Banner of Souls

by Liz Williams

Book Overview

In the distant future, Earth is dominated by a Martian matriarchy known as the Grandmothers. Males are virtually unknown, and reproduction is a matter of industry. These experts in genetic engineering have bred a messiah, Lunae, who can bend time to her will. But when killers from a rival planet are dispatched to destroy her, the Grandmothers order a Martian warrior, Dreams-of-War, to protect the young savior. Dreams-of-War's guardianship leads to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486843408
• ISBN13: 9780486843407
• Release Date: July 2020
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

best sci-fi I've read in a long time

This is one of the best books in general I've read in a very long time. It's hard to find original fantasy or science fiction anymore, but this book is not only original, it's deeply engrossing. There are so many small details that make this book more than just a good story, including the slightly Asian flavor. The characters are brilliant and vivid; even now, months later, they're still stuck in my mind. This is a brilliant gem of a novel.

For those who delight in the truly strange...

In this future world men are all but gone and the main characters are women -- and that is one of the least noteworthy things in a truly strange book. The settings span from the harsh landscape of Mars to the tiny pocket left of Earth to the nightmare depths of the galaxy. The stakes are no less than the fate of humanity. The characters are human, yet clearly alien. Her gothic themes are offset, however, by Williams's clear (and excellent) prose. Unlike most gothic fiction, there is no lugubrious writing -- or worse, language so dense (or just bad) that you can't even tell what is happening. If you like richly imagined science fiction by someone who knows how to write, pick up this book.

Anima Rising

The superb Liz Williams has another winner with her dreamy, impressionistic, but exciting "Banner of Souls." Set in a far future where Earth is mostly water and Mars is where the action is (the worlds are connected by a never fully explained piece of tech called "the Chain"), the tale revolves around Lunae, a young girl who can shift time; the Martian warrior "Dreams of War" (equipped with semi-sentient armor), who is sent to Earth as her protector; and, from "Nightshade," at the edge of the Solar System, comes Yskatarina Iye (equipped with a vast supply of prosthetic limbs along with her arachnid-like animus--ironically, pretty much all that's left of the male half of the human species). She is sent to Earth to remove Lunae from the scene. The baroque characters are amazingly well drawn (even the minor ones) as they bash about, none quite knowing exactly what's going on (with the possible exception of Yskatarina), among creatures real and not real, alive and dead, human and mechanical. In a previous book the author has acknowledged the influence of Jack Vance, and that influence certainly appears in this tale, too, with its vivid portrayals of strange worlds, strange creatures, and dry dialog. But this isn't a tribute by any means. It's a fine piece of work in its own right. There's a banner on the front cover in which readers are advised that Liz Williams is "an author to watch." Just so. More important, she is an author to read. And read again.

powerful but bleak futuristic sci fi

In the far distant future, the surface of Earth is almost totally destroyed with most of the remaining survivors living under the sea. Mars is thriving, but few men live there and these are considered freaks. Women rule with an iron hand. Most people on Mars believe they are the mother planet and earth is the colony. Martian warrior Dreams-of- War is sent to earth to guard a special child Lunae, who has the ability to shift through time. Yskaterina of Nightworld on the edge of the galaxy is sent to kill the child. The Kami scientists, who were able to separate mind from body, want human hosts so that they can explore the physical realm again. Lunae tries to stop them while Dreams-of War and Yskaterina fight to the death over the only person who can save humanity in the war that might be coming. In BANNER OF SOULS earth is a bleak place with no hope for much of a future while Mars feels optimistic about is outlook. There are various subplots that add complexity to the tale and at times make it difficult to follow, but each one enhances the prime theme as they seamlessly merge into the story line. The characters are incredible as they are believable products of their environment coming from varying societies so that though the reader may not understand motivations, we can comprehend that consistency of each key player as decisions are made from a respective societal values' set. Futuristic sci fi fans will appreciate this powerful novel. Harriet Klausner