(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.
– 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.
– Vector
