Twenty winters have passed since the Cataclysm brought down society and robbed people of their memories. Humanity, vastly reduced in numbers since the initial chaos, has started anew in Canal City with the aid of library books and steam technology. The Scout and Ranger Corps was established to search for possible survivors and to replenish dwindling resources.
Dev is the captain of the scout airship Smoke Sparrow, and Shay is the scholar of their newest expedition. Their destination is Innsmouth, Massachusetts, a small fishing town that is mentioned in obscure books but shows up on no maps. Might its secrets offer answers? But within the fog-covered, ruined hillside town by the bay lurk unspeakable dangers and horrors beyond imagining. The expedition team soon learns that Innsmouth is one town that should have been left forgotten.
Warning: M/M sex
Professional Reviews
4.5 Hearts - Pixie's Reviews
For twenty years humanity has tried to rebuild their world, after a Cataclysmic event that robbed them of their memories and knowledge. After relearning the basics and finding what they can still use to survive the population of the new Canal City have established the Scout and Ranger Corps, groups of people who fly out in the Skyships hoping to find other survivors and resources.
Dev is a skyship captain on the airship Smoke Sparrow heading to a small fishing town called Innsmouth, he’s taken many journeys just like this one and the scholar Shay is a young man he’s admired for some time. Shay is excited about Innsmouth and the mystery that surrounds it, it isn’t on any map and Shay wants to know why, he’s happy to be paired up with Dev again and although he does feel an attraction to Dev he’s already involved with their guard Malia.
Their visit to Innsmouth takes an abrupt turn when Malia goes missing during a scout of the town; it will take all their wits and bravery to face the horrors that lurk in the fog.
This is a brilliant post-cataclysmic horror story that bows its head to H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, it’s beautifully written drawing us into the world where hate has been forgotten, where everyone is on equal footing and where love is love.
Dev and Shay are fantastic characters who face a horror that was best left forgotten, Malia is a brilliant character who surprises everyone with her strength and friendship. And the surprises that do crop up sure as hell do surprise you.
Dev and Shay’s budding relationship is tucked into the background as they investigate Innsmouth, the horrors they discover send a shiver down your spine… and being honest I’m unlikely to ever venture out when there’s a fog lingering.
The resourcefulness of the human race shines through as they try to build a world where they can survive, and although everyone has forgotten the past it also proves that some humans have an instinct for greed and power.
The world building is amazing and at times you can feel the damp fog sneaking up on you, the characters are given life as the story unfolds and the horror that comes to light really does send shivers down your spine. I can’t help but hope that there will be a sequel because that epilogue really has my hopes up😉
I recommend this to those who love horror, post-apocalyptic stories, strong characters, a budding romance and an ending that leaves you intrigued.
4 Stars - Sue's Review
Dev doesn’t remember his life before the Cataclysm. No human does. Gone are their memories, their knowledge, and their technology. Now life is a daily challenge to survive and to gain back some measure of what they lost. As a skyship captain, Dev may not have all the answers, but he’s happiest piloting his ship and searching for remnants of the past. Especially with Shay on board. They have served seven trips together and while Shay is a good friend, Dev can’t help wishing they might have some kind of future.
Their latest expedition takes them to the town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts. The search for viable provisions, survivors and any available information quickly reveals something more sinister. A dangerous and violent entity now inhabits Innsmouth, but threatens the remaining vestiges of humanity everywhere. As Shay and Dev unearth the truth, they are forced into a brutal struggle that could cost them everything they hold dear.
Skyships Over Innsmouth has a little something for everybody: action, adventure, romance, fish people, and tentacles. And who doesn’t love a fish person? The author, Susan Laine, dedicated Skyships Over Innsmouth to HP Lovecraft and it’s easy to see why. With its many Lovecraftian themes and a plot that pulls directly from the Lovecraft cannon, this book harkens to the weird and wild of fantasy. The characters are fairly strong, but they definitely take a back seat to the town of Innsmouth and the horrors that reside there. I would have enjoyed a bit more character development and greater insight into both Shay and Dev. The author spends so much time detailing and building the structure of this world that the characters occasionally get left by the wayside. Still they are far from one-dimensional and their romance is a series of sweet moments amongst the backdrop of a rather dark book.
The author has certainly done a good job with world building and creating a unique blend of fantasy, science fiction and steampunk. My biggest frustration with Skyships Over Innsmouth was the excessive complexity of the plot. Instead of becoming immersed, I found myself frequently yanked from the text because of sections that required re-reading or just plain puzzling out. Normally I don’t mind a bit of this and I would always rather a book have meat on its bones than not. But so much of Skyships Over Innsmouth requires excessive explanation that it becomes frustrating. Had some of the intricacies been scaled back a bit or explained in a simpler context, the book would have had a much better flow and been more enjoyable. I know this is easier said than done, but this author is clearly talented and with just a bit of trimming or restructuring, the book could have been a five-star read.
Overall Skyships Over Innsmouth was an enjoyable read that blended together some of my favorite genres. I’m not a huge Lovecraft fan, but I certainly appreciated the way Laine wove aspects of those stories into her own and created something different and intriguing. The plot is overly complex and I believe it needs a bit more unraveling and simplifying to keep readers from becoming frustrated. But the end of book suggests there may be a sequel coming and I’m definitely interested to see what happens next. If you enjoy the bizarre and the unique, definitely check out Skyships Over Innsmouth.
4 Stars - sky high by Robin Lynn
Skyships Over Innsmouth is the latest book from Susan Laine. It's an interesting take off on a post-apocalyptic world meeting H.P. Lovecraft. And it works.
Dev is the captain of the Smoke Swallow, a scout airship from Canal City, looking for resources to replenish the dwindling stores as well as survivors of the Cataclysm. With his crew: Shay, the scholar, Malia, the fighter, Stork, the jack of all trades, and Wren, the youngest member of the crew, and another one who jumps in wherever needed.
Our crew sets off to find a mystical city. One only talked about in books. It never appears on any map, and even the books on it seem vague about any details. But they are determined to find Innsmouth, MA. And to unlock any secrets it may hold, including why its location is so secret.
The crew finds Innsmouth, and descends to the ground, leaving Wren aboard ship. Just in case of trouble. And trouble finds them shortly, in the guise of a young girl. A girl who looks oddly like a mix of human and fish? Malia is taken by the residents of Innsmouth, and Dev and Shay wet out to find her, with the help of Stork.
It is revealed that Innsmouth is a dream city. Or rather, a nightmare city, populated mostly by frightening hybrids of humans with fish, and a few hybrids of humans and other animals. And a few other beings that defy explanation.
Skyships Over Innsmouth borrows very heavily from the Lovecraftian universe, using locations, stories, and beings that were popularized by Lovecraft and his fellows. As such, there are things in the book that don't make lots of sense, unless you've got a little bit of knowledge of the lore. Non Euclidian geometry is touched on, as well as you can describe something that can't exist in our grasp of the universe, but not explained.And that bit of the book is difficult to wrap ones head around, but only because of the descriptions of how that "style" of geometry could look.
There's much more to this book, but going much deeper will take away from the mind bogglingness of it. But there is some lovely non-explicit romance, that isn't tiptoed around. It's very obvious what's going on, but there's no explicit sex, which was interesting and very well written. I was very pleased with the book, and how it juggled the two realms of existence. And the wink and nod to other Lovecraftian stories was great.
Skyships Over Innsmouth should be put on your to-read list if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, Lovecraftian fiction, LGBTQIA fiction, old school horror, and just plain weird creepy fiction. I give it two fins up. And a couple tentacles as well.
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