I just finished reading Aestus Book 1: The City. It was incredible. Totally blew me away - could hardly put it down, struggled to sleep thinking about it, so good. I rarely describe anything as 'awesome' - it's often used in quite a hyperbolic way; but, in this case, I am in awe.

There's so much I want to write about this book, so many thoughts running through my head the last few days, but I don't want to spoil the experience for anybody by giving away any details.

The first thing that struck me is how well written the characters are. This author has a real talent for writing genuine, believable characters. I feel sure many of them must be real people she knows - all the little moments that she captures just bring them to life so vividly. Just get such a sense of familiarity from them. It's a very human story, with people front and centre.

The pacing is spot on - there's never a dull moment, nor a scene that passes too quickly; the action is tight, intense and exciting; the story is incredibly compelling and an absolutely fascinating take on a plausible future for our species. And there is so much subtlety in the writing - a wealth of small details that just bring the scenes to life and provide a sense of depth and place; it's quite masterful stuff. This is an author who really understands her craft.

It absorbed me so much that reading this book has taken up all my free time for the last week. This one is really special - if you've got any interest in speculative science fiction works, I strongly recommend it. Started on Book 2 immediately after finishing Book 1 - it's taken me a few days to write my thoughts on Book 1, and already halfway through Book 2; my opinion has certainly not changed. Safe to say I'm loving it so far too!