounded in battle. Why do the rusalki, those fey females who inhabit Russian woods and waters, always find him and heal him before he can find his release in death? His only release these days comes from vodka, and his heroin addiction acquired during the Afghanistan War. No one believes in heroes or rusalki any more. Reduced to working as a mercenary, Ilya has been hired by mysterious, not quite human strangers to retrieve the missing artifact. He locates Elena in time to save her from a rusalka; then they find that death seems to follow the artifact. And Ilya remembers, as if in a dream, where he has seen this artifact before. Seventy years ago, he was paid to kill a renegade scientist who had created a technology to open a portal to another realm. That realm, B'elovod'e, is a parallel Russia, one in which the perfect Soviet utopia has been accomplished. It is a Russia in which citizens are comrades and rusalki and other mythical creatures inhabit the wild places. But there is a dark secret which the citizens of B'elovod'e do not know -- their utopia exists by stealing the dreams of the real Russia. Mechvori (dream-thieves) are the alternate Russia's counterpart of the KGB, feared by the populace and military alike. The problem is: as the dreams of the real Russians are disappearing, their country and lives become more depressing and hopeless. And as the artifact opens rifts between the worlds, it brings devastation and panic to B'elovod'e. It also allows Ilya's ancient Islamic nemesis, also an immortal, to cross between the realms in hopes of radicalizing the nomadic horse tribes of B'elovod'e. As the mystery which has united them unfolds, Elena and Ilya together embark on the quest to save their world. Pursued by Mechvori, rusalki, and the horsemen of the Golden Warrior, they discover, in eachother, something worth dying for. And ultimately, a dream worth living for. I enjoyed every moment of this delicious read, and was sorry to reach the end, which seemed to be just a little rushed. I think I'm in love myself... with Elena and Ilya and Russia and the writing of Liz Williams! I'm definitely going to read her other novels.
Rating:
Summary: close to perfect
Review: Sometimes a science-fiction novel comes along which I'd almost swear was written especially for me! Lisa Mason's "The Summer of Love" is one such novel. "Nine Layers of Sky" is another. The setting, the characters, the quest -- all strike such a chord; it's even archetypal. It's the beginning of the 21st century and the Soviet Union dissolved a decade ago. Along with it, the career and dreams of astrophysicist Elena Irinovna. From launching rockets to washing floors; she can only dream of emigrating to Canada. To realize this dream will take money, so Elena is forced into smuggling across the Kazakhstan border. During one harrowing crossing, she discovers an unidentifiable spherical artifact in the snow, apparently stolen from a strange dead man. The object is bewildering, because it is warm. Out of scientific curiosity, she keeps it, not knowing that it is already being pursued by people who will kill to reclaim it. And by another who will protect her at all cost. Ilya Murom'ets is a legendary Slavic hero, one of the original bogatyri, now an immortal weary of living. For 800 years, he has wondered why he cannot die, even fatally wounded in battle. Why do the rusalki, those fey females who inhabit Russian woods and waters, always find him and heal him before he can find his release in death? His only release these days comes from vodka, and his heroin addiction acquired during the Afghanistan War. No one believes in heroes or rusalki any more. Reduced to working as a mercenary, Ilya has been hired by mysterious, not quite human strangers to retrieve the missing artifact. He locates Elena in time to save her from a rusalka; then they find that death seems to follow the artifact. And Ilya remembers, as if in a dream, where he has seen this artifact before. Seventy years ago, he was paid to kill a renegade scientist who had created a technology to open a portal to another realm. That realm, B'elovod'e, is a parallel Russia, one in which the perfect Soviet utopia has been accomplished. It is a Russia in which citizens are comrades and rusalki and other mythical creatures inhabit the wild places. But there is a dark secret which the citizens of B'elovod'e do not know -- their utopia exists by stealing the dreams of the real Russia. Mechvori (dream-thieves) are the alternate Russia's counterpart of the KGB, feared by the populace and military alike. The problem is: as the dreams of the real Russians are disappearing, their country and lives become more depressing and hopeless. And as the artifact opens rifts between the worlds, it brings devastation and panic to B'elovod'e. It also allows Ilya's ancient Islamic nemesis, also an immortal, to cross between the realms in hopes of radicalizing the nomadic horse tribes of B'elovod'e. As the mystery which has united them unfolds, Elena and Ilya together embark on the quest to save their world. Pursued by Mechvori, rusalki, and the horsemen of the Golden Warrior, they discover, in eachother, something worth dying for. And ultimately, a dream worth living for. I enjoyed every moment of this delicious read, and was sorry to reach the end, which seemed to be just a little rushed. I think I'm in love myself... with Elena and Ilya and Russia and the writing of Liz Williams! I'm definitely going to read her other novels.
Rating:
Summary: One of the bright new stars in the science fiction galaxy
Review: The collapse of the Soviet Union meant the end of hope for people like Elena. She had earned her degree in astrophysics and worked on earth on the construction of the MIR space station, hoping one day to go into space. Now she works at a cleaning woman in Uzbekistan selling black market goods across the border in Akazahstsn hoping to earn enough money so that she, her sister and mother can purchase visas that will allow them to settle in Canada. One day while crossing the border, she picks up a sphere that an ambulance driver dropped and takes it home with her. This action brings Ilya Muromyets into her life, an eight hundred year old man who is seeking death, but is always brought back to life by the Rusalka, beings from another dimension. Ilya was hired to find the sphere and bring it to the men who want it but once he meets Elena his plans change because the Rusalka are after her and he cares enough about her to want to keep her alive. In time, they learn that the sphere is a gateway to alternate Russia, one where dreams become reality and creatures of myth roam the forests. Many people are searching for this device and if they find them, they will kill Ilya and Elena and permanently seal the breaks between the worlds. Liz Williams is one of the bright new stars in the science fiction galaxy and one of her strengths is she never writes the same book twice. NINE LAYERS OF SKY is an action thriller with elements of fantasy and alternate history added to create an urban noir science fiction work that is fascinating to read. This work has cross-genre appeal and will add more readers to the author's growing fan base. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: One of the bright new stars in the science fiction galaxy
Review: The collapse of the Soviet Union meant the end of hope for people like Elena. She had earned her degree in astrophysics and worked on earth on the construction of the MIR space station, hoping one day to go into space. Now she works at a cleaning woman in Uzbekistan selling black market goods across the border in Akazahstsn hoping to earn enough money so that she, her sister and mother can purchase visas that will allow them to settle in Canada. One day while crossing the border, she picks up a sphere that an ambulance driver dropped and takes it home with her. This action brings Ilya Muromyets into her life, an eight hundred year old man who is seeking death, but is always brought back to life by the Rusalka, beings from another dimension. Ilya was hired to find the sphere and bring it to the men who want it but once he meets Elena his plans change because the Rusalka are after her and he cares enough about her to want to keep her alive. In time, they learn that the sphere is a gateway to alternate Russia, one where dreams become reality and creatures of myth roam the forests. Many people are searching for this device and if they find them, they will kill Ilya and Elena and permanently seal the breaks between the worlds. Liz Williams is one of the bright new stars in the science fiction galaxy and one of her strengths is she never writes the same book twice. NINE LAYERS OF SKY is an action thriller with elements of fantasy and alternate history added to create an urban noir science fiction work that is fascinating to read. This work has cross-genre appeal and will add more readers to the author's growing fan base. Harriet Klausner
|
