David J. Williams

But before I get started, a quick note: sources/agents/sensors report that the book has been selling out of bookstores. This is, of course, a Good Thing (unless it’s getting shoplifted), but it means that if you can’t find the book, it’s time to get proactive. Ask for it, and have the store order it. Even better if you ask for it with a giant megaphone so that as many people as possible are wondering just what the hell THE MIRRORED HEAVENS is. Hey, memes have gone viral over far less.

And now on to the web round-up. Which has been a little delayed because yesterday marks my turning in of the second book. (About which I have virtually nothing to say right now, but rest assured I’ll be back to address it shortly.) Robert Thompson over at Fantasy Book Critic has posted a really complimentary review that led to more than a few high-fives over here at Mirrored Heavens HQ. He writes that he’s “confident that the book will end up on my shortlist as one of 2008’s Best Science Fiction debuts”, in large part because “the pacing is superb, espionage/intrigue elements strategically complement the action {and} the twists & turns are clever and unexpected.”

Robert also notes that the novel’s three storylines “seem to be competing with one another to see who can come up with the most intense, most spectacular action sequences imaginable” . . . and though he’s the first to put it this way, he’s exactly right. If you’re writing three action-sequences side-by-side in the same novel, a little friendly competition inevitably emerges . . . : ) He also points out some issues with character differentiation, and it’s a fair point, particularly since we’re allowed relatively little transparency into the heads of the covert operatives who constitute the characters. (And a lot of the clues as to what makes one person tick vs. another are buried pretty deep in the mix.)

Next up is Richard Dansky, legendary game designer and author of FIREFLY RAIN. Writing in Green Man Review, Dansky calls the book a “fascinating read, a twisty thriller of shifting loyalties and double-crosses.” He also refers to it as “archetypal cyberpunk,” but notes that this is merely a first impression, and that a closer reading reveals key differences, particularly around writing style and approach to combat. Hey, I’m not arguing.

Nor will I argue with Andrew James at the wonderfully-named Big Dumb Object, who is now a big fan of this oh-so-shiny website. Check out what he has to say HERE. And apparently he might review the book too, which would be super-cool. More to follow.

Tags: books, future of war, Mirrored Heavens, novel, science fiction, scifi, SF

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