Liz Williams is a new author to me, and apparently she also writes great detective stories with an entirely different 'mood' to them - Banner of Souls takes place in a far far far future - in the Reynolds, Banksian style where people have re-engineered and remodeled themselves for so long they don't know what humans were originally like nor that humankind did not settle Earth from Mars but the other way around..... (Somewhere along the way men have been sidelined, but this is never explained; it's just the way it is, and it also appears that the remaining 'women' have pretty much moved away from physical contact period, with anyone. There are in fact some 'male' beings that are fundamental to the story too.) The problem, and it's a big one, is that the future has become horribly entangled with the past/present and is threatening to destroy what is left of the present with their 'haunt' technology. Souls and physical being can be separated, the soul left alive in another dimension, which, in the future has been accessed and used for space travel and other much worse things. Naturally there is ONE PERSON who can fix everything, and she must be protected and aided at all costs...... The dangers and monsters are imaginative - huge machines that were meant to manipulate earth's weather, still roaming the seas, 'dragons' and nanobots EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING in a creepy way..... It moves quickly, the setting is fascinating, the characters grew on me, and I began to care - all good. I'll read more Williams as I stumble across it. **** ( )

Atmospheric adventure story about saving humanity in the far future. Ending a little disappointing. Full review here. ( )

http://nhw.livejournal.com/377382.html

Basically very good. Teetered on the edge of being too complex for late-night reading (I seem to have spent most of the last week feeling very sleepy) but I managed. Far future setting, almost all characters are women (hardly any men left alive), vibrant Mars vs failing Earth, nanotechnology, advanced military tech and also raising the dead. Will buy more by her. ( )

novel world ( )

This is a fascinating, complicated book with an interesting story and some excellent world building. The way Williams tosses the reader into the world she has created and then slowly reveals its complexities as the tale progresses is beautifully done.

However, for me there was something lacking. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but I think I'll have to go with 'soul' or 'emotion'. That's what got it a relatively low rating from me.

All the same, I recommend it to others for the spectacular world building and realise that they may find it not to be lacking in anything at all. ( )