Reviews
“(the ending) knocked my socks off, left my jaw gaping… The Affinity Trap coheres on a literary level because, at its core, is a political and psychological novel, always focused and centered on the evolution and/or devolution of Delgado’s loyalties, moral structure, character and essential consciousness. At its heart, this is a novel of character, bouncing around from one level of rigour to another on an external, phenomenological level, but always believable, interesting, and realistic on a psychological level.” — Norman Spinrad, Asimov’s
“…fast-paced action adventure… fascinating human-alien-human intercourse…” — the Guardian
“…a stonkingly wonderful, sheer bloody genius ending that most authors wouldn’t even dream of let alone write. Brilliant.” — Emerald City
…relentless, engrossing action sequences; likable characters; page-turning quality; vivid imagery… 100% adventure… kick-ass giant scorpions… — SFF Signal
…flavoring the whole of the novel are many themes – gender roles, sexuality roles, and adjustment to the alien. These themes balance very well with the high-octane action scenes. Throughout the novel, Sketchley continues to inject the adrenaline into the series, between breakneck chase scene and the tooth-and-nail fights…. — SFF World
“…a cinematic sense of scale and action…” — Publishers’ Weekly
“…the whole book simply zips along…” — The Eternal Night
“Sketchley has set a solid foundation for what looks to be a rousing conclusion, in The Liberty Gun.” — SFFworld.com
“Sketchley knows what he is doing, and he’s starting to do it very well…assured right from the first chapter.” — Emerald City
“Full of action, intelligence and intrigue, this is powerful stuff from a writer of formidable vision and talent.” — Fantasy & Science Fiction Book Club
“…this Sketchley stuff looks pretty damn good…” — The Agony Column
“…action packed…” — SFX
“…exhilarating plot…a dark science fiction thriller…” — Alternative Worlds
“The Affinity Trap is a great first novel that will appeal both to fans of Richard Morgan’s cyber-noir adventures and lovers of the kind of martial futuristics published in great quantities by Baen Books.” — SciFidimensions
“….Sketchley’s solid writing drives this plot-based story…” — Publishers Weekly
“I found myself drawn to the compelling narrative. I was eagerly waiting to see exactly what happened next…. Sketchley is clearly a competent and skilful writer.” — SFSignal
“…a great combination of shameless entertainment with thought-provoking literature…” — The Agony Column Book Reviews and Commentary
“…impressive…thrilling… a strong sense of humanity…” — Interzone
“Sex with aliens is always tricky, and not just for the obvious reasons… In the best British SF tradition.” — the Guardian
“…the characters are fresh, feisty and vigourous… plenty of twists and turns before the shock ending. Good, pacy, racy, spacey stuff. Great anti-hero — gripping action and an interesting take on the whole addiction culture.” — Dreamwatch
“This spectacular debut superbly combines the suspense and skulduggery of a Tom Clancy thriller, the existentialism of Iain M. Banks and the operatic grandeur of Peter Hamilton…” — Fantasy & Science Fiction Book Club
“(The Affinity Trap) is swift, sleek space opera, full of incident, exoticism and, indeed, eroticism.” — Ian R MacLeod
“Sketchley’s realistic portrayal of Kate and his stark descriptions of the alien invasion are both excellent.”– Jared @ pornokitsch.com
“(Songbirds is) One of the better stories in the volume…” – bestsf.net
“(Songbirds) is the perfect closing story for an already impressive collection.” – Ben Jeapes in Vector
